Builders, operators, and visionaries strengthening America’s defense.

Brice Cooper is a defense industry veteran with more than 25 years of leadership experience spanning defense technology, the defense industrial base, military acquisition, congressional affairs, and special operations. As Chief Strategy Officer, Cooper works closely with Aurelius’ executive leadership to shape the company’s long-term strategy, expand its defense and government partnerships, lead government relations, identify new markets and mission applications, and support the company’s continued growth.

Throughout his career, he has focused on corporate and growth strategy, market development, and government engagement. He has also helped accelerate advanced technologies from development to production and operational use for some of the defense sector's leading venture-backed technology businesses, from early-stage ventures through growth-stage organizations and publicly traded enterprises.

Matt Oka brings over a decade of experience in aerospace and defense finance. Matt began his career at Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, where he held multiple roles across the business. He served as the in-country CFO for Raytheon France’s Air Command & Control business, where he was also a member of the Board of Directors.

Most recently, he led Anduril’s Autonomous Airpower finance team as they transitioned their unmanned combat aircraft program from prototype to production. Matt studied business at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business.

Joseph Taverner is the Head of Operations at Aurelius Systems, where he brings over 25 years of leadership forged in Naval Special Warfare. A retired Navy SEAL Master Chief, Joseph has led teams from small platoons to large, cross-functional units of hundreds, driving mission success in the most demanding environments on earth.

His career spanned combat operations, strategic planning, and program management at the highest levels of Naval Special Warfare. He has worked across all branches of the U.S. military, with intelligence agencies, and with international partners to shape training, readiness, and operational strategy.

At Aurelius, Joseph applies that same rigor and commitment to building teams, systems, and processes that can scale with urgency. He holds a B.A. in History from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and is a graduate of The Honor Foundation, continuing a lifelong commitment to learning, leading, and building.

Jessica Napoli brings more than 15 years of strategic communications experience advising aerospace, defense, and technology companies on media relations, executive positioning, and integrated marketing communications. She partners closely with founders and executive teams to develop narratives that build credibility, strengthen corporate reputation, and support business growth.

Before joining Aurelius Systems, Jessica founded JN PR, where she advised companies across the aerospace and defense ecosystem on communications strategy, thought leadership, content development, and media engagement. Earlier in her career, she held communications roles at Spirit AeroSystems, Collins Aerospace, and Zeno, a DJE Holdings Company, leading high-impact initiatives that established and protected corporate reputation and supported business growth objectives.

Jessica earned a Master of Arts from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Arts from Temple University. She also completed graduate coursework toward an MBA at Northeastern University.

Alfredo Mercedes spent six years in the Marine Corps Reserve as a classically trained 0341 Infantry Mortar-man, later moving into the Fire Support Coordination Center, calling in air strikes and ground fire from artillery, mortar, and machine gun fire elements. He finished his degree in International Business from Xavier University while serving, then spent a final stretch as Chief of Staff to the Battalion Ops Chief before transitioning out at 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion.

He went straight into executive search for four years at Daversa Partners as one of the youngest hires, working directly for a founding partner, placing VP and C-suite talent at Tier 1 VC-backed companies in AI, Defense, and cybersecurity. From there he became the first Partnership & Growth hire at Defense Unicorns, integrating over 100 software vendors supporting classified DoD and Intel programs. In 2025 he co-founded VU Talent, the first incubated search firm inside VU Venture Partners, a global $100M VC fund, working directly with founders on talent architecture and teaching at Venture University investor accelerators.

Now he's Head of Talent at Aurelius Systems, engineering growth for America's most consequential missions in counter-UAS where he works alongside obsessed engineers and former special forces operators who understand what is at stake.