Demystifying the U.S. Air Force: How Business Development Mercenaries Win & Deploy Tech To The Warfighter
Join us for a bold, unfiltered fireside chat where Lt Col (ret) Josh “BK” Burger and Chris Wimmer reveal the real mechanics of winning in defense. The hidden decision pathways, the cultural landmines, the dealmaking tactics, and the battlefield stories will all be told by seasoned business development mercenaries.
Designed for startups building technology for national security, this conversation tears down the myths around U.S. Air Force acquisition, exposes the unwritten rules that govern program offices, and shows startups how to move with speed, precision, and tactical clarity to secure contracts, transition capability, and ultimately get technology into the hands of the warfighter.
Attendee Benefit: first 20 registrants receive a free Treble One InsightsTM report - an introductory business development playbook for startups looking to deploy technology with the U.S. Air Force
Biographies -
Lt Col (ret) Joshua “BK” Burger - Vice President for Strategy and Growth for Treble One and has over 20 years' experience in government engineering and program management, including Major Defense Acquisition Programs in ISR, Unmanned Aerial Systems, and Executive Airlift; Rapid acquisition in the intelligence community; Science and Technology leadership in Lasers Effects and Combustion Research; and Headquarters Air Force as a Program Element Monitor and Executive Officer. Areas of experience include Propulsion, Lasers, Unmanned Systems, Enterprise Information Technology, Defensive Cyber, Commercial Derivative Aircraft, High Speed Transport, Hypersonics, Modular Open Systems Architectures, Multi-Attribute Decision Analysis, Systems Engineering, PPBE, USAF Organizational Equities, Operational Warfare Planning, Small Business Innovative Research and Congressional/Executive Communications.
Prior to joining Treble One, BK served as an active duty Air Force officer. His 20 year career culminated in a tour as the Air Vehicle Program Manager for VC-25B (The Next Air Force One) and the Director of the Vector Initiative. Josh holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Wright State University, an MS in Systems Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, and MA in National Defense and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He is a graduate of the Maritime Advanced Warfighters School and is a thought leader in the USAF innovation ecosystem.
Chris Wimmer - Vice President for Business Development for Treble One and has over 15 years’ experience in venture capital, startup leadership, government business capture, technology transition, and product development. He has built and managed multiple defense tech accelerator programs and has helped numerous dual-use companies secure millions of dollars in non-dilutive funding and private investment. His areas of experience include enterprise software, defensive cyber, artificial intelligence, space systems, biotechnology and wearables, advanced materials, and human performance. Chris has worked extensively across the S&T, Acquisition, and Operational communities within the U.S. Department of Defense, including digital engineering with the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate and Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Training Directorate; biotechnology and wearable systems with AFRL's Human Performance Wing; cyber initiatives with AFLCMC’s Cyber & Networks Directorate; intelligence efforts with AFRL’s Sensors and Information Directorate's; and advanced biomaterials with AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. He has also collaborated with leading defense primes including RTX, Lockheed Martin, Honeywell, SNC, L3Harris, and moderated panels with government relations firms and top defense tech private investors. Additionally, Chris has served as an industry judge for the Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) Summit.
Prior to joining Treble One, Chris was a Senior Managing Director with a global venture capital firm and startup accelerator operating across 35 cities and recognized by Fast Company as a Best Workplace for Innovators. He has advised major universities on technology commercialization strategies, served as an Industry Advisor to George Mason University’s Bioengineering Alliance and the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interaction (CASBBI), and supported the launch of multiple new ventures in partnership with leading U.S. research institutions.