The Briefing Room

Judd McCann, supply chain and defence tech specialist, joins The Briefing Room to share what it really takes to break into U.S. and UK defence markets as an Australian founder. Judd's career spans British MOD contracts in conflict zones, autonomous maritime platform development, and hands-on U.S. federal contracting, including 72-hour bid windows for U.S. Navy programs. He explains why your network is worth more than your product, how SBA programs and joint ventures compress timelines, and why the UK is often the smarter first move before tackling the U.S. Topics include SOFWERX, Cyber CISA, Defense Innovation Unit, Vulcan, Austrade pathways, Sam.gov, Society of American Military Engineers, and why reliability matters more than ego in federal procurement. Find out more: https://beatenzone.vc   Judd McCann LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juddmccann/ Host Links (for YouTube description / pinned comment): Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc Recorded and Produced at The Podcast Boss podcast studio in Brisbane

Robin Levison, investor, former ASX-listed CEO, and one of Beaten Zone's earliest Limited Partners, joins The Briefing Room for a candid conversation on high-risk investing, sovereign capability, and why he sees Australian defence as low-hanging fruit. We trace Robin's career from KPMG auditor to Merrill Lynch investment banker to CEO of an ASX-listed technology company, culminating in a $700 million acquisition by General Electric. Robin explains why he stopped doing his own angel investing, how he came to trust the BZV team's research process, and why special purpose vehicles like HEO's Series A offer investors a way to back sovereign capability on their own terms. Topics include financial discipline in startups, fractional executives, university commercialisation, the future of Australian defence investment, and why the large super funds are about to start paying attention.   Guest Links : Robin Levison LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-levison-7b9b3b10/ Ignition Equity Partners: https://www.ignitionpartners.net/ Host Links (for YouTube description / pinned comment): Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc Recorded and Produced at The Podcast Boss podcast studio in Brisbane

In this episode of The Briefing Room, Peta Ellis sits down with Wayne Jones, CEO and Co-Founder of xReality Group (ASX: XRG) and its subsidiary Operator XR.  Wayne served 21 years in the Australian Defence Force, spending the last 15 in the Special Air Service Regiment with deployments across Rwanda, East Timor, and Afghanistan. After leaving the ADF, he co-founded Indoor Skydive Australia (iFly), which listed on the ASX in 2013 as the highest-performing IPO of the year. When a legal battle halted iFly’s expansion, Wayne made a bold pivot into virtual reality, ultimately building Operator XR, now one of the world’s leading tactical training platforms for military and law enforcement.    In this conversation, Wayne and Peta cover:  What 21 years in the SASR teaches you about leadership, resilience, and taking action under uncertainty  How two SAS soldiers founded iFly and built the highest-performing ASX IPO of 2013  The legal battle that stopped iFly’s expansion and forced a pivot to virtual reality  How Operator XR now serves around 95 US law enforcement agencies with immersive, data-driven tactical training  Why counter-drone training in VR is now one of the fastest-growing use cases for the platform  Keeping the engineering culture alive in Australia while scaling the business in the US    GUEST LINKS  Wayne Jones LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-jones-637aba58/  xReality Group: https://xrgroup.com.au    Host Links: Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis/  BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc Produced at our ⁠The Podcast Boss⁠ ⁠podcast studio in Brisbane

In this episode of The Briefing Room, Peta Ellis sits down with James Palmer, CEO and Co-Founder of Silentium Defence, the Adelaide-based company redefining what it means to see without being seen.  James shares the full story: from meeting his co-founder at the Defence Science and Technology Group in 2006, to a decade of experimental research, to the decision in 2017 to leave the public service and build a company from scratch.  What followed is one of Australia's most compelling deep tech origin stories, navigating IP and conflict-of-interest requirements, running through the CSIRO ON Accelerate program, securing early grants and commercial contracts, and ultimately building a globally recognised passive radar business with over 100 employees across Australia and the US.  In this conversation, James and Peta cover:  How passive radar works, and why not emitting a signal is the ultimate tactical advantage  The MAVERICK family of systems, from soldier-portable units to the OmniGuard space domain awareness platform  The decision to enter the US market and post a co-founder to Virginia  How Silentium maintains a unified culture as it scales globally  What the next two years look like as the company focuses on manufacturing scale and global market expansion    GUEST LINKS  James Palmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-palmer-sd/  Silentium Defence: https://www.silentiumdefence.com.au  Host Links:  Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis  BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos  BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc    Produced at our ⁠The Podcast Boss⁠ ⁠podcast studio in Brisbane

