Matthew Nelson has been involved in entrepreneurial ventures since his college days when he ran a computer repair shop out of his dorm room. That eventually turned into a full business that operated before he sold it so he could return to college to finish his undergraduate degree. Since then, Nelson has been involved in several other startup companies over the last twenty years. He is the the President and CEO of an engineering consulting company (Aerodyne Labs) and the President of a non-profit company (Stratospheric Ballooning Association) that promotes STEM education through high altitude ballooning. Nelson holds a BS in Electrical Engineering, a MS in Computer Engineering and is finishing his PhD in Human Computer Interactions with an emphasis in engineering education all from Iowa State University.