Wednesday, April 29

(Main Program)

8:30–9:00 AM

Registration and Light Breakfast

9:00 – 9:20 AM

Welcome and Framing the Day

This opening session sets the tone for the forum, framing it as an international, interactive working conversation. Speakers will outline how capital, government demand, and innovation across AI, energy, mobility, and defense are converging—and why cross-sector collaboration is critical now. The interactive format and goals for the day will also be introduced.

  • Amber Knapp, Manager of the GCV Defense Council and Relationship Manager at GCV

  • Bill Collier, Principal at Noblis Ventures

  • Jason Hoffer, Business Designer at Crowe

9:20 – 10:05 AM

Myth Busters: Procurement Reality Check

This panel cuts through common misconceptions about government and defense procurement for AI, energy, mobility, and dual-use technologies. Drawing on perspectives from government, primes, and corporate venture, speakers will focus on how procurement decisions are made, realistic timelines, and where venture-backed companies can successfully engage. Live polling will keep the discussion practical and grounded.

Speakers:

  • Bill Collier, Principal at Noblis Ventures

  • Hyder Alabed, Vice President of M&A and Ventures at CIRI

10:05 – 10:35 AM

Interactive Break Session 1 — Roundtable Mixing

Ambassador-hosted networking tables designed for informal, peer-level conversations and meaningful connections.

10:35 – 11:15 AM

Response Lab: Rapid Solutions

A fast-moving, highly interactive session surfacing real scaling challenges across AI, energy, mobility, and defense. Participants contribute live input while facilitators synthesize practical pathways forward in real time.

Speakers:

  • Ben Wright, Vice President at 3M Ventures

  • Alison Perez, Senior Investor at Lockheed Martin Ventures

  • Raymond Zheng, Sr. Managing Director at Honda Xcelerator Ventures

11:15 – 11:50 AM

Lightning Debates

Fast-paced debates will surface key tensions shaping investment and scale across defense and dual-use innovation. Live audience voting will highlight where perspectives align—or diverge.

Speakers:

  • Tarik Galijasevic, Managing Director at Allstate Strategic Ventures

  • Kemal Anbarci, Managing Venture Executive at Chevron Technology Ventures

  • John Richmond, Investment Manager at Lockheed Martin Ventures

11:50 AM – 12:30 PM

(Crowe X-Design Lab)

De-Risking the Lab flips the script on traditional startup dynamics. In this interactive session, leaders step into a future where their portfolio has failed and their fund is at risk. Through a fast-paced pre-mortem, participants uncover how risk is distributed, misaligned, and often misunderstood across the ecosystem.

  • Guided pre-mortem exercise

  • Identification of systemic risk across stakeholders

  • Small group collaboration with live facilitation

12:30 AM – 1:20 PM

Networking Lunch

1:20 – 1:50 PM

Interactive Workshop Part 2 — De-Risking the Lab: Applying Resilient Models (Crowe X-Design Lab)

Building on the pre-mortem, participants work to reframe and reallocate risk across the ecosystem. This session focuses on what it takes to build more resilient, aligned structures between founders, investors, and strategic partners.

  • Risk redistribution and mitigation strategies

  • Cross-group insight sharing

  • Facilitated synthesis and actionable takeaways

1:50 – 2:20 PM

What Would You Do? — Scenario Simulation

An interactive simulation where participants respond to real-world scenarios at the intersection of innovation, government, and scale. Audience input and live feedback drive discussion.

2:20 – 2:40 PM

Interactive Break Session 2 — Roundtable Mixing

2:40 – 3:10 PM

Portfolio Showcase — Lightning Round(Curated)

A high-signal session featuring a select group of portfolio companies across AI, energy, mobility, and defense—highlighting emerging technologies and partnership opportunities.

Hosted by: Aaron Haubert, CMS Energy
Companies:

Michael Koenka, Founder & CEO, Boldbeam B.V.

Mehdi Asghari, CEO, SiLC Technologies, Inc

3:10 – 4:15 PM

Fireside Anchor Conversation

This closing conversation explores economic diplomacy, global innovation, and the role of strategic capital in national and allied security. The discussion will examine how AI, energy systems, mobility infrastructure, and defense innovation intersect with long-term geopolitical priorities.

Speakers:

  • Barry Leffew, Vice President, Government Platform Accelerator at IN-Q-TEL

  • General David Allvin, Senior Advisor and Partner, Snowball Innovation Advisory

4:15 – 5:15 PM

Cocktails & Informal Networking- The Penthouse