Founder and CEO
As a native Floridian, Hayden grew up on the water. So when he and co-founder Douglas Ta set out to build something, he went back to what he knew. Currently, Hayden is finishing his dual master’s degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering with a background at SpaceX, Rovex, and Engineering Ministries International. Before founding Kaiyu, he built two nonprofits, Socks, Sacks and Supper and Engage Florida, in order to tackle the problems in his community. Now, he’s set his sights on the ocean.
Lead Data Researcher and COO
Douglas Ta is the Lead Data Researcher and Chief Operating Officer, bringing a graduate degree in AI Systems to a career at the intersection of engineering and leadership. He previously worked as a software engineer at Raytheon and now serves as a Product Manager at KnowBe4, leading cross functional teams daily to drive products forward. At Kaiyu, Douglas focuses on developing the weather models that power the platform, applying his AI Systems background to build its predictive backbone while keeping the work aligned with the company's broader goals.
Brooke Delke
Lead Marine Scientist
Brooke Delke is a graduate researcher pursuing her master's degree in Biology with a focus on Coastal and Marine Biology. She has co-authored two publications on coral reef ecosystems along the Florida coast and currently leads a research project as a Graduate Student Researcher investigating trout mortality rates within fisheries. As Kaiyu's Lead Marine Scientist, Brooke grounds the team's ocean tech work in real scientific rigor, ensuring the science behind the mission stays credible and well informed.
