DisrupTV Episode 459

Dr. David A. Bray is a Distinguished Fellow and Chair of the Accelerator with the Alfred Lee Loomis Innovation Council at the non-partisan Henry L. Stimson Center. He is also a non-resident Distinguished Fellow with the Business Executives for National Security, and a CEO and transformation leader for different “under the radar” tech and data ventures seeking to get started in novel situations. He is Principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures and has served in a variety of leadership roles in turbulent environments, including bioterrorism preparedness and response from 2000-2005. Dr. Bray previously was the Executive Director for a bipartisan National Commission on R&D, provided non-partisan leadership as a federal agency Senior Executive, worked with the U.S. Navy and Marines on improving organizational adaptability, and aided U.S. Special Operation Command’s J5 Directorate on the challenges of countering disinformation online. He has received both the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award and the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal. David accepted a leadership role in December 2019 to direct the successful bipartisan Commission on the Geopolitical Impacts of New Technologies and Data that included Senator Mark Warner, Senator Rob Portman, Rep. Suzan DelBene, and Rep. Michael McCaul. From 2017 to the start of 2020, David also served as Executive Director for the People-Centered Internet coalition Chaired by Internet co-originator Vint Cerf and was named a Senior Fellow with the Institute for Human-Machine Cognition starting in 2018. Business Insider named him one of the top “24 Americans Who Are Changing the World” under 40 and he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. For twelve different startups, he has served as President, CEO, Chief Strategy Officer, and Strategic Advisor roles.

David’s passions include complicated, near-impossible missions involving humans and technology in challenging circumstances. Through the efforts of a team of “positive change agents”, he led the transformation of the Federal Communication Commission’s legacy IT with more than 207 different systems to award-winning tech. This included rolling out new cloud-based IT that achieved results in 1/2 the time at 1/6 the cost. He was the recipient of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronic Association’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Civilian Government. He also received the global CIO 100 Award twice, which usually is awarded to private sector Fortune 500 companies, both in 2015 and 2017, for his transformational leadership in change-adverse settings. From 2017-2021, he both worked with multiple services associated with the U.S. Department of Defense on improving organizational adaptability and countering disinformation online – including personally surviving a disinformation attack that occurred in 2018. In 2019, he was invited to give the AI World Society Distinguished Lecture to the United Nations on UN Charter Day. In 2025, he was invited to be an expert witness before a public Congressional hearing on AI, specifically to provide both verbal and written testimony as well as answers to questions from members of the U.S. Congress to help inform AI policies.

As Principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures, Dr. Bray’s passions include providing Board-level and CEO-level leadership to different “under the radar” tech and data ventures seeking to get started in novel situations to include activities that shape the Future of Data, Bio, and Space. He provides strategic direction, advice, and leadership to organizations confronting turbulent environments on multiple topics ranging from quantum computing to commercial space endeavors; synthetic biology to data cooperatives paired with AI. He accepted a role of Co-Chair for 2016-2017 with an IEEE Committee focused on Artificial Intelligence, automated systems, and innovative policies globally and has been serving as a Visiting Executive In-Residence at Harvard University since 2015 and as a Faculty Member giving talks on Impact and Disruption at Singularity University since 2017. In 2021 and 2022, he was named a Distinguished Fellow with the Atlantic Council. In 2023, he was named a distinguished Academy Fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration focused on the role of transformative technologies, like AI, on public service. In 2022, the Business Executives for National Security welcomed him as a Distinguished Fellow focused on the intersection of transformative technologies, global collaborations, and over-the-horizon challenges for the future ahead. David has been an invited keynote speaker to CEOs, world leaders, and crowds of more than 3,000 participants at events in India, Vietnam, Australia, Taiwan, Dubai, South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, Belgium, Sweden, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Rob T. Lee is Chief of Research and Chief AI Officer at SANS Institute, where he leads research, mentors faculty, and helps cybersecurity teams and executive leaders prepare for AI and emerging threats. Known as the “Godfather of DFIR,” Rob coined the terms DFIR (digital forensics and incident response) and CTI
(cyber threat intelligence), and helped shape both fields. He built several of SANS’s core courses in digital forensics and incident response, including the flagship threat hunting course, co-created GIAC certifications now used worldwide, developed the SIFT Workstation, the industry standard tool in forensic investigations, and led the development of the AI Cybersecurity Critical Security Controls, helping guide secure AI implementation across critical infrastructure and enterprise systems. A former U.S. Air Force officer and founding member of the first information warfare unit, Rob has led major investigations, advised congressional committees, and trained thousands across the FBI, the military, and Fortune 500 companies. He also serves as a US government FISA Court Technical Advisor on cybersecurity and emerging threats.

The author of The New Adventures of CryptoDad, the Honorable J. Christopher Giancarlo served as the thirteenth chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Considered one of “the most influential individuals in financial regulation,” he also served as a member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, and the Executive Board of the International Organization of Securities Commissions.

Giancarlo is a senior strategic advisor to Patomak Global Advisors. He is also a cofounder and chairman of the Digital Dollar Project, and a board director, advisor, and investor to numerous public and private technology, digital asset, and financial services companies.

Giancarlo has been recognized by Chambers as a leading US attorney for “Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies,” named a “Top Innovator in Financial Markets” by TabbForum, and ranked among the 10 foremost “Crypto Lawyers” by the American Crypto Association. He was appointed Chevalier in the National Order of Merit by French President Macron in recognition of his expertise in cryptofinance.