In today’s episode, Les sits down with Will Pearce and Brad Palm from Dreadnode, one of the nation’s most advanced offensive AI and cybersecurity companies. Based in the Rocky Mountain West, Dreadnode is redefining how we think about digital defense — by taking the offensive. Will and Brad share their experiences leading red teams at Microsoft, NVIDIA, and within the U.S. Marine Corps, and how those lessons now shape their mission to secure the future of artificial intelligence.

From battlefield drones and AI-enabled cyberattacks to the regulatory frameworks that will define the next era of warfare, this conversation explores what happens when AI becomes both a weapon and a shield.

Here’s a closer look at the episode:

From Red Teams to Founders

• Will Pearce, former leader of AI Red Teams at Microsoft and NVIDIA, discusses his journey from penetration testing and consulting to building Dreadnode.
• Describes how the offensive use of AI is a natural extension of red teaming — “offense leads defense.”

Brad Palm’s Path from the Battlefield

• Brad Palm, a Marine Corps veteran and former red team leader, shares how military principles of mobility, attack, and defense translate into cyber warfare.
• Offensive cyber as a transformational moment — comparing AI’s impact to the leap from muskets to machine guns.

The Rise of Offensive AI

• Will breaks down the offensive AI landscape, from code scanning and model manipulation to adversarial attacks on computer vision systems.
• How more “eyes,” even artificial ones, find more vulnerabilities — accelerating both innovation and exposure.

Building a Platform for Cyber ML Ops

• Dreadnode’s platform enables organizations to build, evaluate, and deploy AI models and agents with security in mind.
• Unlike “AI-in-a-box” startups, their approach mirrors ML Ops infrastructure — prioritizing transparency, testing, and adaptability.
• Their mission: help clients build their own capabilities, rather than just buy black-box solutions.

A Collaborative Cybersecurity Community

• Will and Brad note that in AI security, collaboration beats competition.
• “If you have confidence in your abilities, you don’t need to hide anything.”
• Despite growing investment and consolidation, the founders believe the industry is still expanding rapidly — with room for innovation and partnership.

Human + AI: The Future of the Battlefield

• Brad connects his defense background to current AI developments, pointing to autonomous drones in Ukraine as examples of real-time AI-driven warfare.
• Raises ethical and practical questions about “human-in-the-loop” systems and the urgency of explainable, auditable AI in combat environments.
• Will expands on how regulatory frameworks and rules of engagement must evolve to keep pace with privately developed AI systems.

Offensive AI Conference & What’s Next

• Hosting Offensive AI Con in San Diego — the first of its kind dedicated to offensive AI research and community building.
• The team continues to release state-of-the-art research drops, collaborating with cyber threat intel groups and enterprise partners.
• Above all, the founders share a deep appreciation for their team culture: detail-oriented, relentlessly curious, and dedicated to “winning every day.”

Resources:

Website: https://dreadnode.io/

Will Pearce - https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-pearce-a62331135/

Brad Palm - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradpalm/

Dreadnode LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dreadnode

In today’s episode, Les Craig speaks with Jim Lose, a Marine Corps veteran, longtime recruiter, and CEO of The Military Veteran (The MilVet). With over 25 years of experience helping thousands of service members transition into successful private sector roles, Jim shares his mission to place more veterans in executive leadership across high-growth, early-stage companies. Jim’s passion for service shines through as he talks about the importance of community, coaching, and aligning veterans with roles where they can have lasting impact. From his time in military intelligence to becoming the go-to resource for elite veteran talent, Jim’s journey is rooted in purpose, resilience, and servant leadership.

Here’s a closer look at the episode:

A Career Built on Service

• Grew up in rural Pennsylvania; early influences of service from family (teacher, minister, Marine).
• Commissioned into the Marine Corps, became an intelligence officer and Scout Sniper Platoon Commander.
• Served under leaders like General Mattis and General Neller before they were well known.
• Left active duty after 8 years and entered the recruiting world to continue serving—this time by supporting fellow veterans.

