Frank Trevino is a senior executive, systems strategist, and advisor with more than 25+ years of international experience spanning the space sector, digital transformation, sustainability, and complex infrastructure systems. His work focuses on how data, AI, and institutions interact across fragmented, multi-actor environments, experience directly relevant to space situational awareness (SSA), space traffic coordination, and the long-term sustainability of space/terrestrial and energy systems.
Frank is the Managing Partner of Illumulus, a global advisory firm focused on digital transformation, space ecosystem dynamics, data platforms, and sustainability strategy. Through Illumulus, he advises governments, industry leaders, and emerging technology companies on coordination challenges, governance design, interoperability, and decision-making in complex systems, helping translate advanced technology into operational and institutional reality.
Frank serves as a Space Advisor at the U.S. Department of State, advising the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) on space situational awareness. Frank also serves as Senior Advisor for Data Intelligence at the Space Foundation, where he bridges data and AI systems across the space ecosystem. In this capacity, he also works with NASA on dual-use technology initiatives, connecting civil, commercial, and national-security applications while addressing coordination, governance, and sustainability considerations.
Frank Trevino is currently pursuing a DPhil (PhD) at the University of Oxford, where his research focuses on sustainability, infrastructure governance, and multi-actor systems. He also holds an MSc from Oxford, an MBA from the University of Houston, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and has completed the Astrophysics XSeries Programme at The Australian National University, reflecting a long-standing interest in space science.
Why Is He a Frontier Forum Speaker?
Frank brings a rare systems-level perspective that bridges space operations, data and AI systems, dual-use technology, governance, and sustainability. His experience working with NASA, advising governments, engaging international institutions, and collaborating with frontier technology companies allows him to speak credibly about how advanced technologies transition from research to real-world impact. He embodies the Forum’s ethos of optimism grounded in facts, helping audiences understand not just what the future could be, but how it is being built.
Speaking Topics
- Data and AI systems in space operations and decision-making
- Space sustainability and the challenge of orbital debris
- Dual-use space technologies: from civil research to operational impact
- The evolution of smart cities and digital platforms
- Connecting government, industry, and the next generation around frontier technologies