July 17th, 2026
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July 17th, 2026
San Francisco
about the series

The Navy x Demand Signal brings together the Department of the Navy’s (DON) senior innovation and acquisition leaders to engage directly with startups, investors, and industry. Through three invite-only gatherings, this series will feature curated, off-the-record conversations focused on the Navy and Marine Corps’ priority problem sets, emerging acquisition pathways, and how private capital and industry can partner more effectively given the recent announcement of the DON Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO).

schedule
July 17, 2026
8:30am
-
4:00pm
PT
Opening Session
8:30am - Registration Opens & Networking (30 min)
9:05am - Welcome Remarks and Announcements (10 min)
Vice Admiral Seiko Okano
Principal Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN(RD&A))
PART I: The Department of the Navy’s Demand Signal
9:15am - PAE Aviation: Delivering Speed, Relevance, and Scale (15 min)
9:30am - PAE RAS: Scaling Robotics and Autonomous Systems (15 min)
9:45am - PAE Marine: Advancing Contested Logistics, Ground Systems, and Expeditionary Warfare (15 mins)
10:00am – Cross-PAE Discussion: The Navy’s Hardest Operational Problems (50 mins)
Lunch Break
11:00am – Working Lunch // Conversations (60 min)
Informal working lunch
PART II: The Builders and Investors’ Response
12:00pm – Conversation with Erin Price-Wright, Partner at a16z (30 min)
12:30pm – Roundtable Discussion: Scaling Autonomous Systems for Contested Maritime Environments (50 min)
Facilitator: Morgan Hitzig
General Partner, Overmatch Ventures
1:20pm – Coffee Break // Transition (10 mins)
Brief refreshment break
1:30pm – Roundtable Discussion: The Connective Tissue: Building for the Kill Web (50 min)
Facilitator: Morgan Hitzig
General Partner, Overmatch Ventures
2:20pm – Closing Remarks (10 min)
Brian MacCarthy
Founder & Managing Partner, Booz Allen Ventures
2:30pm – Reception & Networking (90 min)
Happy hour cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
co-hosts
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