Episodes

The Future of Autonomous Electronic Warfare in Multi-Domain Operations | The Pair Program Ep77 In this episode of The Pair Program, hosts Tim Winkler and Mike Gruen are joined by Nathan Mintz, Co-founder & CEO of CX2, and Dr. William “Dollar” Young, Jr., Former U.S. Air Force Colonel & Spectrum Warfare Expert, for a deep dive into the future of electronic warfare. Together, they unpack how autonomy, distributed systems, and AI are reshaping the electromagnetic battlespace. In this episode: How ...

Securing the Industrial Frontier with Frenos | The Pair Program Ep76 In this episode, hosts Tim Winkler and Mike Gruen chat with Harry Thomas, CTO of Frenos, and Colin Murphy, Chief Hacking Officer at Frenos, two cybersecurity experts redefining how we protect critical infrastructure. They unpack what it takes to defend operational technology (OT) environments that keep power grids, water systems, and manufacturing lines running safely. We dive into: The origin of Frenos and its AI-powered “di...

Generals in the Startup Trenches: Leading Defense Tech from Frontlines to Frontiers | The Pair Program Ep75 In this episode of The Pair Program, hosts Tim Winkler and Mike Gruen sit down with two retired Army generals turned tech executives, LTG Eric Wesley, CEO of Parasanti Inc, and LTG Ross Coffman, President of Forward Edge AI. They discuss how military leadership translates into startup success, what it takes to build culture from scratch, and how dual-use innovation can strengthen both nati...

Critical Tech, Critical Time | The Pair Program Ep74 In this episode, hosts Tim Winkler and Mike Gruen explore how startups and strategic investors are strengthening America’s innovation infrastructure. Nicholas Myers of Phoenix Tailings and Dr. Yan Zheng of In-Q-Tel discuss the urgency of building resilient supply chains and re-imagining manufacturing for a new era of national security. They dive into: How Phoenix Tailings turns toxic mining waste into rare-earth metals Why critical materials...

How We Hatched: Nick Skytland, Director of Gloo Developer In this How We Hatched episode, we sit down with Nick Skytland, Director of Gloo Developer, to explore how values-aligned AI can shape a future where technology drives human flourishing. Drawing from his career at NASA and his leadership at Gloo, Nick shares insights on building open, transparent AI systems and the importance of grounding innovation in shared human values. From defining human flourishing to reimagining the role of hackath...

Capital Region Catalysts: How Synergos is Powering Deep-Tech in the DMV and Backing a Nuclear Pioneer | The Pair Program Ep73 On this episode of The Pair Program, hosts Tim Winkler and Mike Gruen sit down with Michelle Urben, Managing & General Partner at Synergos, and Edward McGinnis, CEO of Curio, to explore how deep tech innovation is reshaping energy and resilience. From the DMV to global markets, they discuss what it takes to build solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges. In ...

Mission Critical: Building a Startup for America’s Next Fight | The Pair Program Ep72 In this episode of The Pair Program, host Tim Winkler is joined by co-host Sean Leahy for a conversation with Andy Yakulis, CEO & Co-founder of Vector, and Larsen Jensen, Founder & General Partner at Harpoon Ventures and Co-Founder of Vector. Together, they dive into what it means to build mission-driven startups at the intersection of defense, technology, and national security. They dive into: The founding s...

How We Hatched: Jennifer Sample, Chief Technology Officer at Empower AI In this episode of How We Hatched, we sit down with Jennifer Sample, Chief Technology Officer at Empower AI, to explore her journey from chemistry to cutting-edge AI leadership. Jennifer shares lessons from Johns Hopkins APL, Accenture Federal Services, and now her mission-driven role at Empower AI. Key topics covered: From nanotechnology and space missions to AI innovation Balancing visionary research with mission-driven ...

Orbit to Operations: Bridging Government and Industry in Defense Innovation | The Pair Program Ep71 On this week’s Pair Program, hosts Tim Winkler and Mike Gruen sit down with Topher Haddad, Co-founder/CEO of Albedo, and Arthur Grijalva, Director of SpaceWERX. They discuss how startups and the U.S. Space Force are working together to advance space innovation, touching on Albedo’s Clarity-1 satellite launch and the role of SpaceWERX’s STRATFI program in bridging commercial and defense priorities....

Dual-Use, Double Impact: Privateer’s Path in Geospatial Intelligence | The Pair Program Ep70 In this episode of The Pair Program, we sit down with Mollie Martin, Director of GTM Strategy at Privateer, and Declan Lynch, Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager at Privateer, to explore what it takes to scale a dual-use business at the intersection of government and commercial markets. They share insights from Privateer’s journey, from Earth observation and space domain awareness to building a geo...

Into the Drone Zone: Countering Aerial Threats to Critical Infrastructure | The Pair Program Ep69 Today’s episode features Yaniv Mendelson, Director of Business Development at Echodyne, and Tom Adams, Director of Public Safety at DroneShield. Together, they explore the fast-evolving counter-UAS landscape and the growing threats drones pose to critical infrastructure. We Dive Into: The shift from drones as novelty tech to national security threats Real-world incidents involving energy grids, a...

From Navy Ops to AI Solutions: Modernizing Federal Service | The Pair Program Ep68 This episode of The Pair Program dives into how cutting-edge tools like AI can make federal service a more exciting, impactful career path. Dr. Jim Liew, Founder & President of SoKat, and Michael Frank, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for the Department of the Navy, discuss strategies to attract top tech talent, drive innovation, and break down barriers to change. Here’s what we dive into: Using AI to boost publi...

