Representative Rob Wittman is a Republican representing Virginia’s 1st Congressional district in the US House of Representatives. Representative Pat Ryan is a Democrat representing New York’s 18th Congressional district, and is a former Army intelligence officer who deployed to Iraq.  Together, they formed the House Modernization Caucus, driving key policies in national security innovation. On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, Representative Wittman and Representative Ryan discuss the launch of the bipartisan Defense Modernization Caucus and early wins from the caucus in the 2025 NDAA. They explain the challenges for the Pentagon to move from a hardware centric organization to a software centric one, and discuss opportunities for the caucus to drive impact in defense innovation.  This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Helen Phillips.    Congressman Wittman:  Congressman Rob Wittman was first elected to the United States Congress to serve Virginia’s First Congressional District in 2007. While in office, he has focused on strengthening our military and supporting our nation’s veterans, promoting a flourishing economy through fiscal responsibility and pro-growth policies, fixing our crumbling infrastructure, increasing access to high-speed internet, and promoting workforce development through Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. In the U.S. Congress, Congressman Wittman serves as vice chairman of both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee, where he is well-positioned to represent the needs of Virginia's First District. He has earned a strong reputation for being an advocate for our men and women in uniform and for being a champion of the Chesapeake Bay. Congressman Wittman was re-elected for his ninth full term in the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2024 and prior to that, he served in several levels of government. Congressman Wittman won his first campaign for public office in 1986 when he was elected to the Montross Town Council, where he served for 10 years, four of them as mayor. In 1995, he was elected to the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors and was elected its chairman in 2003. In 2005, voters in the 99th Legislative District elected Rob to the Virginia House of Delegates, where he served until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007. Prior to his election to Congress, Rob spent 26 years working in state government, most recently as field director for the Virginia Health Department's Division of Shellfish Sanitation. Earlier in his career, he worked as an environmental health specialist for local health departments in Virginia's Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula regions. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Virginia Tech.   Congressman Ryan:  Congressman Pat Ryan is a fifth-generation Hudson Valley native, proud Kingston High School alum, and the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ryan served two combat tours in Iraq, earning two Bronze Stars. Prior to his 2022 election to Congress, Ryan served the community that raised him as Ulster County Executive. There, Ryan led the County through the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheaded policies that delivered relief to working families while never raising taxes. He led the charge to revitalize the former IBM site, now known as iPark 87, helped put money back in small business owners and residents’ pockets, took on corporate special interests, and delivered new investments in mental health services. In Congress, Ryan is focused on defending fundamental freedoms and delivering relief for Hudson Valley families. Serving on the House Armed Services Committee, Ryan is working on issues of military preparedness, countering the threat of a rising China, and investing in the United States Military Academy and the next generation of military leaders. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Ryan is committed to improving the daily lives of all residents in NY-18. Whether you commute to work on Metro North, travel Route 17 through Orange County, or need broadband access in Dutchess County, he will fight every day to improve our region’s infrastructure. Ryan has also championed efforts to expand access to affordable health care, support local law enforcement, preserve Social Security and Medicare, prevent gun violence, and protect a woman's right to choose. Ryan lives in Gardiner, NY with his wife, Rebecca, and their two young sons, Theo and Cameron.

On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, RADM (ret.) Wyman Howard - the former commander of the elite Navy Special Warfare Group and later the entire SEAL community - shares leadership lessons learned from his 32 years as a naval officer. He dives into the changing nature of warfare, crafting the SEAL brand with lessons from Louis Vuitton, and the importance of technical innovation in near-peer competition.  Wyman Howard is a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral with a distinguished 32-year career in special operations, having commanded critical units including Naval Special Warfare Command and being among the first to deploy to Afghanistan after 9/11. A fourth-generation Naval Officer and graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Howard has extensive experience in leadership roles across joint, intelligence, and interagency operations, earning multiple prestigious unit citations and personal awards. In the private sector, he serves as a senior advisor, public board director, and consultant, with expertise in sustainability, disruptive technologies, and strategic risk assessment. He holds advanced degrees, including an MBA from the TRIUM consortium and a Master of Science in National Security and Resource Strategy, and has completed professional certificates in artificial intelligence from MIT.  Howard currently serves as a Senior Advisor with McKinsey & Company, sits on the boards of Bridger Aerospace and Invitation Homes, and provides strategic guidance across advanced industries, energy, bioscience, and communications. He is a Council on Foreign Relations member, a Navy Distinguished Service medal and Silver Star medal recipient, and brings deep expertise in geopolitical risks, multi-domain autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and cyber threat mitigation. This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Patrick Nanson.

John Goodson, co-founder and CEO of Darkhive, is a US Navy veteran with extensive combat experience. He discusses how his military background shaped his approach to drone technology, addressing the gaps he encountered during operations. John emphasizes the importance of military-user feedback in developing effective defense solutions. He also raises concerns about China's market dominance in drones and calls for increased entrepreneurship in the defense sector. Insights on navigating investment and the significance of innovation in national security round out this engaging conversation.

