Speakers

Charlie Cleveland is a retired Major General with 34 years of experience in the Army, Joint Special Operations, and the Intelligence Community. His final role while on active duty was as the Director of Operations and Military Deputy Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency where he provided leadership, oversight, and management of the Agency’s worldwide collection and analysis operations. During earlier assignments within the Joint Special Operations Command, the Joint Staff, and the Offices of the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, he served in multiple war zones and held strategic positions directly supporting Defense and Intelligence Community leadership. He is currently a Senior Counselor at Palantir Technologies, a Principal at Pallas Advisors, and a board member of Vigilant Torch, a veteran focused, non-profit foundation.

Col Kenny Jones graduated from Texas A&M University in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science. He was commissioned via the NROTC program as a 2nd Lieutenant in May 1999.

Upon completing The Basic School in January 2000, he proceeded to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for the Field Artillery Basic Officer Course, graduating in July 2000. He was then assigned to Kilo Battery, 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines, where he served as a Forward Observer.

In January 2001, he was attached to Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines as the Artillery Liaison Officer. In September 2001, the battalion deployed with the 26th MEU to the Mediterranean and later joined Task Force 52 during the initial stages of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Upon returning from this deployment in May 2002, he was assigned to India Battery, 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines as the Executive Officer. In March 2003, his battery was attached to 1st Battalion, 11th Marines in Kuwait for the invasion of Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He returned to CONUS in June 2003.

In July 2003, he was assigned as the Operations Officer in the Casualty Section at Manpower & Reserve Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps. In August 2006, he was selected to attend the Expeditionary Warfare School, where he graduated with distinction in June 2007.

In July 2007, he was assigned as the Commanding Officer, Headquarters Battery, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan. In May 2008, he took command of C Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines at Camp Pendleton, California. Then, in May 2009, he joined the 26th Brigade Military Training Team as the Fire and Effects Coordinator. In October 2009, he deployed to the Nineveh Province of Iraq, where the team mentored, trained, and operated with the 26th Brigade, 2nd Division of the Iraqi Army. He returned to 1st Battalion, 11th Marines in April 2010.

In May 2010, he was sent to Officer Candidate School as a summer augment to serve as the Commanding Officer of Kilo Company, a Platoon Leaders Course-Junior company. Then, in October 2010, he reported to the Office of Legislative Affairs, Headquarters Marine Corps, where he began the orientation program for the Calendar Year 2011 Congressional Fellows. In January 2011, he joined the personal staff of Congressman Duncan Hunter, 52nd District, California, in the House of Representatives. In January 2012, he proceeded to Combat Development & Integration, where he served as Legislative Liaison on the Deputy Commandant's Staff.

In January 2014, he was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines as the Executive Officer. He then moved up to the 12th Marine Regiment in January 2016, serving as the Assistant Operations Officer. In May 2016, he was assigned to Plans, Policies, and Operations at Headquarters Marine Corps, where he served as the Artillery Advocate until May 2017. On 14 June 2017, he assumed command of 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, at Camp Lejeune, NC.

From July 2019 to June 2020, he attended the Eisenhower School, National Defense University, graduating with a Master of Arts in National Security Resourcing Strategy. He then served as Military Faculty at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College from June 2020 to June 2021.

In July 2021, he was assigned to the Joint Staff J-35 in Norfolk, VA, where he served as the Plans, Policy, and Technology Division Chief until July 2023. Following this assignment, he returned to the Marine Corps to serve as the G-32/39, Fires and Effects Coordinator on the II MEF Command Element from July 2023 to May 2025.

His personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with four gold stars, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon with gold star. He has been married to his wife, Lyndsay, for 23 years and has three daughters: Elizabeth (22), Ashleigh (19), and Addison (16).

Rear Adm. Mattis, from Fullerton, CA, graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD in 1994 and Oxford University, England in 1996 as a FitzGerald Scholar. At sea, Mattis qualified in submarines, as a nuclear engineer and as a ballistic missile officer while serving on USS HENRY M. JACKSON (SSBN 730)(GOLD). He also deployed aboard USS ALABAMA (SSBN 731)(GOLD) and USS COLUMBUS (SSN 762) during his Junior Officer tour from 1998-2000. 

