Jim Becker is the CEO of LightHawk. He manages this 40+ year old non-profit that uses the power of general aviation to advance conservation goals across North America Jim has 40+ years of experience as an entrepreneur, senior executive, and consultant in a wide range of technology, healthcare, and aviation businesses. Given his own extensive experience as an entrepreneur, Jim enjoys working with small teams and is enjoying working with the ten person staff at LightHawk.During Jim's career as founder and CEO/President of several startups he has personally led the raising of over $40 million in seed and later rounds from a wide range of investors including classic VCs, wealthy individuals, and private equity funds in the US and UK. This experience is extremely useful in leading the fund raising efforts for non-profits. In his early days as an engineering student, Jim designed aviation navigation circuits that are still currently used in millions of devices and developed aviation navigation systems that won industry awards for technical excellence. Jim has been flying for over 60 years. He spent almost a decade flying C130's as an officer in the USAF. He flew in the Vietnam War and then in the Air Force Reserves for several years. He currently is teaching soaring at the Greater Boston Soaring Club in Sterling MA. Jim carries a commercial, instrument and multi enginer rating and is also a CFI, CFII, CFIG and multiegine instructor.. Jim holds an AB from Dartmouth College, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a BE and ME from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmout