Maeve Garigan, CEO. 

Maeve is the CEO of Roper and inventor of Roper's smart sensors for secure tracking and communication, including the PATCH® wearable and SnapMesh instant zero-infrastructure mesh network.

Before founding Roper in 2018, she served as a technology advisor and lead engineer for elite military commands, specializing in robotics, sensors, artificial intelligence, and mobility systems.

Her passion for solving complex technical problems started as an undergrad at Johns Hopkins University, when she and six other students designed and built an autonomous underwater vehicle in three months for an Office of Naval Research competition. Maeve continued her robotics research at the JHU Dynamical Systems and Control Laboratory and transitioned to a US Navy engineering position upon graduation.

Maeve holds an MA in International Economics and Strategic Studies and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University. She is a certified project management professional (PMP) and has completed extensive training in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), tactical driving, and Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP). 

She holds multiple patents related to Roper's smart sensors with encrypted wireless communications and embedded artificial intelligence, and has co-authored technical publications on Roper technology.

In addition to her leadership and technical roles, Maeve mentors fellow entrepreneurs and engineers. Supporting other first generation college students is of particular importance to her. 

Dana De Coster, COO. 

Dana is a retired Navy SEAL Commander with 20 years in leading and synchronizing elite teams on high stakes missions. He has led numerous operational and tactical organizations in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. 

In 2015, while serving in Iraq, Dana applied his proven leadership skillset to leading technical teams. This first project involved leading a team of deployed engineers to integrate numerous heterogenous data streams into a comprehensive, near-real-time common operational picture. The project was a success, with the product commericalized and sold.

Other notable technology projects included the deployment of backpackable drones by SEALs for reconnaissance operations. It was on this project that he first worked with Maeve Garigan, which ultimately led to them founding Roper in 2018. Dana has continued leading agile teams for hardware and software development, and also co-invented Roper’s wearable encrypted mesh networking device, PATCH.

As an undergraduate, Dana studied Finance at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. He holds a Master of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Dana lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and two daughters. In addition to his leadership role at Roper, Dana is committed to helping other military veterans transition from active duty and into fulfilling civilian careers. Of particular interest is helping veterans repurpose valuable skills they developed in the military and continue a culture of service and values.