Mission Acceleration and Ingenuity in Defense with Pete Newell

Defense Mavericks

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 inception and impact of the Hacking for Defense program and shares his insights on the importance of rapid adaptation and how ingenuity can drive mission acceleration in both government and commercial sectors. Tune in for an in-depth lesson on what it takes to win on the battlefield.

TIMESTAMPS:

(0:35) Meet Pete Newell

(1:37) The evolution of Hacking for Defense

(3:53) Problems are like fish bait in Silicon Valley

(9:41) Building interdisciplinary teams

(14:39) The difference between innovation and ingenuity

(18:28) Important takeaways from Ukraine battlefield

(20:48) Acquisitions are not the problem

(32:38) How to professionalize the building of people

LINKS:

Follow Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

Follow Pete: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petenewell/

BMNT: https://www.bmnt.com/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds: https://www.tradewindai.com/