Nate Hepler is a seasoned engineering and operations leader who now leads Manufacturing at Boom Supersonic. With a foundation in aerospace manufacturing, test engineering, and mechanisms development, Nate brings a rare blend of hands-on technical expertise and organizational leadership to scaling Boom’s hardware capabilities.

Nate currently serves as Head of Manufacturing, where he oversees manufacturing engineering, machine shops, facilities, and production operations across the company. In this role, he is responsible for building the infrastructure, teams, and processes required to develop and produce advanced aerospace hardware, while driving strategic decisions around vertical integration, supplier partnerships, and manufacturing readiness.

Before stepping into manufacturing leadership, Nate led Talent Acquisition at Boom, where he oversaw hiring strategy, workforce planning, and technical recruiting during a period of rapid growth. His deep engineering background enabled him to partner closely with technical leaders to build high-performing teams across propulsion, structures, manufacturing, and test.

Earlier in his career at Boom, Nate held multiple technical roles, including Manager of Test Engineering, where he led teams responsible for component- and system-level testing in support of major propulsion and airframe milestones. He also served as Lead Manufacturing Engineer and Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineer, contributing directly to the design, fabrication, and integration of complex aerospace hardware.

Prior to Boom, Nate spent four years at SpaceX as a Manufacturing Engineer across several high-impact programs. His work spanned manufacturing engineering for Falcon and Starship mechanisms, supporting both new product introduction and production efforts. He began at SpaceX as a manufacturing intern supporting Falcon 9 subassemblies.

Nate holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering / Aerospace Engineering from Boston University. His background across engineering, test, talent, and manufacturing uniquely positions him to lead Boom’s manufacturing organization as the company scales toward supersonic flight.

George Hopman is an experienced manufacturing and machining specialist with more than a decade of hands-on expertise in precision CNC machining, process development, and complex, tight-tolerance production. His background spans aerospace, defense, cryogenics, and classified manufacturing environments, with a strong emphasis on proactive process planning, tooling development, and production readiness.

Most recently, George served as a Machinist III at Barber-Nichols, where he played a lead role on multiple long-lead, high-complexity programs. His responsibilities included process development, CNC programming, fixture design, tooling selection, and commissioning new equipment. He worked extensively with advanced 5-axis mill-turn machines, using Siemens NX and Mastercam to create, verify, and modify CNC programs. George also coordinated with third-party vendors, scheduled maintenance, and led troubleshooting efforts for a classified mill-turn cell, while training all new hires supporting classified machining operations.

At Barber-Nichols, George was instrumental in bringing new machining processes into production for large, detail-rich, tight-tolerance components. His work supported major naval programs, where he helped transition early development processes into repeatable production, implemented new G-code to fully leverage machine capabilities, collaborated closely with quality teams on first articles, and supported multi-shift operations while maintaining strict material traceability requirements.

Earlier in his career, George was a Lead Programmer and Machinist at 3D Manufacturing Corp, where he designed custom fixturing, generated solid models from customer blueprints, and wrote efficient CNC programs for 3-5-axis milling machines. Throughout his career he has selected and sourced specialized tooling, supported a wide range of custom projects from aerospace to cryogenic, and collaborated closely with engineers, welders, and technicians.

George holds an Associate of Applied Science in Mechanical Production Technology and Process Operations Technology from Joliet Junior College, along with a Certificate in Blueprint Reading, CNC, and Dimensional Metrology. He is known for his detail-oriented approach, deep curiosity, and belief that strong upfront planning and process discipline are key to avoiding downstream risk—an outlook that aligns closely with Boom’s approach to building complex aerospace hardware.

Travis Kyle is a senior CNC programmer and machinist with nearly 20 years of experience supporting precision manufacturing for aerospace, automotive, and high-performance mechanical systems. At Boom Supersonic, Travis brings deep expertise in multi-axis machining, process development, and shop-floor execution to support rapid prototyping and production of high-tolerance hardware.

Travis’s background includes extensive work in 3-, 4-, and 5-axis CNC milling and turning, with advanced proficiency in Mastercam and Fusion 360. He has a strong track record of developing efficient toolpaths, robust workholding solutions, and repeatable processes for tight-tolerance components, routinely holding tolerances to ±0.0005”. His approach emphasizes manufacturability, reliability, and continuous improvement—critical attributes in fast-paced R&D and test environments.

Prior to joining Boom, Travis served as an Applications Engineer at Productivity Inc., where he supported customers with CNC programming, process development, machine installations, and technical training. In that role, he worked closely with manufacturing teams to improve existing processes, implement automation strategies, and bring new machining capabilities online. His work frequently involved troubleshooting complex machining challenges and reducing cycle time while maintaining part quality and consistency.

Earlier in his career, Travis was a High-Volume Production Programmer and Machine Shop Supervisor at Air Squared Manufacturing, where he supported OEM production across multiple shifts and machine tools. He led programming efforts, analyzed workflows, sourced tooling and materials, and helped implement machine monitoring systems. He also played a key role in mentoring machinists, supporting hiring decisions, and maintaining production schedules.

Travis began his career at GRP Connecting Rods, where he spent more than a decade as a shop foreman and CNC programmer/machinist supporting custom racing engine components. His work spanned product development, macro programming, failure analysis, and process optimization, contributing to hardware used in record-setting and championship-winning applications.

Across his career, Travis has focused on practical manufacturing solutions, strong documentation, and hands-on collaboration between engineering and the shop floor. His experience in machining, GD&T, tooling strategy, automation readiness, and process improvement supports Boom’s mission to rapidly and reliably build next-generation aerospace hardware.

Matt Segler is a mechanical and manufacturing engineer with deep technical experience spanning experimental aerospace manufacturing, ground and flight test, and rapid prototyping. With a hands-on, systems-minded approach to engineering, Matt has played a critical role in transforming complex designs into flight-ready hardware across Boom Supersonic’s most ambitious programs. Matt considers himself a “hyper generalist” capable of tackling a variety of complex problems. 

Matt currently serves as a Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineer supporting Turbomachinery at Boom Supersonic, where he works across research and development, prototyping, and manufacturing for the Overture aircraft and the Symphony engine. His work bridges engineering definition and physical execution, enabling rapid iteration and reliable testing of next-generation propulsion hardware.

Previously, Matt was a Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineer on the XB-1 supersonic demonstrator, where he helped design, build, and test the world’s first independently developed supersonic aircraft. He served as Lead Manufacturing and Test Engineer for major aircraft structures including the fuselage, landing gear, doors, and windows, and led multiple high-visibility mission success events involving complex and high-risk integrated aircraft tests. Matt managed and supported a team of technicians during the build of XB-1 and was trusted with high consequence decision-making in fast-paced, safety-critical environments.

In addition to his engineering responsibilities, Matt served as a Flight Test Photographer during the XB-1 program, acting as airborne chase photographer for first flight and supporting ground and airborne documentation of test events and aircraft build milestones. 

Beyond Boom, Matt brings a strong entrepreneurial background. He was the co-founder and former CEO of CADe App, a venture-backed startup focused on improving CAD workflow efficiency through intuitive 3D manipulation tools. Matt’s entrepreneurial spirit stretches back to high school when he founded Trilogy Pens, a design-led manufacturing company he bootstrapped and operated for over a decade, overseeing product design, prototyping, manufacturing, branding, and distribution of high end writing instruments. 

Matt holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Industrial Design from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is an USHPA P4 rated paragliding pilot, Eagle Scout and an IBM Watson Scholar, and is driven by a passion for engineering, design, and building systems that create meaningful impact.