FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2024
Contact: Olga DeMetri, odemetri@s-3group.com
Washington, D.C. - The Creative Defense Foundation announced its inaugural conference scheduled for February 23–24, 2024, in La Quinta, CA. Dubbed as Creative Disruptors in the Desert, this invitation-only event will bring together national security leaders, U.S. entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs to address the institutional, cultural, policy, and legal barriers impeding innovators from bringing their technologies, speed, agility, and cost effectiveness to U.S. national security.
The Conference will bring together legislative and national security leaders, including Honorary Co-Chairs Congressman Ken Calvert, Chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Ranking Member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, alongside entrepreneurs dedicated to strengthening our nation’s national defense.
“It’s been my lifelong mission since I have been in Congress to foster innovation in our national security community. Our country is blessed with some of best entrepreneurial minds on the planet. We need to maximize American innovation at the Department of Defense if we are going to close the gap with our adversaries,” said Chairman Calvert.
Director Doug Beck, Director of the Defense Innovation Unit and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Ms. Heidi Shyu, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and General James E. Rainey, the Commanding General U.S. Army Futures Command are expected to attend. Additionally, Palmer Luckey, a National Security Entrepreneur, will participate with other venture capital investors in a lunchtime fireside conversation.
Guiding the discussions as the conference moderator will be Former Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson. Currently, key sponsors signed up for this conference include: Palantir, AeroVironment, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., ARA, Innovative Defense Technologies, LLC (IDT), General Atomics, Second Front Systems, General Dynamics, 8VC, Vannevar Labs, Northrop Grumman, RTX Corporation, Inkit, Stratolaunch Systems, Saronic Technologies, Boeing, Thayer Mahan, SBIR Advisors, Global Technical Systems (GTS), Venus Aerospace, Rocket Lab, and Revolution Space.
About Creative Defense Foundation: The Creative Defense Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a forum for education and discussion regarding the importance of harnessing entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial innovation for our common defense. We will address the institutional, cultural, policy, and legal barriers impeding America’s national security innovators and entrepreneurs from bringing to bear their technology, speed, agility, and cost-effectiveness.