Welcome to the inaugural edition of Noble Insights, our newsletter exploring the intersection of mission, talent, academia, and innovation.

I’m excited to use this newsletter to share stories, insights, and opportunities from our growing community of changemakers.

The Key to Unlocking Innovation

Recently, I participated in a panel on investing in defense at the Technology and National Security Conference hosted by Harvard Business School and MIT’s Sloan School of Business. These panels often focus on how to find the best technologies to support but the real secret to investing in defense tech isn’t the technology—it’s investing in great teams.

What makes these exceptional teams? They speak multiple “languages”—understanding both venture capital metrics and government priorities. They can translate between Silicon Valley speed and Pentagon procurement cycles. They build solutions that make government challenges disappear.

Through our work at NobleReach, we’re not just supporting tech innovation—we’re cultivating these diverse teams through academic partnerships and by connecting talented STEM graduates with government experience early in their careers.

Our innovation ecosystem thrives when we invest in people who embody the values of both worlds. That’s the foundation for breakthroughs our nation needs.

You can read more about how talent drives innovation in a recent blogpost from Brian Hayt, NobleReach’s Director of Business Analytics.

In this newsletter you’ll learn more about:

1. Our latest efforts to invest in this ecosystem including bringing on a Chief Innovation Officer and giving Purdue students exposure to Washington.
2. How you can engage with us to help support the future of innovation and public service.

Where in the World is NobleReach

Clockwise from top left: Arun participates in a SeedAI panel at SXSW, Students participate in our Case Competition with Howard University, Arun takes a break from his conversations at the World Economic Forum to enjoy the views, and NobleReach Staffers pose at our table at the AUTM conference.

Around NobleReach

This month, we were excited to announce that Sreenivas (Sree) Ramaswamy has joined the team full-time as its Chief Innovation Officer. Sree served as senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce from early 2021 to 2024, focusing on emerging technology, supply chain resiliency and industrial policy. Sree is leading our Science to Venture (S2V) program which is a platform to drive local innovation in the national interest.

NobleReach’s Academic Partnerships team recently hosted a remarkable group of undergraduate engineering students from Purdue University at our offices in Tysons as part of their trip to Washington to meet with policymakers and mission-driven organizations. These students are participating in the Engineering Careers in Public Service Seminar—a key part of our growing partnership with Purdue’s College of Engineering, aimed at increasing the number of engineers who pursue careers in public service.

Our Scholars continue to make an impact. Tyse Hipps is currently serving in a yearlong role as a Materials Engineering Specialist at Ozark and recently shared more about his experience with us. We’ve just completed our interviews for this year’s cohort and are truly inspired by the exceptional candidates. The passion and talent of these future changemakers remind us why we’re committed to supporting mission-driven professionals tackling our nation’s most pressing challenges.

How You Can Make a Difference

As we continue to scale our successes, I’m particularly excited about these opportunities for engagement that will reshape how we approach mission-driven innovation:

First, S2V is translating university research into commercial ventures to serve the public good. If you’re involved in university research or early-stage venture development, we want to connect.

Connect with S2V

Second, we have expanded the Scholars Program to include state and local governments across the country. If you work for a state or locality who could benefit from access to top talent in Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Business Process Innovation, Cybersecurity, or Materials & Manufacturing, we’d love to hear from you.

Host a Scholar

I look forward to sharing more updates about our work and our ideas about speeding up American innovation in the months to come. If there are issues you want to hear more from us on or potential areas for partnership, we are always happy to connect. Just reply to this email and we’ll be in touch!