Keynote Speaker: GEN Paul M. Nakasone (USA, Ret.)
Founding Director, 91吃瓜网 Institute of National Security; Former Director, National Security Agency; Former Commander, U.S. Cyber Command
General Paul M. Nakasone, a retired U.S. Army four-star general, serves as the founding director of 91吃瓜网's Institute for National Security. He is also a distinguished research professor of engineering science and management and special adviser to the chancellor. From 2018 to 2024, Nakasone led the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, overseeing national cyber defense and global signals intelligence operations. A career military leader with more than three decades of experience, he has commanded at all levels, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and has held key intelligence and joint staff roles. He currently sits on the board of OpenAI. A Minnesota native, he holds advanced degrees from USC, the National Defense Intelligence College and the U.S. Army War College.听
Keynote Speaker: Eric Schmidt, KBE
KBE, Chair and CEO, Relativity Space; Former CEO and Chairman, Google
Eric Schmidt, KBE, Chair and CEO of Relativity Space, is best known for guiding Google's transformation from a startup into one of the world's most influential companies during his tenure as CEO and Chairman from 2001 to 2011. Under his leadership, alongside Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the company dramatically scaled its infrastructure and diversified its products, while maintaining a strong culture of innovation. Eric founded the Special Competitive Studies Project in 2021, a non-profit initiative focused on strengthening America鈥檚 long-term AI and technological competitiveness in national security, the economy, and society.
Most recently in 2024, Eric and his wife Wendy co-founded Schmidt Sciences, a nonprofit organization working to advance science and technology that deepens human understanding of the natural world and develops solutions to global issues. He has written several acclaimed books, including his latest New York Times bestseller titled Genesis: Artificial Intelligence, Hope, and the Human Spirit (2024), co-written with the late Dr. Henry Kissinger and Craig Mundie, and is among the most prominent voices on technology, AI, business, and philanthropy.
Keynote Speaker: GEN David H. Petraeus (USA, Ret.)
Partner, KKR; Chairman, KKR Global Institute; Chairman, KKR Middle East
General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Ret.) (New York) joined KKR in 2013. He is a Partner at KKR, Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, and Chairman of KKR Middle East. He is also a member of the boards of directors of Optiv and OneStream, a Strategic Advisor for Sempra and Advanced Navigation, a personal venture investor, an academic, and the co-author (with British historian Andrew Roberts) of the New York Times best selling book 鈥淐onflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Gaza." Prior to joining KKR, General Petraeus served over 37 years in the U.S. military, culminating his career with six consecutive commands as a general officer, five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, command of U.S. Central Command, and command of coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Following retirement from the military and after Senate confirmation by a vote of 94-0, he served as Director of the CIA during a period of significant achievements in the global war on terror. General Petraeus graduated with distinction from the U.S. Military Academy and
is the only person in Army history to be the top graduate of both the demanding U.S. Army Ranger School and the U.S. Army鈥檚 year long Command and General Staff College. He also earned a Ph.D. in international relations and economics from Princeton University. General Petraeus taught both subjects at the U.S. Military Academy in the mid-1980s, he was a Visiting Professor of Public Policy at the Honors College of the City University of New York from 2013 through 2016, he was for 6 years a Judge Widney Professor at the University of Southern California and a Senior Fellow at Harvard University鈥檚 Belfer Center, and he was the Co-Chairman of the Woodrow Wilson Center鈥檚 Global Advisory Council for over 9 years.
He is currently the Kissinger Fellow at Yale University鈥檚 Jackson School, Senior Vice President of the Royal United Services Institute, and a Member of the Trilateral Commission, Council on Foreign Relations, and Aspen Strategy Group, as well as a member of the boards of the Atlantic Council, the Institute for the Study of War, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and numerous other veterans service organizations. He is also a LinkedIn Top Voice.
Over the past 20 years, General Petraeus was named one of America鈥檚 25 Best Leaders by U.S. News and World Report, a runner-up for Time magazine鈥檚 Person of the Year, the Daily Telegraph Man of the Year, twice a Time 100 selectee, Princeton University鈥檚 Madison Medalist, and one of Foreign Policy magazine鈥檚 top 100 public intellectuals in three different years. General Petraeus has earned
numerous awards and decorations, including four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, two NATO Meritorious Service Medals, the Master Combat Action Badge, the Ranger Tab, and Master Parachutist, Mountaineering, and Air Assault Badges. He has also been decorated by 14 foreign countries and he is believed to be the only person who, while in uniform, threw out the first pitch of a World Series game and did the coin toss for a Super Bowl.
