Erik Lindbergh's purpose in life is to Escape From GravityTM through Aerospace, Art and Adventure.
Erik Lindbergh is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of VerdeGo Aero which provides Powertrain Systems and Engineering Services to the emerging electric aircraft industry. Erik serves as Chairman of the Board of the Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation, and on the board of trustees of the XPRIZE Foundation. Never sitting still for long, Erik can also be found climbing and skiing big snowy mountains in the wilds of Canada, exploring trails on a mountain bike or carving unique furniture and sculptures inspired by nature. An avid pilot, Erik holds commercial, instrument, flight instructor, and glider ratings.
In 1996, he helped launch the XPRIZE Foundation under the arch in St. Louis. In 2002 Erik retraced his grandfather’s epic 1927 New York to Paris solo flight - raising over a million dollars and 500 million media impressions (prior to social media) for the XPRIZE. This 9-year “overnight success” story helped to jump-start today's thriving private spaceflight industry and Erik’s role in this effort is detailed in the NY times bestselling book: How to Make a Space Ship by Julian Guthrie.
In 2011 Erik awarded the Lindbergh Prize for Quietest Aircraft at the NASA Green Flight Challenge and inspired by the potential for aviation, created Powering Imagination to help accelerate the development of the electric aircraft industry and inspire the next generation of innovators. After nearly a decade working on this industry Erik and his partners started a new company called VerdeGo Aero to build electric propulsion systems for the emerging electric aircraft industry. The advent of distributed electric propulsion will transform the way people move around the planet.
Under Erik’s leadership, The Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation is preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his Grandfather’s flight in the Spirit of St. Louis in May of 2027. The current focus of the 46 year old foundation is to Decarbonize Aviation using incentive prizes. This program illustrates the foundation's mission of promoting balance between advancing technology and preservation of the environment and inspiring the next generation who will live into that future: www.LindberghFoundation.org
Erik’s personal story is one of triumph over adversity. He won the Washington state gymnastics championship at age 11 and excelled in water-skiing, and alpine and telemark ski racing during his teens. After climbing and skiing Mount Rainier at age 21, he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and by age 30 was completely disabled. Total knee replacements and a breakthrough biotechnology drug gave him a second chance at living a physically active life. Today, he is an expert mountain biker and backcountry skier and has been creating unique furniture and sculpture designs for over 25 years: www.ErikLindbergh.com
