{"id":55507,"date":"2022-04-28T01:28:23","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T17:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/theres-a-lot-more-left-for-me-to-do-mynaric-cco-tina-ghataore-is-just-getting-started\/"},"modified":"2022-04-28T01:28:23","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T17:28:23","slug":"theres-a-lot-more-left-for-me-to-do-mynaric-cco-tina-ghataore-is-just-getting-started","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/theres-a-lot-more-left-for-me-to-do-mynaric-cco-tina-ghataore-is-just-getting-started\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018There\u2019s a Lot More Left for Me to Do\u2019 \u2014 Mynaric CCO Tina Ghataore is Just Getting Started"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Tina Ghataore, Mynaric\u2019s chief commercial officer and president of the company\u2019s U.S. division, won the 2021 Satellite Executive of the Year award on the back of Mynaric\u2019s impressive deal flow. Tasked with commercializing the company\u2019s laser communication terminals after joining Mynaric in August 2020, Ghataore quickly signed on a host of government and commercial customers during one of the most uncertain and challenging times for the industry. <\/p>\n<p>Ghataore sat down with <em class=\"Annotation -emphasis\">Via Satellite<\/em> to dig into the challenges and opportunities of commercializing laser communications. Ghataore is confident in the technology and her understanding of customer requirements that backs up the sales pitch. She will gladly \u201cgo head-to-head on tech and price\u201d with competitors and asserts that Mynaric terminals will fly on a large-scale constellation \u2014 it\u2019s a matter of when, not if. <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Y8Q0JVWRMSYYFewYn07D_VS_050122_DGTL_Cover-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Y8Q0JVWRMSYYFewYn07D_VS_050122_DGTL_Cover-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Y8Q0JVWRMSYYFewYn07D_VS_050122_DGTL_Cover-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Y8Q0JVWRMSYYFewYn07D_VS_050122_DGTL_Cover-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Y8Q0JVWRMSYYFewYn07D_VS_050122_DGTL_Cover.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the May 2022 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>With her decades-long career in the industry, Ghataore has been a part of large companies like Boeing and Yahsat, yet she thrives in the startup environment where she has had a chance to hand-pick her team and play a role in building company culture. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I would have this opportunity in a bigger company,\u201d she says. I\u2019ve thrived here because of the size of the company, the latitude I was afforded, the support I\u2019ve had, and an incredible team.\u201d   <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Congratulations on your Satellite Executive of the Year win. What does this award mean to you personally? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> I didn\u2019t realize that I\u2019d been in the industry for 25-plus years. To get this recognition, was one of those moments where I think \u201cSomeone was paying attention.\u201d That feels really good on a personal level. <\/p>\n<p>Professionally, it reinforces that I didn\u2019t have to mold myself into someone I\u2019m not. I\u2019m an aerospace engineer, and this is how I look. When I started my career, there were some norms that were expected. Someone at a panel said it really well \u2014 women tend to stovepipe themselves. We don\u2019t talk about the fact that we\u2019re married or we have a child. All those thoughts were running through my head the last few weeks. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a700ace0bd2a;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a700ace0bd2a = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a700ace0bd2b').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a700ace0bd2b'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Getting this professional recognition by peers in the industry, in a company where I have been afforded the latitude to do what I can do without much interference, I really appreciate that. I have a broad runway, there isn\u2019t a box around me. I think there\u2019s a lot more left for me to do. Was this too early to win the award? <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Mynaric has signed a lot of customers over the past two years. How have you gotten these customers to invest in an emerging technology? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> The easier part for me and my team on the sales and business development side is to open the doors. We have the network, we can open doors. The harder part is convincing people to incorporate new tech.<\/p>\n<p>We have an amazing founder and CTO in Joachim [Horwath] and he has a way of explaining how laser communication can add value to people\u2019s networks, in such simple terms that all of the physics become irrelevant [compared] to how he describes how this technology has turned into real products. In my early days of the company, every meeting that I had, making calls to large prime contractors, we were attached at the hip in terms of how we were pitching. <\/p>\n<p>The trick is to really explain the product and the technology by understanding the use case for the customer. [Understanding the customer] is all the market development effort we did before you go in and close deals. The trick was to get the RFIs and RFPs in-house. But before you get those in house, it\u2019s all market development. