Shifting the Federal AI Strategy

Doug Beck is the Director at the DIU.

Dr. Tyson Brooks is the Technical Director for the Artifical Intelligence Security Center. Dr. Brooks leds technical efforts to develop and operationalize AI cybersecurity services to prevent and eradicate AI cyber threats. Dr. Brooks collaborates with internal cross-functional teams and throughout the IC/DoD community to ensure the integration of AI security technologies aligns with overall DoD/IC mission goals.

In his prior position, Dr. Brooks was the Technical Director for the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, Fusion Operations Divison. In this role, he supported the technical health of a team of analysts and prototypers performing cyber threat analysis, including identifying new sources of data and methods to track adversary activities in Cyberspace. Dr. Brooks previously worked as a Senior Weapons Engineer in the Weapons Cybersecurity Division where he advised DoD customers in developing security designs and assessing the effectiveness of security solutions against present and projected cyber threats. Dr. Brooks was also the Innovation Portfolio Lead and Deputy Research Liaison for National Security Agency Hawaii (NSAH) and Technical Lead for the former Remote and Deployed (RDO) Information Assurance Operations Team. As the first NSAH Innovation Portfolio Lead, Dr. Brooks implemented and managed NSAH’s Innovation Portfolio program which delivered innovation projects to rapidly solve difficult mission challenges. He also served as the Deputy Research Liaison for the Command Technical Director by supporting research activities with the University of Hawaii while creating strategies for creating research projects for the Agency. Prior to the formation of the Hawaii Innovation Office, Dr. Brooks was the RDO lead for NSAH. In RDO, Dr. Brooks directed projects in searching for sophisticated advanced persistent threat adversaries operating on U.S. Government classified networks integrating advanced hunting passive and active operations. Moreover, Dr. Brooks has led risk assessment teams, designed information systems and performed Blue Team activities to identify vulnerabilities, developed customized mitigation strategies and techniques to secure networks to thwart intrusions of U.S. Government networks. Prior to joining NSA, Dr. Brooks was a cyber-security researcher/penetration tester with various private and public companies for over 10 years.

Jonathan Elliott is the Director of Assurance & Assessment (A2) for the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO). He has more than a decade of experience in T&E of unmanned, autonomous, and AI systems. Previously, Jon was Principal Project Lead and Group Lead at MITRE. He led the federally funded research and development center’s efforts to develop AI Assurance methodologies and, since 2019, worked to stand up the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), now the CDAO. In addition, he served as Chief Engineer for Autonomy, Artificial Intelligence Test (AAIT) Technology, at the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC). In that role, he oversaw development of new science and technology tools to test AI and autonomy. He led multiple large T&E efforts related to AI and autonomy programs and helped architect the T&E of AI Framework, currently implemented at the CDAO. Jon has M.S. and B.S. degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland.

Robin Feldman is an Arthur J. Goldberg Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Law San Francisco.

Mangala Kuppa is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. She is a go-getter with a unique skill set that includes in-depth technical expertise, experience with industry best practices, and exceptional leadership and management skills. As Chief Technology Officer within the Department of Labor’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, she serves as a key advisor to the Chief Information Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officers on the development of short and long-range IT plans for all elements of the enterprise-wide technology environment. This includes providing technology leadership, advice, and guidance throughout the department in planning for implementation of all new or upgraded IT services in a managed architecture program. Mangala also serves as Chief AI Officer and the Director of Technology, Innovation and Engineering, making her responsible for overseeing the development and operations of the department’s Enterprise Data Platform and AI and Machine Language strategies and policies. Mangala previously served as the Department of Labor’s Director of Business Applications Services, where she oversaw the operation, maintenance, and modernization of the department’s mission and business-focused systems.

Capt. Manuel Xavier Lugo is the Division Chief for Core Analytics Products and Senior Military Advisor, OSD CDAO, DOD.

Dr. Rick Muller serves as the Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). As IARPA’s sixth full-time director, he is responsible for implementing high-risk, high-payoff, technically viable research programs to address the Intelligence Community’s most challenging intelligence gaps and provide our nation with an overwhelming intelligence advantage. Prior to joining IARPA, Dr. Muller was senior manager of Quantum and Advanced Microsystems at Sandia National Laboratories and led the Quantum Information Science program there. He also served as the director of Department of Energy’s (DOE) Quantum Systems Accelerator, one of the five centers DOE created under the National Quantum Initiative. From 2016 to 2017, Dr. Muller led the drive for advanced computational capabilities for national security as part of the Joint Program Office for the National Strategic Computing Initiative. Before taking on management roles, his research interests focused on developing computational methods to predict the behavior and applications of novel materials, molecules, and devices. Dr. Muller holds a bachelor’s degree from Rice University and a doctorate from the California Institute of Technology in chemistry. Dr. Muller was raised outside of Chicago and enjoys baking bread, drinking coffee, and spending time with his wife Tess and their son Alex.

James Olguin has over a decade of experience in business development and technology leadership, supporting U.S. federal agencies with their digital transformation initiatives. With expertise in enterprise IT strategy, James specializes in aligning emerging technologies with mission-critical objectives. His work spans high-performance computing, data driven decision making, AI, and cybersecurity, helping agencies enhance operational efficiency, security, and service delivery.

Nav Singh is a seasoned sales executive with over 20 years of experience in information technology and sales, specializing in federal markets and cybersecurity solutions. Currently serving as Business Development Executive at AMD, Nav supports many DoD and Civilian customer missions with AMD, driving customer success through innovative go-to-market strategies aligned with cutting edge technologies.

Previously, Nav held key roles at Fornetix, Aerospike and Dell Technologies, establishing federal business units, managing multi-million-dollar programs, and securing partnerships with leading government agencies. His expertise includes pipeline management, solution selling, and strategic partner development.

A U.S. Navy veteran with extensive leadership experience in diverse environments, Nav is also a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) and holds multiple technical and professional certifications.