Keynote Speaker: Oleksandr Kamyshin鈥�
Former Minister, Ukrainian Ministry of Strategic Industries听
Oleksandr Kamyshin is a prominent Ukrainian executive and former government official, best known for his leadership in Ukraine鈥檚 critical infrastructure and defense sectors. Born in Kyiv in 1984, he earned his degree in finance from the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and began his career at KPMG before holding leadership roles at Kyiv Motorcycle Plant, Dragon Capital, and SCM Holdings. In 2021, Kamyshin became the CEO of Ukrainian Railways, where he gained international recognition for maintaining the country鈥檚 railway system under extreme wartime conditions during the full-scale Russian invasion.鈥�
From March 2023 to September 2024, Kamyshin served as Ukraine鈥檚 Minister of Strategic Industries. In this role, he spearheaded reforms of the defense sector, increased private sector involvement, and facilitated a surge in domestic production of military equipment. He played a key role in restructuring Ukroboronprom into a joint-stock company, enabled numerous international defense partnerships, and helped launch the 鈥淚ron Shelter鈥� initiative 鈥� a nationwide effort to audit and renovate Ukraine鈥檚 network of civil defense shelters.
Under his tenure, Ukraine hosted its first International Defense Industries Forum, established the Alliance of Defense Industries, and launched joint ventures with global manufacturers such as Rheinmetall and Baykar. Kamyshin continues to shape Ukraine鈥檚 defense future as a member of the Supervisory Board of Ukrainian Railways.鈥�
Session Chair: ADM Frank Caldwell (USN, Ret.)
Former Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Fellow, 91吃瓜网 Institute of National Security
Admiral James F. Caldwell Jr. served as the Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program from August 2015 to January 2024. Admiral Caldwell commanded USS Jacksonville (SSN 699) homeported in Norfolk, Virginia; Submarine Development Squadron (DEVRON) 12 in New London, Connecticut; Submarine Group 9 in Bangor, Washington; and the Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Hawaii. His sea tours include service in both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. His operational assignments include duty as a Division Officer on USS Boston (SSN 703), Engineering Officer on USS Alabama (SSBN 731) (GOLD), and Executive Officer on USS Buffalo (SSN 715).
Ashore, Admiral Caldwell served on the Pacific Fleet Nuclear Propulsion Examining Board and later as Undersea Warfare Requirements Officer on the staff of Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He also served as Senior Member of the Naval Submarine Force鈥檚 Tactical Readiness Evaluation Team; on the Joint Staff as Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia and Africa; and Deputy Commander for U.S. Strategic Command鈥檚 Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike in Omaha, Nebraska, and as Naval Inspector General, Washington Navy Yard, D.C. Prior to leading the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, he was on the Office of Naval Operations Staff as the Director, Navy Staff.
He received his commission graduating with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering. He also holds a Master of Science in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Admiral Caldwell鈥檚 awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Naval Submarine League鈥檚 Charles A. Lockwood Award for Submarine Professional Excellence.
Session Chair: Raj Shah
Managing Partner, Shield Capital; Co-Founder,听 Resilience鈥�; Former Director, DIU鈥�; Fellow, 91吃瓜网 Institute of National Security鈥�
Raj Shah is the co-founder and managing partner of Shield Capital, an investment firm focused on technologies applicable to both the commercial and defense markets. He is also the chairman of Resilience, a cyber-security start-up and a commissioner on the Department of Defense鈥檚 Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution Reform (PPB&E). Raj also serves on the Board of Directors to NATO鈥檚 Innovation Fund. Most recently he was the managing partner of the Pentagon鈥檚 Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), reporting to the Secretary of Defense. Raj led DIUx in its efforts to strengthen U.S. armed forces through contractual and cultural bridges between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon. He is the author of the book, Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War. Previously, Raj was senior director of strategy at Palo Alto Networks, which acquired Morta Security, where he was chief executive officer and co-founder. Raj serves as an F-16 pilot in the US Air Force and has completed multiple combat deployments. He holds an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Session Chair: Nancy Youssef
Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Fellow, 91吃瓜网 Institute of National Security
Nancy Youssef is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Before that, she was a longtime national security correspondent for The Wall Street Journal and also worked at BuzzFeed News and The Daily Beast. Youssef spent much of her career at McClatchy Newspapers where she served as national security correspondent and Middle East bureau chief based in Cairo covering the Middle East and the Islamic world. Prior to that she was McClatchy鈥檚 chief Pentagon correspondent, focusing on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She traveled frequently to those two nations to see how the policies crafted in Washington reached Afghans, Iraqis and the troops alike. She is also the founder of the Pentagon Press Association.