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Who was more difficult to bring on \u2014 government or commercial customers? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> I think commercial. Government, at least in the U.S., has paved the way and the adoption of this technology. I can\u2019t thank the Space Development Agency enough, and what Derek Tournear is doing, incorporating tech into their proliferated LEO [Low-Earth Orbit] tranches. <\/p>\n<p>Commercial operators are coming on board with the tech. OneWeb Gen 2 is talking about it, Telesat is talking about it, and SpaceX has it on their satellites. It\u2019s all about economics. But once they understand that their customer is also the U.S. government, or other governments, and they may need to incorporate interoperability across their networks \u2014 then you get those RFIs from the commercial side. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full image-block px-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Placeholder alt text\" class=\"w-full object-cover mx-auto max-w-sm\" src=\"http:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/KgkZsKSVmqrc4SBy74gt_CONDOR_Mk3.png\"><figcaption class=\"p-3 bg-gray-300 bg-opacity-50 italic mx-auto max-w-sm\">Mynaric\u2019s Condor Mk3 terminal. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: How critical have the Space Development Agency and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [DARPA] been as partners and customers validating this technology? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> They have been and continue to be very critical to our growth, because they are pushing the envelope. We\u2019re pushing them in terms of what the realm of the possible is with the tech, but we present it in a manner that is useful within their networks.<\/p>\n<p>DARPA, for example, through Telesat Government Solutions, was our first win with our Condor Mk2 terminal. We\u2019re hoping that it will launch with the DARPA Blackjack program this year. Right on the heels of that is the SDA tranches. We are part of the Tranche 1 program through Northrop Grumman. <\/p>\n<p>I have to give credit to Bulent [Altan] \u2014 he and Joachim have had a seat at the table with the SDA to develop the optical communication standard, without which we wouldn\u2019t be seeing this market penetration. When I say a seat at the table, it\u2019s really defining the products that would operate within these parameters. You\u2019ve got companies like Mynaric that are innovating on our own dime in our own time, and want to do higher throughput, etc. But we can see where other companies aren\u2019t quite there yet. The SDA has to come up with a standard that works for all. We will continue to push for more tech and more capability, but we know that others have to come up to that level. We are on the [test] table, inviting others to work with us from an interoperability standpoint. We set up labs in Germany, as well as here in California to do that. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a700ace0c465;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a700ace0c465 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a700ace0c466').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a700ace0c466'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: What can laser communications enable in the future for proliferated, multi-orbit defense constellations? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> In LEO, you\u2019ve got the Earth observation community that takes great imagery in different spectrums. They are sitting on a bunch of imagery that they are unable to move, whether they need to process it and move it down. You throw on board one of our terminals, and now you can move that raw data down to the ground with an optical ground station on the ground. <\/p>\n<p>The same group of companies can then move their data to a data relay system. This is where partners like SpaceLink come into play. So, you\u2019ve got LEO and MEO [Medium-Earth Orbit] engaged. A GEO [Geostationary] spacecraft is great, because it\u2019s positioned over a particular region. You can now start seeing a connection between the orbits in terms of how data is moved. Our vision is connecting all the nodes. We\u2019ve got airborne products and ground products. When you look at the defense sector, it\u2019s not just in the space realm, it\u2019s in the airborne realm. On the ground, it\u2019s both fixed and mobility vehicles. Where we want to go next is to help connect these nodes. That\u2019s the vision of how, through laser communication, we can connect the nodes, high throughput comms, security that\u2019s really the value. Launch your constellations faster, you don\u2019t have to negotiate spectrum anywhere. