Meet Christopher Knapp, retired Navy officer, defense technology leader, and Chief Engagement Officer of the Uncrewed Warrior Foundation, in this insightful episode of TheMilVet Podcast. It is a conversation about unconventional career paths, military transition, purpose after service, and finding your place in the rapidly evolving world of defense technology. Chris shares his remarkable journey from enlisting in the Navy as a journalist at 17 years old to becoming a Naval Flight Officer, ser...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins speaks with Ryan Manion, CEO of the Travis Manion Foundation, about leadership, loss, veteran transition, and finding purpose after service. TMF was founded by Ryan’s mother, Janet Manion, in honor of her son, Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, who was killed in Iraq in 2007. Ryan discusses how TMF has grown into a national organization that supports veterans and families of the fallen through programs centered on leadership, service, mentors...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Clark Yuan, Founder and CEO of Stitch3D, United States Army Veteran, and West Point graduate. Clark shares his journey from growing up in a Taiwanese military family to serving as a Military Intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, and ultimately transitioning into entrepreneurship and defense tech innovation. Clark discusses how his experiences in the military, particularly working with geospatial intelligence and fragmente...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins speaks with Tom Lynch, a Managing Partner at Iron Point Partners and former U.S. Navy JAG officer, about his path from military service into finance and private equity. Tom reflects on how his background shaped his leadership style, transition into investing, and career in real estate private equity. Tom reflects on the influence of military service and Jesuit education in shaping his leadership philosophy, work ethic, and commitment to ...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Giles Walger, Founder of OODAx, and United States Marine Corps veteran. Giles shares how his transition from the Marine Corps to Amazon’s Pathways program - and later to AWS Mission Engineering - equipped him with the tools, mindset, and network needed to thrive in the private sector and ultimately launch his own company. Giles dives into how his experience solving complex warfighter problems at AWS shaped his entrepreneur...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Patrick J. Murphy, Executive Director of Hilco Global, former Congressman, and United States Army Veteran. Patrick shares his remarkable journey from a blue-collar upbringing in Philadelphia to the 82nd Airborne Division, deploying to Iraq, and later serving in Congress where he helped shape landmark legislation like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He reflects on how his experiences in combat...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins speaks with Thomas Higginbotham, Founder and CEO of Kestrel and United States Air Force Veteran. Thomas shares how growing up in a multi-generational Air Force family, serving as a fighter pilot, and later working through a grueling flight training experience shaped his resilience and mission-driven mindset. The conversation follows his journey from active duty to Stanford, then into roles at Google X and C3 AI, where he developed deep e...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Gregory Henson, founder of Cloud Veterans and former tech CEO, and Philip Lukaszonas, a U.S. Army veteran and manager of customer success at Ingram Micro to discuss how they are helping veterans build careers in cloud technology. Greg and Philip share the origin story behind Cloud Veterans—a nonprofit initiative built to solve a major gap in the hiring pipeline: talented veterans with the right mindset but lacking access t...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins speaks with former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer about career transitions, leadership in high-pressure environments, and building a path beyond government service. Fleischer reflects on how he moved from college with no clear plan to Capitol Hill and then to the White House, where he served as press secretary to President George W. Bush during the September 11 attacks. The conversation then shifts to Ari’s transition out of g...

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, host Beau Higgins sits down with Randy Mullen, Founder & CEO of Sightline Ventures and a former U.S. Air Force Officer, to explore his journey from military service to building a mission-driven company in the defense tech space. Randy shares how his upbringing near Edwards Air Force Base first sparked his interest in the military, eventually leading him into Air Force contracting and acquisitions. With experience spanning global deployments, the Natio...