The Startup Defense

How robotic manufacturing, AI, and flexible factories could reshape American industrial power Guest: Edward Mehr - Machina Labs Edward Mehr joins The Startup Defense to discuss why America does not have a design problem, it has a factory problem. Callye and Edward explore software-defined manufacturing, robotic sheet forming, defense readiness, and why the future of industrial advantage may come f...

How founders can use grants, contracts, teaming, and acquisition pathways to fund hard tech without giving up equity too early Guest: Mollie Jahner - Mission Cultivate, formerly Spring and Forge Non-dilutive funding can be a major advantage for defense startups, but winning it requires more than filling out grant applications. Mollie Jahner about how founders should think about grants, government...

Why accelerating decision-making—not just building models—is the real frontier of defense AI Guest:  Mack Ohlinger – CEO, Dunedain Most AI conversations in defense focus on models, data, or compute. This one does not. Mack Ohlinger, CEO of Dunedain, is building agent-based systems designed to compress military planning and decision-making timelines from days to seconds. This episode breaks down wh...

How operator trust, patient capital, and integrated platforms turn defense technology into fielded capability Guest: Justin MacLaurin - Founder & CEO, Digital Force Technologies Justin MacLaurin has built, sold, bought back, and scaled a defense technology company focused on real operator needs. In this episode, Justin and Callye discuss sensor fusion, edge compute, counter-UAS, SOCOM acquisit...

Why defense innovation still stalls, how to fix the operating model, and what it takes to get commercial technology into warfighters’ hands at mission speed Guest: Meagan Metzger – Founder + Chief Executive Officer, Dcode What actually keeps great commercial technology from reaching the Department of Defense is rarely the technology itself. In this episode, Meagan Metzger joins Callye Keen to brea...

How government teams can buy, trust, and operationalize commercial data faster for mission-critical decisions Guest: Jen Obernier | CEO, Grist Mill Exchange What does it take to get the exact commercial data a mission team needs before the decision window closes? In this episode, Jen Obernier joins Callye Keen to explain why speed in defense data is not just a technology problem. It is an acquisit...

From warfighter need to fielded effect:  building a partner-led “ordnance nexus” that collapses the munition lifecycle (materials → manufacturing → security → delivery) into a faster, more survivable path to the fight. Guest:   Jon Williams – President & CEO, WAR Inc. This episode is a candid, operator-informed look at why defense innovation stalls between prototype and deployment, and what it...

Stopping threats  before  shots are fired: how ZeroEyes pairs computer vision with a 24/7 human verification layer to deliver actionable intelligence to responders in seconds. Guest:   Sam Alaimo – Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer, ZeroEyes ZeroEyes was founded to tackle a real, urgent problem with a pragmatic solution: detect a brandished firearm through existing cameras, verify it fast, an...

Startups can’t afford to be wrong on an 18-month cycle—and neither can the services or the acquisition system that supports them. Callye and Noah deconstruct the so-called “valley of death,” separating structural reality from self-inflicted pain and inexperience. They dig into how narrative, incentives, and tighter demo cycles can compress risk and get real capability into the hands of operators f...

Will Hurd – Chief Strategy Officer, Chaos Industries - former CIA officer, Member of Congress, and cybersecurity founder Chaos Industries is quietly shipping modern radar and autonomy tools into some of the hardest environments on earth—from Ukraine to the Middle East—while most of the market is still talking. Will Hurd joins Callye to break down why giving warfighters  time  is the real advantage...

Bringing modern compute, edge AI, and hard-tech investing into orbit Guest:   Edward Ge – Founder & CEO, Aether Most spacecraft still fly computers comparable to late-1990s desktops while our phones race ahead with Moore’s Law. In this episode, Edward Ge explains how Aethero is building radiation-tolerant, long-life computing for space and enabling distributed AI at the edge in orbit. We also...

Callye Keen and Bret Boyd discuss the challenges and opportunities in the manufacturing sector, particularly in relation to supply chain management and defense manufacturing. They explore the importance of connecting small manufacturers, the role of technology and AI in procurement, and the need for a robust ecosystem to support manufacturing growth. Boyd shares insights from his experience in the...

