Since the original publication of Who’s Your Ally? in the summer of 2020 by the then-named MIT Innovation Initiative (now operating as Mission Innovation X), the work has supported entrepreneurs on their commercialization journeys, government representatives in how to improve acquisition processes, investors in how to make bigger impacts with their capital, and a plethora of other improvements for the diverse stakeholders in our innovation ecosystem.

We have seen geopolitical and market events motivate the growth of catchy phrases like American Dynamism, Industrial Resilience, and Defense Tech, as well as expansion of trusted capital networks and deployment approaches outside the United States, such as the landmark NATO Innovation Fund.

It is an honor to continue serving the nation and allies as I strive to synthesize and advance our understanding of how to bring science-advantaged capabilities downrange, to serve as a specialized ‘end effector’ in lab-to-launch approaches and best practices.