Our Team

Francis Welch is a technologist, entrepreneur, and innovator, and the founder and CEO of LiteAir TEC. She is the architect of the SkyHook tower, a large-scale system for carbon capture and air purification designed to bring atmospheric cleanup to industrial scale. Her work is grounded in two decades in automotive manufacturing and mechanical systems, a background that shapes how she builds: rigorously, and with an engineer's respect for what has to survive contact with the real world.

She has spent more than six years developing SkyHook, carrying it from first principles through design refinement to a fundable venture, and continues to lead the company's technical direction and project development. Francis is also a published author of a children's book series, writing for the generation that will inherit the atmosphere she is working to repair.

Grant Thomison is a mechanical engineer with 26 years in mechanical integrity, systems safety, and heavy industrial operations. A graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, he has spent his career on the design, maintenance, and safety compliance of complex mechanical systems: pressure vessels, boilers, heat exchangers, pumps, compressors, and cooling towers, across the aerospace, defense, and energy sectors. He enforces ASME pressure codes, inspects equipment for defects, and directs the repair protocols that keep industrial plants running.

His aerospace work includes vertical test stands, vehicle production, and rocket motor buildouts for programs with Virgin Galactic, NASA, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. On the plant side he has designed ammonia refrigeration systems and managed mechanical and process safety for manufacturing facilities, working to the letter of the blueprint and the P&ID. At LiteAir he brings that discipline to the engineering of the SkyHook tower.

Internationally recognized scientist and Founder of the BigWater Protocol, Dr. Agarwal advises LiteAir on clean water solutions, blockchain-based environmental data gathering, and global deployment strategies. He leads the integration of BigWater's technology infrastructure and data-verification architecture into LiteAir's tower network.

Dr. Agarwal also serves as an advisor to Francis Welch, supporting international expansion across 20+ countries and helping to establish LiteAir's data, water, and carbon-capture frameworks with scientific precision.

William B. Hawley is an executive leader with more than 35 years of experience turning innovative technologies into scalable businesses. His career spans renewable energy, infrastructure development, strategic commercialization, and responsible AI, with a consistent focus on connecting visionary ideas to real-world implementation. A U.S. Air Force veteran and graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, he has founded and advised organizations across renewable energy, offshore technologies, and emerging environmental solutions.

He is also the founder of the Water Sustainability and Solutions Program, an offshore infrastructure concept for recovering naturally occurring freshwater from beneath the ocean floor. At LiteAir he builds the strategic partnerships, investor relationships, and market pathways that carry the technology from engineering into deployment.

Gregory Kyle is a strategic business development leader working at the convergence of water security, aerospace-enabled intelligence, and national defense infrastructure. As Vice President of Sales for ATAP Water Co. LLC he drives partnerships across federal, defense, and humanitarian sectors, advancing solar and hybrid-powered water independence for expeditionary and disaster-response missions. With an Environmental Sciences background from San Diego State University, he has spent nearly a decade advising on international water and infrastructure initiatives across Latin America, Africa, and Oceania, applying satellite-derived intelligence to locate and secure water resources in the world's most austere environments. He holds SPARTA certification and is a recognized Climate Reality Leader.