|
Willie J. Costa is Vice Chairman, COO, and Co-Founder of Garrison Fathom, a holding company with hedge fund and private equity divisions, focused on long-term investments that drive innovation, create lasting value, and benefit both investors and society.
Mr. Costa is an accomplished aerospace engineer with over 20 years of experience in aviation and a distinguished career spanning NASA, NAVAIR, and the private sector. He has worked at three NASA centers, served as a NASA Ambassador, and led pioneering research into autonomous VTOL vehicles for cargo delivery and urban air mobility, managing programs with budgets exceeding $100 million. In the private sector, Mr. Costa contributed as an engineering contractor for a company that developed close air support aircraft, securing over $336 million in international sales to U.S. allies. At NAVAIR, Mr. Costa played a key role in supporting critical initiatives, including the Rotary Wing Strength & Fatigue branch, Exercise Citadel Shield, and the Warfare Analysis, Engineering, and Technical Services branch, contributing to programs with a combined budget of over $300 million. Beyond aerospace, Mr. Costa has excelled as an operations manager in the power transmission industry, leading new product development, implementing lean six sigma strategies, and driving profitability through streamlined operations and increased revenue from returns and repairs. Mr. Costa has also dedicated several years to consulting for startups and growth-phase companies, focusing on operational planning, technical development, and advising on proxy statements, equities research, and shareholder communications for corporate and financial technology firms. In leadership roles, Mr. Costa served as President and COO of VUONG Holdings, where he worked alongside founder Vinh Vuong on transformative public-private partnership initiatives, such as securing critical and rare earth minerals and advocating for the efficient expansion of 5G infrastructure in the United States. His strategic acumen includes brokering a $1.5 billion minerals deal in 2020 and leading the financial diligence for a $150 million bid to acquire Remington Arms Company from bankruptcy. Mr. Costa remains deeply connected to the aerospace field, mentoring and inspiring the next generation of engineers. He coauthored a best-selling book on rocket and launch vehicle design, which earned the prestigious 2022 Summerfield Book Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), recognizing it as the best book recently published by the organization. The proud son of Cuban immigrants—an electrical engineer father and mathematician mother—Mr. Costa’s family fled Castro's tyranny to achieve the American Dream. He is an alumnus of Cal Poly Pomona and Penn State, embodying a legacy of resilience, innovation, and excellence in every facet of his work. |