Northstar Photonics: From Army Intelligence to Defense Manufacturing CEO

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Caroline Chapdelaine is the CEO of one of the most highly technical types of manufacturing companies in the U.S.
Her company Northstar Photonics makes premium, customizable components for navigation systems and sells to aerospace and defense organizations.
Do any of these types of products sound familiar? IOCA phase modulator. PIC detector module. Cerberus 3-channel phase modulator.
Yeah, we didn't know what those terms meant either. Luckily, Caroline translated. She said one of the products Northstar makes is an extremely accurate gyroscope. Every smart phone has a gyroscope that tells your phone your general location. That's what makes map apps work. The gyroscopes Northstar creates is used for precise locations that would help a missile, for example, hit its target exactly.
Pretty cool, right?
Caroline began her defense career as a Captain in the US Army. She then worked for well known defense companies like Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Technologies. She also got into The Wharton School's MBA program where she first started seriously considering purchasing a company vs. starting her own.
The combination of her defense background and itch to lead and grow her own business led her to purchase Northstar Photonics with partners in 2022.
She also shares how she navigates leading a highly technical business and what traits really matter to ensure her success.

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