Accelerate Defense

Hosted by ACME General Corp.

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Dec 2024

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About the show

Accelerate Defense is a podcast from ACME General Corp, dedicated to ensuring that the United States maintains its innovation advantage over any military adversary. ACME team members interview political figures, military professionals, and other thought leaders about how innovation shapes our national security landscape.

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27 recent

December 3, 202445 min

Special Episode: Defense Innovation w/ former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller

Former Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller joined ACME General Corp live from our New York office to talk about innovation and transformation in national defense. A former Army Special Forces colonel, Chris also previously served as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. He is the author of Soldier Secretary: Warnings from the Battlefield & the Pentagon about America’s Most Dangerous Enemies.

June 18, 202446 min

Autonomous Weapons and Artificial Intelligence w/ Paul Scharre

Paul Scharre, Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at Center for a New American Security, joins ACME General Corp to talk about his recent trip to Ukraine and his observations of and predictions for autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence. In addition to his work at CNAS, Paul is the award-winning author of Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War and Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

March 19, 202437 min

Investing in Veterans w/ Craig Cummings

Craig Cummings, co-founder of Moonshots Capital, joins ACME General Corp to talk about investing in tech start-ups founded by military veteran entrepreneurs. In addition to his work at Moonshots Capital, Craig is the Director of Military and Veteran Affairs for Capital Factory, Austin’s center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas. Previously, Craig spent 17 years in the Army, most of that time as an Intelligence Officer serving in support of the National Security Agency.

February 20, 202444 min

Air Force Futures w/ Lt. Gen. Clint Hinote

Lt. Gen. Clint Hinote, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures, joins ACME General Corp to talk about representing the voice of tomorrow’s Airmen. He most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration, and Requirements at Air Force Futures, where he focused on integrated future force design and speaking on behalf of tomorrow’s Airmen in developing Air Force strategy. Lt. Gen. Hinote was also previously Deputy Executive Director of the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability and Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He is now a Principal at Pallas Advisors, working to push “emerging technology solutions into the right hands within the national security ecosystem.”

January 23, 202428 min

Disruptive Change w/ Joseph Kopser

Joseph Kopser, technology entrepreneur and president of consulting firm Grayline Group, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about disruptive change, technology innovation, and the national security implications of adapting to that innovation. Joseph is a US Army combat veteran with 20 years of service who went on to co-found a company that later sold to Mercedes. He has run for Congress, served as an Executive-in-Residence at UT-Austin’s McCombs School of Business, and authored the book Catalyst. Joseph is now a public speaker, technology entrepreneur, expert in transportation, and president of Grayline Group, where he helps companies and institutions manage disruptive change.

August 15, 202334 min

National and Information Security w/ Sue Gordon

Sue Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about national security, cybersecurity threats, and what intelligence information holds the most value. Sue served as Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence and Deputy Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency after having spent more than two decades at the CIA. She is currently an advisor to a number of organizations in the national defense and security space, including CACI International, with a special focus on information security.

July 18, 202335 min

NavalX and Innovation Research w/ Captain Ben Van Buskirk

Capt. Ben Van Buskirk, former director of NavalX, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about bringing an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit to naval technology research. Before leading NavalX, Capt. Van Buskirk helped establish the Strategic Warfighting Innovation Cell within the Navy’s Warfighting Development Directorate. Find him on Twitter at @BenVB3 and find NavalX at @USNavalX. Learn more about NavalX here.

May 23, 202356 min

Army Applications for Innovative Tech w/ Jay Wisham

Jay Wisham, outgoing executive director of the Army Applications Lab, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about using the best commercial technology and talent to transform innovative tech into Army-ready solutions. Prior to joining AAL, Jay was a Senior Army Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, a Lead for Artificial Intelligence Applications for Army Futures Command's Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team, and Program Director for Project Convergence. Find him on Twitter at @jaywisham and find the Army Applications Lab at @aal_innovation. Learn more about the AAL at aal.army.

April 4, 202333 min

The Potential of Capital Markets w/ Frank Finelli & Sam Cole

Frank Finelli, managing director at the Carlyle Group, and Sam Cole, principal and co-founder of Stonecutter Ventures, both join ACME General Corp. to talk about the potential of capital markets to drive defense innovation. Frank Finelli focuses on investments in the defense and aerospace sector at the Carlyle Group. Learn more here and find the Carlyle Group on Twitter at @OneCarlyle. Learn about Sam’s work at Stonecutter Ventures here. Both Frank and Sam are involved with Business Executives for National Security. Find them on Twitter at @BENS_org.

March 7, 202332 min

Canada's Competitive Advantages w/ Chris Albinson

Chris Albinson, CEO and president of Communitech, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about defense innovation in Canada and why Toronto might soon be the new Silicon Valley. Communitech helps tech companies in Canada start and scale, supporting founders with talent, capital, markets, and community. Before his role at Communitech, Chris was one of the first to invest in startups like Pinterest and DocuSign. Learn more about Communitech at communitech.ca and on Twitter at @Communitech. Find Chris on Twitter at @chrisalbinson.