I'm Tim DeBenedictis. owner of Southern Stars Group, and currently (Sept 2019) the interim board chair at AWB. I've been an avid amateur astronomer and a space nut for as long as I can remember. I studied planetary science at MIT, graduating in 1993, made my way to Silicon Valley, survived the dot com boom and bust, and eventually developed the SkySafari family of iOS/Android/Mac apps which are now in use by every major telescope manufacturer on the planet. After selling SkySafari to Simulation Curriculum corp, I've worked to launch three nano-satellites into orbit, including my own (SkyCube), and an art installation in space funded by the LA County Museum of Art. It was through the crowdfunding campaign for my first satellite that I became introduced to AWB and fell in love with its mission. I have the greatest admiration for AWB's executive director Mike Simmons and am privileged to be a part of this global organization. Its mission of spreading goodwill across national boundaries, though the excitement of the oldest science and the timeless experience of sharing the night sky, is one that's desperately important to the world right now.

Website:	southernstars.com
City:	San Francisco
State/Region:	CA
Country: