Building the Base

Building the Base
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"Building the Base" - an in-depth series of conversations with top entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders from tech, financial, industrial, and public sectors. Our special guests provide their unique perspectives on a broad selection of topics such as: shaping our future national security industrial base, the impact of disruptive technologies, how new startups can increasingly contribute to national security, and practical tips on leadership and personal development whether in government or the private sector. Building the Base is hosted by Lauren Bedula, is Managing Director and National Security Technology Practice Lead at Beacon Global Strategies, and the Honorable Jim "Hondo" Geurts who retired from performing the duties of the Under Secretary of the Navy and was the former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition and Acquisition Executive at United States Special Operations Command.

  1. Rep. Rob Wittman on the Speed of Relevance in Modernizing America's Defense Industrial Base

    4D AGO

    Rep. Rob Wittman on the Speed of Relevance in Modernizing America's Defense Industrial Base

    In this episode recorded live from the 2025 Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Congressman Rob Wittman, Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and Co-Chair of the Defense Modernization Caucus. Congressman Wittman shares his journey from reforming a Boy Scout troop in his small Virginia hometown to leading defense modernization efforts in Congress, driven by a passion for connecting good public policy to decision makers who can execute it. The conversation explores his call for Congress to thank people for taking risks and learning from failures, the critical workforce challenges facing shipbuilding, and why the overwhelming presence of non-traditional defense companies at the Reagan Forum signals a transformative shift in the defense industrial base. Wittman emphasizes that modernization must happen "at the speed of relevance," not incrementally, but with the urgency the strategic environment demands. Five Key Takeaways: Congress must thank people for taking risks, not punish failures: Wittman calls for Congress to "thank them for taking the risk" when acquisition officials present failures, then ask what they learned. Using SpaceX's Starship as an example, he argues that controlled failures accelerate progress, and Congress must stop punishing experimentation with a "process-centric mindset."The Navy's Constellation decision was a watershed moment: The Navy's willingness to reassess the Constellation-class frigate, where mission creep turned an 85% complete design into 15%, demonstrates self-assessment and course correction, the kind that should be celebrated even when acknowledging past errors.Shipbuilding faces unprecedented workforce challenges: With companies like Huntington Ingalls hiring 5,000 workers annually, shipyards must invest in quality of life improvements and expand skill sets beyond traditional trades to include software programming, robotics monitoring, and additive manufacturing.Non-traditionals are transforming the defense industrial base: The overwhelming presence of non-traditional companies, private equity firms, and venture capital at the Reagan Forum represents a fundamental shift. These players bring innovative approaches focused not just on platforms but on enabling the manufacturing process itself through software and data analytics.Modernization must happen at the speed of relevance: "We have to do these things, not just say, well, we'll think about it. We'll do a little bit. This has to be done at the speed of relevance." The strategic environment demands urgent transformation, not incremental approaches, across workforce development, manufacturing, and acquisition reform.

    32 min
  2. From Democratizing Finance to Powering Space: Baiju Bhatt's Patriotic Mission

    12/23/2025

    From Democratizing Finance to Powering Space: Baiju Bhatt's Patriotic Mission

    In this episode recorded live from the 2025 Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood and founder and CEO of Aetherflux. Baiju shares his remarkable journey from the son of Indian immigrants, his mother arriving pregnant with two suitcases of pots and pans, to democratizing access to America's financial system with Robinhood, and now building an American power grid in space. The conversation explores why patriotism is back in vogue in Silicon Valley, how constraints breed creativity, and why he couldn't sit out the space race happening in his lifetime without regretting it "as a geezer." Baiju makes the case that America's fundamental advantage is entrepreneurship and capitalism, and that energy is emerging as one of the most critical problems the economy must solve, both on Earth and in low Earth orbit. Five Key Takeaways: America wins through capitalism: The United States' distinct advantage over competitors like China is entrepreneurship and capitalism, not bureaucratic central planning. As Baiju puts it, "we're not going to out centrally plan the Chinese...the times that the United States wins is when we bring to bear capitalism," which drives both rapid execution and diverse approaches to solving hard problems.Fear regret, not failure, and fail fast: Rather than being paralyzed by potential failure, Baiju advocates getting "failures out of the way quickly" and not waiting too long to pressure test ideas. The real risk isn't trying and failing, it's the regret of never trying at all, especially when historic opportunities like the commercialization of space are happening in your lifetime.Energy is the next critical infrastructure for space commerce: Aetherflux is building a power grid in low Earth orbit because energy access hasn't been this critical since World War II or the 1970s oil crisis. The vision is to take energy-hungry applications "above the grid," removing super high-power applications from Earth's strained energy infrastructure by powering them from space.Constraints breed creativity and humility breeds success: Despite his success with Robinhood, Baiju deliberately maintains the constraints and humility that got him there, recognizing that "what we're trying to do is extraordinarily difficult." Coming in with bravado isn't the recipe for success, being diligent, systematic, and constantly testing your assumption is.Silicon Valley's "group hug" with defense is transformative for America: The convergence of entrepreneurship, technology, and national security represents a fundamental shift where economic prosperity and national defense are no longer separate tracks. This alignment, driven by competition and recognition that key technologies from AI to space require both sectors working in concert is "hugely important for America."