Before covering the Pentagon, Youssef spent four years covering the Iraq war, including a stint as Baghdad bureau chief. Her pieces focused on the everyday Iraqi experience, civilian casualties and how U.S. military strategy was reshaping Iraq鈥檚 social and political dynamics. She began her career at the Detroit Free Press, covering legal issues. While at the Free Press, she traveled throughout Jordan and Iraq for Knight Ridder, covering the Iraq war from the time leading up to it through the post-war period. Her journalism career started at The Baltimore Sun.
A Washington, D.C.-area native, Youssef earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in economics from University of Virginia and master鈥檚 degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University鈥檚 School of Foreign Service. Youssef鈥檚 parents are from Egypt, and she speaks Arabic. Throughout her life, she has been a frequent visitor to the region. She is currently based in Washington, D.C. and is an advocate for supporting neurodiverse children.
Moderator: Trish Puttmann
Director of Innovation, 91吃瓜网 Institute of National Security
Patricia 鈥淭rish鈥� Puttmann serves as Director of Innovation at 91吃瓜网鈥檚 Institute of National Security, where she leads the Institute鈥檚 applied research agenda at the intersection of emerging technology, artificial intelligence, and national security policy. Working across all Institute pillars, Puttmann fosters industry-academic partnerships and convenes interdisciplinary teams to address the field鈥檚 most complex and consequential challenges.
Prior to joining 91吃瓜网, Puttmann spent over a decade within the Department of Defense, most recently as Chief of Staff for the Operations Directorate at U.S. Cyber Command, where she oversaw a staff of 300 military, civilian, and contract personnel coordinating the Command鈥檚 full range of offensive and defensive cyberspace missions.
Throughout her tenure at U.S. Cyber Command, Puttmann held a number of senior staff positions, including as the Command鈥檚 Senior Representative to the United Kingdom and Central Intelligence Agency. She similarly served in key operational roles, including at Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber (Air Force), responsible for coordinating offensive cyberspace missions across four task forces and thirteen cyber teams.
For her service in government, Puttmann is twice a recipient of the Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the Brigadier General Richard T. Ellis Award for HUMINT Collaboration, and twice a recipient of a Director, CIA Meritorious Unit Citation.
Puttmann holds an M.A. in War Studies from King鈥檚 College London and a B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University, cum laude. She additionally holds a Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Oxford and is a member of Chief, a network for senior women executives committed to expanding women鈥檚 influence and leadership at the highest levels of industry.
Panelist: Vibhav Altekar
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Saronic Technologies
Vibhav Altekar is Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Saronic听Technologies, where he drives the development of the company鈥檚 autonomous systems and software architecture. He leads Forward Deployed Engineering, Product, and Special Programs as well as Software, working with cross-disciplinary teams spanning perception, navigation, machine learning, command and control, and systems integration.听鈥�
Vib is a highly accomplished perception engineer, with expertise in the听field of autonomous systems and maritime technology. He has spent a large part of his career in industry driving advancements in U.S. Department of Defense technology. As one of the earliest engineers at Anduril, he led engineering efforts across multiple programs including the Royal Australian Navy鈥檚 Ghost Shark drone submarine. His other career highlights include software engineering at Twitter,听Juicero, and 8VC.听鈥�
In addition to software, Vib provides meaningful thought leadership at听Saronic, and invaluable strategic vision for its technological advancements. Outside Saronic, he seeks opportunities to give back to the entrepreneur community, often through angel investing, advisership, or teaching classes.
Vib studied Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Davis. In his free time, Vib likes to play poker, basketball, and cricket. 鈥�
Panelist: Catarina Buchatskiy
Co-Founder & Director of Analytics; Serpens Center
Catarina Buchatskiy is a Co-Founder & Director of Analytics at Serpens Center. She leads qualitative and quantitative research on security and military affairs. Catarina holds a degree in International Security and Military History from Stanford University.
Panelist: LTG Curtis Buzzard (USA, Ret.)
