Finalist | U.S. Army xTechOverwatch Competition
“A low-cost answer to a problem that [the DoT] has been working on for decades.”
Diana Furchtgott-Roth | Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Department of Transportation
Born from experience, built for resilience
Veteran Owned | U.S. Based
TERN wasn’t built to chase AI trends; it was created to solve a real problem. Co-founder and former special operator Brett Harrison first saw the danger of contested GPS signals during military operations in Afghanistan. Seeing those vulnerabilities grow from daily frustrations to national security risks, he partnered with AI entrepreneur Shaun Moore, who led a team to built the world’s fastest facial recognition system. Together, they united professional navigators and top-tier AI engineers to create IDPS™, a signal-independent navigation system born from lived experience, not theory. That foundation, paired with a culture of creative empowerment and mission-first thinking, has enabled TERN to deliver a combat proven and U.S. Department of Transportation tested, infrastructure-free alternative to GPS that is already reshaping how the world navigates.
TERN’s Executive Team
Driven by a love of exploration and innovation, Shaun previously founded the company Trueface, which focused on teaching cameras to see as human beings. That company, which Shaun ran for nine years, was operated based on three core principles: Humanity First, Data Security, and Total Transparency. Shaun sold Trueface to Pangiam in May of 2021 and joined Pangiam as a Board of Director and Chief AI Officer. Shaun is a well respected thought leader in AI and has spoken around the world about responsible adoption of the ever-evolving technology. He holds three patents in the AI space, was named a semi-finalist for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award in LA in 2019 and in 2020 was named Analytics Insight 40 under 40 Innovators in 2019. He was also a finalist for the FedScoop 50 Awards for Industry Leadership. Shaun holds a BAA in Finance from Southern Methodist University.
Brett Harrison is a senior technology executive and former Navy SEAL officer with TS/SCI clearance, bringing real-world navigational, operational and leadership experience to TERN. He scaled BlockCap Inc. from a $200 million valuation to over $1.4 billion, led the acquisition of Radar Relay, and executed a $4 billion merger with Core Scientific resulting in a NASDAQ listing. He also founded Nexus Medical Labs and Verify DX, introducing automation to complex diagnostics, and managed hundreds of millions in assets as COO of EHB Companies. He is an alumnus of the United States Naval Academy and Harvard Business School, now driving strategic growth at TERN, focused on resilient infrastructure and national security.
Manuel is is a senior engineering executive with more than 15 years of experience developing high-performance, mission-critical systems across AI, distributed infrastructure, and cybersecurity. He has built and led engineering teams through the full product lifecycle, from early design to deployment and operations, delivering scalable platforms that serve millions of users. At Trueface, he drove the technical and product roadmap as VP of Engineering, guiding the company to deliver NIST-verified fastest facial recognition systems and through its successful acquisition by Pangiam. Originally from Switzerland and now based in the U.S., Manuel brings a deep focus on precision, resilience, and long-term scalability to IDPS™.
TERN’s Advisory Board
Diana is a leading transportation economist and technology policy expert who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She spearheaded national research on Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technologies in response to growing threats to GPS. With senior roles across four presidential administrations, she now TEACHES TRANSPORTATION ECONOMICS AT GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY AND directs the Center on Energy, Climate, and Environment at The Heritage Foundation. Diana brings unmatched insight into infrastructure resilience and national security, helping guide TERN as it delivers GPS-free navigation through its AI-powered IDPS™ technology.
Stan is a navigation technology pioneer known for transforming how we, and our vehicles, find our way. He co-founded Etak, where he developed the first commercial in-car navigation system, and Sportvision, where he led the development of broadcast innovations like the yellow first-down line in football. A National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee and record-setting offshore navigator, Stan brings decades of experience in resilient positioning systems to TERN as we build the next generation of AI-powered, satellite-free navigation.
