Caltech Alumnus Returns to Campus to Decode the Coming Air Taxi Era

Kevin Noertker spent his undergraduate years at Caltech studying mechanical engineering. Now he runs an aviation company trying to electrify the skies, and on January 24 he returns to campus to explain what that means for the people who live beneath the flight paths.

The Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum will host “Personal Air Transportation: Rideshare Takes to the Air” at the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. The program brings together Noertker, CEO and co-founder of Ampaire, and Alex Garcia Lautzenheiser, a senior associate at the mobility-focused venture firm UP. Ventures, to discuss an industry that is no longer a distant promise.

Electric air taxis are approaching commercial deployment in Southern California, with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics serving as the target date for regional service.

Archer Aviation, a company developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, was named the official air taxi provider for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games in May 2025. Later that year, the company acquired Hawthorne Airport — less than three miles from LAX — for $126 million to serve as its operational hub.

That acquisition represents what forum organizers describe as a “unicorn company” that is “actually flying” and has “purchased a commuter airport near LAX to use as a regional hub.” Joby Aviation, another leading developer, has entered the final stage of Federal Aviation Administration type certification, completing more than 850 test flights in 2025 alone.

Noertker and Cory Combs founded Ampaire in 2016 to develop hybrid-electric propulsion systems for aircraft. The company has since accumulated more than 25,000 flight miles across operations in Hawaii, Ireland, Canada, Alaska, Arizona, and California, and in 2024 moved its headquarters to Long Beach Airport. Noertker previously worked on satellite programs at Northrop Grumman and served as a research fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory — another institution with deep Pasadena roots.

Lautzenheiser brings the investment perspective. UP.Ventures, based in Santa Monica, focuses on early-stage companies transforming how people and goods move. The firm was founded
in 2020 and closed a $230 million fund in 2021, with backing from Alaska Air Group, Toyota’s Woven Capital, and ARK Invest founder Cathie Wood. Its portfolio includes companies developing flight autonomy, electric aircraft, and urban drone delivery.

The forum promises an opportunity to understand what the approaching air taxi era means for entrepreneurs, researchers, and the broader Southern California economy. The LA28 Games are expected to draw more than 15 million visitors, and event organizers have framed the Olympics as a platform for innovation that will reshape transportation.

“We want to transform the way people get around Los Angeles and leave a legacy that shapes the future of transportation in America,” Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO, said when the company announced its Olympics partnership.

The Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum has operated since 1984 as an entrepreneurship resource of Caltech’s Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships. Its mission is to encourage the growth and success of technology-based ventures in Southern California.

Coffee and networking begin at 9 a.m. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Early admission is $30 plus fees, and free parking is available.

The Cahill Center is located at 1216 E. California Boulevard. Registration is available at entforum.caltech.edu.

The Caltech Entrepreneurs Forum presents “Personal Air Transportation: Rideshare Takes to the Air” on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Coffee and networking begin at 9 a.m., with the program running from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Early admission is $30 plus applicable fees. The event takes place at the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1216 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena. Free parking is available. For more information, email infoentforum@caltech.edu or visit entforum.caltech.edu