Research and manufacturing in the microgravity environment – from design to implementation.

Twyman Clements is the Co-Founder and CEO of Space Tango. With two of Space Tango’s TangoLab facilities on the International Space Station, Twyman has been recognized by the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and also ranked #25 on Fast Company’s list of 100 Most Creative People in Business.

Prior to Space Tango, Twyman served as a senior space system engineer at Kentucky Space working with a multidisciplinary team of universities and companies on high altitude balloons, CubeSats and other ISS hardware. Twyman received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Kentucky. At Space Tango, he continues to lead the companies product design efforts, work with multidisciplinary teams provide expertise in technology and scientific consulting related to working in microgravity through configurable platforms.

Kris Kimel is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Space Tango. He is also the former President of the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation (KSTC), an independent non-profit company focused initiatives in science, technology, entrepreneurship and disruptive innovation.

Kimel also founded the IdeaFestival an international event centering on innovation, discovery and creative thinking across different disciplines (science, the humanities, design etc,). He is originally from Miami, Florida and holds Bachelor and Masters degrees from the University of Kentucky and was the 1974 recipient of the University of Kentucky's Sullivan Medallion.

Gentry Barnett is the TangoLab Program Manager for Space Tango. In this role, Barnett designs and manages custom research payloads for the Space Tango’s facilities aboard the International Space Station. With the aspiration of expanding advancements in the field of medicine past the boundaries of Earth, she additionally researches and develops various Exomedicine experiments for evaluation within the TangoLab facility.

Barnett earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Kentucky. Prior to her current appointment, she designed injury prevention and rehabilitation devices for the sports medicine and spinal cord injury populations.

Paul Kuehl is the Mechanical and Space Manufacturing Engineer for Space Tango. Paul is responsible for the mechanical design of Space Tango's hardware ensuring that Space Tango's platforms and each custom payload meets the stringent requirements of space grade hardware.

With previous experience in manufacturing and automotive industries, Paul is also researching and developing platforms for manufacturing in space. Paul earned a bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics from Taylor University and worked in product development and production engineering before joining Space Tango.

Stacey Dries is the Flight and Ground Operations Manager for Space Tango. Stacey provides support to the both program and engineering teams at Space Tango in relation to all integration work with NASA. She is the main integrator with NASA's ISS teams supporting all required systems engineering inputs and reviews for launching, operating and returning science from ISS.

Stacey delivers inputs to and leads meetings with the Safety, Visiting Vehicle, Operations, Engineering and Launch/Return Integration teams at NASA to gain endorsement for Space Tango flight hardware on each mission. Her role has her located at the Space Tango offices near the Johnson Space Center in Houston TX. Stacey received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Kirsten is responsible for the financial decision-making at Space Tango in addition to providing strategic financial input to the team. She has 20+ years of experience in a wide variety of accounting and finance roles where she learned the importance of building a good team, implementing the proper financial controls and maintaining good communications with customers.

At Space Tango, Kirsten developed and put into practice the company’s first financial model consisting of reporting results, analyzing the variances and developing additional improvements. She also oversees Human Resources and Corporate Operations. Kirsten looks forward to helping the company grow in the coming years and wants to ensure that Space Tango has a stable financial future.

As the Director of Commercial Innovation at Space Tango, Jana leads the development of commercial market creation in Low Earth Orbit for biomedical and technology research and manufacturing applications. Jana has worked in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device industries for over two decades and has a strong understanding of the needs and challenges faced by companies working within a regulated industry.

Jana has a career history marked by successful identification of new business opportunities for private and public healthcare companies, along with product development and commercialization of some of the most innovative healthcare technologies. Jana received her Bachelor’s degree in biology/physics from Wells College and her Master’s degree in biology from Harvard University.

After working as a Marketing and Communication intern for a year, Danielle is now the Marketing and Sales associate at Space Tango. Danielle is responsible for branding, advertising, and promotional collateral while launching robust initiatives in public and media relations. In addition, Danielle uses her experience in graphic design to develop eye-catching digital and print content that illustrates the company’s milestones in the microgravity frontier.

With a Bachelor of Science in Communication from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Danielle aims to use her experience to fuel a dialogue on space commercialization and the impact microgravity research can have on Earth.

Mary Jane is the Administrative Assistant for Space Tango. She takes care of the everyday functions at headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky. Her responsibilities include bookkeeping, Human Resources, and purchasing to name a few. Mary Jane comes from a creative background, working previously in the office of a florist and before that as pastry chef, and finds the science and engineering aspects of Space Tango endlessly fascinating.