20+ Years Recruiting and Championing Veterans

• Began his recruiting career at Lucas Group during the late 1990s.
• Helped place over 3,000 veterans and transitioned to Korn Ferry after an acquisition in 2021.
• Known for a long-term, relationship-based approach: “Today’s candidate is tomorrow’s client.”
• Shifted focus to post-transition executive placements, filling a gap in veteran recruiting not served by other organizations.

Leading The MilVet

• Joined The MilVet in 2023 to scale a mission-led, veteran-centric recruiting firm.
• Focus: place veterans in executive roles in VC/PE-backed and early-stage companies.
• Differentiators: customized search playbooks, interview scorecard development, and strategic advisory for clients.
• Firm belief: “The best indicator that a company will hire a veteran is having a veteran in the C-suite.”

The Broader Vision & Future Impact

• Identifies high-opportunity sectors for veterans: defense tech, private equity operations, and AI-resistant industries like home services.
• Emphasizes “finding a tribe” and community-building through networking dinners, events, and office hours.
• Coaching is the next frontier for The MilVet—launching an executive coaching offering in 2026.
• Jim’s long-term vision: a national movement to elevate veterans into positions of influence and impact.

Resources:

Website: https://www.themilvet.org/

Jim’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameslose/

The MilVet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/themilvet/

Summary:

In today’s episode, Les speaks with Chris Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Radicl, and a pioneer in cybersecurity innovation. Chris shares his inspiring journey from early days at Price Waterhouse to co-founding LogRhythm, and now leading Radicl - a company on a mission to bring military-grade cybersecurity to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), especially those in the defense industrial base (DIB). With humility, vision, and deep industry experience, Chris talks about the challenges of cybersecurity for SMBs, the promise of AI in threat detection, and the principles that drive Radicl’s product and culture.

Here’s a closer look at the episode:

1. Chris’s Cybersecurity Roots

• Grew up curious and mischievous - early hacking instincts emerged from pushing boundaries.
• First tech job at Price Waterhouse, where he was inspired by early internet penetration testing.
• Mentored by pioneers like George Kurtz (founder of CrowdStrike) and Ron Gula.
• Early work included database security assessments and automated audit tools.

2. Building LogRhythm

• Co-founded LogRhythm after stints at Counterpane and Tenable.
• Bootstrapped early development by selling his home and self-funding the venture.
• Partnered with Phil Villella (nuclear physicist) and Andy Grolnick (CEO) to scale the company.
• Lessons from early days: founder commitment, frugality, focus on product-market fit.
• LogRhythm grew to 500 employees before exiting via private equity in 2018.

3. The Genesis of Radicl

• Founded Radicl to address cybersecurity gaps in SMBs within the defense supply chain.
• Inspired by the SolarWinds hack and national security threats.
• Assembled a founding team including his brother Matt and a former fighter pilot.
• Mission: protect under-defended SMBs in DIB against industrial espionage.

4. The Opportunity and Market Need

• DIB SMBs are often unable to afford or operate traditional cybersecurity solutions.
• Barriers include tight margins, complex compliance (e.g. CMMC), and lack of in-house talent.
• Advances in cloud, automation, and AI now make affordable, scalable solutions viable.
• Radicl addresses both compliance operations and 24/7 security operations via software + human hybrid model.

5. Radicl’s Product and Platform

• Delivers “virtual SOC” capabilities—blending human expertise with AI and automation.
• Handles CMMC readiness, threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability management.
• Designed for transparency: customers can engage with Radicl’s ops team in-platform.
• AI-driven agents are increasingly being introduced to reduce cost and improve response times.

6. Looking Ahead

• Preparing for a Series A raise in the next 4–6 months to accelerate R&D investment.
• Focused on doubling down on AI innovation and expanding platform features.
• Vision: democratize advanced cybersecurity for SMBs while delivering elite protection to the DIB.
• Chris aims to balance company building with family, health, and meditation—striving for better life integration as a second-time founder.

Resources:

Website:

• RADICL
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/radicl-defense/
  • https://radicl.com/
• Chris Peterson
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispetersen1/
  • https://radicl.com/bio-chris-petersen