The MILCOM Founders Podcast

MILCOM Founders Podcast - Episode 34: Kamar Perkins, Army Veteran Building Businesses That Create Jobs and Serve Veterans Join host Rod Loges and guest Kamar Perkins as he shares his journey from being a ward of state to Army veteran to founding multiple businesses focused on creating jobs and making community impact. In this episode: Kamar's path from ward of state in Prince George's County, Mary...

MILCOM Founders Podcast - Episode 33: Building a One-Stop Resource Hub for Military Families with Kristen Ferullo Join host Rod Loges and guest Kristen Ferullo as she shares her journey from special educator to military school liaison to founding Partners In Purpose, an organization dedicated to curating accurate, timely resources for military and veteran families. In this episode: Kristen's nearl...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 32: From Campaign Trail to Headshot Excellence with Jon Meadows Join host Rod Loges and guest Jon Meadows as he shares his journey from political communications to founding High-End Headshots, a premium photography business specializing in professional headshots. Jon discusses how getting fired became the catalyst for building a thriving business that serves execu...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 31: A Christmas Tribute to Richard "Dick" Beaupre, Founder of ChemArt On this special Christmas episode of the MILCOM Founders Podcast, we honor the legacy of Richard "Dick" Beaupre, U.S. Navy veteran and founder of ChemArt, one of America's most successful ornament manufacturing companies. Host Rod Loges speaks with Hamilton Davison, current CEO of ChemArt, and D...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 30: Randy Mullen, Founder of Sightline Ventures and Sightline Capital Show Notes Join host Rod Loges as he sits down with Randy Mullen, Jr., founder of Sightline Ventures and Sightline Capital, dual platforms supporting high-impact dual-use startups in the defense innovation ecosystem. Randy leads a tech-enabled team helping founders win DOD contracts and scale mi...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 29: Jesse Levin, Executive Director of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum and Founder of Tactivate Show Notes: Join host Rod Loges as he sits down with Jesse Levin, Executive Director of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum and founder of Tactivate, an initiative working to build networks of SOF veterans, economic stability specialists, and humanitarian experts to conduct...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 28: Dr. Lawrence E. Henderson Jr., Founder & CEO of BOSS, LLC Show Notes Join host Rod Loges as he sits down with Dr. Lawrence E. Henderson Jr., founder and CEO of Business Operational Support Services (BOSS), LLC, a coaching and consulting firm dedicated to empowering people-first cultures and transforming organizational leadership. In this episode: Dr. Hende...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 27: Lisa Bradley, Co-Founder & CEO of R.Riveter Show Notes Join host Rod Loges as he sits down with Lisa Bradley, co-founder and CEO of R.Riveter, a handbag company creating flexible, mobile work opportunities for military spouses across America. In this episode: Lisa's journey from small-town Montana to military spouse entrepreneurship Starting R.Riveter at 2...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 26: From Navy Nuclear Technician to Elite Veteran Talent Connector with David Brown-Dawson Join host Rod Loges and guest David Brown-Dawson as he shares his journey from serving as a civil engineer officer and air advisor in the U.S. Air Force to founding LeadCommGym and Palm, a growth intelligence platform dedicated to helping professionals turn real-time feedbac...

