Sessions

Announced so far

Rolling announcements

New panels and speakers every week through September.

Tuesday, October 6th, 2026

1 session

3:00 pm6:00 pm

3 hr

Defense Tech Career Fair

Encina Hall

Wednesday, October 7th, 2026

5 sessions

To be announced

Defending Taiwan's Democracy: Sovereignty, Emerging Technology, and the U.S.–Taiwan Partnership

panel

Frontline perspectives on deterrence, emerging tech, and the U.S.–Taiwan partnership in an era of great power competition.

Moderator

Gordon KimCo-President, Stanford DEFCON, MBA 27’

Speakers

Dr. Jeremy Chih-Cheng ChangChief Executive Officer, Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET)
Adm. Lee Hsi-ming (Ret.)Former Chief of the General Staff, Republic of China (Taiwan) Armed Forces; Senior Fellow, Project 2049 Institute
David C.H. WuDirector-General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco

To be announced

Beyond the Valley: How Private Capital and Government Are Underwriting National Security

panel

Private equity, private credit, institutional banking, and government on how capital beyond the VC model is financing the industrial base the arsenal runs on.

Moderator

Ryan CaseyCo-President, Stanford DEFCON, MBA 27’

Speakers

Ryan LindnerDeputy Director and Head of Investments, Economic Defense Unit, U.S. Department of War
Frank FinelliSenior Advisor, The Carlyle Group
Trevor BurnsManaging Director, Defense and Aerospace Lead, Security & Resiliency Initiative, J.P. Morgan
Isaiah SchulzeManaging Director, Frontier Market Investment Platform, Cerberus Capital Management

To be announced

The Autonomous Force: Strategy and Command in Multi-Domain Warfare

panel

How the U.S. military must adapt strategy, command, force design, and industrial capacity to field autonomous forces that can fight, survive, and deter across every domain.

Moderator

Collen LarsonOrganizer, Stanford DEFCON

Speakers

Lt. Gen. (Ret) S. Clinton Hinote, PhDFormer Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration, and Requirements, Professor at RAND School of Public Policy
Matt CroninSr. National Security Advisor, a16z, Former Chief Investigative Counsel & Deputy General Counsel at U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the U.S. and China
Christopher MurphyDIU CTO
Colin CarrollChief Growth Officer, CHAOS Industries