ISU Space Café with AWS Kuiper Team - Rashid Neighbors and Josh Ingersoll

The International Space University - USA Alumni Association’s Washington, DC Chapter is pleased to present our next monthly event! These events bring together prominent experts on space, ISU alumni, the space community, and the interested public in a casual forum that encourages interaction and discussion.

Date: Wednesday, August 27th 2025

Time: 6:00pm - 8:00 pm

Venue: 510 14th St S., Arlington, VA 22202 NOTE THE CHANGE

As Senior Business Development Lead – Military for Amazon’s Kuiper Government Solutions (KGS), Rashid Neighbors leverages more than 20 years of experience in satellite communications to drive the development of critical military solutions at KGS.

Prior to KGS, Rashid served as Vice President of Mobility and Integrated Solutions at SES Space and Defense. Before that, he was Business Development Manager for U.S. Government Sales and Program Manager for U.S. Government Contracts at UltiSat, where he supported the company’s Department of Defense (DoD) and Federal Civilian programs as well as business development initiatives. Rashid spent 10 years as a civilian with the Department of the Navy at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR). His career within the DoD spanned engineering, fleet support, program management, and acquisition. While at SPAWAR, he led contract awards for the Unit and Force Level Variants of the Commercial Broadband Satellite Program within the Communications Program Office at PEO C4I. He also led fielding and modernization efforts for the Navy Multiband Terminal Program.

Rashid is actively involved in mentoring and education initiatives. He volunteers as a board member and Vice President for SSPI-MA, serves on the Scholarship Committee for AFCEA NOVA, and is a Zed Factor mentor. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of San Diego.

Josh Ingersoll is a Senior Manager of Government Lasercom Products for Amazon Kuiper Government Services. His work straddles the line between technical product design and space services architecting for Amazon's constellation of LEO satellites. He previously worked as a Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Astranis Space Technologies Corp., Manager of Constellation Policy for Amazon Kuiper and a Spacecraft Systems Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation.

Beyond his day job, Josh holds a political advisory position with the UN; serving as the representative for the Americas on the International Telecommunications Union Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Board. Josh collaborates with experts in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy to advice UN leadership on connectivity issues facing humanity on a global scale. His focus is on the applications of space assets to bridge the digital divide and bring the final 2.9 billion members of humanity into the internet age.

During his time at Georgia Tech, Josh took part in the BS/MS Honors Program; receiving his Bachelor's of Science in Aerospace Engineering subsequent Master's of Science in Aerospace Engineering. He also holds an MA in Space Policy and an MBA in STEM Management from The George Washington University. His research focus at GWU was mega-constellation regulation development and the promotion of public-private partnerships in the aerospace industry.

Outside of his professional and academic pursuits, Josh is quite active in the Matthew Isakowitz Foundation Programs; serving as the Foundation's Scholarship Executive Director. The Scholarship places exceptional students into internships in the commercial space industry. He is a diehard Buffalo Bills fan and purveyor of Scotch whiskey.

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