Confronting Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and overcoming narcolepsy at 19, Richard Gicomeng emerged into an award-winning photographer and the art director of the PGN by the time he graduated from Temple University two years later, earning a degree in Communications.  Richard then went on to study aerospace and communication systems engineering, designing the American Express Satellite Network, teaching satellite systems engineering, and giving dynamic presentations to SRO audiences in Europe and the US by the time he was 25,  

During the mid-1980s, Richard  became a club DJ in New York and then accepted a 12-month Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) study contract in which he demonstrated the ability of a software-based encryption algorithm using FEC block codes within a hardware testbed. His diligence and success led to a management role with the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), contributing to the design and development of Advanced Orbiting Systems, which included the International Space Station (ISS). 

While at NASA, Richard displayed a boldness to spin out new ideas by introducing next-generation ground system architecture and standards for on-board application.  Until then, everything that work package contractors produced was prooven technology that was redesigned for space flight.     Richard drafted the first set of guidelines that enabled NASA and its design contractors to produce systems that were derived to be compatible with ground architecture throughout the life of a program.  This imposed a tremendous responsibility on NASA to predict the future of systems for programs with a 30-year life cycle.  Recognizing that there was a spark of similar thinking among subcontractors, Richard facilitated the effort to show how there would be reduced risk with newer technology if there was an increased level of redundancy and it forced organizations like General Electric to become involved in standards development to achieve interoperability.  It also allowed smaller startup companies with new ideas to take center stage by presenting an architecture that could be adopted as the standard. These changes saved NASA billions of dollars in hardware / software changes throughout the life of the ISS program. 

Richard also supported the move to close a gap in communications every time a NASA space vehicle passed over the Indian Ocean.  Known as the "zone of exclusion", the gap would prevent crew and payloads on-board the ISS from communicating once every 90 minutes for 60 to 120 seconds.  Richard challenged the US Congress to adopt seamless communications as a requirement, forcing Congress to fund a remote uplink facility in Guam.  After the ISS was being launched this change was determined to save NASA an estimated $35 billion/ year, reducing complexity of payload design.  

While working for the NASA, Richard designed the first operational photonic switching matrix enabling up to a Terabit of data on a single port,  and the development of intranet GUIs, are among Richard's many accomplishments for NASA.

During the 1990s, Richard continued his work in the commercial sector, developing hardware and software solutions for high profile clients.  By simplifying new technology concepts in the boardroom  and bringing beta products from the laboratories at Cisco and Nortel/Bay Networks to client sites on the east coast, Richard became the first to embark on a strategy that reduced the traditional hierarchy between the sales team and product design. Through this unorthodox approach, product designers could communicate directly with the end users to understand their requirements.  

Teaming up with Ivan Sindell, president of Global Communications Systems Research (GCSR), Richard demonstrated his business development and marketing expertise in the role of Vice President, but still working on large-scale engineering configurations for companies like Morgan Stanley, Reuters, CMP Publications, and others. 

By 1998, Richard's technological predictions from a decade before were becoming reality, however his critics have argued that he merely set the stage for these innovations such as the return of wireless communications.  Richard seized the opportunity to redirect industry focus on the forthcoming decade of broadband multimedia by accepting an engineering role at MCI.

His inability to get treatment for narcolepsy since 2002 due to the decline in the healthcare industry sparked by government overregulation, fueled Richard's concern. He has openly attacked the War on Drugs and in 2006, he founded Drug Use Education Process Initiative, advocating a common sense approach to a drug problem that becomes more pervasive every day.

In December 2007, Richard presented his work on Drug Use Education, the Dose-Time Scale, and Anti-Drug Disorder... at the 2007 International Conference on Drug Policy Reform in New Orleans, LA.  He became a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) and firmly believes that the Obama administration holds the key to important changes in drug policy that will save entire generations from the scourge of drug abuse.  Rather than punishing or treating those who use/abuse drugs, Richard believes it is essential that society embraces responsible drug users, treats drug abusers and those who have developed addictions and dependancies, but that it is incorrect to punish a behavior that is normal, especially when there is no education or prevention program. 

Richard has an interest in pursuing a career in drug policy development but keeps an open mind about the future and still supports standard organizations and contributes to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) with input on geotechnical earthquake engineering.  His greatest interest is promoting a philosophical understanding of the future and what must change for the forthcoming generations to survive.