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: As this is a dual-use technology, talk to me about what types of businesses you are targeting in the commercial sector and what is different about the value proposition. <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> I think the commercial operators, at least in LEO, are starting to accept the need for this tech because they really want to pack in as much capacity on their birds because they\u2019re up against terabit GEO [capacity]. On the commercial side, we are looking at every constellation that is being talked about, whether it be a communication constellation or Earth observation constellation. We are focused on that sector. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s hard for small companies to say \u201cno\u201d to other creative missions that need laser communications, whether it\u2019s a lunar mission or a Mars mission, where we could deploy one of our products, but it might take a large team two to three years to work on. I don\u2019t know how our shareholders are going to feel about that. We\u2019re really focused on the volume. The volume doesn\u2019t have to be hundreds, it can be tens. I also believe there\u2019s room for multiple players. This is where interoperability is key. I will go head-to-head on tech and price with anyone, but let\u2019s get the product out there. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Will we see Mynaric on one of the large-scale, LEO constellations? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore: <\/strong>It\u2019s not a matter of if \u2014 it\u2019s when. We just have to polish our product. We believe we have a great product. We have aggressive pricing. We\u2019ve invested our own dime, and we\u2019re different there. I don\u2019t know of too many people who went public, then took a chunk of that money and put it to work in innovation and scaling our factories before we won orders. This is a risk you take, but it\u2019s a calculated one when you believe in your product and team, and know you can build volume products. We\u2019re seeing the results of that now. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Will lasers play a role in bridging the digital divide? Or do lasers make more sense for enterprise use cases? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore<\/strong>: Yes, it does [make more sense for enterprise]. It is the backbone of moving data and dropping it to points where you need it immediately. I like to describe it as a network backbone. Some of the newer constellations say that your handset can connect to a satellite. I would like to put my laser terminals on those networks to move traffic where they\u2019ve got any congestion and then drop the traffic where they need to. But it\u2019s not a B2C proposition yet. <\/p>\n<p>There is a B2B2C proposition we\u2019re exploring in which you can put a laser terminal on a mobility platform like a cruise ship, that doesn\u2019t have GEO capacity over it, and have ship-to-shore comms using lasers. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: When will the first Mynaric terminal go to space?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> The DARPA mission was scheduled for December last year, so we\u2019re at the mercy of when that program is ready to go. It is scheduled later this year, from what my team has said. We are also committed and publicly stated to deploy our first commercial Condor Mk3 terminal on the Capella Space program. <\/p>\n<p>The great thing about working with a team like Capella is that culturally, we\u2019re a closer fit. They\u2019re nimble, they\u2019re agile. We are doing some early risk reduction activities with them by delivering a modem that they can incorporate into their satellites that they\u2019re manufacturing in San Francisco. Before the end of the year, we will deliver a flight model to Capella. Soon after that, we will have the deliveries of our terminals for the SDA Tranche 1 program. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a700ace0cb1e;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a700ace0cb1e = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a700ace0cb1f').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a700ace0cb1f'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>There are other opportunities we\u2019re looking at to deploy our previous generation terminal to unique \u201cthings\u201d that fly. We are looking at demonstrating space-to-air, so watch this space. And we are looking to enable comms on future human habitats. That\u2019s just because I want to go up to a space station. That\u2019s my secret mission. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: That is a very exciting secret mission!<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> I\u2019m going to put a terminal in a human habitat so I can go up there and communicate with all of you. Maybe one of these days we\u2019ll deliver the message to one of the billionaires and I could be a payload in space. I am going to take every public opportunity I can to talk about the fact that I am volunteering to be a payload into space!   <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: What are the biggest barriers to the commercialization of laser terminals? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> We\u2019re a German company with a subsidiary in the U.S., but look at my contracts. The U.S. is my big market. But I have that other big role that I\u2019m supposed to look at things globally. Our challenges are breaking into other global markets, but the U.S. paving the way is really helping. We\u2019re lobbying the European Commission to [implement laser terminals] with its security constellation. The challenges are opening new markets, not because we don\u2019t have the technology. I\u2019m starting to see traction in Japan and Korea. They\u2019re all talking to us.