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Title: CEO.
Company: Stellar Solutions Inc., Palo Alto. Aerospace engineering services firm that works with governments and commercial spacebased programs. Provides system engineering and integration.
1999 revenue: $6 million.
Founded: 1995.
Number of employees: 45.
Source of startup capital: Private savings.
Background: Bachelor of science in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame. Master of science in aerospace engineering from Stanford. Began as guidance and control engineer for COMSAT (Communications Satellite Corp.). Became a project manager at The Aerospace Corp., where she worked with NASA on the Space Shuttle. Moved to Scitor Corp. in Sunnyvale in 1984 to start a satellite launch business area. Grew the company from about 10 employees to more than 300 when she left.
Age: 44.
Residence: Portola Valley.
Web site: www.stellarsolutions.com.
Big Picture
Reason for sterling the business: I was at a point in my career where I really understood how to have the highest impact in my field. I wanted to be able to pick my customers and identify and solve truly significant problems. What I had learned was that with size comes mediocrity, and if you're 'in upper management you're in the business of being in business. I felt that with a smaller company, where you're an elite cadre of superstars, you could get more done.
Hardest part of decision: Leaving the team that I'd built and...