Crossing the Valley

Crossing the Valley

Frontdoor Defense

Episodes 85
Avg. Duration 42m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.9 (7)
Since Feb 2024
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
64%
Hosting
api.substack.com

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About This Podcast

Few companies make it from pilot to production in the defense market. Those who do often change the industry in the process. How do they do it? What lessons can startups take from their trials, successes, and failures? Crossing the Valley tells the stories of the trailblazers who are forging a new path for America's defense.

www.valleycrossers.com

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Recent Episodes

Ep. 83 - Nominal

Jun 03, 2026 47m

How Nominal Turned the Pentagon’s Slowest Gate Into a Growth EngineFeaturing Cameron McCord, CEO and co-founder of NominalAbout CameronCameron McCord has seen the defense ecosystem from more seats…

Ep. 82 - Machina Labs

May 27, 2026 47m

How Machina Labs Compressed 4-Year Lead Times Into 1 WeekAbout Ed MehrEd Mehr is the CEO and co-founder of Machina Labs. A builder since childhood (he attended a school that emphasized welding,…

Ep. 81 - Revolutionizing Thermal Imaging with Obsidian Sensors

May 13, 2026 25m

Rebuilding America’s Thermal Imaging Supply ChainAbout John Hong and Tallis ChangJohn Hong is CEO and Tallis Chang is COO of Obsidian Sensors. The two have worked together for over 40 years, with…

Ep. 80 - Persistent Systems (very first podcast!)

May 06, 2026 43m

About Brian SpurlockBrian Spurlock is VP of Growth and Strategy at Persistent Systems, and a self-described “boomerang” employee, meaning he’s had two separate tenures at the company. He came up as a…

Ep. 79 - Inside GrayMatter Robotics

Apr 29, 2026 38m

Building the Physical AI Platform for the Industrial BaseABOUT ARIYAN KABIRAriyan Kabir is the co-founder and CEO of GrayMatter Robotics. He started the company in early 2020 alongside two…

Ep. 78 - How HavocAI is solving a $2.3B problem

Apr 08, 2026 48m

About BenBen Cipperley spent 26 years in the Navy. The first 18 he served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal office, with three tours across the Indo-Pacific, three years between Iraq and Afghanistan,…

Ep. 77 - Tasking a Satellite in Seconds

Mar 25, 2026 43m

About Luke FischerLuke Fischer is the CEO and co-founder of SkyFi. He is a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot and Special Operations veteran who transitioned through DIU (Defense Innovation Unit),…

Ep. 76 - WHOOP: Wearables at War

Mar 18, 2026 45m

About Todd StieflerTodd Stiefler is VP of Enterprise at WHOOP, overseeing the company’s B2B and B2G business lines. He brings an unusually cross-functional background to the role: a decade as a…

Ep. 75: The Field is the Lab for Overland AI

Mar 11, 2026 16m

About Byron BootsByron Boots is the co-founder and CEO of Overland AI. Prior to starting the company, he was an associate professor in computer science at the University of Washington, where his…

Ep. 74 - How Forterra Acquired goTenna in 72 Hours

Mar 04, 2026 49m

What happens when a Friday morning coffee turns into a term sheet by Sunday night?In this episode, Forterra CEO Josh Araujo is joined by Ari Schuler, a returning CTV guest, to take us inside…

Ep. 73: SARONIC - "If We Can't Build a Thousand Boats, I Don't Care About the Design"

Feb 25, 2026 47m

About Dino MavrookasDino Mavrookas is the CEO and co-founder of Saronic. He served 11 years in the U.S. Navy SEALs (2004–2015), with his final five years on SEAL Team Six. After leaving the military,…

Ep. 72: WIRESCREEN - From Pulitzer to Intelligence Platform

Feb 18, 2026 47m

How Wirescreen is Turning Investigative Journalism Into a National Security Intelligence ToolAbout our GuestsDavid Barboza is the CEO and Co-Founder of Wirescreen. Before founding the company, David…

Ep. 71: Why America Lost the Hypersonics Race (And How to Win It Back)

Feb 11, 2026 18m

About Our GuestsAJ Piplica is the CEO and co-founder of Hermeus, a defense technology company developing hypersonic aircraft powered by air-breathing engines. His technical background centers on…

Ep. 70: Checking in on Apex Space

Feb 04, 2026 14m

About Ian Ian Cinnamon is the co-founder and CEO of Apex Space, which he launched to solve a fundamental bottleneck in the space industry: the lack of available, high-quality satellite platforms.…

Ep. 69: Legion Intelligence is building the AI plumbing for defense

Jan 28, 2026 46m

ABOUT BENBen Van Roo is the CEO and Founder of Legion Intelligence. He comes from a military family (his brother is currently on active duty), giving him both personal connection to and deep…

Ep. 68: Solving America's Propulsion Crisis

Jan 21, 2026 39m

About Ben NicholsonBen is the Chief Business Officer at Ursa Major, bringing over 22 years of government service to the defense tech startup. His career includes 10 years in the Coast Guard,…

Ep. 67 Solving Robotic Unemployment - Gecko Robotics

Jan 14, 2026 31m

Gecko Robotics — From College Project to Critical InfrastructureABOUT TROY DEMMERTroy is the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gecko Robotics. He started the company 12+ years ago as a college…

Ep. 66 - Winning the Space War

Jan 07, 2026 26m

ABOUT DAN SMOOTDan Smoot is the CEO of Vantor, formerly Maxar Intelligence. He comes from a background in high-tech companies and has led major business transformations before. Since taking the helm,…

Ep. 65: Pryzm's Quest to Help DOW Pass an Audit

Dec 17, 2025 39m

About Nick LaRovereNick is the CEO and Co-founder of Pryzm. As a software engineer at Palantir Technologies, Nick worked on both Gotham and Foundry platforms, gaining firsthand exposure to building…

Guest Episode: Rebuilding the Fleet x HII

Nov 26, 2025 47m Bonus

Friends,This week, we are spotlighting a new podcast in the defense community, Rebuilding the Fleet.This new pod covers all things Maritime Autonomy and shipbuilding, featuring repeat guest Austin…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Crossing the Valley have?

Crossing the Valley has published 85 episodes since February 2024, covering topics in Government, Technology.

Is Crossing the Valley still active?

Crossing the Valley is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 42m.

How do I contact Crossing the Valley for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Crossing the Valley, including email and social media links.

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