Becca is a Nuclear Strategy and Policy Analyst at the Department of Defense. Peviously, Becca was Lead Warfighting Analyst with the Joint Staff, providing quantitative and strategic assessments of joint, partner, and adversary plans and capabilities. Prior to joining JS, she worked as a data scientist for Booz Allen, embedded with defense/intelligence organizations. She graduated from Columbia University with honors in 2016, with degrees in physics and political science. Becca has worked in research labs at NASA, Columbia, and Harvard and has spoken at various academic conferences about her work on magnetospheres, the solar wind, and plasma physics. She interned at the State Department in AVC/ESC, which encouraged her to venture outside the lab and into the world of policy. She has participated in CSIS’ Nuclear Scholars Initiative and Georgetown/Sandia’s joint Strategic Force Analysis program, as well as presenting at PNNL, Livermore, and STRATCOM on attribution and uncertainty in orbital space. In her spare time, she loves backpacking, cycling, and playing ultimate Frisbee.

April Arnold is a Senior Nonproliferation Adviser at Culmen International, supporting the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection & Deterrence. Her previous experience includes working for contractors supporting the Department of Defense on U.S. arms control implementation and verification. She was a policy volunteer for the Biden-Harris Presidential campaign in 2020 and a founding co-chair for Foreign Policy for America's Next Generation Defense & Intelligence Working Group. She is also a Member of the Advisory Board for the University of Delaware's Political Science and International Relations Department, a 2021-2022 Board Fellow for Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and a 2021 Nuclear Scholar for the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. April received a BA in International Relations from the University of Delaware and is pursuing her MA in Sustainable Energy at Johns Hopkins University.

Akhil Bery recently joined the U.S. Foreign Service as an economics coned generalist. Prior to joining the Department, he served as the Director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute, where he focused on the US-India partnership, political and economic developments in Sri Lanka, and the India-China rivalry in South Asia. He has also worked at Eurasia Group where he led the firm’s research on South Asia and advised clients on political and economic developments in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka,  at McLarty Associates, Fujitsu Research Institute in Tokyo, Japan, and at 9.9 Media in New Delhi India. Akhil holds a M.A. in International Business and Policy from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and Walsh School of Foreign Service, and a B.A. in History from Franklin & Marshall College. He is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mary Brooks is a researcher, writer and documentarian at the nexus of foreign policy, conflict, cybersecurity, and technology. She is currently a public policy fellow at the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan policy research institution in Washington, DC. Previously she was a fellow in the Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats program at the R Street Institute, where she wrote on a number of subjects including supply chain policy and novel methods of measuring trends in cybersecurity. She served as an associate producer of the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary "The Perfect Weapon," an exploration of how the use of cyber weapons by both states and private actors is changing global power, and as the consulting producer for "Year One," an HBO documentary that premiered in October, 2022 and chronicled the Biden administration's efforts to deal with a series of ongoing national security crises.  She is currently leading the research team for a new book by New York Times White House correspondent David Sanger on the reemergence of super power conflict, and has recently published work in Lawfare, The Hill, and Morning Consult.

Alma Caballero serves as Regional Director at McLarty Associates, a global strategic geopolitical advisory firm in Washington, D.C., where she advises clients on issues of strategic planning, government relations, and transaction management in Latin America. Prior to joining McLarty, Alma was the Latin American Policy Advisor at Covington & Burling LLP, a leading Washington, DC law-based global law firm, where she worked closely with the firm’s legal practices to provide strategic advice, risk assessment, and consulting services to international clients with investments and operations in Latin America, and Latin American clients with a global presence or interest in expanding their operations overseas. Alma has also worked at the Embassy of Mexico in Washington, Mitsubishi Corporations (Americas), and The Brookings Institution. She earned a BS in Science, Technology and International Affairs and an MA in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service (SFS), where she serves as a member of the SFS Board of Advisors. Alma is a senior advisor to the Georgetown Americas Institute, the first university-wide regional platform for dialogue, research, and impact around the key challenges facing Latin America. Alma serves as an advisory council member of the US Mexico Foundation, a binational organization that is dedicated to fostering bilateral cooperation and understanding between the United States and Mexico. She also serves as the vice-chairman of the Board of Directors for love. futbol, an organization dedicated to creating first-time safe spaces for kids in the most precarious neighborhoods in the world.

