Meet the Team
We believe in the best. Which is why we have hired a team that looks at every task as a golden opportunity.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Jacob Howard
Jacob (call sign Crimson King) entered the drone industry in 2016, quickly learning and upgrading gear until he found he couldn't stop. As CEO, he focuses on two core principles: running a stable, sustainable business and ensuring the company adapts to continually meet industry needs.
Jacob sets the tone for direction and innovation. When he's not focused on strategy, he's likely pestering Bob (our Head of Sales) about taking him on that airplane joyride he's been promising for years.
Email: jacob@illuminatedrones.com
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Josh Goodwin
Josh (call sign J-Mag) mastered drones by flying them for his video production company. He worked with Jacob to create an online course for drones back in 2020 and has been a staunch supporter for the vision Illuminate Drones has for the future.
Josh is known for his incredibly helpful attitude and customer service skills, making sure clients and employees are taken care of at every turn. When not doing that, you can find Josh counseling Bob on why Jacob feels this plane ride could really benefit their ROI.
Email: josh@illuminatedrones.com
Director of Business Development
Bob Tobin
Bob (call-sign Bobin) stumbled into drone sales after realizing talking people into things was his true calling—it worked on Jacob. Known for his charm and persistence, he could probably sell a drone to a pigeon. As Head of Sales, he bridges the gap between customer dreams and Jacob’s budgets (which is harder than it sounds).
A former Senior Airman Bob commands the sales frontlines with precision. When he’s not closing deals, he’s dodging Jacob’s plane invitations and claiming it’s “a scheduling conflict.”
Email: bob@illuminatedrones.com
Pilot and Designer
Dalton Sessumes
Dalton (call-sign Drizzle) is a seasoned entertainment professional with experience piloting, directing, and performing in shows around the world. Drawing on his unique background, which spans from the spectacular stages of Cirque du Soleil to his intense studies in quantum physics, his core passion is uniting high-level entertainment with cutting-edge technology.
When he's not architecting the next gravity-defying drone routine, Dalton is likely trying to explain superposition to the rest of the team. That and explaining to Jacob that telling Bob it could be a "quantum plane ride" doesn't make it any cooler, just more confusing.
Pilot and Warehouse Team
Tongi Finau
Tongi’s (call sign Tongolian) journey into the drone world has been one of serendipity. He had no idea what he was getting into, but now he’s ready to Illuminate the skies with us. Along with his growing passion for piloting shows, he also loves assembling and repairing drones. From the ground up, you can count on Tongi being involved. His go-getter attitude has made him a valuable part of the team and you can always count on him to get the job done right.
When he’s not in the warehouse or out on the field, you can probably find Tongi in the kitchen. He’s an avid cook and baker with a natural spice for life! He has even used those skills to try and bribe Bob into that plane ride but Bob has an unnerving ability to resist such sway.
Pilot and Warehouse Team
Aiden Haslam
Aiden (call sign Apple Jacks) is fueled by curiosity, good vibes, and a drive to master the art of the drone show. He recently brought his diverse talents to the sky, joining Illuminate's team with the goal of mastering the intricacies of both indoor and outdoor shows. Outside of piloting, he’s focused on the wild world of entrepreneurship and is on a mission to become a certified Trainer and Drone Pilot—the aerial equivalent of a rockstar.
When Aiden isn't busy flying high, he spends most of his time jamming out in the music studio with his friends. He's been known to play the Top Gun soundtrack every time Bob enters the room.
Chief Designer
Nihat Algingul
Nihat Algingul is responsible for overseeing all show files—from animations to lighting effects. As Chief Designer, he constantly experiments with new ideas and adds innovative touches to the shows.
Outside of design, he’s always sketching and exploring new concepts on his digital canvas, and frequently shares his ideas with the team. His hobbies include designing, experimenting with different visual concepts, creating short animations, and working on inspiring projects.
Director of Awesomeness
Griffin Howard
Not only does he come with automatic skills being the CEO's son, Griffin also brings a contagious joy and attitude to every job he helps with. As one of the very first helpers in helping his Papa to fly his first test shows, Griffin has years of experience that even experts in this field don't have.
When he isn't Directing all the Awesomeness, he is being awesome at building Lego airplanes and absolutely killing it at Fortnite during Family Fortnite sessions.
Chief Cuteness Officer
Chloe Howard
As the Chief Cuteness Officer, Chloe has developed quite an affinity for the color pink and has guided that many a indoor drone show be "pink with pink" for coloring. However, her "Princess Bucket" technique for gathering batteries in the early days of indoor drone shows saved many a back from brokenness.
When Chloe isn't Directing the Cuteness, she is being cute by saying the silliest things, calling everything adorable and trying to pet any kitten that walks by. She also kills it at Fortnite!
Quinton Hansen
In loving memory of our good friend
Quinton Hansen was Illuminate's first hire and a fantastic person. As one of the world's best FPV racing pilots, Quinton brought a passion for drones and learning new things that has been sorely missed. Known for his room-filling laugh (you could hear him across neighborhoods!), Quinton had an energy for life that was contagious and genuine to a fault.
Fly high, QT!