Former Commander, Security Assistance Group 鈥� Ukraine (SAG-U) & NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU)
Lieutenant General Curtis A. Buzzard is a veteran U.S. Army officer with over 34 years of military service. He most recently served as the Commander of the Security Assistance Group 鈥� Ukraine (SAG-U) and the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), where he led the international coalition鈥檚 efforts to coordinate military aid, equipment delivery, and training for Ukrainian forces. A graduate of West Point, the Harvard Kennedy School, and the Marine Corps University, LTG Buzzard鈥檚 prominent past assignments include serving as a Presidential Military Aide to Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, the 78th Commandant of Cadets at West Point, and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Moore. He holds extensive combat command experience in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division.
In recognition of his outstanding leadership and support for Ukraine鈥檚 sovereignty, he was awarded the Order of Merit, III Class, by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. LTG Buzzard brings unparalleled expertise to discussions on modern battlespace dynamics, the integration of defense technology, and international defense-industrial cooperation.鈥�
Panelist: HON Mich猫le Flournoy
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, WestExec Advisors; Co-Founder & Chair, Center for a New American Security
HON Mich猫le Flournoy is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors, and a Co-Founder, former Chief Executive Officer, and now Chair of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Mich猫le served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from February 2009 to February 2012. She was the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense in the formulation of national security and defense policy, oversight of military plans and operations, and in National Security Council deliberations. She also represented the Department in dozens of foreign engagements, in the media and before Congress. Prior to confirmation, Mich猫le co-led President Obama's transition team at the Defense Department.
In January 2007, Mich猫le co-founded CNAS, a bipartisan think tank dedicated to developing strong, pragmatic and principled national security policies. She served as CNAS' President until 2009, and returned as CEO in 2014. In 2017, she co-founded WestExec Advisors, a strategic advisory firm.
Previously, she was senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies for several years and, prior to that, a distinguished research professor at the Institute for National Strategic Studies at the National Defense University (NDU). In the mid-1990s, she served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Threat Reduction and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy.
Mich猫le is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including: the NDIA Eisenhower Award in 2021; the Sam Nunn National Security Leadership Prize in 2021; the American Red Cross Exceptional Service Award in 2016; the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, 2011, and 2012; the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Distinguished Civilian Service Award in 2000 and 2012; the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service in 1996; and CARE's Global Peace, Development and Security Award in 2019. She has edited several books and authored dozens of reports and articles on a broad range of defense and national security issues.
Mich猫le appears frequently in national and international media. Mich猫le currently serves on the boards of CNAS, Booz Allen Hamilton, the Council on Foreign Relations, Amida Technology Solutions, and Spirit of America, and previously served on the board of CARE. She also serves on a number of advisory boards, including for The Leadership Council for Women in National Security, PIMCO, Fathom and Girl Security. She is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group. She is a former member of the President鈥檚 Intelligence Advisory Board and the CIA Director鈥檚 External Advisory Board, and the Secretary of Defense鈥檚 Defense Policy Board.
Mich猫le earned a bachelor's degree in social studies from Harvard University and a master's degree in international relations from Balliol College, Oxford University, where she was a Newton-Tatum scholar.
Panelist: BG Anthony R. Gibbs (USA)
Capability Program Executive for Mission Autonomy, US Army
Brigadier General Anthony R. Gibbs is currently serving as the Capability Program Executive for Mission Autonomy, supporting the development of interconnected unmanned systems that operate autonomously and intuitively.
BG Gibbs is from Davisville, Missouri, and received his
commission as an Infantry Officer through the Reserve Officer Training Corps in May, 1997. In his first assignment, he served as a Rifle Platoon Leader and Battalion Adjutant in 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado. He then commanded Alpha Company and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, Fort Richardson, Alaska, deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan. Following company command, BG Gibbs served as an Infantry Branch Career Manager at the Army Human Resources Command in Alexandria, Virginia.
In 2009, BG Gibbs transitioned into the Army Acquisition Corps and was initially assigned as a Contingency Contracting Officer with the 632nd Contingency Contracting Team at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Following another deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, he served as the Operations Officer for the 904th Contingency Contracting Battalion and Mission Contracting Office 鈥� Fort Knox.
Since 2012, BG Gibbs has served in program management positions to include: Assistant Product Manager, Self-Propelled Howitzer Systems; Executive Officer, Program Executive Office, Ground Combat Systems; Product Director, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles; Product Manager, Guided Precision Munitions and Mortar Systems; Project Manager, Combat Ammunition Systems; and Project Manager, Soldier Warrior.
