

Thought Leadership Dinner "Human Expertise Meets Procurement Intelligence"
Join Us for an Exclusive Evening: Unusual Ventures Thought Leadership Dinner
We’re excited to invite you to an intimate gathering of founders, operators, and government innovation leaders for the Unusual Ventures Thought Leadership Dinner.
You’ll be joining a select group of technology leaders and practitioners, including:
Joe Scheidler, Founder and CEO, Helios
Joseph X. Farsakh, Co-Founder & President, Helios
Niamh O'Donnell, Director of Programs, Unusual Ventures
Additional guests include founders and executives from leading AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and dual-use technology companies.
Venue details will be shared directly with registered attendees.
Human Expertise Meets Procurement Intelligence: The New Playbook for Dual-Use Startups Entering Government
Government demand is often obvious long before the path to capturing it is.
A cybersecurity platform protecting critical infrastructure. An AI company helping analysts process vast volumes of unstructured information. A defense technology company with strong commercial traction. Different markets, same challenge: founders can see government need, but few understand how to navigate the systems that turn interest into revenue.
Procurement pathways, contracting vehicles, stakeholder maps, and policy requirements can make government feel less like a market and more like a maze. Yet the companies succeeding in this environment are learning how to combine deep human expertise with modern intelligence tools to identify opportunities earlier, understand buyers more clearly, and accelerate their path to revenue.
This invitation-only roundtable brings together founders, investors, and operators who have successfully bridged the gap between commercial innovation and public-sector adoption.
Join us as we explore how the next generation of dual-use startups can turn government demand into a meaningful growth channel.