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DEFENSE ENTREPRENEURS FORUM

DEF is dedicated to connecting and empowering individuals in the national security community. Through our events, partnerships, and initiatives, we strive to increase the surface area for serendipity and to foster a culture of disruptive collaboration. 
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Annual ​​
Gathering

The Defense Entrepreneurs Forum Annual Gathering unites entrepreneurs, operators, technologists, economists, artists, policymakers, and civic builders shaping national security from the ground up. In an era of AI, autonomy, biotech, and exponential change, DEF 2026 returns to a core principle: technology doesn’t win wars—people do.

OUR MISSION

DEF decentralizes, demystifies, and democratizes national security by making it participatory, community-driven, and accessible.

A COMMUNITY OF DOERS

DEF cultivates and mobilizes informal networks as a strategic capability to solve national security challenges where existing capacity and capabilities fall short. By convening cross-sector changemakers, bridging institutional and independent actors, and operationalizing field insight, DEF empowers unconventional actors to deliver outcomes that strengthen U.S. readiness and resilience.
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STATUS QUO

Explore counter-narrative and unconventional approaches to topics ranging from dual-use technology to funding and recruiting deficiencies through a worldwide network unified in a relentless pursuit for positive impact in national security.

A community is as powerful as the individuals within it. Become a virtuous insurgent.

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