Forge Ahead

Christopher Zember (“Z”) has held senior executive positions in government, industry and academia. He envisioned and guided the establishment of several innovative organizations and programs that are thriving today, including the DOD's National Security Innovation Network, Hacking for Defense, and Army Applications Lab. Currently, Z leads a $240 million portfolio of Public-Private Partnerships for the DOD’s Industrial Base Resilience Office designed to leverage and stimulate private investment to rapidly rebuild domestic industrial base capability and capacity. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Army Research Laboratory, with a focus on research business operations, and holds an adjunct faculty position at Johns Hopkins University. Previously, as Chief Strategy Officer at Alion Science & Technology, Z directly participated in over $500 million in mergers and acquisitions, and developed a corporate strategy that led to over $30 billion in new contracts. As a government senior executive, Z led a policy think tank at the National Defense University, focused on the intersection of technology and national security. As a member of the International Security Council at the World Economic Forum, he informed global leaders on this same topic. Z also previously directed 10 research & engineering centers, with over 7,000 scientists, engineers, and analysts working around the globe.

Oluseun Taiwo is the founder and CEO of Solideon, a company transforming manufacturing through innovative additive technologies. Inspired by comic books and his immigrant parents, Oluseun leads Solideon to create solutions that transform us into a Tier 1 society that leads humanity's exploration of the final frontier. Olu was on the team of the first Americans to launch a 3d printed rocket into orbit in 2017 at Rocketlab USA as employee number 15. He spearheaded 3D-printing initiatives at Argonne National Lab, Virgin Orbit, and 3D Systems’. A true innovator, Oluseun was recognized as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 for his transformative contributions of consistently pushing the aerospace industry’s boundaries.

Sam Moyer is a Research Fellow at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies Institute, where he leads research on technology policy, supply chain resilience, and defense technology transition. Over the past decade, Sam has played key roles across government and industry, supporting senior leaders and shaping initiatives in innovative acquisitions and emerging defense technologies. Prior to joining ETI, Sam served as a Senior Advisor at Gartner, advising Fortune 500 executives on technology and risk strategy. He also supported the Department of the Navy, where he established a national technology investor network and developed financial strategies to accelerate technology transition. He holds a BA in Economics from the College of William & Mary and an MBA from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business.

Mark Benedict is a Senior Scientist, Convergent Manufacturing at Air Force Research Laboratory.