In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with Ranking Member Jim Himes (D-CT), who serves on both the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Financial Services Committee. Drawing from his unique background spanning Wall Street and public service, Congressman Himes discusses the critical intersection of technology innovation, national security, and America's industrial base. He shares candid insights on the challenges of government inno...
Jul 01, 2025•29 min•Ep. 76
In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula reconnect with Cameron McCord, Co-Founder and CEO of Nominal, two years after his first appearance on the show (linked here ). Drawing from his unique journey from submarine officer (484 days underwater) to defense tech entrepreneur, McCord discusses building software to accelerate testing and validation of mission-critical systems. He shares insights from his time at Anduril, Applied Intuition, and Saildrone, and how these exp...
Jun 17, 2025•34 min•Ep. 75
In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula are joined by James Parker and Chris Lay, co-founding partners of Leonid Capital Partners , a private credit fund supporting the US national security ecosystem. Drawing from their unique backgrounds in astrophysics and neuroscience, Parker and Lay discuss how their innovative lending approach fills a critical gap in defense tech financing, offering credit facilities based on government contracts rather than traditional equity i...
May 27, 2025•39 min•Ep. 74
In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula are joined by Becca Wasser and Philip Sheers from the Center for New American Security (CNAS) to discuss their recent report, "From Production Lines to Front Lines." Drawing from extensive industry research and stakeholder interviews, Wasser and Sheers offer a comprehensive look at the critical challenges and opportunities facing America's defense industrial base in an era of great power competition. Five key takeaways from tod...
May 13, 2025•32 min•Ep. 73
In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with John Maslin, Co-founder and CEO of Vulcan Elements , for an insightful conversation about the critical importance of rare earth magnets to U.S. national security. Drawing from his background as a Navy Supply Corps officer and his entrepreneurial journey, Maslin offers a candid look into the challenges and opportunities in rebuilding America's rare earth magnet manufacturing capabilities. Five key takeaways from to...
Apr 29, 2025•25 min•Ep. 72
Today's episode of Building the Base is part two of our "Founders in Focus" series, recorded at Manifest: Demo Day where 34 companies from across the defense industrial base demoed their disruptive tech. Hosts Hondo and Lauren caught up with some of the most dynamic founders: Tyler Sweatt from Second Front , Josh Lospinoso from Shift5 , and Troy Demmer from Gecko Robotics , asking them everything from "Are founders born or made?" to "What would you like to tell DoD leadership today?" Please enjo...
Apr 16, 2025•39 min•Ep. 71
Today's episode of Building the Base is part one of our "Founders in Focus" series, recorded at Manifest: Demo Day where 34 companies from across the defense industrial base demoed their disruptive tech. Hosts Hondo and Lauren caught up with some of the most dynamic founders: Jeff Cole from Hidden Level , Doug Bernauer from Radiant , and Topher Haddad from Albedo , asking them everything from "Are founders born or made?" to "What would you like to tell DoD leadership today?" Please enjoy this ra...
Apr 01, 2025•27 min•Ep. 70
In this episode of Building the Base, Melissa "Mojo" Johnson, Acquisition Executive at US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), offers a candid look into the world of military acquisition, drawing from her extensive experience with the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office and SOCOM. Five key takeaways from today's episode: To drive organizational growth effectively, Mojo advocates for horizontal scaling, emphasizing small, high-performing teams with direct communication and a flat chain of comm...
Mar 04, 2025•37 min•Ep. 69
In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren and Hondo sit down with Eric Lofgren, a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Eric provides an insider's perspective on the need for comprehensive acquisition reform. He discusses his unexpected path to this role, initially joining a defense contractor before becoming deeply interested in the history and economics of the system. Eric emphasizes the FoRGED Act's goal of being a "game changer" by addressing requirements, cont...
Feb 18, 2025•44 min•Ep. 68
In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18). Rep. Ryan represents a diverse district of 800,000 in upstate New York, which includes his alma mater, West Point. An Iraq war veteran, Rep. Ryan transitioned from active duty, to defense tech, to Congress, where he now champions defense innovation and national security issues. In March 2024, Rep. Ryan launched the Defense Modernization Caucus with Rep. Rob Wittman (VA-1) to push for ...
Feb 04, 2025•22 min•Ep. 67
This episode of Building the Base features an interview with Thomas Robinson, Chief Operating Officer of Domino Data Lab, who has an interesting background in finance and a strong passion for contributing to national security. Hosted by Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts, the conversation dives into Thomas’s transition from a hedge fund to defense tech, and how his background has informed his leadership in AI and data science. Thomas credits his recent swell of patriotism to a desire to build the be...
Jan 30, 2025•27 min•Ep. 66
In this episode of Building the Base, Andy Lowery, CEO of Epirus, discusses his journey from his days as a Navy reactor operator to leading a counter-UAS high-power microwave (HPM) system company. Epirus' HPM technology, which uses electromagnetic pulses to disable drones, has been tested successfully by the Army for over 15 months. Lowery emphasizes the importance of directed energy in countering short-range air threats and highlighted the need for policy updates to facilitate faster deployment...
Jan 28, 2025•24 min•Ep. 65
This episode of Building the Base features a discussion with Nadia Schadlow, a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, and Stephen Rodriguez, an investor in the defense tech space who is leading The Atlantic Council's work on Software-Defined Warfare. Nadia and Stephen have extensive backgrounds in national security: Nadia spent many years at the Defense Department and was the architect of the 2017 National Security Strategy under President Trump, while Stephen has experience spanning the intelli...
Jan 21, 2025•31 min•Ep. 64
In this episode of Building the Base , Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Rep. Adam Smith, Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, to discuss the critical role of innovation and competition in modernizing the defense industrial base. Ranking Member Smith reflects on his political journey from growing up in SeaTac, Washington, to his work on defense policy in Congress. He shares insights on how the Pentagon’s traditional process-driven approach often stifles innovation, dr...
Jan 14, 2025•23 min•Ep. 63
In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with the Honorable Heidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Ms. Shyu discusses her transition from industry to government, highlighting her role in accelerating technological innovation within the Department of Defense (DoD). She outlines her efforts to engage both large defense primes and small startups to drive innovation, particularly through initiatives like the APFIT funding program, wh...
Jan 07, 2025•22 min•Ep. 62
In this episode of Building The Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with Teresa Carlson, founding president of General Catalyst Institute. Drawing from her extensive experience leading public sector teams at AWS and Microsoft, Carlson shares invaluable insights on building successful government-technology partnerships, the evolution of cloud adoption, and the current state of defense tech investment. She discusses her journey from Kentucky to becoming a pivotal figure in government tec...
Dec 17, 2024•42 min•Ep. 62
In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts speak with Gina Sims, Director of the DoD's SBIR/STTR office, about revolutionizing defense innovation. Sims shares her journey from Air Force acquisition to leading the $3 billion small business innovation program, discussing how she's breaking down barriers for new entrants, streamlining processes, and fostering collaboration between government and industry. The conversation explores successful strategies for connecting small...
Dec 03, 2024•34 min•Ep. 60
In this episode of Building the Base, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts chat with Thomas "Shotgun" Browning, currently performing the duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Capabilities, to share insights on modernizing defense technology acquisition. Drawing from his experience as a fighter pilot and DARPA innovator, Browning discusses programs like RAIDER, APFIT, and Replicator, explaining how these initiatives are bridging capability gaps and accelerating the delivery of new ...
Nov 26, 2024•39 min•Ep. 59
In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Tracy Frost, Director of Technology Industrial Innovation Base, and Dr. Kate Sixt, Principal Director for Biotechnology at the Department of Defense. The conversation explores the revolutionary intersection of biotechnology and national security, diving into how the DoD is leveraging bio-manufacturing to strengthen domestic supply chains and innovate defense capabilities. From converting waste products into valuab...
Oct 29, 2024•32 min•Ep. 58
In this episode of Building the Base , Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts welcome back Jason Rathje, Director of the Department of Defense's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), as the first-ever repeat guest. Jason shares his personal journey from an early passion for technology and innovation to leading OSC’s groundbreaking efforts. He highlights the progress made since his last appearance, including a major announcement of $984 million in available credit to bolster U.S. industrial capacity and nat...
