Management Team

Jonathan Klamkin is CEO and Director of Aeluma. He is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2015-present), where his group conducts pioneering research in integrated photonics and optoelectronics for communications and sensing applications. Dr. Klamkin was with BinOptics Corp., a laser diode manufacturer that was acquired by Macom in 2015, where he served as an optoelectronic device design and test engineer. He also held positions at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Boston University. Jonathan is the recipient of numerous awards including the NASA Young Faculty Award, the DARPA Young Faculty Award, and the DARPA Director’s Fellowship. He has published more than 220 papers, holds several patents, and has given more than 100 invited presentations to industry, government and the academic community. Dr. Klamkin holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Ph.D. in Materials from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Bouchaib (Bouch) Nessar, SVP of Business Development and Product, has three decades of experience commercializing semiconductor photonics solutions across optical networking and data centers, sensing, and quantum. At Aeluma, he leads the go-to-market efforts in data center interconnects for AI infrastructure, imaging sensors for mobile and consumer electronics, and high-performance semiconductor photonics for defense and aerospace. Mr. Nessar previously held key roles at JDS Uniphase (now Lumentum), overseeing sales, product marketing, and management for high-speed receiver product lines that achieved widespread adoption by global equipment manufacturers. Most recently, as VP of Business Development at SCD.USA, he led the strategic transformation that elevated the business from a niche imaging sensor supplier to one of the largest suppliers of infrared sensors for defense and commercial markets in the United States. His career also includes a leadership tenure at Princeton Lightwave, where he spearheaded the commercial launch of lasers, quantum sensors, and biomedical detectors. Mr. Nessar holds a Physics-Engineering degree from Centrale Méditerranée, France.

Matthew Dummer, Director of Technology, has over 20 years of experience in optoelectronic device design and manufacturing. He currently oversees a highly qualified team of engineers responsible for new technology development, IP strategy, and scalable production solutions.  Prior to joining Aeluma, Dr. Dummer was a Principal Scientist with Vixar Inc., a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) manufacturer in Minneapolis, MN developing sensor products for consumer, industrial, and biomedical markets. Following Vixar’s acquisition by Osram Opto-Semiconductors in 2018 (now ams-Osram) he successfully led the effort to commercialize and mass-produce the first high-efficiency multijunction VCSELs for 3D sensing and LiDAR. Dr. Dummer received a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He holds six patents and has authored or co-authored more than 60 publications related to compound semiconductor devices and their applications.

Christopher Stewart, CFO of Aeluma, brings over 20 years of financial leadership experience at public and high-growth companies. Most recently, he served as CFO at LeddarTech Holdings Inc., an AI-driven software company that Stewart helped lead through a public market debut. Prior roles include CFO of Bionano Genomics, Inc., which achieved 62% compound annual revenue growth during his tenure, as well as senior financial leadership roles at Maxwell Technologies (acquired by Tesla), Entropic Communications (acquired by Maxlinear), and Intel. Mr. Stewart holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and an M.B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University.