Ashore, Mattis served on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, DC as an Assistant for Political-Military Affairs in 1994 and at the Naval Satellite Operations Center (NAVSOC), Point Mugu, CA from 2000-2002 as Satellite Operations Department Head and later Operations Director (N3/5/6). He transitioned to the Navy Reserve in 2003.

In the Navy Reserve, Mattis’ command tours include: Post-Major Command as Deputy Commander, NR Readiness and Mobilization Command (REDCOM) San Diego, NR Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) Space and Unmanned Systems West, NR Commander, THIRD Fleet (C3F) Headquarters (HQ), and NR Undersea Warfare Detachment, Salt Lake City. He also served at NR Undersea Warfare Operations Detachment Port Hueneme as Chief Staff Officer and as the Submarine Force Reserve Component Operational Planning Competency Lead, NR Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command (NMAWC) as Executive Officer, Operations Officer and Administrative Officer, and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) 0466 as Operations Officer. 

Returning to Active Duty in 2008-2009, Mattis, trained in Army Civil Affairs and deployed to Baghdad, Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in support of the XVIII Airborne Corps/Multi-National Corps-Iraq (MNC-I) serving as MNC-I C9 (Civil Military Operations) Effects Assessment Officer, working as an Operational Level of War (OLW) planner for Non-Kinetic Effects, evaluating civil capacity across Iraq and coordinating assessments with the Department of State Office. In 2020 Mattis returned to Active Duty supporting OPNAV N7 as the Space, Information Warfare and Integrated Fires Lead for the Tri-Service Maritime Strategy and led COVID-19 relief efforts in Los Angeles (LA) as the shore OIC and later Commander, Task Force-LA. He returned to Active Duty again in 2021-2022, serving as Director, Navy Space Command (NAVSPACE), leading the stand-up of NAVSPACE as the Navy Service Component to US Space Command (USSPACECOM). Mattis assumed his current roles as Director, Strategic Effects for Commander U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa and Commander, CTF-66 in October 2023.

Mattis’ awards include the Legion of Merit (3), Bronze Star Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal (4). He is a graduate of USMC Command and Staff College and Joint Forces Staff College Joint Professional Military Education programs, National Defense University Reserve Component National Security Course, Naval War College Executive Level OLW Course and Naval Postgraduate School Navy Senior Leader Seminar. He is a Joint Qualified Officer and qualified as an Information Warfare (Space Cadre) Officer.

Brig. Gen. Shannon O’Harren is the Deputy Director for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations on the Joint Staff. As DDISRO, he provides recommendations to the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for ISR asset allocation and authorities. He optimizes risk mitigation strategies with services, combatant commanders, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and interagency partners while utilizing modeling and simulation techniques to inform ISR operational employment decisions.

Brig. Gen. O’Harren earned his commission in 1992 as a graduate of the ROTC program at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is a career Intelligence Officer and served as a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Military Liaison Officer and aircrew member. He has since held numerous key staff positions at the unit, operational, combatant command, Joint Staff and Office of the Secretary of Defense levels. He has directed and commanded specialty joint and interagency teams and supported numerous overseas contingency operations.

Prior to his current position, he served simultaneously as Military Deputy of the Secretary of Defense Anomalous Health Incidents Cross Functional Team and Mobilization Assistant to the Commander, Sixteenth Air Force.

Jeffrey Payne is an Assistant Professor at the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies. He pilots the Center’s maritime security programming, including its ongoing series devoted to the Indian Ocean Region and wider Indo-Pacific. In addition, he leads engagements on China’s interests throughout the NESA Center area of responsibility.

Professor Payne conducts analysis on Chinese foreign policy, Indian Ocean Regional affairs, and maritime security. He is particularly interested in the intersection of maritime security and strategic competition in the Indian Ocean, as well as in how technology and information can assist in furthering security cooperation. His work informs United States Combatant Commands, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and interagency efforts inside the United States government. Professor Payne takes part in United States government efforts relating to Maritime Domain Awareness and helps facilitate internal discussions across bureaucratic seams existing in the Indian Ocean. He has presented before international conclaves, security forums, and defense institutions in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia.

