Federal agency leaders, acquisition officials and technology executives are invited to attend the 2025 Baird Defense & Government Conference on Tuesday, Nov. 18, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in Virginia. The event brings together government and industry decision-makers for a full day of analysis, conversation and collaboration.
Baird leaders told ExecutiveGov that more than 1,500 participants have already registered across both in-person and virtual formats, reflecting strong demand for engagement across the federal and commercial defense ecosystem.
The 2025 conference follows the theme “Innovation, Mission, and Capital Market Convergence,” capturing the intersecting trends shaping modernization across government and national security. The program includes company presentations, fireside chats, panels, dynamic dialogues and detailed briefings from Baird leadership.
How Is Baird Encouraging Federal Leaders to Participate?
Jean Stack, managing director at Baird and Wash100 Award winner, said this year’s conference is designed to strengthen public-private alignment and encouraged government leaders to take part in discussions on modernization, emerging technologies and acquisition reform.
John Song, fellow managing director at Baird and Wash100 Award winner, noted the significance of participation from major commercial technology companies.
Which Federal Leaders Will Be Speaking?
The conference features a wide lineup of current and invited federal officials across defense, acquisition and national security space. There are three main government-focused panels:
AI in Action: Impact on the Battlefield
Susan Davenport, chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, Department of the Air Force
Justin Fanelli, chief technology officer, U.S. Navy
Dr. Alex Miller, chief technology officer, U.S. Army (invited)
Stuart Wagner, chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, U.S. Navy (invited)
Acquisition Reform: Are We There Yet?
Patrick George, senior advisor to the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, U.S. Navy (invited)
Dr. Matthew Willis, director, U.S. Army FUZE
Government Perspectives on National Security Space
Bill Adkins, professional staff member, Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. House of Representatives
Col. Brendan Hochstein, commander, System Delta 89, Space Combat Power, U.S. Space Force
Trey Treadwell, associate director for capabilities, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (invited)
Which Industry Leaders With Federal Reach Will Speak?
Industry voices with significant government partnerships will be featured throughout the event. Tony Frazier, CEO of LeoLabs and Wash100 Award winner; J.D. Parkes, CEO of Parry Labs and Wash100 Award winner; and Shubhi Mishra, founder and CEO of Raft and Wash100 Award winner, will appear across defense technology and innovation sessions.
Van Gurley, CEO of Metron and 4×24 Leadership Group member, will join the session on autonomous maritime technologies alongside leaders from Saronic, Oceaneering and Anduril.
How Will the Conference Address AI’s Growing Role in Government?
The program concludes with “The Reality of AI Today: Perspectives from Technology Leaders,” featuring senior representatives from Anthropic, OpenAI and Google Public Sector. The discussion will explore the mission opportunities and operational impacts of advanced AI across federal agencies.
Stack said the agenda reflects where public-sector modernization is moving.
Federal employees and government partners should apply for registration approval now!
