Future Of Defense Episodes

This week, retired Lieutenant General Jack Shanahan, the first director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, joins Bonnie Evangelista to discuss the beginnings and momentum of the JAIC. They explore the challenges and hard work that paved the way for opportunities in AI and acquisition within the Department of Defense and the importance of building relationships, taking risks, replicating successes, and the ultimate goal of getting technology into the hands of warfighters. Tune in to hea...

Captain Shawn Cooper, XVII Airborne Corps Innovation Officer, joins Bonnie Evangelista this week to talk about how the Corps is building connective tissue to support bottom-up innovation, scale soldier ideas, and integrate them with development partners across the DoD. He dives into managing soldiers’ time to innovate, maximizing your 20%, and identifying demand signals from your end users. Tune in to learn more about Shawn's journey and the exciting projects happening within the XVII Airborne C...

This week, Bonnie Evangelista is joined by special guest, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael Nagata, former Director of Strategy for the National Counterterrorism Center and retired United States Army veteran with a storied 38-year career. Mike shares his insights on the importance of embracing technological military change and the need for collaboration between government and industry to create a risk-tolerant culture. Tune in to learn what it takes to prevail as a nation in this new technological era. ...

This week, Bonnie Evangelista sits down with Bill Wilder, NCOIC for XVIII Airborne Corps Data Activities, to talk about the importance of bottoms-up military innovation. They talk about the current pipeline for soldier-oriented ideas and how it connects end-users with the resources needed to bring projects to life. Tune in to explore the world of military innovation and the vital role it plays in enhancing our defense capabilities. TIMESTAMPS: (2:49) Connecting end users to money and authorit...

On this episode of AI Proficiency: Turning Tomorrow into Today, we are joined by Nicholas Vandre, U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Nicholas reflected on how using resourcefulness in the face of obstacles has been beneficial in equipping him with a sense of vision within the DoD–a space that requires innovation and flexibility to navigate. Listen in to hear more about why he believes in the effectiveness of finding the intersection of where the human-side and the solution meet as an approach...