Yanique is a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service. Currently, she serves at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City where she adjudicates non-immigrant visas and supports efforts to protect American citizens, strengthen border security, and facilitate travel for foreign diplomats and treaty investors. She also leads the Embassy’s Special Projects Program that promotes professional development and career advancement among entry level officers. Prior to this role, Yanique served in Mumbai where she received a Meritorious Honor Award for repatriating distressed American citizens at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She was also the Acting Fraud Prevention Manager, overseeing employment verification for temporary workers and facilitating fraud findings across a variety of marriage and family-based visa categories. Yanique is a Fulbright Spain Grantee and the recipient of the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program. She previously worked at the United Nations World Food Programme Latin America and Caribbean Regional Bureau and the U.S. Senate. Yanique holds a Bachelor’s in International Studies from American University’s School of International Service and a Master’s in Global Development from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. She enjoys travel and photography.

Mike Chieco is a Product Marketing Manager at Meta. At Meta he focuses on building products and crafting policy for creators and public figures on the Facebook app. Mike began his career at Deloitte Consulting in New York City. Following Deloitte, Mike moved to Nairobi Kenya where he oversaw the launch and operations of three international brands into the Kenyan and Tanzanian markets. Mike is a graduate of the Yale Jackson Institute of Global Affairs and the Yale School of Management. While at Yale, Mike studied the impact of weak state structures and conflict on entrepreneurship in developing markets. He also focused on emerging public private partnerships to combat financial and cyber crime across state boundaries. Mike holds a B.S. in Finance and Political Science from Lehigh University and currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife, Kira.

Lieutenant Justin Chock is a senior instructor in the Political Science Department at the Naval Academy teaching courses on American Politics and International Relations. His research focuses on Asia-Pacific security with particular focus on the U.S.-Japan Alliance and U.S.-China relations. Previously, Justin served as the Chief Military Liaison for the U.S. Forces, Japan J2 Directorate for Intelligence where he led intelligence engagements, cooperation, analysis, briefings, plans, and exercises with the Japan Ministry of Defense. He also served as the Gunnery and Ordnance Officer onboard USS CHUNG-HOON (DDG 93) and additionally conducted internships with the East-West Center in Washington, U.S. State Department, Chief of Naval Operations, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces. Justin received an M.Phil. in International Relations from Oxford University and a B.S. in Political Science (Honors) from the U.S. Naval Academy with additional studies at Keio University. He is from Honolulu, Hawaii and lives in Washington, D.C.

After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in History as well as a commission in the United States Army, Captain d'Arge began her studies as a Marshall Scholar at the University of Glasgow. During her time in Scotland, she earned a Masters of Letters in War Studies and a Masters of Law in International Law and International Security. Since her return to the United States, Captain d'Arge has served as a Field Artillery Headquarters Battery Executive Officer, a Warrant Officer Training Company Executive Officer, and a Military Intelligence Advanced Individual Training Company Commander. Captain Dahlia d'Arge currently serves as a battalion intelligence officer assigned to Fort Knox, KY.

From Richmond, VA, Dr. Nathan Dial is an Active-Duty Major in the US Air Force. Nathan earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in Spanish from the US Air Force Academy in 2010. Over his 12-year Air Force career, Nathan has deployed to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, and Ali Al-Salem Air Base, Kuwait, piloting the EC-130H with the 55th Electronic Combat Group (Tucson, AZ). Currently, Nathan serves at Offutt, AFB (Omaha, NE) as an RC-135 Pilot with the 55th Operations Group. Additionally, in 2012, Nathan attained a Master's in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, where he focused on Political and Economic Development. In 2021, Nathan received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University, concentrating on comparative politics and minoring in qualitative and quantitative methods. His dissertation developed a theory on why the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pursues out-of-area activities in the 21st Century. In his spare time, Nathan enjoys playing golf and pick-up basketball, riding his Peloton, reading biographies, producing sports analytic articles, and playing the piano. Teams, where the collective is greater than the sum of its parts, have inspired Nathan's studies and assignments in the military. The idea of creating groups that elevate their members led him to study economics, public policy, NATO, and sports analytics. Nathan plans to contribute to the Aspen Strategy Group community through his experiences and learn how the various parts of the United States' security apparatus can positively impact its foreign policy and global standing.

Lauren Dickey is a policy advisor for East Asia in the U.S. Department of Defense. Prior to her position in DoD, Lauren was a research scientist focused on Chinese political-military issues at the Center for Naval Analyses, a federally-funded research and development center (FFRDC) in Arlington, Virginia. Lauren earned a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London and the National University of Singapore, her M.A. in International Studies and Diplomacy from the School of Oriental and African Studies, and her B.A. in Asian Studies and Chinese from the University of Oregon. Lauren is a term member at the Council on Foreign Relations. In her spare time, she is an accredited figure skating coach and, with her husband, an avid hiker.

​Leanne Erdberg Steadman is the co-owner of LPE Services, a consulting firm, where she draws from her background in public policy, international affairs, and national security to help clients define the greatest threats, challenges, and opportunities to society today. Previously, Steadman was a director and senior expert at the U.S. Institute of Peace, where her work focused on violent extremism, governance, justice, security, and the future of 21st century challenges to peace. Prior to joining the Institute, Steadman served on the National Security Council staff at the White House as a senior advisor on homeland security, as well as director of African affairs. She’s also served at the Department of State as a counterterrorism advisor and at the Department of Homeland Security as a presidential management fellow. Steadman has also worked in the private sector with Accenture Federal Services, and she began her public service career with positions at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the World Health Organization, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and on a U.S. congressional campaign. Before her work in foreign and public policy, Steadman co-founded an independent record label. She holds a Juris Doctor with honors in international law and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in mass communication studies, both from Boston University. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.

Gabrielle Fong is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and a graduate of Yale University. Upon graduation, Gabby commissioned as a Naval Officer and reported to USS McCAMPBELL (DDG 85) homeported in Yokosuka, Japan. She completed three South China Sea and Sea of Japan patrols, six multi-national exercises, and numerous training events. In 2019, Gabby reported to the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in Washington, D.C., where she worked as the lead INDOPACOM Collection Strategist. While there, she was selected to serve as the Flag Aide to the Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence. In September 2021, Gabby joined U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/TENTH Fleet/Navy Space/Joint Force Headquarters Cyber as the Intelligence Operations Department Head. In her off time, Gabby serves on the board for The Disinformation Project, a nonprofit that aims to help teens recognize and fight online disinformation by raising awareness and implementing mitigation strategies across multiple disciplines.

Shelley Greenspan is a Policy Advisor for Partnerships and Global Engagement at the National Security Council. Prior to the NSC, Shelley served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State and previously was the Senior Partnerships Manager for the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs. Prior to joining State, she worked at Amazon as a Global Innovation Policy Associate focusing on external engagements abroad with policymakers and industry stakeholders. Shelley has extensive experience on Capitol Hill, covering the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees for three years with AIPAC and previously interned at the White House and for Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with degrees in Political Science and Public Relations and minors in Judaic Studies and Public Leadership. Shelley is on the boards of the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish Women International, and Jewish Democratic Women for Action.

