Jesse Wunderlich

I enlisted in the Marines at 18. I needed structure and purpose. Boot camp in San Diego taught me that the hardest problems break down into steps — and that you can endure more than you think.

After four years maintaining and operating UAS platforms, I deployed to Iraq for maritime surveillance. 400+ launches, zero margin for error. That precision stuck with me.

When I transitioned to Insitu, I flew ScanEagle drones across Afghanistan and North Africa as a DoD contractor. Simultaneously, I was building businesses on the side — real estate, construction, a fitness venture. Some worked. Some didn't. All of them taught me something.

Now I'm building four ventures at once. Nova started as a spreadsheet — Charlotte and I wanted to see our complete financial picture in one place. Nothing on the market did it well. So I built it. Sardonyx turns what I've learned building software into a studio that helps other businesses. Peridot is Charlotte's lakeside rental. Hoplite is a supplement brand built on the transparency the industry refuses to offer.

"Would this help my family make a better decision?"

— The filter for every venture I build

The countdown on this page is real. By November 2026, the ventures need to replace my contracting income so I can be home full-time with Dewey and Amy. That's not a startup fantasy — it's a dad's deadline.