Built by people who build things.

We move slow and fix things.

Our story

Jovian Phase Advisors started long before it had a name.

The three of us — John, Conor, and Ashley — met at Descartes Labs, a geospatial intelligence startup in Santa Fe. We came from different worlds: design, product, engineering, machine learning, program management, commercial business, and government. Different skills. Same mission. Build great things with great people.

We eventually moved into new roles and new cities, but we never stopped helping each other solve hard problems.

Then in 2024, a security startup needed help with product, engineering, and operations. One call turned into a team effort. The band got back together. We shipped the work. The company got a real product and a real operational footing.

And we realized something simple:
This is the work we love. More companies need this kind of push.

So we made it official.
And that’s how Jovian Phase Advisors was born.

Helping teams move faster.Building things that actually work.Doing great work with people we trust.

Our team

Jovian Phase Advisors is built by operators—people who’ve led from the inside, shipped real products, supported national mission sets, and built companies from zero to scale. Our team blends technical depth, design expertise, and executive experience to help organizations cut through complexity and move with purpose. Different backgrounds. Complementary strengths. One approach: clarity, execution, and results that last.
Conor Maguire
Conor is a product and technology leader with 15+ years of experience turning complex, technical domains—especially AI/ML and geospatial analytics—into usable, scalable products. Beginning as a developer before moving into product management, he has built and led teams across multiple industries and enjoys solving ambiguous, cross-disciplinary problems. Known for bringing structure, clarity, and momentum to early-stage efforts, Conor focuses on aligning technical execution with real-world operational needs.
Fun fact: Conor trains muay thai and boxing and cornered his first professional Muay Thai fight in 2025. 
Ashley Maguire
Ashley is a user experience strategist with over 20 years in tech. She has worked with startups such as Aztec, Sia, Mina, Descartes Labs, and Dragos, as well as large government organizations like NASA, CISA, and DHS. Prior to working in user experience, she developed software for the intelligence community and national laboratories. Ashley holds a M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction from Iowa State University and an MBA from Cornell University.
Fun fact: Ashley owns and operates the Santa Fe Cat Cafe, where adoptable felines and the best coffee in New Mexico coexist.
John W. Scharer, Jr.
John is a GovCon executive with over 20 years of experience leading teams across defense, intelligence, and private industry. He’s built and scaled startups, led multi-billion-dollar captures, and guided private equity firms through acquisition and integration. Known for blending strategy with execution, John brings a fresh perspective to complex problems—helping organizations align vision, operations, and technology to deliver real results.
Fun fact: John has ridden his motorcycle across the U.S., through Canada, along the Alaska Highway, and across the Arctic Circle.