Programs

Gutenberg is DEF’s writing collaborative, helping intrapreneurs share their ideas with a broader audience. This program continues the DEF tradition of creating a culture of innovation in the national security community by helping our members make an impact with the written word.

The Gutenberg program partners with aspiring authors to develop concepts, edit drafts, and promote their work through publication. DEF prides itself on producing tangible solutions. Sometimes this means creating a new product or cutting through red tape. At other times this means developing a new process, theory, or paradigm. Gutenberg helps take ideas from conceptualization through the writing process, editing, pitching, and eventual publication.

DEF members bring a concept, or a group of concepts, to the Gutenberg team. This initial degree of development ranges from a short conversation to an outline to an initial draft of a paper. Gutenberg helps the participant refine the concept, define their audience and intended impact, pick a publisher, write and pitch the paper, and market it after publication.

The Firestarter Fellowship encourages the work of intrapreneurs on the leading edge of solving the most critical challenges in national security innovation. We identify and invest in individuals and ideas that have the potential to positively impact defense and national security missions. We connect directly to individuals, creating new opportunities for those who might not otherwise be able to pursue projects and ideas that could deliver results.

Fellowship Process

Each year we select a group of fellows who have ideas and projects with the potential to make a positive difference. Firestarter applicants pitch DEF on a project to develop a prototype which meets a unique need in the national security community.

Phase 1

Over the course of 6 months, selected Fellows receive tailored mentorship, advocacy, and initial funding up to $1,000 to develop their idea into a tangible solution. Firestarter Fellowship funding is used for the Fellows’ in support of their proposed project and its impact. Fellows meet twice a month to discuss project development, challenges and successes, along with the opportunity to participate in mentoring sessions and virtual roundtables with other thinkers in the national security space.

Phase 2

Fellows present project outcomes to the community at the DEF annual conference, and those projects with results and the highest potential for community impact are then selected for additional funding and sponsorship through the network of donors and leaders supporting our virtuous insurgency.

DEF’s innovation consultancy seeks to channel the power of the DEF network into tangible solutions. The name Hopper is an homage to the legendary Rear Admiral, Dr. Grace Hopper, who was known as “Admiral of the Cyber Sea,” a remarkable woman who programmed the first DoD computers. She dedicated her life and career to keeping the United States on the cutting edge of high technology, underpinned by her belief that maintaining the status quo was not sufficient. Like Admiral Hopper, DEF doesn’t believe we can continue doing things the same because “we’ve always done it that way.”

Hopper brings the innovation, inspiration, and expertise of future national security leaders to decision-makers. From computer scientists to military operators to defense strategists, Hopper leverages hundreds of mid-career professionals from the U.S. government, NGOs, and private institutions, bringing their expertise to refine complex problems and develop solutions, policy, or plans.

A DEF member or sponsor from within the national security enterprise brings their discrete challenge, providing a synopsis of the challenge, a commitment of necessary resources, and the desired output (report, prototype, or plan). Hopper curates the problem, identifies relevant experts, plans a project timeline, and facilitates workshops that address all aspects of the problem. Ultimately, a Hopper project’s leads prepare a final deliverable and present their findings to the sponsor.