Dr. Eric Schmidt is an accomplished technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He joined Google in 2001 and helped grow the company from a Silicon Valley startup to a global leader in technology alongside founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Eric served as Google’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman from 2001–2011, as well as Executive Chairman and Technical Advisor.

In 2017, he co-founded Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative that bets early on exceptional people. His most recent initiative, the Special Competitive Studies Project, was founded in October 2021 as a bipartisan, non-profit initiative with a mission to strengthen America’s long-term competitiveness in a future shaped by AI and other emerging technologies.

The Honorable Mac Thornberry is a former chairman of the Armed Services Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented the 13th district of Texas for 26 years. He was also a member of the House Intelligence Committee for more than a decade. Widely respected as an innovator and a strategic thinker, Mac has consistently been on the leading edge of critical national security issues.

He led in creating the National Nuclear Security Administration; establishing the Department of Homeland Security (introducing a bill to do so six months before 9/11); preparing the military to defend the nation in new domains of warfare such as space and cyber; and improving oversight of sensitive military and cyber operations. While leading the Armed Services Committee, he focused on enhancing DOD innovation for the warfighter and restoring the readiness of America’s armed forces. Currently involved in advising companies and organizations on national security issues, Mac previously served in the State Department, worked as staff on Capitol Hill, and practiced law. He was raised on the family ranch in Donley County, Texas, graduated from Texas Tech University, and received a law degree from the University of Texas. He and his wife, Sally, have two children.

General James E. Rainey serves as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Futures Command. He previously served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Training. Before that, he served as commanding general of the United States Army Combined Arms Center, commandant of the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and commanding general of Fort Leavenworth. His primary responsibilities include leader development, military education and training for the Army. He has served continuously for over 35 years, including tours in Korea, Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Alexander Miller is the Senior Advisor for Science and Technology and the CTO to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. He holds a Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a Doctorate of Technology from Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute.

Craig Martell is Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. He is responsible for mission concept development and integrated operations analysis, the corporation’s technology strategy, internal research and development investments and corporate as well as international laboratories. As the primary liaison to the US and international science and technology community, he manages strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia to ensure the maturation and deployment of cutting-edge technologies. Dr. Martell is a proven leader with more than 25 years’ experience, bringing to the role a strong combination of experience in government and the private sector, including the Department of Defense and commercial technology organizations. Prior to Lockheed Martin, Dr. Martell was Chief AI Officer for Cohesity. In this role, he oversaw the company’s strategic integration and development of emerging technologies including AI/ML to protect, secure, and provide insights into data. Before that, he served as the first Chief Digital and AI Officer (CDAO) for the U.S. Department of Defense. Dr. Martell has served in roles of increasing responsibility in the AI and machine learning field throughout his career. Dr. Martell pursued graduate degrees in philosophy and political science before shifting his focus to computer science; he earned a Ph.D. in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania.  His proficiency in statistical principles and methodologies has been demonstrated in his several patents including a Hybrid Classification System in 2021 and System and Method for Encrypting Data in Pictorial Data in 2008. He has published several papers anchored in mathematics and statistics including MAJIC: A Java Application for Controlling Multiple Heterogenous Robotic Agents and is also the co-author of the book Great Principles of Computing, published by MIT Press in 2015. Dr. Martell was awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 2024.

Major General (retired) Mick Ryan spent 35 years in the Australian Army. He served in East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan as well as on the U.S. joint staff in Washington, DC. Ryan is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, the U.S. Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting, and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in DC.

He is a keen author on the interface of strategy, innovation, advanced technologies, and people. His books include The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire (U.S. Naval Institute Press, 2024); White Sun War: The Campaign for Taiwan (Casemate Books, 2023); and War Transformed (U.S. Naval Institute Books, 2022).

Ryan is the inaugural Senior Fellow for Military Studies at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, and an adjunct fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.

Greg Simer is the Chief Technology Officer at Northrop Grumman Defense Systems.

Dr. Ufuk Topcu is a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at The University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the W.A. "Tex" Moncrief, Jr. Chair in Computational Engineering and Sciences VI. He is core faculty at the Oden Institute and Texas Robotics and directs the Autonomous Systems Group. Topcu obtained his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2008, and previously served at the University of Pennsylvania.

His research focuses on theoretical and algorithmic aspects of autonomous systems at the intersection of formal methods, reinforcement learning, and control theory. He leads large-scale projects with the Air Force (MURI), NASA (ULI), and NSF (CPS Frontier) and has received the NSF CAREER Award, Air Force Young Investigator Award, IEEE CSS Antonio Ruberti Young Researcher Prize, and the Oden Institute Distinguished Researcher Award. He served on the Computing Community Consortium Council.