Steph Guerra (she/her) is a biologist and policy professional who most recently served in various roles at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In those roles, Steph has worked on policy development and program implementation for key policy priorities including opioids safety, precision oncology, biosecurity, and pandemic preparedness. Steph previously served as a Fellow with the Council on Strategic Risks where she worked with leading experts to generate creative ideas for ending the threat of state biological weapons programs through use of technology, international cooperation, and engagement of non-traditional actors. Steph's professional interests include reducing the risk of catastrophic biological threats and promoting a safe and equitable scientific research enterprise. Steph received her Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from Harvard University and her B.S. in Biological Sciences and B.A. in Hispanic Studies from Carnegie Mellon University.

Mark Titus Hoover is the Counterterrorism and Strategy Advisor for the interagency Man-portable Air Defenses Systems Task Force, hosted within the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. This Task Force coordinates USG efforts to counter the illicit proliferation of these weapons. Previously, Hoover served for six years at the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations where he served in a variety of roles, including as Team Lead for issues related to political instability in central and eastern Africa. Hoover spent 6-12 months respectively in Chad, Cameroon, and Uganda helping advance diplomatic and programmatic efforts to understand and mitigate risks of political violence and religiously motivated violent extremism. Hoover also briefly served in the Central African Republic prior to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Hoover spent six months detailed to the U.S. Mission to the Holy See and four months with the Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism Financing and Financial Crimes. Born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya, Hoover is a fluent French speaker and has spoken varying levels of Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Portuguese, and Kiswahili. Hoover holds a BA from Wake Forest and a MA from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Hoover joined the department as a civil servant in 2016 after being named a Presidential Management Fellow. Prior the State Department, Hoover worked at the Government Accountability Office, Wake Forest University's Office of Admissions, and as a Fulbright Fellow to Andorra.

Kyle Hutzler is a consultant to leading public and private sector organizations with a passion for advancing America's economic competitiveness. Kyle has authored or co-authored multiple reports, including on American city diplomacy, China's interference operations, and supply chain risk. His work has been featured in diverse outlets and he is a co-editor of the American Literature in the World anthology. Kyle holds a BA in Economics from Yale, an MA from Tsinghua University, and an MBA from Stanford. He speaks Chinese and Spanish.

Akif is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs where he is a Portfolio Manager on the Energy Infrastructure and Renewables Team. In this role he drives investment decisions and manages portfolio positioning with investments spanning the energy sector. Akif’s career and academic background place him at the intersection of energy markets, environmental policy, and international relations. With over ten years of industry experience, Akif is closely engaged with senior executives, policy experts, academics, and other leaders in the energy space. He also regularly shares his perspectives as a speaker at panels, webcasts, and investor forums as well as through thought pieces and white papers. Additionally, Akif plays a leadership role for several foreign-policy-focused groups and globally-oriented humanitarian and cultural organizations including as an Advisory Board member for the Chicago-based Goldin Institute. Akif earned an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MA from Columbia University, and a BA from Northwestern University.

Kenya Jordana James is a public diplomacy coned Foreign Service Officer, who joined the U.S. Department of State in 2015. Before joining the Department, Kenya worked as a press assistant with the U.S. Senate Democratic Policy and Communication Center, an office under the leadership of the late Senator Harry Reid and current Senate Majority Leader Senator Charles Schumer. In 2013, Kenya was awarded the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship. Kenya served her first tour at the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; as a Consular Officer, where she adjudicated non-immigrant and immigrant visas. Most recently, Kenya served as the Assistant Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Conakry, Guinea. She specialized in cultural outreach and promoting cultural exchanges between the United States and Guinea through U.S. Embassy programming and initiatives. Kenya is the recipient of three Department of State Meritorious Honor Awards and a Meritorious Service Increase. Now, Kenya is in Burmese language training, in preparation for her next assignment in Myanmar. Kenya holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Howard University and a Masters in International Affairs from the New School.

