Acquisition Panel 

Matt MacGregor

Anduril  |  Senior Director

Matt MacGregor is a Senior Director for Strategic Growth at Anduril Industries and a Fellow at the Acquisition Innovation Research Center. He previously worked for the MITRE Corporation where he supported the development and implementation of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework. Prior to that, he spent 21 years as a military and civil service program manager across the space, command and control, weather, and aircraft portfolios. His last PM assignment was as the F-35 Deputy Program Manager.  His last five years in government were at the Pentagon, where he served in multiple acquisition leadership roles supporting multiple acquisition reform efforts. His passion is reforming our current industrial age acquisition system for the 21st century.

Raj Shah

Shield Capital |  Managing Partner

Raj Shah is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Shield Capital, a venture firm focused on commercial and defense tech. He is also chairman of Resilience, a cybersecurity start-up he co-founded. Previously, Raj led the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), reporting to the Secretary of Defense. He co-authored Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War, detailing efforts to modernize the military. Raj serves on the NATO Innovation Fund board and continues as an F-16 pilot in the Air National Guard, directing DIU’s Joint Reserve Detachment. He holds an AB from Princeton and an MBA from Wharton.

Greg Smith

TIGRE Global Solutions |  President

Gregory A Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of TIGRE Global Solutions Inc. TIGRE Global Solutions Inc focuses on emerging technology, discreet capabilities, and developmental concepts and systems that advance National Security. Greg serves as a strategic advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, consults with multiple companies, venture capital, and teaches at the Joint Special Operations University as well as National Defense University on National Security topics. He served 33 years in Special Operations, completing 14 air and ground combat deployments throughout his career, supporting operations in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. He has flown more than 3500 hours, including 1400 combat hours."

Erik Raven

Beacon Global Services  |  Managing Director

Erik Raven is a Managing Director at Beacon Global Services, overseeing its Defense and Aerospace Practice. Prior to this role, he held the position of Under Secretary of the Navy and served as Clerk of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

Ryan Holte

[ Moderator ]

Harvard Business School & Harvard Law School

Ryan is a JD/MBA candidate at Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. Prior to school, Ryan worked as an Acquisitions Officer in the United States Air Force, where he focused on policy reformation and AI-enabled technology development. Ryan likes to hang out at local high school football games in his spare time.