Dr. Peter Stone is the Truchard Foundation Chair in Computer Science at The University of Texas at Austin, where he directs Texas Robotics and the Learning Agents Research Group. His research spans machine learning, multiagent systems, and robotics with applications in robot soccer, autonomous vehicles, bidding agents, and traffic management. He previously worked at AT&T Labs – Research.

He is Chief Scientist of Sony AI, co-founder of Cogitai, and President of the RoboCup Federation. Recognitions include the IJCAI Computers and Thought Award, Sloan and Guggenheim Fellowships, Fellowships in AAAI/IEEE/AAAS/ACM, and the ACM–AAAI Allen Newell Award (2025).

Josh Araujo is the Chief Executive Officer of Forterra and previously served as Chief Operating Officer. Joining Forterra in 2021, he led the company’s successful Series A fundraising and helped spearhead development of Forterra’s Autonomy as a Service business model.

He has more than 20 years of experience across military, investment banking, and financial leadership roles, including CFO of OGT Engineering and Construction and Senior Vice President in Jefferies Industrials Investment Banking Group. Earlier, he was an M&A associate at Lazard. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University.

Adam Bry is co-founder and CEO at Skydio, the leading consumer and commercial U.S. drone company and a world leader in autonomous flight. With over two decades of small UAS experience, he was a national champion R/C airplane aerobatics pilot at 16, led pioneering research on autonomous flight at MIT, and co-founded Google[x]’s Project Wing. He has numerous technical papers and patents and was recognized on MIT’s TR35; in 2021, he was appointed to the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee.

Under his leadership, Skydio grew from a startup to the largest U.S. drone manufacturer by volume, leveraging breakthrough AI for consumer, enterprise, and government customers. Founded in 2014, Skydio is backed by top investors and has earned honors such as Frost & Sullivan’s North American commercial drone company of the year and the CES Best of Innovation Award for Drones and Unmanned Systems (2021).

Rainhart joins Auterion from HawkEye 360, where he most recently served as President and COO. During his tenure at HawkEye 360, he was responsible for running business operations and supporting the CEO on strategic initiatives. In his new position at Auterion, Rainhart will work closely with founder and CEO Lorenz Meier to deliver the company’s strategy and streamline operations. Rainhart’s arrival comes at a critical time, as Auterion’s global growth accelerates, and it further cements its leading position in the rapidly-expanding drone market. Rainhart’s extensive background in technical and product leadership, coupled with his strong business acumen, makes him an invaluable addition to the Auterion team. “We are thrilled to welcome Robert to the Auterion family”, said Lorenz Meier, founder and CEO of Auterion. “His experience and leadership in the industry will be instrumental as we continue to reshape the global drone market, helping customers achieve their mission – from efficient delivery, to life-saving humanitarian assistance, to defending democracies.” Rainhart’s career includes significant experience in space and analytics, as well as roles at RT Logic and Harris Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Colorado State University, and a Masters in systems engineering from Penn State University.

Paul Lwin is co-founder and CEO of Havoc AI, which builds low-cost, autonomous maritime drones (uncrewed surface vessels) for surveillance, defense, research, and cargo transport.

Tarun Chhabra is head of national security policy at Anthropic. He previously served as deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for technology and national security on the US National Security Council (NSC). From 2021 to 2025, Chhabra coordinated US strategies for technology competition with the People’s Republic of China and technology partnerships with US allies and partners, particularly with respect to artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced biotechnologies, and quantum information science. Chhabra led the development of US policy on export controls, industrial strategies, inbound and outbound investment controls, data security, and information and communication technology and services restrictions. He also spearheaded US diplomacy on these matters with the Five Eyes, Japan, South Korea, India, the EU, and other countries. He previously served as a director of strategic planning at the NSC, speechwriter to the secretary of defense, senior fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, and director of the Project on International Order and Strategy at the Brookings Institution. He holds a JD from Harvard (Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow), an MPhil from Oxford (Marshall Scholar), and a BA from Stanford.

Christopher Kirchhoff is an expert in emerging technology who founded the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office and has led teams for the President, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and CEO of Google. He recently worked special projects at Anthropic. Previously, Dr. Kirchhoff helped scale $1 billion in philanthropic programs at Schmidt Futures. He also founded and led the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley Office, Defense Innovation Unit X, which piloted flying cars and microsatellites in military missions and created a new acquisition pathway for start-ups now responsible for $70 billion dollars of technology acquisition. During the Obama Administration, he was Director for Strategic Planning at the National Security Council and the senior civilian advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Together with Raj Shah, he is the author of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War.