Martin Shaw, President & CEO of Wounded Heroes Australia, joins us in The Briefing Room with frontline stories from supporting veterans and Defence families facing crisis. We discuss the hidden challenge of veteran homelessness, programs like Exercise Stone Pillow and Horses 4 Heroes, and how Wounded Heroes built national trust without government funding. Martin reflects on balancing business experience with charity leadership, the role of innovation in veteran support, and what younger founders can do to create meaningful solutions for those who've served. 🔗  GUEST LINKS Martin Shaw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-shaw-94021052/ Wounded Heroes Australia: https://www.woundedheroes.org.au/ Host Links Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis  Jake Bostock (Cohost) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/ BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc   Produced by The Podcast boss

Rob Nioa shares the remarkable story of how his parents started the family business in the 1960s selling produce from a roadside trailer, before eventually building one of Australia's most important defence manufacturing companies. Today, Nioa Group is Australia's largest privately owned supplier of weapons and munitions, operating across Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Rob explains the company's work across ammunition manufacturing, weapons logistics, missile collaboration programs, and international defence partnerships. We discuss sovereign capability and why domestic manufacturing matters as global security dynamics shift, including the Benalla ammunition factory, guided weapons production capability, and international expansion into the US and UK defence markets. Guest links Rob Nioa LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertnioa/ Nioa Group Website, https://www.nioa.com.au/about Rob Nioa Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIOA Host Links (for YouTube description / pinned comment): Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc   Produced By The Podcast Boss

Kelly Hopkins leads Defence recruitment within one of the world's largest recruitment firms and works across the full spectrum of the industry, from global primes like Boeing and Northrop Grumman to fast-growing Australian defence SMEs. Finding talent in defence is unlike any other industry. Much of the work is classified, the technology is highly specialised, and the people with the right skills often cannot publicly disclose what they do. Kelly explains how recruitment in defence relies on deep trust, long-term relationships, and strong connections within the ecosystem. The conversation explores why recruiting for defence is one of the hardest talent challenges in Australia, how the defence sector has evolved from sustainment to advanced technology and innovation, and why recruiters must build genuine ecosystem knowledge to understand the technology they are hiring for. Guest Links Kelly Hopkins LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyhopkinshays/ Host Links Peta Ellis (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis BZV YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos BZV Website: https://beatenzone.vc Produced By The Podcast Boss

In this episode of The Briefing Room, Sean Singleton, US Venture Partner at Beaten Zone Venture Partners, breaks down what Australian founders really face when entering the United States Defense market.  Sean’s role is simple but hard: to help portfolio companies open doors in the US and 'get on contract'. That means handling the nuance of how the US Department of Defense actually buys technology, not how founders assume it does.  We unpack why the US public sector defaults to what it already has on contract, why Australian founders underestimate the complexity of the US Defence ecosystem, and why relationships and credibility take time to build.  Sean explains the fastest paths to revenue. Why systems integrators like Lockheed Martin and Boeing matter. How master collaboration agreements can compress multi-year timelines down to 12–18 months. And why bringing experienced US operators onto your team is often the difference between progress and stall.  The conversation also covers where founders should actually set up in the US. Which states are business-friendly for Defence and manufacturing? Why incentives, congressional support, and proximity to Defence assets matter. And why staffers on Capitol Hill are often more important than elected officials.  Sean shares his own long career path, from the US Air Force Academy and the F-22 program, through counter-intelligence, federal sales, JP Morgan, and the Defense Innovation Unit. The result is a grounded, experience-led guide for founders serious about building in the US Defence market.  This episode is essential listening for Australian founders, investors, and operators looking to move beyond theory and execute in the US.    Guest Links Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean‐ singleton‐b616292/ Beaten Zone Venture Partners: https://beatenzone.vc Hosted by: Peta Ellis Produced By The Podcast Boss

