Episodes

Approximately 99.5% of available data is unclassified. Yet, intelligence agencies often focus on the 0.5% that is classified. How can the U.S. government bridge this intelligence gap? In this week’s episode, Ryan Connell spea...

Ever wonder why critical military resources get lost in the “fog of war” ? In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, Ryan Connell sits down with Beowulf’s founders, Mark Hammonds and Ryan Perez, to discuss how Bulldog—a lo...

Balancing defense and commercial markets can be daunting, but today’s guest shares how the dual-use readiness model makes it easier for startups to thrive in both worlds. In this week’s episode, Ryan Connell speaks with Gene ...

What if the DoD could be as agile as a tech startup? In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, Ryan Connell chats with Warren Katz, chairman of the Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government, to explore the challenge...

The real challenge for the Department of Defense (DoD) isn’t coming up with innovations. The DoD has a long history of celebrated innovators and has invested billions of dollars in research and development. So, what’s holding...

Have you ever wondered how AI and robotics are transforming the military? This week, Ryan Connell speaks with Cathleen Rush, Deputy of the Office of ARSOF Autonomy–a newly formed office within the U.S. Army Special Operations...

What does it take to build a thriving startup in defense technology? In the world of startups, chaos is constant. But in the defense sector? It’s chaos with billion-dollar stakes. In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, ...

Are rigid acquisition processes slowing down your innovative solutions? Tradewinds is here to change that. This week on Defense Mavericks, I’m joined by Stephanie Wilson, Kristina Botelho, and Tony Kwag at this year’s NCMA Co...

Did you know the right network could be the DoD’s most powerful tool? In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, we’re joined by Jesse Levin, Executive Director of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum (DEF); Jay Long, COO and Fo...

Imagine a Marine stranded on an island, needing a critical part to continue their mission. What if that essential part could be produced on the spot? In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, we sit down with Matt Pine, In...

With deepfakes and misinformation on the rise, distinguishing truth from lies has never been more challenging. A recent Harvard paper stated how generative AI, like ChatGPT, is increasingly showing up in academic journals, ar...

Can AI help you bid on more government contracts? In this week’s episode, Ryan Connell sits down with Alex Cohen, an AI expert and founder of GovPro AI. Alex is on a mission to help small and medium-sized contractors streamli...

This week, Ryan Connell is joined by Keith Scheffler from Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to discuss the role that blockchain plays in their manufacturing division. Keith dives into the evolution and broader applications...

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with Therman Trotman, a.k.a. "Mr. SharePoint," to talk about the powerful ways SharePoint can transform workflows and enhance team efficiency. Therman shares his journey from the Bronx to bec...

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with Scott Sanders, Chief Growth Officer of Forterra, to talk about the advancements and challenges of integrating autonomous systems in defense and industrial sectors. Scott shares his insig...

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with Lori Wade, Chief Data Officer for the Intelligence Community, to talk about the pivotal role of quality data in driving AI and emerging technologies in the IC. Lori shares her insights o...

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with cybersecurity expert Chris Hughes, CEO of Aquia, a veteran-owned cloud and cybersecurity digital services firm. Chris brings two decades of experience from the federal IT space, sharing ...

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with Maj. Gen. Alice Treviño, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting in the Department of the Air Force, as she shares insights from her 32-year career. They explore the challenges of con...

This week, Ryan Connell experiments with Google’s cutting-edge AI tool, NotebookLM. Ryan challenges the AI to generate a podcast episode based on the Tradewinds Solution Marketplace Customer Handbook, which dives into the DoD...

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with the legendary Steve Blank, adjunct professor at Stanford and co-founder of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, to discuss the need for disruptive innovation and exe...

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with Alex Martin, the CEO and co-founder of Clearspeed, to discuss how they are using AI-enabled voice analytics to revolutionize risk assessment in defense. Alex shares his personal journey ...

This week, Ryan Connell chats with Jonathan Mostowski, author, public speaker, and president of Agile Acquisitions LLC, about the truth behind “hacking” bureaucracy in government contracting, the development and impact of agi...

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with Dr. Tom Rondeau, Principal Director of FutureG, to discuss the complexities and innovations behind wireless communications, from the defense applications of 5G to the groundbreaking pote...

This week, Ryan Connell discusses entrepreneurial approaches to problem-solving in defense with Pete Newell, 32-year Army veteran turned entrepreneur, educator, investor, and co-founder and CEO of BMNT. Pete dives into the in...