Andy Markoff joins Callye to unpack why he left uniformed service to build Smack Technologies—and how his team is pursuing “decision dominance”: fusing multi‑modal data and using reinforcement learning to turn analysis into actions faster than adversaries. Andy explains where Smack sits in the modern “kill web,” why teaming beats rip‑and‑replace, and the biggest mistake he sees new defense founder...

Callye Keen interviews Robert Fehlen about his work with Mission Cultivate and Dark Corner Solutions. They discuss the importance of community and networking in the defense innovation space, the challenges of duplication of efforts within military projects, and the need for a centralized platform to connect industry capabilities with military needs. Robert shares insights on the significance of te...

Andre Wegner believes the biggest choke-point in defense manufacturing isn’t hardware—it’s the months (or years) lost inside data-starved black boxes. He and host Callye Keen unpack how capturing every shred of context across design, engineering, and shop-floor workflows—then feeding it to AI—can turn a decade-long program into a months-long sprint. If you care about rebuilding U.S. industrial agi...

Callye Keen and Steve Simone discuss the evolving landscape of defense technology, particularly in countering unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Steve shares his passion for building businesses in this sector, the challenges of developing effective counter-drone solutions, and the importance of private capital in fostering innovation. They explore the dynamics of the defense market, the acquisition pr...

Callye Keen interviews Noam Oz, a former director of innovation operations at Naval X, discussing his extensive background in defense and technology innovation. They explore the challenges of navigating the defense acquisition landscape, the importance of iterative development, and the need for effective communication between operators and solution providers. Noam emphasizes the significance of un...

Callye Keen and Chelsea Roberts (Meggitt) discuss the evolving landscape of the defense industry, particularly for small businesses. Chelsea shares insights on recent changes in government contracting, the importance of rapid prototyping, and the need for small businesses to adapt to new acquisition processes. They also explore the role of Collaborative Compositions in supporting small businesses...

Callye Keen sits down with community-builder Jesse Levin to explore why people , not hardware, are the decisive edge in modern defense. From grassroots networks in Ukraine to DEF’s “virtuous insurgency,” the conversation unpacks how informal connectors accelerate innovation and why manufacturing talent is America’s silent super-power. Topics We Cover Human capital as the “non-sexy” but essential i...

Callye Keen and Matt Hawkins discuss the evolving landscape of market intelligence in the defense sector, emphasizing the importance of relationships, rapid technology integration, and the challenges faced by startups. They explore the significance of teaming strategies, the procurement process, and emerging technology trends, particularly in autonomy and material science. The discussion highlight...

In this episode of The Startup Defense , host Callye Keen speaks with Sammy Semwangu , founder and CEO of Bazze , an intelligence targeting and early warning platform. The conversation dives deep into the strategic shift toward leveraging commercial data for defense and national security operations. Sammy shares his journey from the intelligence and special operations community to founding a start...

Callye Keen interviews Nick Adams from Washington Office, discussing the intersection of technology and policy, particularly in the defense sector. They explore the importance of strategic communications, business development, and government relations for startups, emphasizing the need for effective representation in Washington. Nick shares insights from his legislative experience, including the C...

Callye Keen and Paul Gus Garcia discuss the intersection of innovation and national security technology. They explore the challenges and opportunities in bridging the gap between emerging technologies and military needs, emphasizing the importance of defining outcomes, effective prototyping, and the role of decision-makers in facilitating innovation. The discussion highlights the SigmaBlox initiat...

Callye Keen and Keith Palmisano discuss the innovative work being done at Rampart in the field of communication technology, particularly in defense applications. They explore the importance of understanding the physical layer of communication, the challenges of developing hard tech, and the significance of customer-centric product development. Keith shares insights on navigating the complexities o...

Callye Keen interviews Chase Blanton from SatCube, delving into the evolving landscape of the space economy and advanced communications. They discuss the future of wireless communication, the challenges of navigating national security in defense tech, and Chase's personal journey from military communications to leading a tech startup. The conversation highlights the importance of user experience i...