The Team

 

We are applying expertise in robotics, system engineering, and computer vision to expand the capabilities of automated systems on Earth and beyond.

Our team’s experience encompasses autonomous vehicles, robotics, software, systems engineering, and biology. With pedigrees from top schools, combined with prior experience at companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and NASA, we are well-equipped to develop and deploy robots in challenging, unstructured environments.

 

Alexander Gutierrez, Founder and CEO

Alex Gutierrez’s background in technology and robotics spans over 20 years. He was a founding member and deputy team leader for Carnegie Mellon’s Red Team which placed 2nd and 3rd in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge for Autonomous Vehicles. Alex went on to co-found Astrobotic Technology, a company that has made one lander attempt, and has a second planned for end of 2024 to the lunar south pole, generating in excess of $600M in contracts to date. Prior to founding L5 Automation, Alex was responsible for leading Lockheed Martin corporate-wide initiatives to bring promising technologies from the lab to operational use in the areas of robotics, augmented reality, and process optimization.

Meet the Team

  • Ed Terry

    Computer Vision and Robotics Engineer
    A versatile engineer with a specialization in deploying object detection systems on mobile robots in unstructured environments. Ed worked at NASA JPL and KEF Robotics after graduating from Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute in 2018.

  • Dan Schneider

    Software Engineering
    Dan has extensive experience with software systems development, successfully delivering complex, embedded, real-time and safety critical systems. He led ground breaking research resulting in peer review and publication. M.S. in Comp Sci from Stanford.

  • Bernardo Rocamora

    Manipulation Lead
    Ph.D. in Robotics at West Virginia Univ. with a background in mechanical engineering. Bernardo worked as the manipulation lead, and system integration and autonomy co-lead for the WVU Robotics team in the NASA Space Robotics Challenge Phase-2.

  • Sarah Lozano

    Associate Software Engineer, Co-Op
    Starting as a part time Software Intern, Sara now works as a full time engineer at L5 and helps bring the robotic iterations to life while taking college classes part-time.

  • Zoe Harris

    Operations Manager
    Zoe has been earning her degree at Pasadena City College while leading L5's field operations on various farms in Southern California. She also helped run our blueberry engagement with AgroVision in Peru and is our resident metal machinist.

  • Phillip Koon

    Robotics Systems Engineer - Part time
    M.S. Robotics, Carnegie Mellon

  • Alex Santana

    Business Operations - Consultant
    M.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon

  • Karin Raab

    Marketing - Consultant
    B.S. Geology and Medieval Rennaissance Studies at Wellesley College

  • Rob Beetem

    Controls and Manipulation Lead - Consultant
    University of Colorado, Boulder

Notable Advisors and Investors

  • Wayne Chan

    Board Member, Investor
    Previously co-founded Kabam, VP of Engineering at Gather (A Meta Company)

  • Edward Lopez

    Board Member, Advisor, Investor
    Ed Lopez, a seasoned professional with over 30 years in Silicon Valley as both an attorney and senior executive, currently advises firms on business matters. Most recently, he was a Principal at LopezAdela and CLO at Sakuu Corporation.

  • Derek Parham

    Advisor, Investor
    Original founder of Google Apps, Previous CTO of JOOR, Startup Advisor

  • Boris Sofman

    Advisor, Investor
    In 2010, co-founded and served as CEO of Anki. Currently Sr. Director of Engineering at Waymo for their Autonomous Trucking Division

  • GoodFarms, LLC

    Advisor, Investor

    GoodFarms currently operates 1,000 acres of Strawberry Farms here in California (~2% of all straw,erry farms in CA) and an additional 2,000 acres in Mexico. They have extensive experience with Robotic farming, and have been an amazing resource, and expected first customer :).

  • Farmhand Ventures

    Advisor, Investor

    VC Firm experienced in AgTech Innovation. Lead by Connie Bowen