<\/p>\n<p>I think having a fair seat at the table, whether it\u2019s Mynaric or other companies of our size is key so that the contracts are not all awarded to the large traditional primes, because we can certainly do it cheaper and faster.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full image-block px-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Placeholder alt text\" class=\"w-full object-cover mx-auto\" src=\"http:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/9rV4Xo8Q8iZoufgumant_Tina_Ghataore_3.jpg\"><\/figure>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Let\u2019s shift gears and talk about your career as an executive. How did Mynaric, a startup with an emerging technology, get you to come on board after you had worked for many years at established companies like Boeing and Yahsat? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> I had known about the company when it was previously called Vialight [Communications], six-plus years ago. The chairman of the board is someone I\u2019ve known since I was in my early 20s. He referred me to someone who took Mynaric public in Germany. We met six years ago and stayed in touch. He said, \u201cI really want someone to help take this company to the next level. We\u2019ve got great tech, great people, but we\u2019re not sure how to move this company into a particular direction.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I understood the tech, but when I looked at the company there were so many PhDs that, frankly, I was very intimidated. How am I going to fit in? And so, I said, \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019re ready for me yet.\u201d I was also in the middle of another program initiative, so I was tied to that program for a period of time. He stayed in touch with me and sent me updates. <\/p>\n<p>[He also connected me with] Bulent Altan, and we just clicked. That gentleman is a connector. He was trying to create a management team that would really propel the company to a true commercial company. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: You spoke on a panel at Space Symposium about recruiting through your network. You mentioned that third-party recruiters don\u2019t understand the cultural fit. How would you describe Mynaric\u2019s culture?  <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> A \u201cget-it-done\u201d attitude. Everyone\u2019s opinions are heard. Respecting the experiences that people bring are very important to all of us. We have many veterans, and I learn so much from their direct experiences and situations they were in. New graduates come in with ideas that we don\u2019t want to put a cap on. The culture is to get it done, and everyone is welcome around the table. <\/p>\n<p>Our CEO interviews every new employee that comes in, and he does that because he wants to remain connected. That\u2019s the same thing that I want, I want to remain connected to somebody on the manufacturing floor, a sales assistant, or HR person. <\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a700ace0d1a4;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a700ace0d1a4 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a700ace0d1a5').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a700ace0d1a5'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: What have you learned over the past two years while standing up Mynaric\u2019s U.S. subsidiary?<\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> This is my first big operational experience. I\u2019ve previously run business development, sales, marketing, and product management. I wear two hats at Mynaric. As chief commercial officer, you\u2019ve got to do sales, business development, and deliver programs. At the subsidiary, I was hired on as president, which means the traditional support functions \u2014 whether it\u2019s HR or finance, etc. I didn\u2019t go to school for HR or finance, so you hire the best, who then become your advisors on how to do the right thing. I\u2019ve loved doing both. It really rounds me off as a leader. You can always stay in a sales\/marketing, customer-facing role, but rounding it off with day-to-day operational experience is necessary for my next step in the future.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: What are some of the ways you\u2019ve seen the industry evolve over your career? