Innovation Takes Flight: The Ricci Family Champions Bold Ideas at Embry-Riddle

Kenn Ricci has spent more than four decades proving that innovation is not a slogan in aviation. It is a strategy. From his first company, Corporate Wings, to leading Directional Aviation Capital and Flexjet, Ricci has consistently invested in ideas that change what is possible in the sky. His portfolio now spans private jet travel, jet card services, air medical transport, simulation and training, engineering, finance and sustainability. Across these ventures, innovation shows up as a decision to lead.

This year, that same philosophy led Kenn and his wife, Pamela, to invest directly in the source of aviation’s next great breakthroughs: the faculty who transform vision into reality. In a signing ceremony at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Ricci family endowed two new faculty chairs focused on aviation, aerospace and space innovation. The Ricci Family Chair and the Flexjet Chair will empower top educators to push boundaries and equip students to do the same.

“We want to encourage bold thinking about the growth and advancement of aviation,” Ricci said. “These endowed chairs support educators who will instill an ethos of problem-solving in their students—which inevitably will lead to innovation.”

Innovation as a Business Model

Ricci’s career makes a compelling case for why innovation matters.

As an aviation industry leader and entrepreneur, Kenn Ricci has dedicated a substantial amount of time researching and investing in transformational ideas in aviation to support areas such as supersonic and laminar flow technologies. Just this year, Ricci and Flexjet placed a firm order for the windowless Otto Phantom 3500 — which uses laminar flow technology to reduce fuel burn by 60%. At the time, Ricci said the aircraft marks “a bold step into a future where an aircraft’s efficiency and sustainability stand alongside speed, comfort, and range as defining standards.”

As Chairman of Flexjet, he has led the company to earn aviation’s top safety and operational certifications and to pioneer new customer-focused models. Innovation has been his competitive edge. Now it becomes his philanthropic calling card.

A Natural Next Step: Investing in Talent

Embry-Riddle Trustee and Board of Trustees member Ricci believes the future of aviation depends on who teaches it. Endowed chairs are one of the most powerful tools a university can use to attract and retain world-class faculty—those who guide discovery, mentor tomorrow’s industry leaders and unlock the breakthroughs that shape how the world flies.

“Trustee Ricci’s visionary leadership and extraordinary generosity have set a new standard for philanthropy in aviation and aerospace education,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini. “These chairs will inspire and equip future generations of leaders in our field.”

Pamela Ricci echoed the purpose behind the gift. “What better way to elevate the caliber of faculty for Embry-Riddle students and create a better future for our children’s children than creating these endowed chairs?”

The endowments directly advance Imagine What’s Next, Embry-Riddle’s centennial comprehensive campaign, which prioritizes investment in top talent and expanded faculty research.

Extending an Established Partnership

This investment builds on the Ricci family’s history of fueling innovation at Embry-Riddle. In 2017, Ricci helped launch the Flexjet Innovation and Career Center at the university’s Research Park, giving students a dynamic entry point into business aviation careers. Many who interned there now work for Flexjet and its affiliated companies.

“Investing in future aviators is one of the most important services that those of us who love aviation can perform,” Ricci said. “Embry-Riddle is the leader in inspiring and educating the future of our industry.”

Catalyst for the Next Century of Flight

The Ricci family’s commitment arrives as Embry-Riddle celebrates a century of training the world’s aviation pioneers. With these endowed chairs, the university gains the talent and momentum needed to solve pressing challenges—from sustainable propulsion and advanced flight operations to the expansion of commercial space access.

President P. Barry Butler summed up the moment: “The creation of these endowed chairs marks a transformative moment for our university. The commitment of Trustee Ricci and Pamela Ricci will fuel innovation and excellence, advancing our mission and the entire industry for decades to come.”

Innovation has always lifted Ricci’s companies. Now it will lift students, scholars and the global aviation community.