Prior to joining the NESA Center, he served as an Instructor of Political Science at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana and did his graduate studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

Maj. Gen. Brian Sidari is Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence at United States Space Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virgina. In this capacity, he serves as the Senior Intelligence Officer to the Chief of Space Operations and is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Space Operations for intelligence policy, oversight and guidance of Space Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. He exercises overall responsibility for the Space Force Intelligence Community Element, which is the 18th member of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Additionally, he serves as Chief, Service Cryptologic Component with delegated authorities from the Director of the National Security Agency and Head of U.S. Space Force’s Geospatial Intelligence Element.

Maj. Gen. Sidari commissioned through Reserve Officer Training Corps from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. He has held numerous operational and staff tours, featuring joint and combined service in multiple theaters. He transferred from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Space Force in June 2021.

Prior to his current assignment, Maj. Gen. Sidari served as the Director of Intelligence, United States Space Command, Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.

May Casterline is Director of Solutions Architecture at NVIDIA, helping teams apply deep learning and AI to real-world problems. At NVIDIA she leads a team of engineers and data scientists on strategic engagements for public sector working with systems integrators and government customers to integrate NVIDIA technology and AI into their solutions. With a PhD in imaging science focused on remote sensing, she brings hands-on experience spanning image science, applied AI, technical leadership, and product-driven delivery.

David Gauthier brings over 28 years of experience in U.S. national security as an intelligence officer, technology innovator, and strategic leader. He is currently the Chief Strategy Officer of GXO, Inc., helping space industry innovators support national security missions. Mr. Gauthier is also a Senior Associate with the Center for Strategic Intelligence Studies (CSIS) and a Fellow with the National Security Institute at George Mason University. 

Mr. Gauthier served in the Senior Executive Service (SES) for nine years at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), leading organizations such as Commercial Operations, Strategic Operations, Persistent GEOINT, and Activity-Based Intelligence. He was the first-ever Chair of the Intelligence Community’s Commercial Space Council and over his career led efforts at NGA, ODNI, DIA, and the U.S. Air Force.

Mr. Gauthier earned M.S. degrees in both Aerospace Engineering and Telecommunications Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He is the recipient of several awards including a National Intelligence Professional Award, Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, and the Presidential Rank Award. 

Katrina Mulligan is Head of National Security Partnerships at OpenAI, where she leads work with U.S. government partners on the safe and effective deployment of frontier artificial intelligence systems. She operates at the nexus of technology, policy, and national security, helping leaders understand and apply emerging AI capabilities to mission-critical challenges. Before joining OpenAI, Katrina held senior roles across government and the nonprofit sector, including at the White House, the Pentagon, the Department of Justice, and the Intelligence Community. In those positions, she managed the White House’s response to the Snowden disclosures, supported counterterrorism efforts following Benghazi and the Boston Marathon bombings, and oversaw Special Operations policy.  At OpenAI, she partners with national security agencies to explore how AI can advance outcomes while reinforcing safety and governance. A frequent speaker on the implications of AI for strategy, security, and society, Katrina is committed to ensuring that these powerful technologies are developed and deployed to benefit humanity.

Sean Wohltman is the Global Head of Cloud Geography at Google, where he leads a specialized engineering team dedicated to maximizing the impact of Google Earth AI and Google Maps Platform.

Sean's focus is empowering developers and scientists across the public and private sectors to leverage Google's geospatial technologies for groundbreaking work. With a career spanning over 20 years at the intersection of geography and cloud architecture, including his current role at Google since 2008, has been instrumental in shaping how organizations use geographic information science. Prior to Google, Sean honed his expertise as a geospatial analyst at The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). He holds both a B.S. and an M.S. in Geographic Information Science from Virginia Tech.