In this episode of The Briefing Room, Dr Will Crowe, Co‐Founder and CEO of HEO, walks through a non‐linear founder journey that ends in orbit. Will started as a researcher in astrodynamics, completed a PhD at UNSW, explored asteroid mining, and realised his work had immediate, practical value. That insight led to HEO. Today, HEO enables commercial, resolved non‐Earth imaging by acquiring and analysing satellite data through proprietary software. The company helps satellite operators and governments monitor space assets, manage debris, inspect damaged satellites, and protect both Earth and space infrastructure. This conversation covers the shift from research to execution, how deep technical work becomes a commercial platform, and what it really takes to build a space company with long timelines and real consequences. Episode Links • Dr Will Crowe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william‐crowe‐space • HEO: https://www.heospace.com Produced by The Podcast Boss

Veteran and entrepreneur Warwick Penrose reflects on a career spanning CIED and CBRN Army specialisation through to founding EPE, a company trusted to protect soldiers and first responders. We cover capability delivery in counter‑IED, counter‑drone, ISR, and ECM, the pitfalls of selling to Defence, and lessons from building businesses across Asia Pacific and the U.S. Warwick shares candid thoughts on leadership, culture, and legacy,  and advice for the next generation of veteran‑founders shaping Defence innovation. Guest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warwick-penrose-8493a819/ Organisation: EPE – https://www.epequip.com/ Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis   Jake Bostock – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/ Produced by The Podcast Boss

Reservist officer and founder Ben Dullroy shares leadership lessons from leading 21 soldiers at 21, reflections from Iraq, and what end‑users actually need from startups. We discuss how to earn trust inside Defence, common mistakes founders make when pitching to the Army, and practical first steps for working with procurement pathways. Ben closes with candid thoughts on service, family, and the personal cost of a life lived between business and the Army. Guest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendullroy/ Organisation: Bravo Delta https://bravodelta.com.au/   Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Produced by The Podcast Boss

Strategist, author, and former Commander of the Australian Defence College, Mick Ryan distils 35 years of service into sharp lessons on leadership, modern warfare, and innovation. We examine the realities of Ukraine, where technology truly changes war — and where it doesn’t — and the cultural work required to connect founders with end‑users. A wide‑angle conversation on sovereign capability, Australia’s role in great‑power competition, and preparing for the wars of tomorrow. Guest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mick-ryan-am-ba299540/ Organisation: https://mickryan.com.au/   Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Produced by The Podcast boss

Q‑Branch founder Marc Cervantes dives into the realities of building dual‑use companies that sell to the government. We cover the origin story, the craft of becoming an ‘acquisition ninja,’ and lessons from engagements spanning DIU to state and federal partners. For founders, Marc maps the path past innovation theatre toward programs with budget, users, and urgency — and shares straight talk on entering the U.S. market from Australia. We close on how Q‑Branch and BZV can strengthen cross‑border deal flow and AUKUS Pillar Two collaboration. Guest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atx-maverick/ Organisation: Q‑Branch – https://www.q-branch.dev/ Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/ Produced by The Podcast Boss

Policy veteran John Thomas outlines Station D.C.’s vision and how legal, regulatory, and policy strategies intersect with defence innovation. We explore advising dual‑use companies, collaborating with DIU and IQT, and what Australians often misunderstand about entering the Find out more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmarkthomas04/   Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos   Hosts & Cohosts Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/   Produced By The Podcast Boss

Army veteran and social innovator Dylan Conway reveals how a simple idea — ‘just one book can change a life’ — became one of Australia’s largest book communities. We discuss the mission of bibliotherapy in strengthening mental resilience for serving members and veterans, building a movement of 20,000+ readers, and why the World’s Coolest Readathon resonates. For innovators and transitioning veterans, Dylan shares candid lessons on pivots, momentum, and designing programs that actually help people. Guest Links: LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-conway-613847200/ Organisations: Brothers ’n’ Books – https://abf.org.au Australian Bibliotherapy Foundation   Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos   Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/   Produced By The Podcast Boss  

