About The Kilsar Team
Kilsar was founded on a simple but urgent observation: the most valuable knowledge in technical industries lives in people’s heads, not in systems, and when those people leave, that knowledge goes with them. We set out to change that by building an AI platform that captures, standardizes, and scales expertise across entire organizations. Today, Kilsar is trusted by enterprise customers, aviation training networks, and the U.S. Department of Defense to modernize how complex equipment is trained on, operated, and sustained.
The Problem We Saw
Outdated manuals. Tribal knowledge trapped in people's heads. The next generation of maintainers left to figure it out on their own.
What We Did About It
We committed fully from day one, building, iterating, and listening closely to instructors and maintainers until we had a product that solved the problem the right way.
Where We Are Today
$4M+ in funding and revenue. Deployed across 15 AIM campuses. Trusted by the U.S. Air Force, Special Operations, and enterprise partners across aviation, energy, and manufacturing.
75+ years of combined experience across Deep Tech and Defense.
Brendan Lawlor
CEO
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As the Founder and CEO of Kilsar, Brendan is the driving force behind the company’s mission to modernize technical training and maintenance. Kilsar was created from his firsthand experience on flight lines and in hangars, where he witnessed the critical challenges of tribal knowledge loss and the limitations of outdated training systems. As a first-time founder, he bootstrapped the company through its earliest stages. He has since led Kilsar through the TechStars ’23 accelerator, secured over $4M in funding and revenue, and forged key partnerships with enterprise leaders like the Aviation Institute of Maintenance and Ryanair, as well as strategic DoD programs within the U.S. Air Force and Special Operations.
His prior experience includes product leadership roles in data, analytics, and compliance at PRA Group (Nasdaq: PRAA), as well as government contracting work at Mosaic Labs, and founding a mobile application company where he led the product from concept to an MVP with over 10,000 users.
Zach Casey
CPO
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Coming Soon
KC Chase
COO
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U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and former Combat Rescue Officer, combines over ten years of operational Air Force leadership with six years of defense technology commercialization experience. He previously led international FMS negotiations to field 5th- and 6th-generation aircraft technologies with allied partners, and his engagement with Guardian Angel, AFSFC, and JSOC.
Justin Carpenter
CTO
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MS Computer Science and CyberSecurity, James Madison University Relevant Experience: As the Chief Technology Officer at Kilsar, a cutting-edge startup, and TechStars 2023 alumni, Justin spearheads our comprehensive security strategies while maintaining a hands-on role in our software engineering practices.
His professional journey is deeply rooted in both cybersecurity and practical software engineering, enabling me to address the unique challenges of a startup environment. He is committed to balancing rapid development with stringent security standards, ensuring that Kilsar’s products are not only innovative but also secure against the ever-evolving landscape of digital threats.
Joel Frank
Head of Frontend Engineering
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18+ years of experience developing mobile and AI-based applications, creating flawless user interfaces and applications. A Navy veteran who once held a TS clearance, Joel recently served as Director of Software Engineering on several large government contracts, including software applications for the DoD and Fortune 500 companies. His contributions to the DoD have been instrumental in establishing successful and measurable deliverables that drive significant cost and time savings for aviation mechanics, TACPs, Naval Special Warfare, and other government stakeholders.
His previous academic publications, centered around cybersecurity, have enabled him to ensure secure delivery and robust security for both DoD and commercial customers, delivering critical and innovative software capabilities to the warfighter. Joel spent 10+ years with Caterpillar, where he led their software development teams. His experience and proven track record make him a valuable asset in advancing the DoD’s mission through cutting-edge technology solutions.