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore: <\/strong>On the space side, in the early part of my career, we were chasing these big constellation programs to build satellites for, and they never materialized because they couldn\u2019t raise money. It was so disappointing to work for a year on a campaign and not see anything launch. Then I got to be part of Connexion by Boeing. A handful of us were picked to take an antenna, build a business plan around it, and put it on airplanes. Now you can have the internet on airplanes, I had a part in launching that service. Now, I don\u2019t know too many airlines that don\u2019t have connectivity. The satisfaction is seeing something launch that you\u2019ve touched and built. <\/p>\n<p>Now, you are seeing the constellations flying. You have connected aircraft, connected drones, connected trains. And villages have Wi-Fi capability. I grew up in Nairobi, Kenya for the first 12 years of my life. We were the only family in our compound area that had a television and a phone, so people would come and borrow those. Now I go visit Kenya and everyone\u2019s walking around with a smartphone, and there\u2019s the Kenyan Space Agency. I\u2019m illustrating that because the connected world is what I\u2019m passionate about, whether it\u2019s providing hardware or coming up with creative ways to provide the service. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Who have been some of the biggest influences or mentors for you throughout your career? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> I can talk generally. Here\u2019s the thing \u2014 as a woman, I haven\u2019t had any women mentors. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Really? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore: <\/strong>Yeah. Kind of disappointing, isn\u2019t it? But that fuels me to be a mentor for others. I want to pay it forward. I make an effort never to make it transactional. My relationships are not transactional, whether business or professional. If I want to spend time with you, I will do it genuinely. This is just who I am. <\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019ve had some great mentors who have been men who have been secure in themselves to allow a young person to progress and to give them the opportunities. I had mentors in the early part of my career at The Boeing Company, who were okay that I left the company to move up and to do more. I\u2019ve always sought additional responsibility to do difficult things that might be out of my own immediate experience or skill area.<\/p>\n<p>At Panasonic, the senior vice president of sales and operations in that time period has been my mentor. He probably doesn\u2019t know that. I learned a lot from him on how to be a good leader \u2014 I\u2019m still learning. He said to me, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about the people who are performing at 80 percent. You\u2019re a good leader if you can take the 20-to 30-percenters and bring them up.\u201d That stayed with me. <\/p>\n<p>Generally, I am the only female in the room, whether it\u2019s at an executive level, or in an engineering meeting. I\u2019ve been fortunate that many of the men that I\u2019ve worked alongside haven\u2019t been intimidated by my drive and ambition. I hope that continues. I have a lot more to do. That\u2019s what I would tell people coming up behind me. Don\u2019t apologize for what you know, and who you are, because you can contribute in many ways.<\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: Where do you see yourself in five years? <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore: <\/strong>As long as the challenge is there for me, and I think it will be, I have a lot to do at Mynaric. It\u2019s not just about going to market. I\u2019m building my portfolio, learning skill sets that might stretch me in different ways. I want to keep growing. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s the perfect fit for me, in terms of size of company next. I\u2019m passionate about creating infrastructure and the service around connecting things and people. I\u2019ll probably remain in that sector. But yes, I want the top job one day. And in the next five years, I will have it. <\/p>\n<h3>VIA SATELLITE: I love how open you are about your ambition. <\/h3>\n<p><strong class=\"Annotation -strong\">Ghataore:<\/strong> I think we\u2019ve got to learn to put ourselves forward. You have people talking about leaning in \u2014 I\u2019ve always leaned in. You just have to give us an opportunity \u2014 that\u2019s all I seek. In the next five years, my goal is to improve myself and my skill set, become a better leader, and bring people along with me \u2014 old, young, diverse, from whatever background. That\u2019s what makes you succeed, hiring smarter people below you and next to you. That\u2019s also a lesson I learned from my mentors. I think that as women, we really need to mentor others. Let\u2019s not hold on to the job when we get it, but let\u2019s pay it forward. <\/p>\n<p>In ten years, I don\u2019t know, maybe Moon to Mars? I might be able to afford a ticket. Destination unknown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tina Ghataore, Mynaric\u2019s chief commercial officer and president of the company\u2019s U.S. division, won the 2021 Satellite Executive of the Year award on the back of Mynaric\u2019s impressive deal flow. Tasked with commercializing the company\u2019s laser communication terminals after joining Mynaric in August 2020, Ghataore quickly signed on a host of government and commercial customers [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":55508,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55507"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55507"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55507\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55507"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55507"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}