Building the Base

Building the Base

The Building the Base Podcast is 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.
Ghost Fleet at 10: Fiction as a Strategic Tool with author August Cole
Building the BaseNovember 04, 2025
80
00:35:4949.23 MB

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 technolo...

Academia's Role in National Security with Jamie Jones Miller of Northeastern University Arlington
Building the BaseSeptember 23, 2025
79
00:34:0646.87 MB

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 Comm...

Innovation at the Speed of Battle with Zach Beecher of Scout Ventures
Building the BaseAugust 05, 2025
78
00:35:1048.33 MB

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 defen...

No Substitute for Victory: A Green Beret's Defense Mission with Rep. Pat Harrigan
Building the BaseJuly 24, 2025
77
00:33:4846.45 MB

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 s...

Innovation through Incrementalism: Rep. Jim Himes, Ranking Member, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Building the BaseJuly 01, 2025
76
00:28:3339.23 MB

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 s...