    20 min
  3. Hon. Mike Dodd on Advancing Critical Technologies for the American Warfighter

    12/16/2025

    Hon. Mike Dodd on Advancing Critical Technologies for the American Warfighter

    In this episode recorded live from the 2025 Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with the Honorable Michael "Mike" Dodd, Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies and Acting Deputy Director of the Defense Innovation Unit. Secretary Dodd shares his remarkable journey from enlisted Marine amtracker to Mustang infantry officer, through over 25 years advising defense and finance companies, and back to the Pentagon to serve America's warfighters. The conversation explores the newly announced six critical technology areas, how entrepreneurs and innovators can engage with the Department of War, and Secretary Dodd's mission to deliver "an unfair fight" for U.S. service members through technological superiority and asymmetric advantages. Five Key Takeaways: The DoW has narrowed its focus from 14 to six critical technology areas: recognizing that "if everything's critical, nothing is," the department is concentrating resources on areas where the U.S. needs to achieve parity with near-peer competitors or maintain technological supremacy to deter major conflict through asymmetric advantages.The Pentagon is actively creating a "front door" for innovators: Secretary Dodd suggests we engage technologists where they are, encouraging entrepreneurs to present capabilities directly and get to a "no" quickly.Do your homework before engaging DoW: Successful companies come prepared knowing their potential transition partners, understanding the competitive landscape, and having thought through financial capacity and teaming opportunities to scale if they win contracts.You don't need to wear a uniform to serve your country: Secretary Dodd emphasizes that founders and funders bringing technology aligned with national security needs are serving their country in critical ways, whether as entrepreneurs or investors.The Department is prioritizing transition and operational alignment:  Success isn't just about fast acquisition; it requires alignment with the combatant commands and service chiefs to ensure warfighters can actually absorb and employ new capabilities at scale for maximum impact downrange.

    19 min
  4. Ghost Fleet at 10: Fiction as a Strategic Tool with author August Cole

    11/04/2025

    Ghost Fleet at 10: Fiction as a Strategic Tool with author August Cole

    In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with August Cole, strategist, author, and futurist who has spent his career exploring fiction's role in national security strategy. Drawing from his journey from Wall Street Journal journalist covering defense and technology to co-authoring the groundbreaking novel Ghost Fleet with Peter Singer, Cole discusses how fiction can help leaders avoid strategic surprise and failure of imagination. As Ghost Fleet celebrates its 10-year anniversary, Cole reflects on the book's impact on defense thinking, the power of scenario planning through storytelling, and why "useful fiction" has become an essential tool for wargaming future conflicts in an era of exponential technological change. Five key takeaways from today's episode: Fiction serves as a strategic tool to avoid failure of imagination, with Cole noting that "we really can fall victim to failure of imagination with catastrophic consequences, and even more so today when so many technologies are exponential in their impact on warfare."Ghost Fleet combines rigorous research with narrative storytelling, grounded in "30 or so pages of endnotes" from open-source research including doctrine, patents, and scholarship to make the speculative scenario credible and actionable for defense leaders.Strategic fiction gives leaders permission to think differently, as Cole explains that fiction provides "a safe space to explore ideas that might otherwise be dismissed" and helps overcome organizational resistance to uncomfortable futures.The power of story transcends traditional analysis, with Cole emphasizing that narrative allows people to "see problems from someone else's perspective" and makes complex strategic concepts accessible across organizational hierarchies.Invest in skills that make you a better collaborator, as Cole advises the next generation to focus on "the human dimension" including empathy, foreign languages, and technical literacy while resisting pressure to follow conventional career paths.