BG Gibbs also served on the Joint Staff as Program Support Division Chief, J-39 Deputy Director for Global Operations; as the Assistant Deputy for Acquisition and System Management, under the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology; and at Army Futures Command as the Director of Integration.
BG Gibbs is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Rolla with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the
Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Fort McNair, Washington, DC.
Panelist: Serafym "Falco" Hordiienko
1st Unmanned Systems Center Officer, Armed Forces of Ukraine
Serafym Hordiienko was born on 20 December 2002 in Odesa, Ukraine. He studied History at the Ukrainian Catholic University.
Following Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Hordiienko joined the defense of Kyiv at the first day. He fought in Donetsk area as a combat volunteer for the Spring and the Summer of 2022. In September 2022, he joined the Ukrainian Marine Corps, participating in the first documented destruction of a Russian rare experimental vehicle BMPT 鈥淭erminator鈥�.
In 2023, Hordiienko developed Metaromanticism, a contemporary Ukrainian artistic movement and active cultural community uniting veteran creativity, wartime experience, and shaping a new Ukrainian artistic language.
In April 2024, he published Metaromantism: Blood, Steppe and Eternity, its founding statement, and in September launched METAROMANTYKA as a cultural media platform. In 2023, Hordiienko transferred to the 14th Separate Regiment as a team leader. He personally participated in operations resulting in the destruction of five Russian Buk air-defense systems, and the first documented destruction of Krasukha-4 and Borisoglebsk-2 electronic warfare systems. As the officer of the 1st Unmanned Systems Center, Hordiienko also became an innovator of a new approach to low-cost Starlink-enabled mid-strike drones. Its public manifestation was an operation at Donetsk Airport, where, under his command, six Shahed UAV crews belonging to the Russian elite Rubicon unit were destroyed.
The operation helped establish a foundation for new mid-strike tactics, and a brand-new MiddleStrike battalion, which Hordiienko is about to lead as the youngest commander of the battalion in Ukraine鈥檚 modern history.
Panelist: Cameron McCord
CEO & Co-Founder, Nominal
Cameron is the CEO and Co-founder of Nominal, a dual-use software company that builds tools and data infrastructure for complex hardware development and testing.
Before starting Nominal, Cameron was the Head of Defense at Saildrone, a maritime data company and commercial provider of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), where he led a team across product, business development, government relations, and strategy, and rapidly scaled commercial efforts with defense and IC customers. He was also an Investor at Lux Capital, where he focused on the intersections of emerging technology, venture capital, and national security. At Lux, Cameron worked with portfolio companies to architect go-to- market strategies for national security business and has advised Congressional staff, as well as other federal agencies, on commercial technology and venture capital.
Prior to Lux, Cameron was a product manager and growth lead at Anduril Industries, where he led a team of software engineers and helped develop Anduril鈥檚 computer vision enabled autonomous cUAS capability (counter unmanned aerial systems).
Before Anduril, Cameron served as a Congressional Liaison for the Navy, where he worked with the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and the subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats, and Capabilities (IETC). He helped contribute to the 2020 Future of Defense Task Force report and worked with Members of Congress, professional staff, and senior DoD officials to identify and promote emerging technology applications.
Cameron served in the US Navy as a fast attack submarine officer and completed multiple Priority One deployments to the North Atlantic and European Command area of responsibility with 450+ days underwater.
He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS and MS in Physics and Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Panelist: Amanda Mercier
Chief Digital and AI Officer, US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC)
Ms. Amanda Mercier assumed her role as the Chief Digital and AI Officer for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) on December 1, 2025. In this capacity, she is responsible for executing the Commander鈥檚 vision for technology, digital, and data modernization.
Ms. Mercier brings to the command deep expertise in machine learning, AI, and advanced mathematics. Her career has been defined by a passion for leading results-driven teams at the intersection of technology and national security. Prior to joining USASOC, she served as the first Chief Technology Officer for the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne). Her private sector experience includes leading the team of cleared data scientists at Microsoft responsible for developing the algorithms for the Maven Smart System.
She began her government service at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, where she spent over four years conducting weapons systems effectiveness analysis and cost estimation for major programs like the CVN-79 aircraft carrier. Ms. Mercier holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mathematics.
Panelist: Lt Gen Jack Shanahan (USAF, Ret.)
