Co-Founder & Chief Executive, Relativity Space Inc.

Ellis co-founded Relativity with Jordan Noone in 2016. Prior to that, he worked as a propulsion development engineer at Blue Origin, overseeing the rocket manufacturer’ s 3D-printing operations. In 2018, Ellis was named to the National Space Council Users Advisory Group. The following year Relativity became one of 56 companies designated as technology pioneers by the World Economic Forum. Under Ellis’ guidance, Relativity raised about $1.2 billion in funding, bringing its valuation to $4.2 billion. The company also expanded its Long Beach footprint by 1 million square feet and hired about 150 employees this year for a total of more than 700. Ellis received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from USC.

YEARS ON THE LA500: 2