America Builds

Congressman Gabe Amo is the U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 1st congressional district.Our conversation touches on public service and the importance of engaging with constituents, the unique story of Rhode Island, and the strategic significance of the "blue economy." We also get into national security, discussing the state of NATO, the implications of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the challenges posed by China, particularly regarding Taiwan.Outline02:43 The journey into public service05:24 Engaging with constituents11:01 Understanding the blue economy15:44 National security and the navy19:02 Insights from the Foreign Affairs Committee21:51 The importance of Ukraine24:53 The state of NATO28:07 Taiwan and China31:10 Personal reflections and recommendations

We are wrapping up season 3 of America Builds with Bilal Zuberi from Lux Capital. 

In this conversation, Sarah, a former CIA officer, discusses her experience in targeting and tracking terrorists. She shares insights from her book on Benghazi and explains the career trajectory of a targeter. Sarah highlights the importance of human intelligence and the challenges of using open source intelligence. 

Tess Hatch is a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners.

Jon Pelson is a China expert and the author of "Wireless Wars: China's Dangerous Domination of 5G and How We're Fighting Back."

Don Faul is the CEO of CrossFit and a USMC veteran. He has also held operating roles at Pinterest, Meta, and Google.

John Gedmark is the CEO and co-founder of Astranis, a satellite company.

President and CEO Steve Bowsher describes the history and mission of In-Q-Tel, the original gangster of national security investing.

Michael Easter is the New York Times bestselling author of Scarcity Brain and The Comfort Crisis. He has spent his career researching and writing about mental and physical health, performance, nutrition, fitness, mindset, toughness, the value of challenge and adventure, and much more.

Josh Wolfe is the founder and Managing Director at Lux Capital.

Paul is a managing director at General Catalyst. He leads the Global Resilience team, focused on modernizing critical societal systems including defense, intelligence, industrial and energy.

Even Rogers is the co-founder and CEO of True Anomaly, a venture-backed space technology startup.

David Ulevitch is an entrepreneur and investor. As a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he leads the firm’s American Dynamism practice, which focuses on investing in companies advancing American interests.

Nick Sinai is a Senior Advisor at Insight Partners, Adjunct & Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and author of Hack Your Bureaucracy: Get Things Done No Matter What Your Role on Any Team.

Paul Arcangeli is a national security expert, with over three decades of public sector defense experience. He served as an officer in the United States Army, as a Department of Defense civilian, and as a professional staffer to the House of Representatives. Paul spent 18 years on the House Armed Services Committee, including more than a decade as staff director.

Daniel Gwak is the Managing Partner of Point72 Private Investments, the institutional private investing business of Point72 Asset Management. He oversees Point72 Ventures’ Defense Tech and Growth investment teams.

Dan Brahmy is the Co-Founder & CEO of Cyabra, a social threat intelligence company.

Dr. Carl McCants is the special assistant to the DARPA director for microelectronics policy. He serves as DARPA’s top advisor on the agency’s Electronics Resurgence Initiative and the National Network for Microelectronics Research and Development, among other key investments in microelectronics for national security.

Matthew Gialich is the co-founder and CEO of Astroforge, an asteroid mining company.

Don Burnette is the founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics, which builds advanced autonomous technology for long-haul trucking.

Rosa Hathaway is an aerospace engineer and investor at Atento Capital.

Ian Cinnamon is the founder and CEO of Apex, a spacecraft manufacturing company based in Los Angeles.

Thank you for tuning in for Season 1 of the America Builds Podcast (now the Launch Pad Podcast). We have exciting plans for Season 2, coming soon. In the meantime, please enjoy some highlights from this season.

Sam Gray is the Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Defense Group, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering connections among people, technology, and capital to secure the US and its allies' technological edge. Sam is a retired Naval Officer, and as a fighter pilot, he deployed 7 times in the Pacific and Middle East. Sam co-founded NavalX, the Navy and Marine Corps innovation office, where he spearheaded its growth from a single office to 15 across the US and UK. His prior roles include managing aerospace procurement for the Under Secretary of Defense, strategic planning focused on China at Pacific Command, and serving as the commanding officer of an F/A-18 squadron based in Japan. Sam has a degree in history from The Ohio State University and a Master's in National Security and Strategic Studies from the US Naval War College.

Michael Palank has been General Partner at MaC Venture Capital since its inception in January 2019. Michael focuses on seed-stage consumer and enterprise startup investing across a number of sectors, including aerospace.

