Podcasts

5 Questions with the CEO

Get to know BENS members in these brief conversations with former BENS President, General Joe Votel, exploring the intersection of business and national security. In these interviews, private-sector leaders discuss industry best practices for assisting the national security agencies in executing their missions to keep America secure.

Building the Base

"Building the Base" - an in-depth series of conversations with top entrepreneurs and leaders from tech, financial, industrial, and public sectors.

Our special guests are weighing in on a broad selection of topics such as: shaping our future national security industrial base, leadership in challenging times, experiences related to the intersection of business and national security, and personal anecdotes related to their positions of influence.

Building the base is hosted by our own BENS member Lauren Bedula who is the Managing Director and National Security Technology Practice Lead at Beacon Global Strategies, and BENS Distinguished Fellow, Jim "Hondo" Geurts who retired from performing the duties of the Under Secretary of the Navy and former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition.

Building The Base Logo Box

InFocus is an in-depth series featuring business and national security experts providing insider perspectives on today’s most vexing challenges facing our nation’s security.

The first set of InFocus discussions is Building the Base: unique perspectives on shaping our future national security industrial base during this pivotal time in our Nation’s history. Hear from top entrepreneurs and leaders from the high tech, financial, industrial, and public sectors, as they share their ideas and perspectives about how we can all work better together to ensure our national security and prosperity.

Building the Base conversations are hosted by longtime BENS member and leader of the BENS Technology and Innovation Council Lauren Bedula and former Under Secretary of the Navy and now BENS Distinguished Fellow, Hondo Geurts.

Building the Base Episode 42: Jim Hake

December 19, 2023 Comments Off on Building the Base Episode 42: Jim Hake

In this episode of “Building the Base,” hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts welcome Jim Hake, the founder of Spirit of America, a unique nonprofit organization. The podcast delves into…

Building the Base Episode 41: Dana Deasy

December 6, 2023 Comments Off on Building the Base Episode 41: Dana Deasy

In this episode of “Building the Base,” hosts Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts welcome special guest Dana Deasy, former DOD Chief Information Officer with extensive experience in both the private…

Building the Base Episode 40: Shelly O’Neill Stoneman

November 21, 2023 Comments Off on Building the Base Episode 40: Shelly O’Neill Stoneman

In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts welcome Shelly O’Neill Stoneman, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Lockheed Martin. In the discussion, Shelly shares…

5Qs WCEO Podcast

In this podcast, President, and CEO General Joseph Votel (ret.) interviews private-sector leaders contributing their expertise and industry best practices to help the Department of Defense and other national security agencies execute their missions to keep America secure. The show features short conversations of 10-15 minutes. Speakers include leading BENS members and experts in the topics driving trends in national security, American foreign policy, U.S. resilience, and issues with which the membership is engaging. 

Episode 22: Stephanie Chung

August 2, 2023 Comments Off on Episode 22: Stephanie Chung

In Episode 22 of “5 Questions with the CEO,” General Joe Votel talks with trendsetting aviation executive and BENS member, Stephanie Chung. The first African-American president of an aviation brand,…

Episode 21: Jeremy Hitchcock

July 19, 2023 Comments Off on Episode 21: Jeremy Hitchcock

In Episode 21 of “5 Questions with the CEO,” General Joe Votel talks with the wildly successful start-up genius, Jeremy Hitchcock, BENS member, and co-founder and Partner at New North…

Episode 20: Adam Leslie

July 5, 2023 Comments Off on Episode 20: Adam Leslie

Tune in to Episode 20 as General Votel talks with BENS member Adam Leslie about being a UH-1 helicopter gunship pilot and intel officer in the Australian Army, and his…