The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), joined by its sister organizations, the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and the National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC), is convening with the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and other innovation partners at GovTech at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference between March 11-14.
The Defense Innovation Unit and its partners will convene Austin Community College on March 12 for a day of panel.discussions. For a full list of topics and speakers, visit: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2022/venues/V2057.
Attendees will learn first-hand:
How technology integration with our partners and allies is critical before a state of emergency;
How DoD can help technology companies achieve recurring revenue;
How DoD, academia, and tech companies are building the future of public-private partnerships;
How dual-use (commercial and DoD) technologies are being leveraged; and
How DoD is building a cloud-native future using the best tech and methodologies from industry.
For press inquiries, interview requests or general inquiries, please contact media@diu.mil.
SXSW Badge required for the below events. Limited day passes available for media or other interested parties. To inquire please contact sxsw@vmware.com.
SATURDAY, MARCH 12
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | International Defense Innovation Breakfast sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit, National Security Innovation Network and the National Security Innovation Capital
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Stronger Together! Exporting Commercial Technology
We are stronger together! There are many things that divide countries and governments but innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit around the globe provide the opportunities that help unite us all. To face the challenges of today and tomorrow will require a whole community, whole of government, and a whole world approach to move at the speed of relevance. Creating opportunities for new-to-government companies to scale their commercial technology to international allies and partners will play a critical role in ensuring democracy while also uplifting the human condition around the world.
Panelists:
Ambassador Arthur Sindinos, Head of Mission, Australian Embassy to the U.S.
Ahmad Khorchid, Ph.D., Director, Innovation Integration, Department of National Defense, Canada
Col Matthew Wenthe, National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program Director
Lt Col Austin Hood, NNC-Pathfinder, NORAD/NORTHCOM
Katherine Koleski, International Policy Lead, Defense Innovation Unit
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Forging the Future of Public-Private Partnerships
What does a community college, a top tech company, and the Army have in common? They share a desire to tackle the challenges of the future in an unprecedented way. Austin Community College and the United States Army are partners in building the Army Software Factory, a first-of-its kind software development capability to transform national security. Beyond national security, this novel partnership will also benefit underserved communities who have not typically had access to industry-leading training. Together, this results in a talent pipeline that will forever change both the Department of Defense and the world's best tech companies. Learn how we're building the future of public-private partnerships and what this means for the nation.
Panelists:
Hannah Hunt, Chief Product Officer, Army Software Factory
Dr. Richard Rhodes, Chancellor, Austin Community College
Josh Marcuse, Head of Strategy & Innovation, Global Public Sector, Google
Abdul Subhani, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Transforming Soldiers Into Software Engineers
Can the Army become a tech company? The future will require Soldiers to scope and implement software-based solutions at the edges of where they operate without connectivity or assistance from centralized support. This radical change will not only empower units to act faster; it will also mitigate unforeseen risk inherent in their operations. Learn why it is so important for the Army to meet the challenges of the future by building an organic software development capability.
Panelists:
Jason Zuniga, Chief Operating Officer, Army Software Factory
Kate Kelley, Chief Human Capital Officer, Army Futures Command
Josh Knowles, Senior Director, AMER Services, VMware
Dr. Lisa Costa, United States Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Officer
2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Building an Outcomes-based DoD DevSecOps Culture
What is the secret to building an outcomes-based software culture in the Department of Defense or other massive organization? It's not what you think. The Army, Air Force, and Space Force have all figured out how to drive outcomes in the face of unending bureaucracy and organizations that are resistant to change. Learn how these organizations have made it work and leave with advice for your own organizations.
Panelists:
Aaron Swain, Director of Digital Transformation, VMware
Paul Puckett, Director, Army Enterprise Cloud Management Agency
Jennifer Krolikowski, Chief Information Officer, Space Systems Command
Brian Beachkofski, Commander, United States Air Force Kessel Run
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | To Boldly Go... Cloud-Native in the DoD
Cloud-native is the new standard for software development, and it revolutionizes the way that enterprises use platforms and DevSecOps to develop, secure, and deploy software applications at scale. Before going cloud-native, software delivery to the Department of Defense could take from three to ten years and security updates could take months to years. Platforms like the Army's cArmy and Air Force's Cloud One revolutionized the DoD software development by bringing continuous authorities to operate through CI/CD pipelines that automated development and security operations and brought containerization to the forefront, which resulted in getting to production in less than a year with daily updates. Learn from Service CIOs about the DoD's cloud-native present and future.
Panelists:
Vito Errico, Director, Army Software Factory
Raj Iyer, United States Army Chief Information Officer
Lauren Knausenberger, United States Air Force Chief Information Officer
Dr. Lisa Costa, United States Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Officer