Policy Salon Dinners

This off-the-record dinner convened senior military leaders, policymakers, investors, and executives to examine the practical realities of readiness in the Indo-Pacific — industrial capacity, production timelines, capital mobilization, and the role of the private sector in translating strategy into operational capability.

This year’s Chairman’s dinner was bigger and more impactful than ever, featuring a conversation with HON Michael Dodd and HON Michael Cadenazzi, and with participation from several Members of Congress, DoW officials, Allied representatives, and leaders in industry and private capital.

SVDG hosted a delegation of officials from the EU, European Investment Fund, European Investment Bank, and European Innovation Council for a dinner centered around a transatlantic exchange with select US investors and founders

Leaders of the tech and defense worlds came together at Stanford University at the SVDG co-sponsored Stanford DEFCON. Following the conference, SVDG hosted a policy salon dinner bringing conversations to light on the role of innovation in national security.

SVDG organized a policy salon dinner with industry council member Picogrid and Initialized Capital. This dinner brought together policymakers, investors, industry leaders, and defense innovators for a candid conversation on how to prepare for — and scale — the connected battlefield.

Timed to coincide with the opening day of AUSA, this cocktail reception at the Spy Museum brought together the driving forces of national security innovation. With a focus on bridging capital providers and capital demand, the evening spotlighted venture-backed technologies tackling some of the most pressing operational challenges facing the U.S. national security community.

SVDG will host a salon dinner on April 29, 2025, to discuss the impact of tariffs on defense innovation and how industry and capital can adapt going forward

We are launching a series of off-the-record small group discussions with our sponsors and current policymakers to discuss developments in the defense innovation ecosystem.