Former Director of the Defense Digital Service and co‑founder of Rebellion Defence, Chris Lynch shares a rare end‑to‑end view of software, procurement, and venture in national security. We revisit why DDS was created, the enduring lessons from Rebellion, and how Arsenal evaluates dual‑use founders today. Practical guidance includes avoiding theatre, engaging the right PEOs and budget owners, and the timing of partnerships with primes. A grounded roadmap for founders aiming to build durable capability in the U.S. and AUKUS markets. Guest Links: LinkedIn: Chris Lynch | LinkedIn Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos   Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/   Produced By The Podcast Boss

Venrock investor and U.S. Navy Reservist, Morgan Hitzig, breaks down the U.S. defence‑tech landscape from a top‑tier VC perspective. We cover re‑industrialisation, public safety tech, and a survivability‑first lens for dual‑use capability. Morgan shares operator lessons from Dataminr, practical guidance on selling into government, and red flags for ‘innovation theatre.’ Founders will take away a playbook for mapping the human terrain (end users and budget owners), choosing the right prime partnerships, and focusing on real problems with budgeted demand. A sharp look at how Aussie startups can earn their place in the U.S. market — and where BZV and Venrock can collaborate across AUKUS. Guest Links: LinkedIn: Morgan Hitzig - Venrock Organisation: Venrock – https://www.venrock.com/   Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos   Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/ Produced By The Podcast Boss

Space is now a live attack surface. Zendir’s Chris Capon explains how digital twins and persistent rehearsal environments prepare warfighters for space‑cyber integrated missions. We walk through the training → rehearsal → operations loop, real‑world scenarios (reaction‑wheel hacks, solar‑array spoofing, ground‑station backdoors), and the road to autonomous constellations. From federated learning at LEO to software‑defined satellites and AUKUS Pillar II ‘decision advantage,’ this is a masterclass on readiness, speed, and secure data in space operations. Guest Links: LinkedIn: Chris Capon https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-capon/ Organisation: Zendir – https://zendir.io/   Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/ Produced By The Podcast Boss

From Army service to venture, Jake shares the human side of capability building. He unpacks his transition out of uniform, the hard‑won lessons from prototyping a training grenade inside Defence, and why that experience reshaped his view of how founders must engage as end‑users first. We talk common pitfalls when pitching to the Army, the role of trust and culture, and where sovereign capability matters most in the next decade. A reflective close on fatherhood, mateship, and what it means to work on technology that keeps people safe. Guest Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/ Organisation: Beaten Zone Ventures – https://beatenzone.vc   Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos   Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Jake Bostock – LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/]   Produced By The Podcast Boss

 In this episode, the founding partners of Marque Ventures share how a veteran-led venture capital firm is backing defence, space, and critical technologies across the U.S. and allied markets. We unpack their dual-use investment thesis, lessons from collaborating with ManTech, and how active duty, Guard, and Reserve experience informs their approach to scaling companies. The team offers sharp insights on avoiding “innovation theatre,” building the right relationships early, and what international founders often misunderstand about breaking into the U.S. market. A candid conversation on bridging capability gaps, accelerating adoption, and strengthening cross-border AUKUS partnerships. Guest Links: Marque Ventures Website Jake Chapman – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakechapman/ Tip Myers –h ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tip-myers Produced by The Podcast Boss

Founder and lead investor at Beaten Zone Ventures, Steve Baxter sets the tone for the series: why BZV exists, what we invest in, and how ‘lethality and survivability’ guides our early‑stage defence thesis. We cover the state of the fund, portfolio highlights (HEO, Arkeus, Zendir, Zeromark, Tiberius), and why hackathons and events like Breach Point matter for capability. Steve shares pragmatic advice for Australian founders navigating the U.S., thoughts on real versus performative innovation, and the importance of building products warfighters will actually use. Clear, direct, and grounded — this is the mission brief for The Briefing Room. Guest Links: LinkedIn: [Add Steve Baxter link] Organisation: Beaten Zone Ventures – https://beatenzone.vc Standard Footer (include in all platforms): Find out more: Website: https://beatenzone.vc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos Spotify: [Add profile link] Hosts & Cohosts: Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/ Jake Bostock – LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/] Produced By The Podcast Boss