Commercial Drone Alliance

10/01/2026

Welcome to the CDA Team! Sunflower Labs
Alex Pachikov
Lisa Ellman Liz Forro Gretchen West Molly Knudsen

10/01/2026

Welcome to the CDA Team! WindShape
Tiziano Fiorucci
Lisa Ellman Liz Forro Gretchen West Molly Knudsen

09/30/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟭𝘀𝘁-𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝘁.

Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President, recently discussed the generational race for leadership in low-altitude airspace, and what it will take for America to win it.

His message was clear: U.S. drone dominance is about leading the whole system - the autonomy, manufacturing and supply chains that will shape the future of aviation and logistics.

We agree. America is already leading in autonomous logistics and maintaining that leadership requires giving American companies the runway to build, grow, and compete around the world.

https://youtu.be/TgiE8ByRtzs?si=no5aiNToKG0BnFNE


Lisa Ellman Gretchen West Liz Forro Molly Knudsen
Sebastian Gorka Ph.D. Travis Metz Ben Grayson Bryan Reed

Panelists: Dr. Sebastian Gorka – Deputy Assistant to the President ...

09/30/2026

Welcome to the CDA Team! Mantari Industries, Inc.
James Rajsky

Lisa Ellman Liz Forro Gretchen West Molly Knudsen

09/30/2026

Welcome to the CDA Team! Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc.
Dean Bartles
Lisa Ellman Liz Forro Gretchen West Molly Knudsen

09/29/2026

Welcome to the CDA Team! EGI Battery
Chad Collier Connor Finley
Lisa Ellman Liz Forro Gretchen West Molly Knudsen

09/24/2026

Our CEO Lisa Ellman was honored to join FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for a fireside chat 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗖𝗖 at the SBA Defense Industrial Base Series Inaugural Drone Summit, discussing the global airspace race, drone dominance, and what it will take for America to lead.

America has an opportunity to lead not only in building drones, but in shaping the systems, infrastructure, and policy framework that will define autonomous aviation at scale.

Thank you to the U.S. Small Business Administration for convening leaders from across government, industry, and the investment community — and for giving the Commercial Drone Alliance the opportunity to help advance this important conversation.

09/23/2026

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on our recent small business poll.
We asked: What’s the biggest barrier to your growth right now?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀:
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 — 𝟰𝟮%
𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 — 𝟮𝟵%
𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 — 𝟮𝟱%
𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀 — 𝟰%

While this was a small snapshot of the industry, the message is worth paying attention to: innovative drone companies need more than good technology to scale.

Access to capital, a strong and reliable domestic supply chain, and a clear regulatory framework all play a role in whether American companies can grow, compete, and bring new capabilities to market.

These conversations matter. We’ll continue engaging with small businesses across the industry to better understand the challenges, and to help ensure those perspectives are represented as the policies affecting the future of unmanned aviation take shape.

𝘿𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜? 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? 𝙒𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬.

09/18/2026

The American drone industry is built on the dedication and expertise of America’s veterans.

Next week, September 21–25, is 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 — a reminder of something simple but important: check in on the people you served with. Reach out. Reconnect. Ask how they’re doing. Sometimes a conversation can make a meaningful difference.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is encouraging Veterans to take the pledge to and is providing training and resources to help make those conversations count.

Learn more and get involved: https://department.va.gov/veterans-experience/va-veteran-buddy-checks/

Veteran Buddy Checks

09/01/2026

Welcome to the CDA Team! Airstrike Ag Jim Hagar Nathan Stein

Lisa Ellman Liz Forro Gretchen West Molly Knudsen