Episodes
From Submariner to CEO: Cameron McCord's Journey Building Nominal
In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula reconnect with Cameron McCord, Co-Founder and CEO of Nominal, two years after his first appearance on the show (linked here ). Drawing from his unique journey from submarine officer (484 days underwater) to defense tech entreprene...
Financing the Fight with Chris Lay and James Parker of Leonid Capital Partners
In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula are joined by James Parker and Chris Lay, co-founding partners of Leonid Capital Partners , a private credit fund supporting the US national security ecosystem. Drawing from their unique backgrounds in astrophysics and neuroscienc...
"From Production Lines to Front Lines," with Becca Wasser and Philip Sheers of CNAS
In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula are joined by Becca Wasser and Philip Sheers from the Center for New American Security (CNAS) to discuss their recent report, "From Production Lines to Front Lines." Drawing from extensive industry research and stakeholder intervi...
"Supply Chains Win Wars": Rare Earth Magnets with John Maslin, CEO Vulcan Elements
In this episode of Building the Base, Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula sit down with John Maslin, Co-founder and CEO of Vulcan Elements , for an insightful conversation about the critical importance of rare earth magnets to U.S. national security. Drawing from his background as a Navy Supply Corps of...
Founders in Focus Part 2: Tyler Sweatt, Josh Lospinoso + Troy Demmer (Recorded @ Manifest: Demo Day)
Today's episode of Building the Base is part two of our "Founders in Focus" series, recorded at Manifest: Demo Day where 34 companies from across the defense industrial base demoed their disruptive tech. Hosts Hondo and Lauren caught up with some of the most dynamic founders: Tyler Sweatt from Seco...
Founders in Focus Part 1: Jeff Cole, Doug Bernauer + Topher Haddad (Recorded @ Manifest: Demo Day)
Today's episode of Building the Base is part one of our "Founders in Focus" series, recorded at Manifest: Demo Day where 34 companies from across the defense industrial base demoed their disruptive tech. Hosts Hondo and Lauren caught up with some of the most dynamic founders: Jeff Cole from Hidden ...
Rapid Acquisition: Scaling Culture and Capabilities with Melissa Johnson, USSOCOM
In this episode of Building the Base, Melissa "Mojo" Johnson, Acquisition Executive at US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), offers a candid look into the world of military acquisition, drawing from her extensive experience with the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office and SOCOM. Five key take...
Driving Comprehensive Defense Acquisition Reform with Eric Lofgren
In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren and Hondo sit down with Eric Lofgren, a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Eric provides an insider's perspective on the need for comprehensive acquisition reform. He discusses his unexpected path to this role, initially jo...
Bipartisan Breakthroughs: Rep. Pat Ryan, House Defense Modernization Caucus
In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18). Rep. Ryan represents a diverse district of 800,000 in upstate New York, which includes his alma mater, West Point. An Iraq war veteran, Rep. Ryan transitioned from active duty, to defens...