National Space Society Governor Lon Levin Biography

lon levin biography portrait

Lon Levin

National Space Society Board of Governors

Lon Levin is an executive and entrepreneur with over 25 years experience in space, new media, and telecommunications industries. Lon is President of SkySevenVentures, which works with, helps manage, and invests in new technology companies, particularly space-based businesses, including Sentinel Satellite (CEO), Integral Systems, Transformational Space (Chief Strategic Officer), Terrestar Networks, Slacker Radio (Senior Advisor to CEO and Board), and Near Earth LLC.  Lon speaks at industry, academic, and government conferences on space business, policy, and finance.

Lon is the cofounder of XM Satellite Radio and played an integral role in the formation and development of other satellite, media, and wireless companies including Mobile Satellite Ventures, XM Canada, Motient Corporation, American Mobile Satellite Corporation, and TerreStar. Before his corporate career, Lon was a partner in the law firm Gurman, Kurtis, Blask & Freedman, where he specialized in space, satellite, media, and wireless matters. He started his career as an attorney at the Federal Communications Commission. Throughout the 1990s, Lon served as a United States Delegate at many United Nations International Telecommunication Union conferences. Lon just completed serving on the Department of Defense sponsored CSIS commission to study the Health of the Space Industrial Base and Export Controls.  Lon holds two mobile satellite service patents.

Lon is a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Space Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Planetary Society, the Board of Governors of the National Space Society, and the Board of Directors of International Association of Space Entrepreneurs. He was a founding board member of the Satellite Industry Association and was its co-chairperson from 1996-98.  Lon is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cultural Development Corporation of Washington, DC, which helps artists secure affordable housing and work places.  Lon was inducted into the Space Foundation Technology Hall of Fame in 2002.