Overcoming Bureaucracy in Defense Innovation with Jon Gruen

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/