Sean McKay Holt

Leads global expansion of Phi Earth’s platform across the U.S., Asia-Pacific, and emerging markets, establishing a new category at the intersection of regenerative forestry, food systems, and bioenergy. Drives deployment of integrated biomass production systems that supply hard-to-abate sectors with reliable inputs for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel for marine and heavy industry, and onsite power generation for data centers and industrial operators, alongside downstream products including biochar, biocoke, and activated carbon. Reframes fragmented land use, agriculture, and energy supply chains into a unified, scalable production platform aligned with industrial offtake demand and energy transition priorities. Establishes and manages strategic partnerships with governments, aviation and marine operators, and industrial partners to enable cross-border deployment, contracted supply, and commercialization. Integrates field operations with digital systems and a predictive digital twin to optimize site selection, planting strategies, and yield performance across biomass and food production. Ensures traceability and carbon intensity validation through measurement, reporting, and verification frameworks aligned with international standards and emerging fuel certification schemes, enabling consistent, repeatable, and scalable outputs across diverse geographies. Focused on restoring degraded land and rebuilding soil health to unlock a new supply paradigm for food, materials, and energy through practical, deployable systems.

We’re building a regenerative platform designed to heal land at scale. Phi Earth develops nature-aligned technologies that accelerate reforestation, restore degraded ecosystems, and increase food and biomass productivity without genetic modification or heavy chemical inputs. Our work combines precision agroforestry, biological amplification, field-deployed technology, and AI-guided planning to make regeneration measurable, repeatable, and deployable across climates. Our initial focus is fast-cycle agroforestry using Paulownia elongata, intercropped with food systems to restore soil health, improve farmer economics, and rapidly rebuild biomass on degraded land. From the same acres, we enable multiple outcomes: reforestation, food security, carbon capture, and sustainable production of timber and biomass for downstream uses, including biochar, bio-coke, and advanced bio-based materials. As these systems scale, we are also working toward bio-based fuels and energy inputs for hard-to-abate sectors, including maritime and aviation. By linking regenerative land use with sustainable biomass conversion, we aim to support decarbonization while strengthening long-term ecological and economic resilience. We work alongside governments, Indigenous communities, NGOs, and UN Sustainable Development Goal–aligned organizations to deploy regeneration in ways that are locally grounded, environmentally responsible, and globally relevant. Phi Earth is a 2026 Earthshot Prize nominee, an initiative founded by Prince William to identify and scale solutions that protect and restore nature, fix our climate, and build a more resilient future for the planet. The goal is simple: help nature do what it already does best, faster, safer, and at a planetary scale.

Sean Holt is the Co-Founder, Chief Pilot, and Lead Instructor at Quantum Dynamics LLC, an innovative UAV training and services company founded in 2020 as an affiliate of Timberland Helicopters Inc. Sean pioneered asset integrity inspections with unmanned aviation in 2016 through Timberland's Unmanned Systems and Special Projects Division, where he built his expertise from the ground up, mastering technical knowledge and operational excellence. With visionary leadership and extensive hands-on experience, Sean developed Quantum Dynamics Drone Academy, which provides FAA-certified Part 107 training and advanced practical flight instruction. Under his guidance, the academy boasts an exceptional first-time FAA exam pass rate of 99.9%, having successfully trained nearly 1500 students across the West Coast, from California to Montana, with a primary focus on supporting public safety agencies, utilities, agriculture professionals, veterans, and youth STEM initiatives. Sean is passionate about empowering our nation's most valued resources—youth, veterans, public safety professionals, utility workers, and farmers—by equipping them with future-proof drone skills and certifications. He also co-founded Task Force Almeda, dedicated to drone-enabled disaster response and resilience training with local public safety agencies. Sean has actively collaborated on notable aerospace and technology projects, including the European Space Agency's ExoMars 2022 Rover project, and has engaged in other innovative UAV research and development. Through Quantum Dynamics' thriving community on Skool, Sean continues to lead and inspire the next generation of drone pilots and industry leaders, driving innovation, excellence, and transformative change within unmanned aviation.

The Navy League of the United States (NLUS) was founded in 1902 with the encouragement of President Theodore Roosevelt. The Navy League has provided a powerful voice for a stronger sea service to Congress and to the American people. The Navy League has grown into the foremost citizens'​ organization to serve, support, and stand with all the sea services – U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine. The Navy League is comprised of 40,000 civilians in more than 240 councils around the world working to support sea service members and their families. We do this through a variety of education programs that remind our fellow citizens that the United States is a maritime nation whose national economic and security interests are inextricably tied to the freedom of the seas. The Navy League has three missions: to enhance the morale of active duty personnel and their families; to inform Congress and the American public on the importance of strong sea services; and to support youth through programs such as the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Junior ROTC and Young Marines that expose young people to the values of our sea services. Over the years, the Navy League has compiled an impressive record of accomplishment. Today the Navy League is widely respected by citizens, community and industrial leaders, and public officials. Navy League programs are welcomed in communities throughout the nation, and members are recognized for their integrity and patriotism.