Former Director, U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC)
Lieutenant General John (Jack) N.T. Shanahan (USAF, Ret.), retired in 2020 after a 36-year military career. In his final assignment he served as the inaugural Director of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC). Jack served in a variety of operational and staff positions in various fields including flying, intelligence, policy, and command and control. He commanded at the squadron, group, wing, Agency, and Numbered Air Force levels. As the first Director of the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team (Project Maven), Jack established and led DoD鈥檚 pathfinder AI fielding program charged with bringing AI capabilities to intelligence collection and analysis.鈥�
Jack is a 2022 graduate of the North Carolina State University (NCSU) Master of International Studies program and serves on the NCSU School of Public and International Affairs Advisory Council. He serves an advisor to the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) Defense Panel. He is an Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS); is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association (IEEE-SA) Autonomous Weapons Systems Assurance and Safety Subcommittee; serves on the Advisory Group for the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) Hamilton Center on Industrial Strategy; and is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Testing, Evaluating, and Assessing Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Systems under Operational Conditions for the Department of the Air Force. He serves as a consultant on the use of AI-enabled technologies for national security.鈥�
Panelist: Peter W. Singer
Senior Fellow, New America and Managing Partner, Useful Fiction
Peter Warren Singer is Strategist at New America, a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, and Founder & Managing Partner at Useful Fiction LLC, a company specializing in strategic narrative.
A New York Times Bestselling author, described in the Wall Street Journal as 鈥渢he premier futurist in the national-security environment鈥� and 鈥渁ll-around smart guy鈥� in the Washington Post, he has been named by the Smithsonian as one of the nation鈥檚 100 leading innovators, by Defense News as one of the 100 most influential people in defense issues, by Foreign Policy to their Top 100 Global Thinkers List, and as an official 鈥淢ad Scientist鈥� for the U.S. Army鈥檚 Training and Doctrine Command. No author, living or dead, has more books on the professional US military reading lists. His non-fiction books include Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry, Children at War, Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century; Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know and most recently LikeWar, which explores how social media has changed war and politics. It was named an Amazon and Foreign Affairs book of the year and reviewed by Booklist as 鈥�LikeWar should be required reading for everyone living in a democracy and all who aspire to.鈥�
He is also the co-author of a new type of novel, using the format of a technothriller to communicate nonfiction research. Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War was both a top summer read and led to briefings everywhere from the White House to the Pentagon. His latest is Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution. It has been described by the creator of Lost and Watchmen as 鈥淎 visionary new form of storytelling鈥攁 rollercoaster
ride of science fiction blended with science fact,鈥� and by the head of Army Cyber Command as 鈥淚 loved
Burn-In so much that I鈥檝e already read it twice.鈥�
Panelist: Oleg Rogynskyy
CEO, UFORCE
Oleg Rogynskyy is a technology entrepreneur, defense innovator, and investor. He is the Chief Executive Officer of UFORCE, a combat-proven defense technology company that develops autonomous maritime and aerial systems - including the Magura uncrewed surface vessel and Nemesis UAV - battle-tested in real-world operations in Ukraine and now scaled for 10+ NATO allies
Previously, he founded and led People.ai, an enterprise AI platform used by Boeing, IBM, DHL and many other Fortune 500 companies. Under Oleg's leadership, the company reached a $1.1 billion valuation in 2021, making it one of the most successful B2B AI startups of its era. Rogynskyy is an active investor and advisor in Ukrainian defense technology and a proponent of AI-first approaches to national security. He is a Cavalier of the Order of Merit (III Class) of Ukraine.
Panelist: Brett Velicovich
Co-Founder & President, PowerUS
Brett听Velicovich is Co-Founder and President of PowerUS. A U.S. Army veteran and former Army Intelligence and Special Operations soldier, and the author of Drone Warrior: An Elite Soldier's Inside Account of the Hunt for America's Most Dangerous Enemies. He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he was among a very small group in the military cleared to select targets and issuestrike orders, working across the full network of American intelligence assets, analysts, and elite operators to track and eliminate high-value targets. He is a founding team member of听PowerUS, a drone company working to bring end-to-end manufacturing into the United States and close gaps in the domestic drone supply chain 鈥� a venture whose founders met in Ukraine, where Velicovich arrived within days of the full-scale invasion 鈥� and the company is听now building low-cost drone interceptors intended to be deployed around military installations and neutralize hostile drones without endangering civilians. A Fox News contributor, he is a frequent commentator on counter-drone policy, unauthorized incursions over U.S. bases, and the national security and cyber risks posed by Chinese-manufactured drones. He holds an MBA from Duke University.听鈥