2025 Air and Space Summit | Potomac Officers Club
RegisterWHAT
Air and space defense is a critical component of national security, and it’s increasingly essential in the looming Great Power Competition era. With the increasing sophistication of threats, the need for advanced defense capabilities in the air and space domains has never been more urgent. The Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Defense Summit will provide invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, helping attendees understand the strategic importance of air and space defense and how to contribute to its advancement.
Keynote Speakers
Speakers
David Broadbent
President Government Solutions
Intelsat
Steven Butow
Military Deputy
Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
Robert Conrad
President of Kepler Communications US
Kepler Communications
Dr. Lisa Costa
Senior National Security Executive, VC Partner
Squadra Ventures
Leigh Dow
CMO & Head of Public Affairs
Mattermost
Dr. Arthur Grijalva
SpaceWERX Director
U.S. Space Force
Greg Heckler
Director, Commercial Communications Services Division, Space Communications and Navigation Program
National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
Andy Henson
Senior Vice President, Innovation Factory
SAIC
Stacey Hirata
Chief of Military Programs Integration Division
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Cameron Holt
President, Exiger Government Solutions
Exiger
Justin Kasper
Chief of Technology
BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC
Shubhi Mishra
Founder & CEO
Raft
Col. Alexander Rasmussen
Chief of the Tracking Layer
Space Development Agency (SDA)
Peter Schemmel
Deputy Chief, Space Communications and Spectrum Management Office & Manager, Communications Services Project (CSP)
NASA Glenn Research Center
Agenda
| 7:00am | 8:00am | Networking Reception |
| 8:00am | 8:10am | Welcome & Opening Remarks |
| 8:10am | 8:45am | Opening Keynote |
| 8:45am | 9:20am | Morning Keynote: Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy |
| 9:20am | 9:50am | Networking Break |
| 9:50am | 10:50am | Panel A: Mission Integration: A Novel Approach to Driving Warfighter Outcomes: Dr. Arthur Grijalva, Cameron Holt, Stacey Hirata, Andy Henson |
| 9:50am | 10:50am | Panel B: Breaking Barriers: Optical Data Relay to Modernize Space Communications: Robert Conrad (Moderator), Greg Heckler, Steven Butow, and Peter Schemmel |
| 10:50am | 11:00am | Break |
| 11:00am | 12:00pm | Panel A: Winning with Data: Outpacing China through AI, Integration, and New Primes: Shubhi Mishra (Moderator) |
| 11:00am | 12:00pm | Panel B: The New Space Race: Can Technology Outpace Emerging Threats?: David Broadbent (Moderator), Col Alexander Rasmussen and Dr. Lisa Costa. |
| 12:00pm | 1:00pm | Networking Lunch |
| 12:10pm | 1:00pm | Golden Dome: Advancing Integrated Defense Through Industry Collaboration: Cameron Holt (Moderator) |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | Panel A: Modernizing Mission Communication in BYOD Environments: Leigh Dow (Moderator) |
| 1:00pm | 2:00pm | Panel B: Powering Through: Resilient Energy Architectures for Sustained Space Operations: Justin Kasper (Moderator) |
| 2:00pm | 2:30pm | Networking Break |
| 2:30pm | 3:05pm | Afternoon Keynote: Gen. Michael Guetlein |
| 3:05pm | 3:40pm | Closing Keynote: Lt. Gen. Heath Collins |
| 3:40pm | 3:45pm | Closing Comments |
