Sarah Duggleby

Sassie Duggleby is CEO and co-founder of Venus Aerospace, a deep-tech startup focused on building the fastest, reusable hypersonic aircraft in the world to make one-hour global transport possible. Their groundbreaking technology, the Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE), boosts engine thrust and efficiency dramatically. This innovation represents a major leap in aerospace, a game changer for national security, and the key to unlocking the hypersonic economy. Under Sassie’s leadership, Venus has raised over $60M in venture capital, achieved a top 20 ranking on the NatSec100, and established partnerships with NASA, DARPA, and the U.S. Air Force. Sassie's influence extends beyond the confines of her industry, with features in prominent media outlets such as CNN, Bloomberg, CNBC, Forbes and TechCrunch.. She also earned a spot on Inc's 2023 and 2024 Female Founders 200 list and founded the "Bada$$ Women in Aerospace" networking group to support women in the industry. An engineer with an MBA, Sassie boasts a diverse background in high-tech startups. Prior to founding Venus, she helped launch rockets off the wing of a 747 at Virgin Orbit and grow businesses in everything from fiber optics and biotech to hazardous trailer manufacturing. Sassie is responsible for Venus’ commitment to innovation by forging a team that changes the world and yet still gets home for dinner — a core company value. She is a devoted wife (to her co-founder), mother of two, and passionate outdoor enthusiast. Known by the nickname she gave herself at age two (no - Sassie is not her real name), Sassie is beyond honored to be working on this adventure of a lifetime.