NatSec Tech

Jeanne Meserve is joined by Sree Ramaswamy, Chief Innovation Officer at the NobleReach Foundation. The conversation explores how NobleReach is addressing this through the NobleReach Scholars Program, which recruits engineering and computer science graduates to enter public service for short-term, high-impact stints. The conversations cover the critical need to bridge the "tech talent gap" within the U.S., the U.S. Tech Force initiative, and the necessity of creating "dual citizens" who can move fluidly between the public and private sectors to maintain America's technological edge.

Jeanne Meserve is joined by Steve Blank, adjunct professor at Stanford and co-founder of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. They discuss the Department of Defense's proposal to transform its defense acquisition system. The conversation covers the shift from a requirements-based process to a problem-solving model, the introduction of portfolio management, and the challenges of integrating Silicon Valley-style innovation into a three-million-person organization to better compete with adversaries like China.

In this episode of NatSec Tech, Planet Labs CEO Will Marshall joins host Jeanne Meserve to discuss the vital role of satellite constellations in modern conflict, specifically as seen in Ukraine. Marshall explains how daily global imaging, paired with AI at the edge, is providing a critical information advantage by enabling rapid threat detection and "tipping" systems for drone operations. The conversation highlights how the democratization of this unclassified data allows not only militaries but also NGOs and journalists to hold global actors accountable in real time.

On this episode of NatSec Tech, host Jeanne Meserve sits down with General Jay Raymond, the first Chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space Force. As the service marks its sixth year, Raymond discusses the rapid transition of space into a warfighting domain where active satellites have surged from 1,500 to nearly 13,000 since 2019. He details how the Space Force is leveraging AI and "digital twins" to manage this massive congestion, track maneuvering "nesting doll" satellites from adversaries, and accelerate decision-making at the speed of space.

On this episode of NatSec Tech, host Jeanne Meserve is joined by Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov to examine the critical risks and opportunities at the intersection of AI, nuclear, and biosecurity. Dr. Kusnezov explains that the democratization and convergence of emerging technologies—like AI and gene editing—have lowered the barriers to creating highly sophisticated threats. He details NTI’s Future Safe initiative, which uses these same technologies to generate real-time risk awareness and develop new mitigation strategies, stressing that fighting technology with technology is the only path forward.