Mr. Ylli Bajraktari is the CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project. Prior to launching SCSP, Ylli served as the Executive Director of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Prior to joining NSCAI, he served as Chief of Staff to the National Security Advisor LTG H.R. McMaster held a variety of leadership roles for former Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work, and served as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey. Originally joining the Department of Defense in 2010, he served in the Office of the Undersecretary for Policy as a country director for Afghanistan, and later India. Mr. Bajraktari is the recipient of the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal – the highest award given to career DoD civilian employees. Ylli received his undergraduate degree from The George Washington University and master’s degree from Harvard University.

Gordon Daugherty is a best-selling author, seasoned business executive, entrepreneur, startup advisor and investor. He has vast experience with early-stage fundraising from both sides of the table. As a venture fund manager and angel investor, he has made more than 500 investments. He has also helped raise more than $150 million in growth and venture capital as a company executive, fund manager, board director, and active advisor. Fundraising is the focus of the bestselling book he authored, titled “Startup Success: Funding the Early Stages of Your Venture”. Through his content creation practice, Shockwave Innovations, and as co-founder and chairman of Capital Factory, Gordon spends 100 percent of his time educating, advising, and investing in tech startups. He is a senior contributor for Texas CEO Magazine and serves on the board of directors for several Austin-based technology companies. Over the years, Gordon has given personal advice to several hundred entrepreneurs, and more than 5,000 startup founders have completed his Founders Academy boot camp. He has published more than 150 startup advice articles and produced a series of free online educational courses for startup founders. A proud native Texan, Gordon grew up in a small town and graduated from Baylor University with a computer science degree. He spent the first ten years of his career in brand-name companies such as IBM and Compaq and then progressively gravitated towards early-stage and high-growth companies. Gordon spent eight years in the videoconferencing industry, including four years as president of an Israeli-based company that grew from $5 million to $36 million in a short few years and went public on the Euronext Stock Market. Gordon oversaw most company functions while serving in executive capacities, but his primary focus was on strategy, marketing, sales, business development, and M&A. He was a senior executive for Austin-based NetQoS, which grew rapidly to more than $55 million in revenue before being acquired by CA Technologies for $200 million, and he was a founding advisor for digital advertising pioneer MediaMind, which reached $65 million in revenue and a NASDAQ IPO in 2010.

Jeanne Meserve is an International Security Analyst for Canada’s CTV News, and is host of the NatSec Tech podcast for the Special Competitive Studies Project. She has been an anchor and correspondent for CNN and ABC News, winning two Emmy Awards, and an Edward R. Murrow Award. She also contributed to two CNN Peabody Awards for coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill, and anchored CNN’s award-winning coverage of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination and the death of Princess Diana. Meserve moderates on a wide array of subjects for groups including AtlanticLIVE, the Munich Security Conference, the International Women’s Forum and many other organizations. Meserve currently serves as a member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity, a bipartisan consortium of leaders from the US and Europe in the fields of politics, technology, media and business. The group works to identify emerging threats to free and fair elections, and develop strategies to mitigate them. She is also a member of the Homeland Security Experts Group, serves on the board of directors of the Space Foundation, and is an honorary member of the Red Cross Tiffany Circle. In the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attacks Meserve established the homeland security beat for CNN. On the ground in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, she was the first to report on the devastating flooding inundating portions of the city. Among her other assignments: the Washington snipers, the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping, and the Virginia Tech shootings. As State Department Correspondent for ABC News she reported from China, the Middle East and Europe. Meserve received a B.A. in English Literature from Middlebury College, and is a recipient of the college’s Alumni Achievement Award.