Daniel Lippman is a reporter covering the White House and Washington for POLITICO. He was previously a co-author of POLITICO's Playbook and also regularly contributes to other POLITICO newsletters including National Security Daily, Influence and New York Playbook. Before joining POLITICO, he was a fellow covering environmental news for E&E Publishing and a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in New York. He has also interned for McClatchy Newspapers and Reuters. During a stint freelancing in 2013, he traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border to cover the impact of the Syrian civil war for The Huffington Post and CNN.com. He graduated from The Hotchkiss School in 2008 and from The George Washington University in 2012. Daniel hails from the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and enjoys playing tennis, seeing movies and trying out new restaurants in his free time.

James is a U.S. Coast Guard officer detailed to the Office of the Vice President, Office of National Security Affairs where he serves as OVPs Executive Secretary​— the Vice President’s liaison to the Interagency. 

He is an afloat officer or cutterman who has served on four ships from the Arabian Gulf to the Eastern Pacific Ocean, including as the commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Ibis in South Florida and as the Caribbean Targeting officer at Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) in Key West, FL. He is a Senior Editor at the Center for International Maritime Security and his analysis on national security and maritime affairs has been featured in U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, The Center for International Maritime Security, The Strategy Bridge, The Maritime Executive, and RealClear Defense. 

Nolan joined the office of U.S. Senator Joni Ernst in May 2021 and currently serves as her Military Legislative Assistant. Prior to that, Nolan served as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force where he rose to the rank of Captain and held Logistics and Contracting Officer positions. During his time in the Air Force, Nolan served at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; and deployed in support of Special Operations Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, as well as Iraq. He holds a B.S. in English from the United States Air Force Academy, and an M.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University. Nolan currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.

Holly Milburn-Smith is the Program Manager of the City Hub and Network for Gender Equity (CHANGE) in the Office of International Affairs for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Before joining the Mayor’s team, Holly worked throughout the U.S. and internationally in community-based development. She began her career in Southern Africa and went on to lead direct service provision programs for unhoused individuals and children of incarcerated parents in New York City. Later she managed workforce development projects for justice-involved youth in Chicago and educational partnerships serving children with disabilities in Haiti. She recently completed research for the TIME’S UP Foundation and USC’s Sol Price Center for Social Innovation. Holly received a B.A. from Transylvania University in her home state of Kentucky as well as a Master of Public Policy and Certificate in Public Financial Management from the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy.

Brian Mongeau is a Principal at First In, a mission-driven and veteran-led venture capital firm that invests in cybersecurity and dual-use technology startups, often founded and led by military and intelligence community veterans. Brian began his career with seven years in the U.S. Army Special Forces ("Green Berets"), with deployments to Afghanistan and across multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region during the American strategic "pivot" to Asia. Prior to First In, he managed new business growth programs at Convoy, a late-stage digital freight services technology startup, during the Covid-19 international supply chain crisis. His previous private sector experience also includes managing strategy and operations for the cloud team as it was stood up at CrowdStrike, a top cybersecurity company, before spending time working in the company's product management organization, as well as operations at Goldman Sachs. Brian holds a MBA from Harvard Business School, a MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a BA in history, political science, and international studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has been published by War On The Rocks about his experience on the military-to-civilian transition as a GWOT veteran and by the Harvard Belfer Center on China's economic diplomacy strategy in Southeast Asia.

Andy Morimoto is Director of Climate Policy at Edelman Global Advisory. He is also a Policy Fellow at the Green Finance Center at the Paulson Institute and an Aspen Strategy Group Rising Leader. He previously was Director of Research at the Paulson Institute, where he focused on the intersection of climate policy, sustainable economic growth, and US-China relations. He worked closely with the chairman, former Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., on a number of special projects and activities. Prior to the Paulson Institute, he worked at The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where he was focused on trade and the global economy. He earned a MA in international relations from The University of Chicago, and a BA in political science and history from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Arthur Nelson is Deputy Director of the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He works on international security and governance issues in cyberspace and oversees the program's research development, strategic planning, and policy engagement. Prior to joining Carnegie, Nelson was a researcher with both the Strategic Technologies and International Security programs at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Before that he worked on election security and cybersecurity policy at Elections Ontario, and international governance issues with the G20 Research Group and the Global Summitry Project. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.A. in political science.

