Vaibhav "Billy" Kumar
Engineering Flight. Shaping Minds. Inspiring Audiences
Vaibhav combines technical expertise, mentorship, and public speaking to educate, empower, and elevate the next generation of innovators.
From dreaming of flight as a child in India to shaping the future of aerospace innovation, Vaibhav has dedicated his career to breaking barriers and empowering others. Recognized as one of Aviation Week’s Twenty 20s and Atlanta Inno's 25 Under 25, Vaibhav is a two-time Georgia Tech graduate (Go Jackets!) and a licensed pilot, blending academic excellence with practical expertise to drive real-world impact.
As the founder of Airlogs, a company specializing in aircraft logbook research for general aviation, Vaibhav demonstrated how entrepreneurial vision can address critical challenges in aerospace. He joined Joby Aviation as an early-stage employee and now specializes in guidance, navigation, control, and modeling and simulation, contributing to the next frontier of eVTOL innovation.
Vaibhav’s work has been featured in Aviation Weekly, and he has published research in aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, highlighting his contributions to advancing aerospace technology. Honored with awards and scholarships from AIAA and VFS, he is as passionate about mentorship as he is about engineering, inspiring the next generation of innovators through impactful communication and leadership.
Vaibhav's expertise spans flight dynamics, aeromechanics, controls and high-fidelity simulations, backed by hands-on experience as a fixed-wing pilot and a significant time spent in aircraft maintenance.
Vaibhav is passionate about empowering others in tech through speaking engagements and mentorship, fostering innovation and critical thinking.