As an early-stage defense and energy investor, Ben supports courageous founders tackling substantial problems. Formerly a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot, Ben founded the Chief of Naval Operations Rapid Innovation Cell. His entrepreneurial spirit also led him to co-found the non-profit Defense Entrepreneurs Forum, which now boasts over 2,500 members. As the CEO of a startup called Farcast, he used technology to deliver critical supplies to complex geographies, and during his time at McKinsey, he drove transformation within the energy and public sectors. Ben's passion also extends to podcasting, where he hosts "Texas Rising," exploring the growth within the Lone Star State, and the prior show "A Random Walk with Ben Kohlmann."

Lior Susan, the Founder and Managing Partner of Eclipse Ventures, has dedicated his career to rearchitecting industries crucial to our lives and economies. Growing up on a kibbutz and serving in the Israeli Special Forces, Lior is an unlikely venture capitalist. From building Intucell, which was acquired by Cisco, to leading Flex's hardware investment platform, his diverse background has shaped his commitment to digital transformation. With Eclipse, Lior partners with entrepreneurs reshaping industries, and serves on the boards of companies like Bright Machines, Augury, and Owlet. A relentless optimist, Lior sees the need for a new economy and is devoted to building it.

In this episode, we talk with Will Gray, a Tulsa-born tennis enthusiast who combined his love for the sport with a keen business acumen to build a thriving career. From his early days on the tennis courts to his academic pursuits at the University of Tulsa, and his subsequent career in venture capital, Will's story is one of ambition, hard work, and community involvement.

Jake Leventhal is currently the CTO of Rip Technologies. Previously, he worked at SpaceX for 4 years, and founded his own ecommerce company. Jake has a Bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California.

Michael Moreno's background in deep tech startups and national security makes him the perfect person for a conversation about global security and resilience. Mike has over a decade of service with the US government in roles within the CIA, DOD, and Department of State. Currently, he works on Space and National Security on the Worldwide Public Sector VC and Startups team and AWS. He's also a founding board member of Sound Off, a pro bono mental health platform for veterans. Mike has an MBA from Berkeley and a Master's in International Affairs from Columbia University.

Alex is a Managing Partner at J2 Ventures. His diverse career has seen him build the enterprise venture investing arm at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, serve as a Military Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army Reserve, and contribute to national security through his work at the Defense Innovation Unit and AFWERX. As a reservist he managed the DIU's investment efforts in deep tech through its early-stage funding vehicle, National Security Innovation Capital. Alex has a B.A. from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kristen Hajduk is an expert in national security and defense policies, currently helping tech companies work with the DOD and IC. Her illustrious career spans across critical roles in the DOD, Special Operations Command, and the National Security Innovation Network. She also co-founded No Exceptions, an initiative instrumental in opening all military positions to women who meet the standard.

Armando Torres is a small business leader in the steel fabrication and manufacturing industry, working as a Custom Fabrication and Metal Tech Manager in North Carolina. He previously served in the United States Marine Corps and received a BS from the United States Naval Academy.

Ethan Batraski is a partner at Venrock, focusing on data infrastructure, developer tools, and hard engineering problems, including space and computing.

Garrett Smith is the CEO and co-founder of Reveal, a UAV edge analytics software platform. He is also a Reconnaissance, Intelligence, and Infantry Officer in the USMC Reserve. He is a graduate of Stanford University's Ford Dorsey Program in International Policy Studies, and earned a master's degree in June 2015. His focus of study was International Security and Cooperation, with background experience in South, Southeast, and East Asia.

Kyle is currently a Managing Director at Fairwater Labs, a venture studio building dual use defense tech companies. Kyle is also a former Marine Raider and Special Operations Officer with worldwide experience.Inspired by the technological challenges he faced in combat, Kyle decided to leave active duty to focus on putting America’s best technology into the hands of those that need it the most. He is passionate about technologies that support intelligence collection, tactical survivability, unmanned systems, and digital privacy.

James Clapper is an esteemed veteran in the intelligence community, with over five decades of service under his belt. He served as the United States Director of National Intelligence under the Obama administration, a position that made him the principal advisor to the President on intelligence matters relating to national security. Clapper has held several other key positions within the U.S. intelligence community: he has served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.Clapper's career is not limited to intelligence. He is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force, and a recipient of numerous military and civilian awards, including two Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award. His invaluable insights and distinguished experience make him a standalone figure in discussions about intelligence, defense, and national security.Purchase Clapper's book, Facts and Fears, here.

Ashley is currently the Vice President of Business Operations at Merlin Labs. Ashley served as an FA-18 naval aviator in the U.S. Navy for over a decade. Ashley has an MBA from MIT, and graduated from the United States Naval Academy, where she earned a B.S. in International Relations and was the basketball team captain.

Get to know our hosts and the story behind the America Builds Podcast.

Introduction to the America Builds Podcast.