Thao is currently a Principal at Google, where she is focused on elections integrity and ensuring the security and integrity of information about elections across Google platforms around the world. She previously served as a technology national security analyst at Eurasia Group covering the U.S.-China technology competition, data governance, AI policy developments, cyber policy, and emerging tech issues globally. Prior to that, Thao lived in Singapore, where she built Airbnb’s first strategic partnerships team for Asia which included leading key partnerships in China, India, Japan, Korea, and ASEAN. Thao started her career as a U.S. diplomat, serving at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the U.S. Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta, and in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and George Washington University and is a National Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project and Term Member with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Megan is a senior program manager for Microsoft’s UN Affairs team in New York, the first of its kind office by a tech company advancing multi-stakeholder solutions and leveraging technology at the UN. In this role she leads the development and implementation of programs on sustainable economic development and gender issues and contributes to security and resilience issues. In addition, she provides strategy on external engagements for John Frank, head of the UN Affairs team. Megan came to Microsoft with experiences in the U.S. Senate in Senator Chris Coons’ office, the private sector in the Office of Corporate Engagement at Goldman Sachs, in multilateral institutions in the Secretariat’s UN75 initiative, and at the UN Foundation. Megan holds an MPA in international security policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and a BA in economics and international relations from the University of Delaware.

Anand Raghuraman is a Director at Mastercard, where he helps shape the company’s thought leadership and global government engagement strategy at the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and trade. Prior to joining Mastercard, Anand was a Vice President at the international advisory firm The Asia Group. In this capacity, he helped lead the firm’s client servicing and market expansion in South Asia and advised multinationals navigating India’s dynamic technology policy landscape. Alongside his work at Mastercard, Anand is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council South Asia Center, serving on its U.S.-India Digital Economy Task Force and publishing commentary on U.S.-India trade and technology cooperation. Previously, Anand was a member of the Biden-Harris campaign’s South Asia Policy Working Group and a Fulbright grantee based in Turkey. Anand graduated summa cum laude from Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Geo Saba is the Chief of Staff for Representative Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley. He previously was the congressman’s Legislative Director and National Security Advisor. Geo helped spearhead Rep. Khanna's Yemen War Powers Resolution that passed Congress and was vetoed by President Trump. He was named by New America as a MENA National Security and Foreign Policy Next Generation Leader, and listed on the CSIS National Security & Foreign Affairs Top 50 Leadership List. FCW named him on their Federal 100 list for his work in helping Rep. Khanna pass federal technology legislation. Geo earned his B.A. from Stanford University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors in International Security Studies, played varsity baseball, and was a research assistant for former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He earned his MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge University, where he was a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Geo was born and raised in the Bay Area in California.

Joel is an attorney working at the intersection of law and technology. He has worked with the intelligence community, Department of Defense, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, and as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He currently advises on government activities relating to cybersecurity, ubiquitous technical surveillance, and artificial intelligence and machine learning. Previously, he worked on law and policy surrounding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, including the reauthorization of the FISA Amendments Act and the sunset of the call detail records program in the USA Freedom Act. Joel holds a B.A. from Brandeis University, an M.S. from New York University Tandon School of Engineering, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.

Dr. Eric Volmar is the Chief of Research at AFWERX. In this role, he explores how the Department of the Air Force can innovate more effectively, particularly by partnering with startups that create dual-use technologies. Dr. Volmar earned a PhD in Strategy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship from Stanford University. As a Fellow for the Strategic Management Society, he specialized in how mission-driven organizations form strategy, organize, and compete. He was previously a management consultant at Accenture, where he worked with Silicon Valley companies undergoing digital transformations. He also conducted research on disruptive innovation at the Clayton Christensen Institute. Prior to his doctoral training, Dr. Volmar earned a BS in Accounting and a MBA from the Brigham Young University Marriott School of Business.