Building the Base

In this episode of Building the Base, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts welcome General Joe Anderson, former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, G-3/5/7, and current President and CEO of Rafael Systems USA, a defense company specializing in advanced defense systems. General Anderson shares his journey into the military, driven by a family tradition of service, and discusses his experiences trans...

In this episode of Building The Base, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Karen Dahut, the CEO of Google Public Sector, to explore her incredible journey from the Navy to leading Google's public sector business. Karen shares her story, highlighting the influence of her parents' service and her personal dedication to making a difference. She discusses the evolving defense industrial...

In this episode of Building the Base Laruen Bedula and Hondo Geurts chat with, former Chief Information Officer of the Air Force, Lauren Knausenberger. Lauren shares her journey from the private sector to government service and her experiences in driving innovation and collaboration between the tech industry and the Department of Defense (DOD). She emphasized the importance of partnerships between...

In episode one of Building the Base, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts chat with Balan Ayyar,  retired US Air Force General Officer and now CEO of Percipient AI, a Silicon Valley-based artificial intelligence and machine learning firm. Balan's unique background, spanning military service, government IT, and startup leadership, provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities at...

In this week's episode of Building the Base, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts are joined by Katherine Boyle from Andreessen Horowitz. Katherine, a general partner at Andreessen, leads the American dynamism practice, which focuses on national security, aerospace, defense, public safety, housing, education, and industrial sectors. Katherine discusses her journey from being a reporter at The Wash...

In this podcast episode, Nand, a former founder and now a representative of the intelligence community, shares valuable insights on the intersection of the private and public sectors in the realm of national security. He emphasizes the need for better communication between startups and intelligence agencies, highlighting the challenge of understanding the specific needs of the intelligence communi...

The podcast features Lauren Bedula, Hondo Geurts, Whitney McNamara and Pete Modigliani discussing national security, the future of innovation in Natsec and how the private industry can support the growth of the industrial network.  Whitney & Pete are both members of the Atlantic Council and share their experience in both Government service and in the private sector highlighting how to be a goo...

The podcast features Lauren Bedula, Hondo Geurts, and Michael Brown discussing national security and public/private partnerships. Mike Brown, a former CEO and director of DIU, shares his experience in the private sector and government, highlighting the threat landscape related to China's investment in early-stage companies. He emphasizes the need for increased awareness in the private sector regar...

In this podcast, Lauren and Hondo engage in a conversation with three guests, Cameron McCord, Biz Peabody, and Akhil Iyer, discussing topics related to national security and public/private partnerships. The guests share insights on managing deadlines, staying fresh, and finding ways to de-stress in challenging situations. They emphasize the importance of connecting with people and having open disc...

In this podcast, Jason Rathje, the new director of the DoD Office of Strategic Capital, discusses the importance of public-private partnerships in the context of national security. He shares his background and pivotal moments that motivated his work in the Department of Defense. The Office of Strategic Capital aims to maintain the Department of Defense's technological advantage by leveraging priva...

In this episode, Hondo, Lauren, and Billy discuss the intersection of national security and public/private cooperation. They delve into the development of a full-scale sea glider prototype that can carry humans, highlighting the importance of de-risking and proving the viability of new technologies. Billy emphasizes the need for private companies to generate returns for their investors while also...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Debbie James, former Secretary of the Air Force, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network. Secretary James discusses changes in national security, including the prevalence of software in DoD operations and the importance of diversity in the workforce. The Secretary identifies room for improvement in both the DoD and...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Bilal Zuberi to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  Bilal Zuberi is an experienced investor and current partner at Lux Capital with a passion for using technology to solve complex problems. He has worked adjacent to the national security industry and is committed to investing in innovative solutions. Bilal unders...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Suzette Kent to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  Kent’s impressive background across the public and private sectors has given her the unique ability to understand a wide range of perspectives, spanning a variety of industries. During her time as Federal CIO, she witnessed the rapid change of pace the governmen...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Schuyler Moore to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  Schuyler’s impressive and varied background across the public and private sectors has given her a powerful perspective regarding the defense industrial base. Her experiences in Afghanistan led her to understand the importance of national security. This, combin...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Raanan Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Elbit Systems of America, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  Raanan's varied portfolio in key industries of the future industrial network and former military experience has made him an advocate for an engaged dialogue between the DoD and the private sector in a clos...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Brian Schimpf, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Anduril Industries, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  Brian’s educational background as an industrial engineer, pioneer in automation and AI, and formative professional experiences at Palantir Technologies pushed him to co-found his own start-up in Sil...

Don't miss this week’s episode of Building the Base, we're hosting Congressman Joe Courtney, representing Connecticut’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives to discuss topics around the future of the defense industrial network, workforce development and defense spending.   Learn more about Congressman Courtney’s extensive background as a member of the House Armed Service...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Frank Finelli to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  Frank’s varied experiences in the military, on Capitol Hill, and in the private sector have given him a unique lens through which to view the future industrial network and a thorough grasp of the processes of the industrial base. He emphasizes the constraints t...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Representative Elissa Slotkin of Michigan’s 7th District to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  Elissa’s experience in a locally known family business in Michigan and her extended career in national security and defense makes her a strong advocate for public-private partnerships. She advocates for faster governme...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Shyam Shankar, Chief Operating Officer of Palantir, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.    Shyam’s experience in Palantir and Silicon Valley pushes him to advocate for better use of the US’s strong tech sector in the national security realm. He emphasizes building an understanding between the diverse people acr...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Steffanie Easter, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  Steffanie’s vast experience in acquisition across the services leads her to emphasize the need for communication not only among the services, but also among indu...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, BENS hosts Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula join Lieutenant General Michael Groen, U.S. Marine Coprs (Ret.), former commander of the DoD Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.  General Groen specifies the necessity of consistent collaboration between our nation’s warfighters and those who are develop...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join The Honorable Ellen M. Lord, former Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network.     Ellen emphasizes the necessity of frequent and rich communications between Congress and the Department of Defense to properly budget programs while also allowing for the program...

In this week’s episode of Building the Base, Hondo and Lauren join Secretary Leon Panetta, founder of the Panetta Institute and former CIA director and Secretary of Defense, to discuss the future of the defense industrial network. Secretary Panetta emphasizes the necessity of a strong defense industrial base to ensure we are the strongest global military power. He argues that the US must recognize...