MILCOM Founders Podcast - Episode 25: From Air Force Linguist to Building San Antonio's Startup Ecosystem with Charles Woodin Join host Rod Loges and guest Charles Woodin, CEO of Geekdom, as he shares his journey from serving as an Air Force Korean linguist to leading San Antonio's premier entrepreneurial community. Charles discusses how his military experience shaped his leadership philosophy and...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 24: From Air Force Officer to Startup Attorney with Kevin Milgram Join host Rod Loges and guest Kevin Milgram as he shares his journey from serving as a U.S. Air Force officer across diverse missions to becoming a legal advisor who specializes in guiding emerging growth companies and investors through formation, venture capital financing, and mergers and acquisit...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 23: From Navy Nuclear Technician to Maritime AI Pioneers with John McGunnigle and Michael Hunter Join host Rod Loges with guests John McGunnigle and Michael Hunter as they share their journey from Navy service to co-founding Spear AI, a maritime artificial intelligence company focused on national defense applications. In this episode: John's path from Naval Acade...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 22: From Coast Guard Academy to Performance Excellence with Jeff Parks Join host Rod Loges and guest Jeff Parks as he shares his journey from Coast Guard Academy graduate to founder of Performance Breakthroughs Inc., where he spent 25+ years helping organizations, teams, and individuals achieve excellence. In this episode: Jeff's Coast Guard career spanning rescu...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 23: From Marine General to AI Innovator with Terry Williams Join host Rod Loges and retired Marine Brigadier General Terry Williams as they explore leadership, community building, and the transformational power of technology in veteran entrepreneurship. In this episode: Terry's journey from rebellious college student to 32-year Marine Corps career Building communi...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 20: From Army First Sergeant to Life-Saving Emergency Solutions with Valerie Ellis Lavin Join host Rod Loges and guest Valerie Ellis Lavin as she shares her journey from serving as a US Army First Sergeant to founding Luminary Global, a company providing emergency preparedness and trauma response solutions to clients ranging from sheriff's departments and fire re...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode: From Naval Academy to Marine Osprey Pilot to Business Owner with Ahron Oddman Join host Rod Loges and guest Ahron Oddman as he shares his journey from Brooklyn teenager to Naval Academy graduate, Marine Osprey pilot, and successful business owner through entrepreneurship. In this episode: Ahron's path from a 9-year-old inspired by an air show to Naval Academy ae...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 18: From Army Intelligence to Location Analytics with Brendan Huff Join host Rod Loges and guest Brendan Huff as he shares his journey from Army counterintelligence to co-founding Anomaly Six, a cutting-edge behavior-based location intelligence and analytics company serving clients worldwide. In this episode: Brendan's unexpected path from managing restaurants to...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 17: From Immigrant Teen to Special Operations Hero and Mental Health Advocate with Pasha Palanker Join host Rod Loges and guest Pasha Palanker as he shares his remarkable journey from arriving in America as a 15-year-old refugee from Soviet Moldova to becoming a decorated Army Special Operations Master Sergeant and successful entrepreneur. Pasha is the founder an...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 16: From West Point Cyber Officer to Document Intelligence Innovator with Ian Garrett Join host Rod Loges and guest Ian Garrett as he shares his journey from West Point graduate and Army cyber officer to co-founding Phalanx, a company that transforms document sharing into actionable business intelligence. In this episode: Ian's path from Northern Virginia kid to...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 15: From Air National Guard to Firearm Safety Innovation with Shaun Tanaka Join host Rod Loges and guest Shaun Tanaka as he shares his journey from serving in the Air National Guard to founding CastleLock™, a firearm safety company developing biometric technology to protect families while maintaining quick access for responsible gun owners. In this episode: Shaun...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 14: From Air Force Officer to Freedom-Enabling Entrepreneur with Laura Yang Renner Join host Rod Loges and guest Laura Yang Renner as she shares her journey from Air Force officer to founder of Freedom Makers Virtual Services , a company that connects military spouses with small businesses needing flexible support. In this episode: Laura's military family backgro...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 13 From Army Captain to Chief Storyteller with Ira Koretsky Join host Rod Loges and guest Ira Koretsky as he shares his journey from serving as a US Army Captain in the Medical Service Corps to founding The Chief Storyteller® , a communications consultancy that helps organizations improve performance and audience engagement through strategic storytelling and prese...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 12: From Air Force Veteran to Vending Innovator with Nick Grillo Join host Rod Loges and guest Nick Grillo as he shares his journey from serving 12 years in the US Air Force to founding Elevate Vending, an innovative company transforming the vending experience with smart technology and locally sourced products. In this episode: Nick's path from Air Force Power Su...

MILCOM Founders Podcast -- Episode 11: From Army Intelligence to Cybersecurity Leader with Odie Gray   Join host Rod Loges and guest Odie Gray as he shares his journey from Army intelligence professional to founding Dominus Gray and the Diversity Cyber Council, organizations dedicated to cybersecurity excellence and creating opportunities for underrepresented communities in tech.  In this episode:...

MILCOM Founders Podcast – Episode 10: From Navy Nuclear Technician to Elite Veteran Talent Connector with Brandon Aaron   Join host Rod Loges and guest Brandon Aaron as he shares his journey from serving as a Navy Nuclear Electrician's Mate on submarines to founding HIGHR1 , a recruiting firm dedicated to placing Navy nukes and technical veterans in mission-critical positions.  In this episode:  ...