Ken Shields in

Ken Shields

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Sr. Director, Business Development at Vast
📍 Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States

Ken Shields is a senior business development executive with over 20 years of experience, currently leading commercial platform development for Vasts space stations. His career spans leadership roles at Sierra Space and the ISS National Lab, focusing on transitioning space R&D to commercial markets. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Transportation and Logistics from the University of Tennessee.

He follows in his fathers footsteps, who also graduated from the University of Tennessee with the same degree. Ken is passionate about giving back to his community and alma mater, and he encourages students and young professionals to challenge themselves, step out of their comfort zones, and embrace failure as a learning opportunity.

He is a recipient of the NASA Outstanding Public Leadership Medal for his work broadening commercial participation in space.

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Experience
13 Years
Current Role
Sr. Director, Business Development
Job Level
Senior
Location
Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
Personality Overview

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Communication Style
Decision Approach
Work Preference

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Priorities

Topics Ken cares about

Commercial Space Stations
His current role at Vast and previous work at Sierra Space on Orbital Reef are focused on building and commercializing private space stations.
In-Space R&D
He has a long history of enabling research in space, from his time as COO of the ISS National Lab to his current focus on biotech and materials R&D at Vast.
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Career

Work history

8-2025
Sr. Director, Business Development
Vast
11-2021 - 8-2025
Director, Commercial Market Development
Sierra Space
3-2022 - 7-2025
Sr. Director, Business Development
Sierra Space
9-2018 - 6-2021
VP and Chief Operating Officer
ISS National Laboratory
11-2012 - 9-2018
Director Of Operations
Center for the Advancement of Science In Space (CASIS)
In the press

Media appearances

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Education
Bachelor of Science
University of Tennessee
Social presence
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Behavioral profile

DISC profile (public)

DISC behavioral profile

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