ASSEMBLE FOUNDER

Justin P. Oberman, Chicago

Justin created Assemble based on his experience in government after 9/11 and during Katrina, and his work for companies of all sizes in the private sector.  He is frustrated with the pandemic response because he sees so many similarities between all three events, especially ignored warnings, half-baked policies, on-the-fly responses, needless deaths, and massive economic disruption.

Justin helped set up the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation.  He was employee #3 of the new agency, beginning in November 2001, and helped develop and execute the government’s efforts to screen, hire, train, and deploy nearly 65,000 employees in 13 months.  He later served as a Senior Executive at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, responsible for all of TSA’s industry threat-assessment programs.  

Since leaving government, he has been an entrepreneur and an advisor to companies including Accenture, Boeing, and Cubic Corporation, as well as more than a dozen early-stage businesses and their financial backers.  

He currently serves as CEO of an early-stage aviation startup delivering a solution jointly with the military, FAA, and industry.