Redwood City, Calif., Sep. 5, 2024 – Reach Power (Reach), the leader in wireless Power-at-a-Distance, announced former Director of the Energy Portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Benjamin Richardson joined its Government Advisory Board. Richardson will work with defense and intelligence experts on the board, including U.S Army Major General (Ret.) Clay Hutmacher, former U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Acquisition Executive Jim Smith, and U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General (Ret.) David Krumm to guide Reach’s federal strategy.
Reach develops wireless power beaming systems that enable persistent operations of electronic devices. Its wireless power transfer technology (WPT) uses radio frequency (RF) energy to power numerous, moving, and hard-to-reach devices such as small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), drones, robots, and unattended ground sensors (UGS). This technology extends device operational time, reduces reliance on foreign-made batteries, and eliminates the need for manual battery management.
“As an energy expert and enthusiast, I am acutely aware of the transformative potential of RF-based wireless power to revolutionize our nation’s capacity to optimize operational energy management,” said Benjamin Richardson. “Reach has assembled an exceptional team and is developing groundbreaking technology. I am excited to join their Government Advisory Board and contribute to their continued success.”
“Ben Richardson is a national security expert with profound insights into the DoD’s energy challenges and opportunities,” said Chris Davlantes, Founder and CEO of Reach. “His efforts at DIU to strengthen our military’s energy capabilities through the integration of commercial technology are invaluable to Reach’s mission. We are committed to making RF-based wireless power a viable solution for both defense and industrial applications.”
Ben Richardson is the former Director of the Energy Portfolio at DIU, where he led efforts to deliver strategic energy and materials capabilities to the military by adopting commercial technology. The Energy Portfolio focuses on Installation Resilience and Operational Energy.
Before DIU, Richardson held senior Pentagon roles, including Director of Critical Technology Protection and Director of Global Markets and Investments, developing policies to protect DoD technologies and serving on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.
In the private sector, Richardson is currently Chief Commercial Officer at Gambit, has consulted for several defense tech start-ups and was VP of Sales, Business Development, and Program Management at Our Next Energy (ONE). He started his career as a Marine Corps intelligence officer, with multiple overseas tours, and continues to serve as a Colonel in the reserves.
Richardson holds degrees from Georgia Tech (B.S. in International Affairs), Hofstra University (MBA in Finance), the National Intelligence University (M.S. in Strategic Intelligence), and the National Defense University (M.S. in National Resource Strategy). He was also a Senior Executive Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
About Reach
Reach is the industry leader in Wireless Power-at-a-Distance. Reach’s wireless power beaming changes electric power delivery in the same way that Wi-Fi changed data delivery. The system is built on state-of-the-art, patented technology, including high-efficiency power beaming circuitry, network optimization algorithms, and adaptive electromagnetic surfaces, delivering a highly scalable, safe, and easy-to-use power platform. Ideally suited for government, public safety, manufacturing and logistics, the Reach solution provides flexible access to power where and when needed, streamlining device deployment, and improving device performance.
Follow Reach
