SPOTLIGHT: BEHIND THE CONTROLS WITH RICK STOLLMEYER
Rick Stollmeyer, CEO of Inspired Flight Technologies, is a seasoned leader in technology and aerospace. Before joining Inspired Flight, Rick co-founded MINDBODY, growing it from a startup to a global public company. At Inspired Flight, he focuses on advancing NDAA-compliant drone technology for industries like public safety, energy, and surveying, emphasizing sustainable growth, customer innovation, and American manufacturing.
What inspired you to transition from leading a global wellness company to joining the world of drone technology at Inspired Flight?
My journey began long before launching MINDBODY in 2001. I served as a nuclear submarine officer, a licensed control room supervisor at a nuclear power plant, and a program manager for space launch support at Vandenberg SFB.
These roles taught me that successfully operating complex technologies in high-stakes environments requires a highly trained team and flawless operational processes. Inspired Flight’s drones, like submarines or space systems, perform critical missions, often carrying expensive payloads. Ensuring their safety and reliability is paramount, especially as we scale to manage fleets flying beyond visual line of sight for thousands of hours annually.
I thrive on tackling challenges of this magnitude, it’s why I’m here.
How has your leadership style evolved throughout your career, and what principles guide your approach at Inspired Flight?
My career has taught me that exceptional results come from above-average people who are treated with respect, inspired by a purpose greater than themselves, and given opportunities to learn and grow. Inspired Flight has doubled in size every year for the past four years. During that time, our products have advanced significantly, and our production capacity has grown more than tenfold. Over the next four years, we aim to achieve even greater progress and growth!
In such a fast-paced environment, every one of us is constantly presented with opportunities to learn and enhance our capabilities, including me. Sustaining that culture of growth is at the heart of my leadership philosophy.
What excites you most about the work being done at Inspired Flight?
The work we do is both transformational and important. Drones are a critical emerging technology, and IFT’s mission is part of a once-in-a-generation opportunity, the reshoring of critical manufacturing to America. By doing so, we are creating jobs and strengthening America’s economic security.
This is not only vital for our nation but also for the dozens of friendly democracies that rely on America for economic prosperity, peace and security. Without our leadership, friendly democracies around the world would struggle to stand up to increasingly aggressive adversaries, such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea
Being part of that mission excites me!
Based on your journey, what advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who want to make a meaningful impact in the tech industry?
First, focus on maximizing passion and learning, not income. If you’re chasing the highest salary, you’re probably not an entrepreneur.
Second, commit to learning as much as you can every day, ideally by working at a growth company with an entrepreneurial spirit. It doesn’t have to be in the sector you’re planning to launch your business in (look at me!), but it should be dynamic, challenging, and personally exciting.
Third, keep an open mind. Nobody could have predicted I would co-found a wellness software platform or lead a drone business just a few years before those opportunities arose.
As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”
Inspired Flight is often described as a company driven by innovation. What is your vision for the company in the next 5-10 years?
We are building a cloud-integrated platform that will enable the best-in-class drone systems we create to be operated and managed at scale more easily, safely, and cost-effectively than anywhere else in the world.
What do you think sets the Inspired Flight team apart from other companies in the drone industry?
Our core values set us apart. We are collaborative, perseverant, diverse, self-aware, and committed to continuous improvement. These traits define the kind of people who achieve the most in their lives, and they’re also fun to work with!
How do you maintain balance between the high demands of leading a company and your personal life?
Every day, I focus on my unique abilities, asking myself, "What can I do today that creates the most value for our team?" These tasks are usually the ones I enjoy most and that leave me feeling more energized after completing them. That’s work-life balance for me.
What are some of your favorite ways to spend time outside of work?
Staying fit is important to me, but I work out to live, not live to work out. Two or three days a week in the gym is enough. I also value spending quality time with my family and close friends.
Put me in a boat on a river, an RV in the mountains, or at our cabin in Big Sur, and I’m in heaven. I also treasure my downtime and strive for at least one "down day" each week—watching a few good shows with my wife Marina, walking our dogs, or simply relaxing in the hot tub.
Who or what inspires you in your daily life and career?
Love. It’s everywhere if you look hard enough.
The Beatles were right:
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.
There’s nothing you can win that can’t be won.
There’s no one you can be, but you can learn to be you in time.
It’s easy...
All you need is love!