Jacob Rafalson

STEM MBA - Carnegie Mellon | Army Veteran | TS-SCI | Seeking PM or Marketing roles in AI, Tech, or Defense | Retired Bomb Squad Commander | AI in Business | Product Design | Data/Intel Analyst | Photographer

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

About

Product Manager | AI & Defense Innovation | Transforming Military Leadership into Technical Project Management Seeking technical PM roles in consumer tech, aerospace, or defense. Last year I traded my bomb suit for business school, cappingoff nine years that took me from leading bomb squads inAfghanistan to building AI products at Carnegie Mellon. I'm obsessed with tech, AI, and design, and am currentlyseeking PM roles within AI, consumer tech, aerospace, or robotics. I’m also passionate humanitarian work and am currentlydeveloping an AI-powered application that leveragescomputer vision and LLMs to enhance bomb squadoperations. Check out my Bomb Vision page for more info. As a leader, I prioritize empowering team membersthrough collaborative approaches that encouragedisciplined initiative. I've found that the mostinnovative solutions emerge when people feelvalued, heard, and trusted to contribute theirexpertise. When not immersed in case studies at Tepper,you'll find me camping with my pup Wrigley,photographing wildlife, tinkering on new projects(recently 3D modeling with LiDAR andphotogrammetry), or deep diving into the latest AImodels.

Experience

  • Founder at Bomb Vision
    Mar 2025 - Present · 1 yr 4 mos

    Developing an AI-powered defense tech product that combines computer vision, ML, RAG, and 3D modeling designed to enable Bomb Squads to streamline workflows and training pipelines.

  • International Strategy Consultant at CARNEGIE MELLON TEPPER MBA - GLOBAL CAPSTONE
    Jan 2026 - May 2026 · 5 mos

    • Business Strategy: Led financial reconciliation that exposed core hardware as 13% of revenue (vs. 80% assumed); surfaced ¥131M domestic pipeline and redirected client's international expansion strategy toward higher-yield market. • Market Sizing & Recommendation: Built Japan ~¥25B market sizing and Korea-vs-Taiwan entry analysis; presented to founder and COO, securing client alignment on revised growth priorities.

  • Non-Profit Consulting and Research at MIT-UKRAINE + ZEROLINE CONVOY NIGHTENGALE
    Jul 2025 - Present · 1 yr

    • Humanitarian Aid Delivery: Drove convoy delivering $600,000+ in medical and educational aid to a Ukrainian pediatric hospital and combat medical equipment to Ukrainian Soldiers. • Market & Product Intelligence: Visited Ukrainian defense tech firms operating in active conflict; applied insights on rapid iteration cycles and modular system design to Bomb Vision product roadmap and feature prioritization.

  • 1st Armored Division Executive EOD Officer/ Data Analyst/ Executive Assistant at US Army
    Aug 2022 - Aug 2024 · 2 yrs 1 mo

    • Data-Driven Decision Making: Synthesized operational data from 92 units (17,000 personnel) into resource allocation recommendations for the Commanding General; directly informed division-level strategic planning. • Stakeholder Management: Delivered, prepared, and organized analytical briefings to Joint Staff, three congressional delegations, and DOD leadership on complex operational and administrative lines of effort.

  • Director of EOD Operations at US Army, 759th OD CO (EOD)
    Nov 2020 - Jul 2022 · 1 yr 9 mos

    Directed a specialized high-risk asset protection Bomb Squad organization, ensuring the safety of personnel and critical infrastructure from explosive and hazardous material threats. Oversaw rapid response deployment strategies, logistical coordination, and mission execution across three states for both military and civilian domains. Collaborated with the U.S Secret Service to conduct VIP protection missions for high-profile individuals such as the President, Vice President, and special dignitaries. Established a culture of inclusiveness and professionalism within my team, fostering a highly disciplined and results-oriented environment. Directly managed a team of 30+ personnel, along with the management of more than $23 million in property and equipment.