    36 min
  5. Academia's Role in National Security with Jamie Jones Miller of Northeastern University Arlington

    09/23/2025

    Academia's Role in National Security with Jamie Jones Miller of Northeastern University Arlington

    In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with Jamie Jones Miller, CEO of Northeastern University's Arlington campus and Interim Director of the Kostas Research Institute. Drawing from her journey from Capitol Hill legislative work on the House Armed Services Committee to the Pentagon's Office of Legislative Affairs, and now leading national security research in academia, Miller discusses the critical need for "unicorn talent" that bridges policy, technology, and leadership. She explains why universities must align with defense priorities, the importance of matching talent pipelines to technology strategies, and how academia can serve as a vital connector in the national security ecosystem. Five key takeaways from today's episode: Employers want "unicorn talent" who can seamlessly operate across policy, technology, and leadership domains, with Miller noting they "want the people who can figure out how to look into the future and see what's coming."Policy, technology, and security are now inseparable, as Miller reflects that these domains "can't stand on its own anymore" and require integrated approaches to education and problem-solving.Academia must align with defense priorities, with Miller asking "what is the next critical technologies list at DOD gonna look like?" to ensure universities invest where "the investments are going to be made."Talent strategy must match technology strategy, as Miller challenges organizations: "Do you have a talent pipeline plan? How many engineers do you need to hire in the next 12 to 18 months?"Start with real problems, not solutions, emphasizing the need to ask "what are your pain points?" and build trust through delivery rather than rushing to help without understanding actual needs.

    34 min
  6. Innovation at the Speed of Battle with Zach Beecher of Scout Ventures

    08/05/2025

    Innovation at the Speed of Battle with Zach Beecher of Scout Ventures

    In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with Zach Beecher, Partner at Scout Ventures, who brings a unique perspective from serving as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq to now leading dual-use technology investments on the front lines of defense innovation. Drawing from his combat experience witnessing "innovation at the speed of battle" during the liberation of Mosul from ISIS, his transition through venture capital in London, and his current role backing breakthrough defense technologies, Beecher discusses the urgent need to bridge Silicon Valley innovation with national security imperatives. He shares his insights on why "innovation at the speed of bureaucracy looks a lot different than innovation at the speed of battle," explains how venture capital can serve as a "player coach" for defense entrepreneurs, and argues that America must grow the industrial base through addition rather than subtraction by incentivizing collaboration between traditional primes and non-traditional startups. Five key takeaways from today's episode: Combat experience reveals innovation potential, as Beecher describes how deploying to Iraq in 2017 exposed him to soldiers thinking on their feet to solve dynamic battlefield challenges, from integrating off-the-shelf drones for Iraqi forces to creating software solutions for logistics, showing him that "innovation at the speed of battle" could be transformative if scaled properly.The dual-use investment landscape has dramatically evolved, Beecher notes, from being called a "warmonger" on a panel just two years ago for suggesting quantum companies focus on national security applications, to today's environment where "the capital ladder" from early stage through scaled production is "fully formed in a way that it's never been before."Contracts are the only validation that matters, Beecher emphasizes, because "contracts signify demand and contracts ultimately indicate what the government has identified as a priority," warning that without real customer validation through actual purchases, even well-funded startups risk "building a bridge to nowhere."Success requires mastering four core pillars, Beecher explains entrepreneurs must understand the problems they're solving, the people responsible for solving them, the processes required to navigate solutions, and how their products integrate across all three, with companies like Tern AI demonstrating this by addressing alternative navigation needs for both military operations and commercial autonomous vehicles.Collaboration beats competition in defense innovation, as Beecher advocates for "leading through addition rather than subtraction," pointing to examples like NASA's commercial orbital program that sparked competition between traditional primes and companies like SpaceX, ultimately transforming entire industries through incentivized partnership rather than zero-sum thinking.