Silas Ahn is the Director of US Defense and Intelligence Sales at Planet Federal, where he has developed and delivered innovative solutions to the U.S. Department of War 

Silas is a retired naval officer with extensive experience in intelligence, international relations and defense cooperation, with over a decade living and working in military and diplomatic posts across the Indo-Pacific region. Silas served as the defense attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore; as the assistant intelligence officer at U.S. Seventh Fleet in Japan; as the naval attaché at the American Institute in Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan; and at U.S. Pacific Command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He also served various tours in Italy, Liberia, the Pentagon, and Little Creek, Virginia. 

Silas has a master of arts in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Oxford, and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the US Naval Academy. He and his wife, Jacqueline, and their three children, Coco, Ezra and Vita, reside in Northern Virginia.

Robert is Chief Strategist and Chairman of the Board at Planet Federal where he is responsible for supporting strategic decision-making for future products and services, driving meaningful partnerships, and increasing the utility of commercial innovations for global government agencies. Robert also serves as an active member of the Planet Labs PBC Executive Team. Robert has a distinguished career as former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) from 2014-2019, where he successfully transformed the Agency’s future value proposition through innovative partnerships with the growing commercial geospatial marketplace. Prior to NGA, Robert served in leadership positions with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. From 2010 to 2014, Robert managed, edited, and delivered the President’s Daily Brief to President Obama and Vice President Biden – over 1400 editions – while also serving on the Deputies Committee of the National Security Council.

Brock currently leads Planet’s Global Business Development team aligning Planet’s solutions to D&I Customers top mission needs.  Prior to joining Planet, Brock served fifteen years in the US Intelligence Community with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He was promoted to Senior Executive Service in 2019, serving in roles leading the IC’s resource, acquisition, and strategy functions to advance development of future capabilities; overseeing the IC’s requirements and planning, programming, and budgeting processes; and leading the IC’s partnership with the National Security Council and DoD that fundamentally reshaped the US government approach to space. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University; a Master’s degree from George Washington University; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Fellowship.  Brock lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Joanna, sons Jude and Ollie, and their dog Rusty

Ashley Fieglein Johnson is Planet’s President and Chief Financial Officer. Previously, Ashley was the Chief Financial Officer of Wealthfront Inc. from June 2015 to February 2020, as well as the Chief Operating Officer from June 2016 to February 2020. Prior to that, she was the Chief Financial Officer at ServiceSource from January 2013 to October 2014, the interim Chief Executive Officer at ServiceSource from October 2014 to December 2014, and the Chief Customer Officer from January 2015 to May 2015. She holds a BA in International Relations and an MA in International Policy Studies from Stanford University.

Will Marshall is Chairman, Co-Founder & CEO of Planet. Will is a scientist-turned-entrepreneur with extensive experience building and leading teams in the technology space, at NASA and now at Planet, having grown the team from the garage to a public company of over 800 people. He oversees the vision, product and business strategy - carrying out Planet’s mission, as written into the Public Benefit Corporation charter, to accelerate humanity toward a more sustainable and secure world. Will was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and serves on the board of the Open Lunar Foundation. Prior to Planet, Will was a Scientist at NASA/USRA where he helped formulate the Small Spacecraft Office at NASA Ames Research Center, worked as a systems engineer on lunar orbiter mission “LADEE” and a member of the science team for the lunar impactor mission “LCROSS”, served as Co-Principal Investigator on PhoneSat, and was the technical lead on research projects in space debris remediation. Will holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Oxford and a Masters in Physics with Space Science and Technology from the University of Leicester. He was also a Postdoctoral Fellow at George Washington University and Harvard.

Darius Pirzadeh is the Senior Director of Product for Global Defense and Intelligence Solutions at Planet, where he leads the development of platforms that transform large-scale Earth observation data into operational intelligence for government and security organizations worldwide.

Darius is a former U.S. Army officer with deep experience in intelligence and joint operations. He began his career with the 82nd Airborne Division before transitioning to Military Intelligence, serving with 10th Special Forces Group and later the 704th Military Intelligence Brigade in support of the National Security Agency. He deployed to Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve.