Defense Mavericks

Today’s bonus episode features listener favorite and contracting powerhouse, Stephanie Wilson, on the Doing Tech Better in Government podcast. Stephanie chats with host, Brian Fox, about her experience with non-traditional procurement methods, combating legacy tech, and getting familiar with the unfamiliar. From AI in procurement to culture change within the DoD, Stephanie discusses the challenges and opportunities in modernizing procurement methods. Tune in to learn how to foster a culture of innovation and critical thinking.

TIMESTAMPS:

(2:14) Innovative procurement practices in the Army

(4:54) Challenges in adopting new procurement methods

(07:38) How to overcome fear and embracing change

(12:22) Why upskilling and culture change are critical

(20:55) Staying humble and curious in the face of innovation

(24:03) What does the future of procurement look like?

LINKS:

Follow Stephanie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-wilson-790902237/

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

Doing Tech Better in Government: https://atarc.org/doing-tech-better-in-government/

This week, Bonnie is joined by Jon Gruen, CEO of Fortem Technologies and former Navy SEAL, to discuss counter-drone strategies and the challenges of fostering innovation in the defense space. Jon shares his insights on the intricacies of operating in the DoD, the capital-intensive nature of defense technology development, and the importance of education and partnerships in driving innovation within the industry. Tune in for an honest conversation on the current defense landscape and what is needed to overcome the bureaucracy within it.

TIMESTAMPS:

(4:04) Jon’s journey from Navy SEAL to CEO

(9:20) Why counter UAS was under-resourced

(11:42) The drone threat evolution

(16:59) Why innovation programs are not enough

(19:53) How to protect innovation from budget cuts

(24:01) What it takes to succeed as a startup in the DoD

(26:09) Jon does this every time he goes to a new country

(28:25) Grilled cheese in hot chocolate?

LINKS:

Follow Jon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-d-gruen/

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

Fortem Technologies: https://fortemtech.com/

This week, Bonnie sits down with Ramsay Brown, CEO of Mission Control AI, at DoD Advantage 2024 to talk about how to keep up with the rapid advancements in AI. Ramsay dives into the impact of AI on industries and personal lives, the looming need for responsible AI governance, and the challenges that organizations face when adopting these technologies. He also shares concrete strategies for maintaining human-machine hybrid effectiveness and provides his insights into how we can accelerate the adoption of AI. Tune in for a fun conversation on the future of AI integration.

TIMESTAMPS:

(2:56) Figuring out the “so what” of tech

(4:16) Finding the intersection of new tech and daily life

(7:44) Superficial trust vs. deep trust in LLMs

(11:14) Using continuous verification for ethical alignment

(15:50) Why LLMs fail

(17:09) Why AI impacts all digital work, despite low adoption rate

(21:39) How AI models will rapidly advance the future of work

(26:23) Creating an AI-built future

(29:23) Distinguishing the “smell” of generative AI

(31:09) How responsible AI leads to tech alignment

(35:24) Building a network of friends

LINKS:

Follow Ramsay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramsaybr/

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

Mission Control AI: https://usemissioncontrol.com/

This week, our very own Bonnie Evangelista explores the intricacies of AI literacy within the defense sector in this special recast of her presentation at the AI Literacy Conference. Get an in-depth look at how evolving contracting mechanisms like BAAs and CSOs are reshaping the way the military engages with cutting-edge AI technologies, and learn how Tradewinds is revolutionizing contract acquisitions to align with the CDAO's mission. Join us for a deep dive into this modern marketplace, its compliance with competition standards, and how it bridges the gap between innovation and procurement.

TIMESTAMPS:

(1:12) Keep up or you’ll get left behind

(6:05) Yes, Tradewinds is legal!

(10:35) Why we should approach exploration through a kid’s lense

(14:25) How the Marketplace is embracing new paradigms in defense contracting

(17:31) General solicitation vs. RFP

(21:50) How CSOs allow for broader contracting

(25:39) No more written documentation, no more white sheets, no more technical proposals

(28:33) The power of industry and academia peer panels

(31:12) Spotlight on Akbot – the advanced tech powering the platform

(36:00) Why AI literacy is key in government acquisitions

LINKS:

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

This week, Bonnie is joined by Captain Jonathan Haase, program manager at PMS 408 in NAVSEA, to talk about the importance of AI readiness in the defense industry. Jon shares his insights on how teams can use AI to enhance work processes, facilitate more meaningful face-to-face interactions, and build stronger team relationships. He teaches us to embrace the power of tech to create a human-forward culture. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on the transformative role of AI in defense innovation.

TIMESTAMPS:

(1:56) Jon’s pivotal career choices in the Navy

(5:31) Why Jon reads Benjamin Franklin's biography every year

(7:42) Becoming a mission-driven PM

(11:17) Why AI readiness should be top-of-mind

(13:24) How transcriptions & natural language processing are changing meeting culture

(19:53) Can AI humanize the workforce?