    35 min
  7. No Substitute for Victory: A Green Beret's Defense Mission with Rep. Pat Harrigan

    07/24/2025

    No Substitute for Victory: A Green Beret's Defense Mission with Rep. Pat Harrigan

    In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10), who brings a rare combination of Special Forces experience, defense entrepreneurship, and fresh congressional perspective to America's national security challenges. Drawing from his service in 3rd Special Forces Group, his journey building a weapons and munitions manufacturing company, and his current role on the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Harrigan discusses the urgent need to revolutionize America's defense industrial base. He shares his candid assessment of government as "a terrible customer," explains his groundbreaking Sky Foundry initiative to build America's first million-drone manufacturing capability, and warns that the nature of warfare has fundamentally changed from the Global War on Terror era. The conversation explores why America must shift from producing "high cost problems to our enemies' low cost solutions" to creating affordable, scalable technologies that can match the pace of modern conflict. Five key takeaways from today's episode: Personal inspiration drives public service, as Rep. Harrigan reveals how his grandfather's vivid memories of D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, details he could recite perfectly even with dementia, showed him "what a formative part of his life he made a huge difference for the trajectory of the world," inspiring his own call to serve when he witnessed leadership failures during Afghanistan's fall.The nature of warfare has fundamentally changed, Congressman Harrigan explains, comparing the shift from the Global War on Terror to today's drone-dominated battlefield as the difference between "basketball and baseball" with 80% of casualties in Ukraine now caused by small, inexpensive FPV drones rather than traditional weapons systems.America currently sits at "effectively zero" drone manufacturing capability while being wholly dependent on Chinese supply chains, Rep. Harrigan warns, as adversaries like Russia and Ukraine produce millions of drones annually at costs dramatically lower than America's $20,000-30,000 per unit.The Sky Foundry initiative represents a revolutionary approach to defense manufacturing, combining government-owned facilities with private contractor intellectual property through a royalty-based system that incentivizes innovation while maintaining competition and driving costs down to $500 per drone.Success requires unwavering persistence, Rep. Harrigan emphasizes, sharing his philosophy of "never give up, never give in" when fighting for his daughters Reagan and McKinley's future, because "there is no substitute for victory" and breakthrough solutions will eventually succeed if you believe in them and keep working regardless of initial resistance.

    34 min
  8. Innovation through Incrementalism: Rep. Jim Himes, Ranking Member, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

    07/01/2025

    Innovation through Incrementalism: Rep. Jim Himes, Ranking Member, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

    In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with Ranking Member Jim Himes (D-CT), who serves on both the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Financial Services Committee. Drawing from his unique background spanning Wall Street and public service, Congressman Himes discusses the critical intersection of technology innovation, national security, and America's industrial base. He shares candid insights on the challenges of government innovation, the evolving threat landscape from China, and why immigration remains America's secret weapon in the global competition for technological supremacy. The conversation also explores the cultural shifts needed within both Congress and the defense establishment to embrace the iterative, failure-tolerant approach essential for modern software development and emerging technologies. Five key takeaways from today's episode: The shift from hardware to software has fundamentally changed defense acquisition, Rep. Himes explains, requiring iterative development through failure and constant end-user contact—a capability traditional defense primes weren't prepared for, though progress is being made through innovative programs like DIU and Kessel Run.America's two greatest advantages over China in innovation, according to Rep. Himes, are immigration and a chaotic entrepreneurial ecosystem that treats failure as graduate-level education for the next venture, advantages that must be preserved and leveraged.Congressional culture remains risk-averse toward failure, Rep. Himes notes, with members more focused on finding the next "Solyndra" to investigate rather than creating the psychological safety necessary for breakthrough innovation.Supply chain vulnerabilities exposed by COVID-19 and the Ukraine conflict have created new appreciation for defense industrial base resilience, but Rep. Himes argues the tension between economic efficiency and strategic security requires nuanced thinking.Emerging threats like biosynthesis and quantum computing pose existential risks that require both cutting-edge research investment and a return to shared empirical truth, Rep. Himes warns, making the intersection of technology policy and national security more critical than ever.

    29 min
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About

"Building the Base" - an in-depth series of conversations with top entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders from tech, financial, industrial, and public sectors. Our special guests provide their unique perspectives on a broad selection of topics such as: shaping our future national security industrial base, the impact of disruptive technologies, how new startups can increasingly contribute to national security, and practical tips on leadership and personal development whether in government or the private sector. Building the Base is hosted by Lauren Bedula, is Managing Director and National Security Technology Practice Lead at Beacon Global Strategies, and the Honorable Jim "Hondo" Geurts who retired from performing the duties of the Under Secretary of the Navy and was the former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition and Acquisition Executive at United States Special Operations Command.

Information

  • Creator
    Building the Base
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    83
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2022-2024 Building The Base
  • Show Website
    Building the Base

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