The Maritime Executive is the leading source of maritime news, jobs, events, and industry analysis. Providing free and easily accessible information on the maritime industry will encourage growth in readership and create value for both readers and advertisers. The First True Business Journal for Maritime Executives Strategies & solutions through case studies, interviews and articles that address the most critical issues in the maritime industry today. Only The Maritime Executive provides such depth of insight into the decision making process of leaders throughout the maritime world. The Maritime Executive is the only vehicle so sharply focused to deliver essential information from maritime decision makers to other maritime decision makers - an indispensable weapon in your arsenal for further business success. Products include - The Maritime Executive magazine, MarEx eNews, and www.maritime-executive.com. We also are authorized representatives for Ship & Port magazine, Schiff & Hafen magazine, and The Compendium of Marine Engineering.

Infinity XVR is a premier immersive content creator. Our team of seasoned expeditionary nomads has become Asia's most experienced producers and developers of virtual tours and multi-media for luxury brands. With more than 12 years of combined industry experience, we specialize in videos, virtual reality (VR) / augmented reality (AR), images, and drones. Combined, our ronin artists have produced more than 400 videos, 400 virtual tours, tens of thousands of 2D & 3D images, and tons of flying time. Infinity XVR's proud list of luxury clients spread across the yachting, aviation, marine, luxury travel & resorts, and sporting sectors. Born out of a passion for travel, lifestyle, and the art of storytelling, Infinity XVR has traversed the world for that perfect shot. We invite collaborators of all types to come and explore what Infinity XVR's enhanced user experiences looks and feels like. Our team is obsessed with the details, so we put a massive emphasis on quality control and internal training. As tech junkies, Infinity XVR is constantly researching, exploring, innovating and developing on the cutting-edge of immersive content. Drawn from our vast resources of drones, VR tech, cameras, strategic partners, the latest software and/or newest gear, we deliver! Anytime, anywhere!

RoboTechnics is on a mission to help maritime & land organizations build and inspect their assets smarter, faster, and cheaper through enhanced decision-making fostered by state-of-the-art technology. Want to learn how 3D digital twins, artificial intelligence, and remote inspection techniques (such as live-stream & robotics) are forever changing our physical world? Then you've come to the right place. Established in 2016, RoboTechnics was created in anticipation of the upcoming digitalization and uncrewed systems (aka drone) revolution. Founded by a U.S. Navy Craftmaster (veteran) / experienced marine classification society surveyor / lead ISO auditor after realizing the maritime & offshore asset inspection process was about to be heavily disrupted by technology. With more than 500 virtual reality tours and short films created by its subsidiary InfinityXVR for clients such as Ministry of Villas (Asia), PowderLife Magazine (Japan), Burgess Yachts (Worldwide), Thailand Yacht Show & Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous (Thailand), the team are world leaders in developing immersive digital content and media. Now partnered and equipped with the world's leading 3D digital twin and collaboration, live-streaming, artificial intelligence, & uncrewed systems platforms available, RoboTechnics is working with vetted and selected organizations to usher in the rapid adoption and integration of digitization. Contact us for more details and to setup a technical demonstration. Use cases include: - HSE Induction/ On-Boarding/ Crew Change – Ensuring safe operational integration - Unified collaboration & data management platform for project management - Reality capture aligned with 2D & 3D design drawings (BIM, Navisworks, Revit, etc.); includes artificial intelligence for automatic progress tracking for construction. - Dry Docking, Repair & Life Extension – Maximize uptime by ensuring operational excellence, quality, & on-time delivery of assets - Emergency & Rapid Response