(21:27) How fun, fast, and humanizing work influences team dynamics

(26:01) The value of taking time off to foster creativity

LINKS:

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

This week, Bonnie is joined by Shubhi Mishra, founder and CEO of Raft, to talk about the importance of building strong data ecosystems in the DoD. She shares her insights on prioritizing users versus buyers, taking an unstructured approach to data intake, and why defense tech startups need to rethink the “valley of death” in order to survive it. Tune in for a fresh take on how to approach data engineering in the defense space.

TIMESTAMPS:

(2:55) Why Raft is changing the data game

(5:22) How to master the user vs. buyer approach

(7:20) DoD data requires flexible, adaptable data platforms

(11:07) Why the “valley of death” is moronic

(14:53) You’re going to the wrong conferences

(18:35) Why raw data preservation is fundamental for quality

(20:47) How to resist a one-size-fits-all solution

(24:14) The importance of a robust data engineering foundation

(28:03) How to overcome the unique challenges of data engineering in denied and disrupted environments

(31:15) Raft's innovative approach to data transformation and scalability

LINKS:

Follow Shubhi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubhi-mishra-19a94a135/

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

Raft: https://teamraft.com/

This week, Bonnie is joined by none other than Lieutenant General Chris Donahue, Commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, to discuss innovation, AI ethics, and leadership in military operations. He shares his insights on empowering soldiers through collective experimentation, bridging generational tech gaps, and developing and sustaining AI-driven systems. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on the transformative tech culture in today’s military.

TIMESTAMPS:

(3:03) Exciting potential of emerging technologies on a global scale

(5:30) How to bridge generational tech gaps in military ops

(10:35) Why experimentation is key to funding military innovation

(12:44) This training tool changed the leadership game

(17:49) Algorithms vs. AI

(19:29) Balancing ethics and speed in AI

(23:49) Must-read books to stay ahead of the tech curve

(27:47) Why it’s your moral responsibility to make your people great

LINKS:

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

This week, Bonnie is joined by Ben Van Roo, CEO and co-founder of Yurts AI, to discuss the rapid evolution of defense tech in the last decade. He shares his insights on the dynamic interplay between defense initiatives and the commercial tech landscape, the pitfalls of dual-use companies, and the fine line between oversaturation and innovation in AI. Tune in for a timely conversation on the current and future state of the defense tech world.

TIMESTAMPS:

(3:53) How to level up AI workflows

(8:07) Defense tech over the years

(14:10) How to scale from commercial side

(18:39) Why dual-use is not always the answer

(20:08) Will the defense tech VC bubble burst soon?

(25:48) How contract procurement impacts the future of defense

(29:31) Why we should think in “decades”

LINKS:

Follow Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanroo/

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

Yurts AI: https://www.yurts.ai/

This week, Bonnie Evangelista joins Dan Kasper on the Instill Culture Lab video series to dive into the concept of culture and building high-performance teams. With Dan's expertise from his Navy Special Operations days and Bonnie’s experience leading teams in the DoD, they peel back the layers on the emotional impact of leadership, the significance of soft skills, and the transformative approach to adopting new technologies. They also share an intriguing case study regarding Sam Altman and OpenAI that demonstrates the lengths a devoted team will go to for its trusted leaders.

TIMESTAMPS:

(5:32) How leadership can happen at any level

(8:52) The power of emotional intelligence and building networks

(11:33) Tactical ways to develop trust with your team

(14:35) The one mistake that destroys good leadership

(20:03) When to consider emotions in decision-making

(23:12) How to facilitate the adoption of new tech

(24:33) The sole question any AI tool needs to answer

(28:52) Why user problems are crucial

LINKS:

Follow Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-kasper-022359b7/

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

Instill: https://instill.ai/

This week, Bonnie is joined by Major Victor “SALSA” Lopez, Chief of Autonomy Operations for AFWERX, to discuss how to push past bureaucracy to enable rapid experimentation in the DoD. He shares his insights on leading through innovation, creating a team culture built on psychological safety, speeding up software implementation, and cutting through contracting red tape. Tune in for an in-depth exploration into the world of defense experimentation and ingenuity.

TIMESTAMPS:

(2:29) Transitioning from piloting to military tech

(4:28) Why “SALSA” & where call signs come from

(7:38) How to enable airmen to innovate effectively

(13:31) Practical ways to facilitate widespread experimentation

(15:05) How to balance leadership, growth, and autonomy

(20:20) Why DoD fails at advertising

(21:59) How to improve lack of incentives for tech utilization

(25:56) The “team of teams” approach

(30:39) Contracting cheat codes

(33:07) Why we need experimentation in warfare

LINKS:

Follow SALSA: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-l-541512a2/

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/

AFWERX: https://afwerx.com/

Alexis Bonnell episode: https://www.defensemavericks.com/bridging-the-human-tech-divide-with-alexis-bonnell/