What: Hybrid speaker series featuring conversations with top-tier technology and industry experts, hosted by Scaling Montana
When: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16th
Where: Hybrid watch parties & virtual - see ticketing options for details
WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE EVENT:
The Scaling MT Speaker Series is a hybrid event featuring conversations with top-tier technology and industry experts to provide strategic insights and technology content for leaders, builders, and tech enthusiasts across Montana.
Ben Little is the CEO of Bridger Photonics, a leader in methane detection technology that recently made a strategic leadership transition amid record growth. The conversation will be facilitated by Pete Roos, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Bridger Photonics. This session will explore how and when a company should transition leadership during a scale-up phase, particularly in deep-tech and engineering-driven organizations.
Ben and Pete will share their insights on:
Why leadership transitions are critical during scale-up phases
How technical founders can assess the right time to bring in a new CEO
What skills are required at different stages of growth
Lessons learned from Bridger Photonics’ experience
This discussion is tailored for founders, engineers, and entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of scaling a high-tech company while balancing leadership evolution.
For questions, please contact Jenni Graff at jenni[at]earlystagemt.org
Guest Speakers:
Ben Little - CEO, Bridger Photonics
Ben Little serves as CEO of Bridger Photonics, the global leader in aerial methane detection and emissions analytics. As CEO, Little leads Bridger’s strategic vision, operational excellence, and market expansion. Little brings more than 30 years of C-Level experience scaling technology-driven companies across SaaS, agriculture, telecommunications, and data platforms. With a strong background in data, software, and platform development, Little is focused on scaling Bridger’s impact, ensuring its industry-leading technology continues to support oil and gas operators towards strategic emissions reduction.
Pete Roos - Founder & Chief Innovation Officer, Bridger Photonics
Dr. Pete Roos couples a passion for making emissions reduction simple for the oil and natural gas community with a background in laser physics and LiDAR. Dr. Roos founded Bridger in 2006 alongside two graduate school colleagues, and for 18 years led Bridger’s growth and continued innovation as CEO. Under his leadership, Bridger partnered with energy producers and operators to drive large-scale emissions reductions across the globe. In 2025, Dr. Roos transitioned to Chief Innovation Officer to lead Bridger’s innovative approaches in technology and emissions reduction strategies.