Sasha Ingber is the founder of HUMINT, where she tells human stories about the intelligence community. She is also the host of Spycast, the international spy museum’s podcast on intel, espionage, and covert operations. For the past 4.5 years, she was national TV Network Scripps News’ national security correspondent. She reported on the US intelligence Committee, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the collapse of Afghanistan, the U.S. Capitol insurrection, indictments against former president Trump, extremist groups, and covert activities by China and Russia. Her reporting was acquired by CNN, and led to guest appearances on PBS Newshour and the History Channel. She was previously a breaking news reporter at NPR, reporting some of the biggest stories of the day online and on the radio — including former president Trump’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, foreign interference in the 2016 election, protests in Hong Kong, and developments in Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. A Pulitzer Center grantee, she has contributed numerous articles and short-form documentaries to National Geographic, reporting on undocumented children in the United States, ISIS’ No. 1 female target, and climate change, among other topics. Following the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, she was the editor of a State Department initiative to monitor and counter Russian disinformation. Her writing, photography, and radio reporting have appeared in such publications as The Washington Post Magazine, ESPN, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atlantic, and The American Scholar. She was the associate editor of Smithsonian’s culture magazine, Journeys. From 2016 to 2020, Sasha co-founded AND LED Music in Exile, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that documented the songs and stories of people displaced by war, oppression, and regional instability. The work took to her to such places as Iraq and Bangladesh, and she interviewed Yezidis, Syrians, and Rohingya refugees. The content was broadcast by NPR’s Weekend Edition, PRI’s The World, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and other outlets. She earned a master’s degree in nonfiction writing from Johns Hopkins University, and speaks Spanish and Portuguese. She is based in Washington, D.C.

Billy Mitchell is Senior Vice President and Executive Editor of Scoop News Group’s editorial brands. He oversees operations, strategy and growth of SNG’s award-winning tech publications, FedScoop, StateScoop, CyberScoop, EdScoop and DefenseScoop. Prior to joining Scoop News Group in early 2014, Billy embedded himself in Washington, DC’s tech startup scene for a year as a tech reporter at InTheCapital, now known as DC Inno. After earning his degree at Virginia Tech and winning the school’s Excellence in Print Journalism award, Billy received his master’s degree from New York University in magazine writing while interning at publications like Rolling Stone.

Brandi Vincent is DefenseScoop’s Pentagon correspondent. She reports on emerging and disruptive technologies, and associated policies, impacting the Defense Department and its personnel. Prior to joining Scoop News Group, Brandi produced a long-form documentary and worked as a journalist at Nextgov, Snapchat and NBC Network. She grew up in Louisiana and received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.

Derek Lacey is a seasoned, award-winning journalist with a wide range of experience. A Guntersville native and Auburn alum, he worked for daily newspapers in Hendersonville and Asheville, North Carolina before moving to South Huntsville in 2022. Prior to joining Axios, he edited the Texas & Southeast regional edition of Engineering News-Record. A certified Girl Dad, if he’s not working, he’s probably digging in the garden or disc golfing.

William “Chip” Usher is the Senior Director for Intelligence at the Special Competitiveness Studies Project. Prior to SCSP, Chip served 32 years in the Central Intelligence Agency where he held a variety of executive positions. Chip is a former member of the Senior Intelligence Service and has expertise on East Asia, the Near East, and Eurasia. He is passionate about enhancing the US Intelligence Community’s ability to deliver timely, relevant intelligence insights to US decisionmakers. A sought after expert on IC modernization and the Near East, he has been quoted in several leading publications, including the the New York Times, Bloomberg News, and The Hill. Prior to joining the federal government, Chip ran an import-export company based in Nagoya, Japan. He holds a BA in Political Science from Duke University and a MS in National Security Studies from the National War College.

Martijn Rasser is the Senior Director for Economy at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP). Prior to joining SCSP, Martijn was CSO and managing director of Datenna, a firm specializing in techno-economic intelligence on China. In these roles, he led the company’s strategic activities—including partnerships and new market opportunities—and managed the company’s U.S. operations. Martijn previously was a senior fellow and director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, served as director of analysis at Kyndi, and chief of staff at Muddy Waters Capital. He is a former CIA officer. Martijn holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Bates College and a M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University.

David Lin is the Senior Director for Future Technology Platforms at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP). Prior to joining SCSP, David served for 12 years at the U.S. Department of State and the Central Intelligence Agency, focusing on China and technology policy. His expertise includes China’s industrial strategy, data and cybersecurity policies, and digital infrastructure development. During his government tenure, David led multidisciplinary teams providing analytic support to high-level U.S. China policy processes and served as an economic officer responsible for the tech portfolio at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai. Prior to his government service, David worked at Computer Sciences Corporation (now DXC Technology), where he advised government clients on technology and national security initiatives. He holds a Master’s degree in Security Policy Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University.

James Ryseff is a Director for Defense at the Special Competitive Studies Project. Prior to joining SCSP, he was a software engineer for 14 years and a Senior Technical Analyst at the RAND Corporation for 7 years. James’s work has focused on Artificial Intelligence, the technical workforce, organizational culture and defense innovation, and applying private sector best practices for software engineering to public policy. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a M.S. in Security Studies from Georgetown University.