Oct 16, 2024•37 min•Ep. 57
DoD Minseries : Maintaining The Edge Research and Engineering; Part 1 of 4 In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Bess Dopkeen, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (DoD R&E). Broadcasting live from the Pentagon, this conversation launches a new miniseries focused on the groundbreaking work of DoD R&E. Bess shares her unique journey to the Pentagon, insights into the office's major initiatives—includin...
Oct 08, 2024•46 min•Ep. 56
In this episode of Building The Base , hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts chat with Evan Smith, co-founder and CEO of Altana AI. Together, they explore how emerging technologies, particularly in artificial intelligence, are revolutionizing global supply chains and advancing national security. Evan shares his perspective on how AI can bridge critical gaps in supply chain visibility, ensure operational resilience, and provide competitive advantages for businesses and governments. This episode co...
Sep 24, 2024•36 min•Ep. 55
In this episode of "Building the Base," Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with VADM (Ret) Mike Moran, a distinguished leader in military acquisition and naval aviation. Admiral Moran shares his journey from an operational career in the Navy to leading transformative acquisition processes, offering an inside look at the challenges and opportunities within the defense sector. The conversation highlights the critical importance of innovation, culture, and leadership in delivering capabilities...
Sep 04, 2024•41 min•Ep. 54
In this episode of Building the Base, our hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Guerts dive in with Justin Fanelli CTO of the United States Navy. The conversation revolved around the defense industry, digital transformation in government, and the importance of professional curiosity and humility in private-public partnerships. Some of the major takeaways included the need for accelerated innovation, prioritizing mission outcomes, removing friction in the defense industrial base, and adopting a portfolio...
Jul 09, 2024•42 min•Ep. 53
In this episode of "Building the Base," hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with cybersecurity expert and entrepreneur Dmitri Alperovitch. Dmitri shares his journey from immigrating to the United States from Russia to co-founding CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity company. He discusses the insights from his new book, "World on the Brink," which addresses the geopolitical threats posed by China and strategies for the U.S. to maintain its global leadership. The conversation delves into...
Jun 25, 2024•40 min•Ep. 52
In this episode of Building The Base, Hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts dive in with Arun Gupta venture Capitalist, CEO of the Noble Reach Foundation and Author of "Venture Meets Mission". They Discuss the growing trend of mission-driven entrepreneurship and the need for collaboration between government agencies and entrepreneurs to create positive social impact. Arun emphasized the importance of understanding government networks and problems and highlighted the benefits of having "dual-citiz...
Jun 11, 2024•46 min•Ep. 51
In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts chat with Paul Breitenbach, co-founder of Priceline and founder of R4, a company focused on AI technology. Paul shares his journey from being a musician in New Jersey to a successful tech entrepreneur, highlighting his unconventional path into computer science. He emphasizes the importance of team culture and strategy in driving success, drawing parallels between the internet era and the current AI revolution. Paul discusses R4...
May 28, 2024•37 min•Ep. 50
In this episode of Building The Base our Host Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts dive into a compelling conversation with Nilooofar Razi Howe, a prominent investor, executive, and entrepreneur. Niloo shares her remarkable journey from navigating revolutions as a child to becoming deeply involved in cybersecurity and technology innovation, particularly at the intersection of the private sector and the US government. We chat about the evolving landscape of national security, the importance of collabor...
May 14, 2024•31 min•Ep. 49
In this episode of the Digital Warfighting Series with CENTCOM, the focus is on the digital aspect of partnered operations, particularly exploring international components. Lieutenant Colonel Tuni Massey, a British Army Officer embedded within the US Central Command’s J6 branch, discusses the role of the Collaborative Partner Environment (CPE) in facilitating information sharing among coalition partners. Through CPE, CENTCOM aims to revolutionize data exchange and collaboration, breaking down ba...
Apr 30, 2024•24 min•Ep. 48
In this episode of the "Digital Warfighting Series with CENTCOM,"co-hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Brigadier General John Cogbill from CENTCOM to explore the strategic implications of digital transformation in modern warfare. From operationalizing the commander's vision to fostering a culture of innovation, Brigadier General Cogbill provides insights into how headquarters are redefining their approach to digital warfighting. Key Takeaways: 1. Culture of Innovation: Initiative...
Apr 23, 2024•26 min•Ep. 47
