Don “Stryker” Haley

Don “Stryker” Haley brings unparalleled expertise in innovation strategy, emerging technology integration, and operational excellence to Afterburner Capital’s investment approach. Currently serving as Director of Business Development at Divergent, Stryker has spent his career at the intersection of advanced technology and strategic implementation.

As Director of Growth at Hermeus, Stryker established critical relationships with Department of Defense decision-makers and defense tech leaders to drive the operationalization of hypersonic aircraft technology. Previously, he commanded the Air Force’s Agility Prime innovation organization, where he accelerated the emerging electric vertical takeoff and landing industry while collaborating with five universities, NASA, the FAA, and 15 aviation startup companies.

Stryker’s strategic planning foundation was built during his tenure with DARPA’s Adaptive Capabilities Office, where he served on a hand-picked, cross-functional team defining architectural solutions to the military’s most challenging operational problems. His work leveraged modeling, simulation, and experimentation to realize new concepts of operations and technologies, driving $2.2B in modernization initiatives.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University’s engineering program and the Army’s prestigious School of Advanced Military Studies—regarded as the military’s top strategic planning education—Stryker combines technical expertise with proven leadership capabilities. Recognized as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans in 2007, he has consistently demonstrated the ability to lead multinational, multi-service teams through complex, year-long strategic analyses.

Since 2018, Stryker has served as Partner at Afterburner, where he leads planning workshops and delivers corporate training focused on strategic execution methodology. His deep experience in strategic planning, cross-functional team leadership, and complex problem-solving directly enhances Afterburner Capital’s ability to identify breakthrough technologies, assess operational feasibility, and drive innovation integration within portfolio companies.

At Afterburner Capital, Stryker’s unique perspective on emerging technology commercialization, combined with his extensive network in defense and aerospace sectors, enables the firm to identify and capitalize on next-generation investment opportunities while ensuring portfolio companies can successfully navigate the challenges of scaling innovative technologies.