The Idea of Astra

Our origin comes from the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s reflections on nature:

“If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.”

Every industry has “star people” - Individuals so bright they influence and inspire entire sectors. The nature of work, however, often leaves them isolated.

Astra is the constellation that connects the brightest lights and weaves them together in a meaningful way. We create networks where remarkable leaders can multiply their influence and guide us to a bigger, bolder, more beautiful future.

To create these conversations, Astra’s leadership draws from decades of experience in innovation, investment, technology, research, and culture. We’ve hosted hundreds of events, gathered leaders across disciplines, and created communities to influence everything from tech to water.

Meet the team

Ryan Groves
Principal, Founder
Community Architect

Chief of Staff

Monaco Schmidt
Chief of Staff

Rachelle Cady
Principal
Partnerships & Community

Will Cady
Principal
Resident Sage/Mystic

Lena Xiao
Principal
Marketing & Influence

Landon Phillips
Principal
Innovation

Astra Advisory Board

  • Mary Wallace Hannon

    Regions Bank Foundation

  • Dr. Nathan Mellor

    CEO, Strata Leadership

  • Chris Yeh

    Founding Partner, Blitzscaling Ventures

  • Ursula Llabres

    Investor, Advisor

  • Jamie Strayer

    CEO, Opportunity Knocks

  • Victor Hwang

    CEO, Right to Start

Contact us

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!