Inspired Flight Technologies CEO, Rick Stollmeyer, discusses his transition from leading a global wellness company to advancing drone technology. With an established background in technology and aerospace, Rick brings invaluable expertise to his role. Before joining Inspired Flight, he co-founded MINDBODY, growing it from a startup to a global public company.
Now, at Inspired Flight, he is dedicated to advancing NDAA-compliant drone technology for critical sectors like public safety, energy, and surveying, with a focus on sustainable growth, customer innovation, and reshoring manufacturing to the U.S.
Read the full article – Spotlight: Behind the Controls with Rick Stollmeyer >>
What inspired you to transition from leading a global wellness company to joining the world of drone technology at Inspired Flight?
My journey began long before launching MINDBODY in 2001. I served as a nuclear submarine officer, a licensed control room supervisor at a nuclear power plant, and a program manager for space launch support at Vandenberg SFB.
These roles taught me that successfully operating complex technologies in high-stakes environments requires a highly trained team and flawless operational processes. Inspired Flight’s drones, like submarines or space systems, perform critical missions, often carrying expensive payloads. Ensuring their safety and reliability is paramount, especially as we scale to manage fleets flying beyond visual line of sight for thousands of hours annually.
I thrive on tackling challenges of this magnitude, it’s why I’m here.
How has your leadership style evolved throughout your career, and what principles guide your approach at Inspired Flight?
My career has taught me that exceptional results come from above-average people who are treated with respect, inspired by a purpose greater than themselves, and given opportunities to learn and grow. Inspired Flight has doubled in size every year for the past four years. During that time, our products have advanced significantly, and our production capacity has grown more than tenfold. Over the next four years, we aim to achieve even greater progress and growth!
In such a fast-paced environment, every one of us is constantly presented with opportunities to learn and enhance our capabilities, including me. Sustaining that culture of growth is at the heart of my leadership philosophy.
What excites you most about the work being done at Inspired Flight?
The work we do is both transformational and important. Drones are a critical emerging technology, and IFT’s mission is part of a once-in-a-generation opportunity, the reshoring of critical manufacturing to America. By doing so, we are creating jobs and strengthening America’s economic security.
This is not only vital for our nation but also for the dozens of friendly democracies that rely on America for economic prosperity, peace and security. Without our leadership, friendly democracies around the world would struggle to stand up to increasingly aggressive adversaries.
Being part of that mission excites me!
Inspired Flight is often described as a company driven by innovation. What is your vision for the company in the next 5-10 years?
We are building a cloud-integrated platform that will enable the best-in-class drone systems we create to be operated and managed at scale more easily, safely, and cost-effectively than anywhere else in the world.
What do you think sets the Inspired Flight team apart from other companies in the drone industry?
Our core values set us apart. We are collaborative, perseverant, diverse, self-aware, and committed to continuous improvement. These traits define the kind of people who achieve the most in their lives, and they’re also fun to work with!
