Immediately prior to joining Near Earth, Mr. Stone worked in the corporate finance unit of National Securities, where he was involved in sourcing, banking and distribution of private placements for early stage technology companies. From 2000 to 2002, he worked as a senior equity and debt analyst at Ladenburg Thalmann and Company. At Ladenburg, he covered satellite and cable broadcasting equities, and satellite/launch vehicle manufacturer and the debt of a networking company. While primarily dedicated to research during his tenure at Ladenburg, Mr. Stone also worked in a support role for the company’s corporate finance activities.

Prior to working in finance, he was employed as a senior project engineer with Boeing, Hughes Electronics, General Dynamics and Computer Sciences Corporation. At these companies, Mr. Stone worked in project management, software development and design roles on a variety of commercial, military and scientific space missions. John began his career with an appointment as an Astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, where he measured star positions.