Financing the Next Arsenal of Democracy: Growth Credit for Small Business
November 17, 2025 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EST
| Share:
Register for our debut panel in the Financing the Next Arsenal of Democracy series, Growth Credit for Small Business.
America’s national security ecosystem is changing—and how we utilize capital will define its future. As part of our Mobilizing Private Capital for National Security campaign, BENS is launching a panel series, Financing the Next Arsenal of Democracy, where private capital, government, and defense leaders explore how innovative financing tools can scale America’s defense industrial capacity.
In this candid conversation and debut panel, Growth Credit for Small Business, we will discuss financing defense-tech companies with BENS Board Member Frank Finelli of The Carlyle Group, Michael Bruno of Elros Capital, and a leading venture capital guest.
Panelists will dive into how government-supported credit programs—such as the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) and SBIC Critical Technology (SBICCT) initiatives—are helping lower the cost of capital for companies developing critical defense technologies.
During the conversation, we will:
-
take a concise look at the venture landscape in defense and the key financing gaps that constrain scale-up capital for small and mid-sized national security firms
-
discuss the economics and mechanics of structuring SBIC/SBICCT funds and how practitioners engage with DoD and the Office of Strategic Capital to de-risk investments, and
-
explore the path to make these financing mechanisms more accessible to small and mid-sized businesses developing critical technologies.
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage (in person or virtually) as we ramp up our Mobilizing Private Capital campaign. In-person guests are invited to stay afterward for additional networking opportunities.
Cost: $Free
Organizer:
Registration
More Events
Lunch Discussion on AI and the Battlefield
Please join BENS for a luncheon with Hallie Stern, Researcher, Human-Signal Dynamics (Independent), where she will discuss AI, integration, and it’s impact on the battlefield (something we are seeing integrated daily). Come listen and interact with Hallie at another great BENS SE offering. Speaker Background Hallie Stern works at the intersection of emerging technology, security operations, and institutional decision-making in contested environments. Her work focuses on how technical signals—across digital, informational, and operational domains—are generated, interpreted, and acted upon under…
Report Launch: America’s National Security Vulnerability, Generic Drug Manufacturing & Biotech Innovation
Join a hybrid discussion marking the release of our new report, America’s National Security Vulnerability: Generic Drug Manufacturing & Biotechnology Innovation. While generic drugs account for more than 90 percent of U.S. prescriptions, the vast majority of their active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and key starting materials (KSMs) are produced overseas, often in geopolitically sensitive environments. Persistent drug shortages, limited surge capacity, and strategic chokepoints now present risks that extend well beyond public health to economic resilience and national security. During…
Luncheon with BENS President and CEO Gen. Timothy Ray
Join BENS President and CEO General Timothy M. Ray, USAF (ret.), for a lunch where he will provide an update on the organization, our three current campaigns (Mobilizing Private Capital, Strengthening Supply Chains, and Homeland Resilience and Response), and discuss progress on the roadmap implementation. Gen. Ray will also answer questions about recent events and the state of our national defense.
REFUNDS: Event Registration Fees are fully refundable up to 3 business days before the event. After that time, they are non-refundable as BENS has already incurred the expense of registration. Contact your Regional Director, the event coordinator, or email BENS@bens.org to withdraw from an event and begin the refund process. For additional information on refunds and payment policies, please visit our payment information page.