Raj Shah, co-founder of Shield Capital and former managing partner of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit, shares his remarkable journey from a small town in Georgia to becoming an Air Force pilot. He discusses the collaboration between tech startups and the military, highlighting innovative solutions like Shield AI's drone initiatives. Raj also addresses the bureaucratic challenges in funding military innovation and the necessity for modern warfare strategies to adapt to emerging drones. His insights bridge the gap between Silicon Valley's agility and national security needs.

Trae Stephens is the co-founder and executive chairman of Anduril, and partner at Founder’s Fund.  After fighting his way into Georgetown University, Trae began his career working in Congressman Rob Portman’s office and at the Embassy of Afghanistan to the United States.  He went on to work at Palantir and then found defense tech juggernaut Anduril, which raised a $1.5B fundraising round at a $14B valuation this month. In this episode, Trae shares his unconventional journey from rural Ohio to Silicon Valley. Starting with his determination to attend Georgetown, Trae’s career has been defined by a commitment to public service and innovation. While in college, his work at the Afghan embassy during its post-Taliban reopening provided early insights into the challenges of modernizing DOD protocols, discovering the need for a company like Palantir. Trae's move to Palantir marked his entry into tech, where he navigated the complexities of selling software to the government. This experience laid the groundwork for his co-founding of Anduril and his work as a partner at Founder’s Fund. Trae discusses the importance of mission-driven work, the challenges of navigating government procurement, and his experiences rapidly scaling the new era of defense companies. His story is a testament to the impact of combining technological innovation with a deep sense of purpose. This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Josh Pickering.   Full Bio: Trae is a Partner at Founders Fund. He is also Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Anduril Industries, a defense technology company focused on autonomous systems, and Co-founder of Sol, a next generation wearable e-reader. Previously, Trae was an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he led teams focused on growth in the intelligence/defense space as well as international expansion, helping large organizations solve their hardest data analysis problems. He was also an integral part of the product team, leading the design and strategy for new product offerings. While at Palantir, Trae also served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University. Prior to Palantir, Trae worked as a computational linguist building enterprise solutions to Arabic/Persian name matching and data enrichment within the United States Intelligence community. He began his career working in the office of then Congressman Rob Portman and in the Political Affairs Office at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. immediately following the installation of Hamid Karzai’s transitional government. Trae graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

Nand Mulchandani, the CIA's first Chief Technology Officer, brings a wealth of experience from Silicon Valley and government roles. He discusses the vital need for technology in national security, advocating for better integration of innovations. With insights on software-defined warfare and the transformative impact of AI, he highlights the challenges of adopting agile solutions in a rigid government framework. Nand also stresses the importance of new technologists stepping into public service to navigate the evolving landscape of defense and intelligence.

Michèle Flournoy served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from February 2009 to February 2012 where 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. With decades in defense policy, Michèle has led and advised many critical national security innovation entities, including the Center for a New American Security, the Atlantic Council Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption, and the Defense Innovation Unit.  On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, Michèle discusses her tenure in the Department of Defense, and the evolution of the United States’ relationship with President Xi’s China. She details the decision making behind the Bin Laden raid and the leadership style of President Obama, Secretary Gates, and Secretary Panetta.  Michèle also talks about the need for the right incentives in the DoD’s acquisitions systems to ensure that acquisitions professionals are rewarded for adopting innovative technology. Michèle closes by telling our audience: “Your country needs you.”  There has never been a more critical time to build things that protect our nation and our way of life. This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Helen Phillips.    Full Bio: Michèle 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). Michèle 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 led the development of the Department of Defense’s 2012 Strategic Guidance and represented the Department in dozens of foreign engagements, in the media and before Congress.  Prior to confirmation, Michèle co-led President Obama’s transition team at the Defense Department. In January 2007, Michèle 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.  Michèle serves on the boards of CNAS, Booz Allen Hamilton, Amida Technology Solutions, The Mission Continues, and CARE. She is a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affair, a current member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Aspen Strategy Group, and a former member of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, the CIA Director’s External Advisory Board, and the Defense Policy Board. Michèle earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree from Balliol College, Oxford University, where she was a Newton-Tatum scholar.

Steve Blank, an adjunct professor at Stanford and co-founder of the Gordian Knot Center, shares his intriguing journey from fixing electronic warfare equipment in the Vietnam War to pioneering the Hacking for Defense program. He highlights the often-overlooked contributions of elite universities to national security and describes the urgent need for young innovators to serve their country. With humor, he recounts a prank that humorously turned off gravity at Keesler Air Force Base, showcasing the lighter side of military life against a backdrop of serious innovation.