Kristen Holtz is the Head Autonomous Planning at Skydio, leading a team of robotics software engineers focused on developing predictable, safe, and optimized flight path behavior. Kristen was the first female engineer hired at Skydio and has played a foundational role in building the autonomy systems that power the company’s products, enabling industry-leading obstacle avoidance and fully autonomous flight.

Over nearly a decade at Skydio, Kristen has contributed to every generation of product, helping transform cutting-edge robotics research into robust, real-world systems deployed at scale. Prior to leading Skydio’s Autonomous Planning team, she led the cross-functional engineering teams for Skydio’s Dock & Remote Operations, and the Tracking & Cinematics that built Skydio’s autonomous flight behavior into what it is today.

Kristen holds a Master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University, where she focused on making robotic autonomy more robust, and completed her undergraduate studies at Caltech. She is passionate about building resilient robotic systems, leading high-performing technical teams, and expanding opportunities for women in engineering. Outside of Skydio, she enjoys spending time with her dog Cami and knitting.