Appointed Class Ambassador to the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Business School in order to help promote and facilitate continued relationships and activities with NUS and the global alumni network. For over 50 years, NUS Business School has offered a rigorous, relevant and rewarding business education to outstanding men and women from across the world. The School remains distinctive among the world's leading business Schools by offering the best of global knowledge with deep Asian insights, preparing students to lead Asian businesses to the forefront of the world economy and to help global businesses succeed in Asia. Today, the School continues its tradition of attracting a diversity of smart and talented students to its broad portfolio of academic programs, including BBA, MBA, Executive MBA, MSc and PhD programs. It also offers a wide range of customized and open enrollment programs in its Executive Education courses. Admission to NUS Business School is remarkably competitive, and we are proud of the exceptionally high quality of our students. The School has a distinguished international faculty educated in renowned universities including Harvard, Wharton, MIT, Oxford and many others. Known for their research quality and great teaching, our faculty members are committed in providing students a top-rate business education. Ranked 4th (International) by Financial Times Master's in Management Rankings (2015) Ranked 4th (International for NUS-NUS EMBA ) by The Economist 'Which MBA' (2014) Ranked 2nd (International) by QS Global 200 Best Asia-Pacific Business Schools (2014/2015)

Proudly serving at the pleasure of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) - Cascade Chapter since January 2021. AUVSI is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics, represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government, and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets.

Sean McKay Holt currently serves as Timberland Helicopters, Inc. (THI) Director of Unmanned Systems and Special Projects. Since 2017, Mr. Holt has been instrumental in building THI’s drone program from the ground-up and lead the way for special projects in precision agriculture, rock quarry, and wind farm inspections, and is a leader with THI’s newly developed Northwest Drone Academy (NWDA), in partnership with General Pacific. The NWDA is dedicated to providing aviation best-practices to the rapidly developing small unmanned systems (sUAS) industry. The Academy's focus is on teaching industry professionals from utility/electric, police officers, firefighters, and governments on passing the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot exam (w/ 100% success rate) as well as initial, advanced and scenario-based practical flight instruction for sUAS. THI's Unmanned Systems Department is capable of providing turn-key Drone Management Systems (DMS) and full operational and administrative support for client drone programs, as well as developing FAA Waivers and internal standard operating procedures. Founded in 1981, Timberland has been a trusted name in the transportation industry for over 30 years. Founded as a contract logging company, Timberland established its helicopter operations in 1984. By 1993 the company acquired an additional Jet Ranger, which enabled them to begin providing emergency medical services. Through its sister companies, Timberland Logging and Siskiyou Transportation, Inc. Timberland was also able to provide trucking and snowcat services to clients throughout the region. Since then, Timberland Helicopters has expanded to include a comprehensive list of services including private charters, aerial photography, load transport/construction, aerial seeding, firefighting, power line patrol, wildlife surveying, law enforcement, and emergency medical services.

About Maritime Consulting, LLC Headquartered in Plainfield, Illinois, Maritime Consulting, LLC (MARCON) is comprised of alumni from maritime academies from around the world and has a network of independent consultants that span the seven seas. The company was founded by experienced classification society marine surveyors and lead ISO9001 auditors. MARCON specialized in general maritime problem solving with the following non-exhaustive list of competencies: - MARAD Small Shipyard Grant Program Application Assistance - Vessel Charters - On-Hire / Off-Hire Surveys - Third Party Inspections - Expert Witness - Sub Chapter M - Classification / ISO Audit Reviews - Safety Management Systems - Technical Documents - Copywriting

Recently completed graduate work in a dual degree program with NUS Business School and UCLA's Anderson School of Business. Course is comprised of 40+ high caliber and proven individuals with high level corporate or entrepreneurial positions from mostly the Asia-Pacific area. Program takes students to Singapore, US, Shanghai, and Bangalore, India to meet with top level business executives and have exposure to in-depth vertically integrated global operations.

Embry-Riddle’s Master of Science in Unmanned Systems focuses on this emerging industry by addressing topics including policy design, ethics, and systems management. Embry-Riddle has been a pioneering institution in the field of unmanned and robotics education, and its Master of Science in Unmanned Systems degree provides students with an education focused on the application, development, and management of unmanned systems, policies and regulations, and related technology necessary to support the growing and dynamic needs of the industry. This program supports the growth, innovative development, and effective use of unmanned system technology across the respective domains (air, space, ground, and maritime) to address major challenges within the industry, including interoperability, autonomy, airspace integration, communications, education and training, propulsion and power, teaming, and regulation.

Recently completed graduate work in a dual degree program with NUS Business School and UCLA's Anderson School of Business. Course is comprised of 40+ high caliber and proven individuals with high level corporate or entrepreneurial positions from mostly the Asia-Pacific area. Program takes students to Singapore, US, Shanghai, and Bangalore, India to meet with top level business executives and have exposure to in-depth vertically integrated global operations.

Maritime Operations & Technology

Physics

Preparing and shaping the automation and robotronic revolution at the institution considered "The Harvard of Aviation".