Kevin Landtroop, on founding the Texas Defense Innovation Forum, scaling Capital Factory, and defining the defense innovation ecosystem

Kevin Landtroop is a leader and entrepreneur with 20+ years of National Security experience. Having founded, designed, and executed programs connecting startups, DoDX, VC, academic research, and defense industry, including the Center for Defense Innovation at Capital Factory and the Texas Defense Innovation Forum, Kevin has emerged as a plankholder for the national security innovation ecosystem centered in Austin Texas (ATX). A founding moment for DoDX came in Austin in early 2018: DIUx had completed its first full year, AFWERX was in launch, and the Army announced that Army Futures Command would be activated – all in ATX. Kevin founded the Texas Defense Innovation Forum to scale this effort and bring more educational resources and meaningful connections for the assembling mass of dual-use tech startups. In early 2019, Capital Factory opened the Center for Defense Innovation and Kevin joined Vice President, providing greater reach to core programs he designed, such as Defense Academy and SBIR Accelerator. Kevin left to help launch SGS, the DoD-focused spinout of applied Artificial Intelligence powerhouse SparkCognition.  Prior to coming to ATX, Kevin served the Army as a Soldier, lawyer, strategist, and leader. Kevin holds a B.S. from West Point (1998), a Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Texas School of Law (2005), and a Master of Laws (LL.M) from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School (2010) (concentration in National Security and government contracts). He has two operational deployments, leading a platoon of cavalry in Srebrenica, Bosnia in 2000 and serving as National Security Law advisor to an Army Brigade in Al Anbar, Iraq from 2007-2008. Kevin helped rebuild Iraqi criminal justice institutions for Al Anbar Province and performed National Security Law reviews for over 500 detained terrorist suspects.