Innovation Day Schedule

Day Two · October 9, 2026 · San Francisco Fleet Week

Innovation Day — Agenda

Day Two of the NatSec + Space Innovation Summit convenes government innovation units, investors, founders, and veteran technologists for a full program of panels, briefings, and firesides, closing with the Blue Angels flyover over San Francisco Bay.

Time Session
Opening
8:30 AM Registration & Networking Breakfast
9:00 AM Welcome Remarks Katherine Webster, CEO, VetsinTech Emcee: Mike McNerney, Board Member, VetsinTech & Chief Compliance Officer, Arkenstone · Introduction of Libby Schaaf, CEO, Bay Area Council
9:10 AM Special Remarks Libby Schaaf, CEO, Bay Area Council
Setting the Landscape
9:20 AM Panel: The Bay Area Defense Tech Report Sean Randolph, Bay Area Council 30 min, including Q&A
9:50 AM Briefing: The Defense Tech Market in the U.S. — A Bay Area Focus 15 min
Morning Panels
10:05 AM Panel: DIU & the National Labs Where Government R&D Meets Commercial Speed 30 min, including Q&A
10:35 AM Panel: Military Innovation Units AFWERX, SpaceWERX, Army Futures Command & Marine Corps Innovation 30 min, including Q&A
11:05 AM Academic Panel UC Berkeley, Stanford, and the Naval Postgraduate School 30 min, including Q&A
Keynote & Lunch
11:35 AM Keynote Fireside Chat Speaker to be announced 30 min
12:05 PM Working Lunch & Networking 25 min
Afternoon Panels
12:30 PM Fireside: Apollo to Artemis Speakers to be announced 30 min, including Q&A
1:00 PM Hardware Panel Drones, Robotics & Autonomous Systems — Lessons from Ukraine 30 min, including Q&A
1:30 PM Software Panel AI at the Edge of National Security 30 min, including Q&A
2:00 PM Vets In Space Panel 30 min, including Q&A
2:30 PM VC Panel Capital Behind the Mission 30 min, including Q&A — may incorporate a live founder pitch segment
Fleet Week Experience
3:00 PM Break: Blue Angels Flyover & On-the-Bay Technology Demonstrations 60 min — Waterfront viewing
Closing
4:00 PM Reconvene: Closing Plenary 45 min
4:45 PM Closing Remarks Katherine Webster, CEO, VetsinTech 15 min
5:00 PM Program Concludes

All panel sessions are capped at 30 minutes, inclusive of moderated Q&A. Speaker confirmations for each panel are in progress; sessions and times are subject to change.