Rebuilding the Arsenal: How Startups & Shipyards are Scaling the Future of Maritime Autonomy | The Pair Program Ep67 Today on The Pair Program, we’re joined by Paul Lwin, CEO and co-founder of HavocAI, and Daniel Brunk, CEO of PacMar Technologies. These two leaders are teaming up to rethink how autonomous vessels are designed, built, and deployed at scale. From startup speed to shipyard expertise, they share how their partnership is accelerating the future of maritime innovation. In this episod...

How We Hatched: Ryan Holmes, Founder & CEO of GreenT Climate Software In this bonus How We Hatched episode, we’re joined by Ryan Holmes, Founder & CEO of GreenT Climate Software, to explore how AI is reshaping sustainability in multifamily real estate. Ryan shares how GreenT is building smart, scalable solutions that help properties meet environmental goals, without sacrificing financial performance. Key topics covered: How agentic AI simplifies complex sustainability workflows Using AI to ex...

Beyond Burnout: Rehumanizing Cybersecurity with AI | The Pair Program Ep66 In this episode of The Pair Program, we dive deep into the real challenges facing cybersecurity teams today. Our guests: William Macmillan, Chief Product Officer at Andesite, and Lucas Moody, SVP & CISO at Alteryx, bring sharp insight and a human-first perspective to one of tech’s most pressing issues: burnout. They explore the urgent need to protect not just systems, but the people protecting them. Topics we cover: Why...

How We Hatched: Trong Bui, Founder & CEO of Vidoori In this How We Hatched segment, we sit down with Trong Bui, Founder & CEO of Vidoori, to unpack his journey from immigrant engineer to tech leader. He shares insights on building a mission-driven company that prioritizes delivery, ethics, and long-term impact. Key takeaways from our one-on-one: The unexpected path from Lockheed Martin to entrepreneurship Building a consulting firm focused on delivery over scale Ethical R&D and investing in i...

The Next Frontier: Collaborative Autonomy in Defense Tech | The Pair Program Ep65 Autonomous systems are no longer science fiction, they’re reshaping national security. But while technology moves fast, policy, infrastructure, and trust lag behind. In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to build resilient, distributed autonomy for contested environments. Joining us are Emma Bates, Founder & CEO of Cachai, and Dr. Kimberly Sablon, CTO at Riverside Research, who bring experience from st...

How We Hatched: Dr. Jay Rozzi, Vice President, Principal Engineer, and Partner at Creare In this bonus How We Hatched episode, we sit down with Dr. Jay Rozzi, Vice President, Principal Engineer, and Partner at Creare. With deep expertise in advanced manufacturing, cryogenics, and tech commercialization, Jay shares how his team develops breakthrough technologies that move from R&D to real-world deployment across defense, aerospace, and biomedical sectors. Here’s what we get into: The fastener t...

Data Solutions in Regulated Environments: Scaling Innovation in Defense and Aerospace | The Pair Program Ep64 On this week’s episode of The Pair Program, we’re diving deep into defense innovation, mission-first data strategy, and the future of aerospace tech with Jake Dyal and Scott Dieckhaus, two leaders with decades of experience navigating high-stakes environments. Jake, a former military intelligence officer turned startup founder, and Scott, a longtime aerospace leader now at AWS, share har...

Delivering Defense-Tech Ground Autonomy with DIU and Forterra | The Pair Program Ep63 What does the future of defense look like when the vehicles drive themselves? In this episode, we sit down with Paul Benfield (Head of Strategy at Forterra) and David Michelson (Director of Autonomy at DIU) to talk about the real-world deployment of autonomous ground systems and why it’s no longer science fiction. Tune in for: How DIU and Forterra are building driverless combat vehicles (today, not someday) ...

From Service to Startup: Empowering Veteran-Led Innovation in Defense Tech | The Pair Program Ep62 What happens when veterans take the lead in shaping the future of defense tech? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Casey Perley from the Army Applications Lab and Guy Filippelli of Squadra Ventures, two powerhouses driving change from within and beyond the DoD. They share stories from the frontlines of innovation, lessons learned in building startups, and advice for veterans stepping into tech. ...

CTO Wisdom with Freedom Dumlao | Beyond The Program Welcome to CTO Wisdom. In this series, we interview technical leaders who have stepped into executive positions.Today’s guest host, Eric Brooke, speaks with Freedom Dumlao, CTO at Vestmark, in this episode of CTO Wisdom. We sit down with Freedom to explore his unconventional journey into tech and the leadership lessons he’s learned along the way. From programming on a black-and-white TV as a kid to leading engineering teams at Zipcar and Wayfai...

Combating Deepfakes with AI Innovation: Reality Defender & BAH Ventures | The Pair Program Ep61 In this episode of The Pair Program, we’re joined by Ben Colman (CEO and Co-Founder of Reality Defender) and Wes Blackwell (Managing Director at Booz Allen Hamilton) for a fascinating discussion on AI and national security. They dive into the dangers of deepfakes, the role of AI detection tools, and how public and private sectors can stay ahead of this evolving threat. Whether you’re curious about how...

How We Hatched: Kevin Larrabee, Head of Product at DataShapesAI In this episode of How We Hatched, we’re joined by Kevin Larrabee, the Head of Product at DataShapesAI. In our conversation, Kevin takes us through the transformative role AI plays in Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS) applications. He also shares how DataShapesAI is using AI-driven solutions to enhance spectrum awareness and improve signal monitoring. Here’s a glimpse of what we talked about: The fascinating intersection of military ...