Creative Defense Foundation

The Creative Defense Foundation (CDF) is dedicated to harnessing entrepreneurial innovators for defense innovation.

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Thank you to every sponsor, speaker, and innovator who made #DisruptorsByTheLakes a success. Over the past two days, government, industry, and capital came together to share ideas and challenge assumptions. The conference may be over, but the mission continues. 💪

Next stop: #DisruptorsInTheDesert in Palm Springs. Stay tuned!

[Jennifer McArdle @jlmcardle01]

Armies mobilize in days and weeks. Factories mobilize in years. That’s a losing model for credible deterrence and it’s time to change it.

I had a great time speaking at the 2026 @Creative_Def #DisruptorsbytheLakes. My core takeaway: mass production in defense must be software-first. When hardware is built to evolve at software speed, software absorbs the complexity that typically bottlenecks hardware, unlocking true manufacturing scale and agility.

Incredibly proud of the stellar @HelsingAI team for turning this model into reality. We invested $50M in West Virginia and are bringing a factory online in under three months to produce 2,000 battle proven HX-2 strike drones per month.

Credible deterrence isn’t established by blueprints; it’s proven by what we can deliver at sustained speed and scale.

Onward! 🚀

[Rep. Ken Calvert @KenCalvert]

By supporting our manufacturing base we provide jobs for working class Americans while ensuring we have the ability to domestically build the tools to sustain our national security.

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Day 2 of #DisruptorsByTheLakes 🫡

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Member @RepEllzey: Entrepreneurs, risk takers, our warfighters, legislators — we all share a common commitment to public service. This commitment includes ensuring our warfighters have the assets to deter conflict or threats. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman @KenCalvert: We are trying to bring manufacturing back to the United States. The Civil Reserve Manufacturing initiative will be important to achieving that objective. U.S. entrepreneurship will also be integral to building our industrial capacity and sustaining a resilient supply chain. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Beth Richardson @CanCGRichardson]

Substantive discussions on transatlantic defense at a pivotal moment here at @Creative_Def’s 2026 conference. Thx to Minnesota @BettyMcCollum04 for her leadership on security and defense.

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Dr. Jenny McCardle, General Manager, US for @HelsingAI: Designing for manufacturability up front is the only way forward to manufacture for mass. Our design team works hand in glove with production the moment we start developing a new attritable system. This allows us to make design decisions that drive subcomponents and cost down and strip out significant assembly time. It also ensures the production process is simple, allowing us to train people off the street in 1.5 days and invest in Americans to build. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Lukas Czinger, CEO of @Divergent__Tech: What do we need to be successful in providing end systems at scale? We need to pair resiliency with scale, using tools that can multitask to make a cruise missile, an auto part, or a fuselage. The factory needs to be agnostic to the end project and able to adapt rapidly. That is how we add value to our partners and the warfighter. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Dr Artie Mabbett, CEO of North Wind: One of the problems we see a lot with legacy providers is how to facilitate the sharing of data and knowledge to raise the bar across the community. For things like hypersonics, which is a top national priority, we have to allow new tools and models to democratize the information environment while still respecting IP. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Jeb Nadaner, Senior VP of Air: Congress and the Department's leadership have given the authorities and powers that are needed, but there is still a gap among some of the mid-level resource managers in how to maximize these tools to unleash innovation. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

John Conafay, CEO of @integrate_co: The problem is that we don’t have the connective tissue that allows collaboration between government customers, suppliers, and interested parties to break down bottlenecks between organizations. This would allow rapid, dynamic innovation. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

Bernie Gauf, CEO of IDT: The speed at which you can deliver results through automation and AI will only get faster. The profound impact of the National Security Prototype to Production OT Consortium (NSPPC) will allow you to push those innovations in real time. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

.@RepFinstad: We have seen huge leaps in the last few years to bring innovation to the warfighter, and we are committed to providing the time, the effort, and the sweat to keep the momentum going. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors

[Creative Defense Foundation @Creative_Def]

.@BettyMcCollum04: We know that to bring innovation to the warfighter, we need to go beyond talk and take decisive steps to change the culture at the department. #DisruptorsByTheLakes #CreativeDisruptors