White House Correspondents Insider

Washington AI Network Hosts exclusive Preview of CES 2026 with Gary Shapiro and Kinsey Fabrizio

December 5, 2025 By WHC Insider

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Gary Shapiro, CEO and vice chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), and CTA President Kinsey Fabrizio lifted the veil on CES 2026 for a podcast taping at a Washington AI Network event.

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 01: Tammy Haddad, Founder, Washington AI Network, Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair at CTA, and Kinsey Fabrizio, President of CTA, speak during CES 2026 Preview at The House at 1229 on December 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Washington AI Network)

CES, widely regarded as the most influential technology event in the world, brings together global innovators as a proving ground for breakthrough technologies. Shapiro told Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad, “We have a lot of people not only from Washington, but literally from government capitals around the world… and the reaction to CES is off the charts. In a time of great change and great crisis, they want to come together.” President Kinsey Fabrizio said, “It is important is for public-private cooperation and collaboration, and in order to do that, you want to understand how the tech is created and what it’s capable of and what the challenges are, what the opportunities are, and the best way to do that is by seeing it in person and walking through the show floor and getting a demo.”

Shapiro, who has led CTA for more than three decades and helped transform CES into a global platform for innovation, praised President Donald Trump’s leadership on artificial intelligence. He underscored the sweeping impact AI will have on the economy, saying it “will save the economy and give him (Trump) a place in history,” and compared the coming wave of AI-driven change to the arrival of the internet, predicting “generational change.”

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 01: Sam Feist, CEO of CSPAN, and Lynda Carter attend CES 2026 Preview at The House at 1229 on December 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Washington AI Network)

The conversation turned to digital health with Fabrizio, who launched CTA’s Health Division at CES 2015 and spearheaded the first Continuing Medical Education (CME)-accredited conference at CES 2019. She highlighted innovations such as a portable MRI featured at CES, which she said can be deployed in underserved communities in the United States and around the world, expanding access to critical healthcare services.

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 01: Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair at CTA, and Kinsey Fabrizio, President of CTA, attend CES 2026 Preview at The House at 1229 on December 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Washington AI Network)

The evening drew a strong Washington crowd. Guests spotted at the event included Kara Swisher and Amanda Katz, Lynda Carter, Alex Flemister, Karen Sessions, Robert Hayes, Barbara Humpton, John Taylor, J.P. Freire, Elizabeth Falcone, Luther Lowe, Marie Baldassarre, Sara Fischer, Senay Bulbul, Thomas Pacchia, Montgomery Odle, Tina Anthony, Michael Block, Michael Moroney, Sam Feist, Liz Johnson, Liz Hart, Helen Milby, and Alex Allaire.Listeners can hear more about CES 2026 and its featured innovations on the Washington AI Network podcast here.

Lafayette 148 New York Honors Washington Women Chiefs at Holiday Shop Fundraiser

November 19, 2025 By WHC Insider

TYSONS, Va. — Lafayette 148 New York at Tysons Galleria became the epicenter of Washington’s women-in-leadership community on Thursday, November 13, as senior female chiefs of staff from Capitol Hill convened for the boutique’s annual holiday shopping fundraiser in support of American University’s Women & Politics Institute and its WeLead campaign training program, as well as American University’s First Ladies Initiative.

*L to R: Tammy Haddad, Caitlyn Stephenson, Anita McBride, Toni-Marie Higgins, Elizabeth Falcone, Betsy Fischer Martin, and Marie Baldassarre*

The event was hosted by Anita McBride, director of the university’s First Ladies Initiative; Betsy Fischer Martin, executive director of the Women & Politics Institute; and Tammy Haddad, CEO of Haddad Media and founder of the Washington AI Network.

A bipartisan panel discussion anchored the evening, featuring Senate chiefs Toni-Marie Higgins, longtime chief of staff to Sen. John Boozman; Elizabeth Falcone, chief of staff to Sen. Mark Warner; and Liz Johnson, former chief of staff to Sen. Mitt Romney. Falcone, Johnson, and Reema Dodin participated in an on-stage conversation moderated by Fischer Martin and McBride, offering candid insights into their career paths, leadership styles, and experiences navigating the highest levels of congressional power.
Other chiefs in attendance included Caitlyn Stephenson, chief of staff to Sen. Gary Peters; Marie Baldassarre, chief of staff to Rep. Ro Khanna; and a number of rising staff leaders from across Capitol Hill.

*L to R: Katelyn Bledsoe, Tiffany Moore, and Helen Milby*

Panelists addressed the evolving role of women in government, highlighting the progress that has been made toward gender equity and the work that remains. They emphasized the value of mentorship, bipartisan collaboration, and resilience in shaping effective public service careers, underscoring how women in senior staff roles increasingly influence major policy decisions and legislative strategy.
The evening drew a strong Washington crowd, with Lafayette 148’s King Chong and Jen Shields welcoming guests including Helen Milby, Katelyn Bledsoe, Julie Russell, Mollie O’Dell, Angeli Chawla, Wendy Benjaminson, Julie Jarvis, Kate Super, and Virginia Coyne.

The event served as both a celebration of women leaders in public service and a fundraiser for programs that continue to expand pathways for future generations of women in politics.

General Catalyst Institute President Teresa Carlson Hosts Book Party for CEO Hemant Taneja

October 23, 2025 By WHC Insider

Washington, DC — The leaders of government, tech, policy, and media gathered to celebrate General Catalyst CEO Hemant Taneja’s new book, The Transformation Principles: How Leaders Create the Future, at the Jefferson Hotel. The evening featured an insightful conversation between Taneja and CNN anchor Pamela Brown. They covered innovation in the age of artificial intelligence, leadership, and the defining characteristics of transformative organizations. Taneja spoke about the urgent need for leaders to build with purpose and responsibility in an era defined by rapid technological change.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 21: (L-R) CEO, General Catalyst, Author of “The Transformation Principles”, Hemant Taneja and Anchor for CNN, Pamela Brown speak onstage during a reception celebrating the release of Hemant Taneja’s “The Transformation Principles” at The Jefferson Hotel on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for General Catalyst Institute)

Guests mingled over cocktails and conversations in the Jefferson’s historic Greenhouse Restaurant space. The event drew a powerhouse crowd of policymakers, entrepreneurs, and figures, all eager to discuss the future of leadership in an AI-driven world.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 21: (L-R) President, General Catalyst Institute, Teresa Carlson, Founder of Schema Ventures, Aarthi Ramamurthy, White House Senior Policy Advisor for AI, Sriram Krishnan and CEO, General Catalyst, Author of “The Transformation Principles”, Hemant Taneja attend a reception celebrating the release of Hemant Taneja’s “The Transformation Principles” at The Jefferson Hotel on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for General Catalyst Institute)

Many government officials attended despite the government closure, including Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Paul Dabbar, the White House’s Senior Policy Advisor for AI Sriam Krishnan and Schema Ventures Founder Aarthi Ramamurthy, Director of Medicare and Deputy Administrator of CMS Chris Klomp, and Chief Technology Officer for the Navy Justin Fanelli.

Other guests included CNN Contributor David Urban, NobleReach Foundation CEO Arun Gupta, Chief Public Policy Officer Maryam Mujica, U.S. Department of the Treasury Senior Advisor Rebecca Karabus, Head of Public Policy Communications at NVIDIA John Rizzo, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Will Wu, Valinor CEO Julie Bush, Senior Advisor at CMS Emily Chen, Staff Writer for The New Yorker Antonia Hitchens, Army Col. David Butler, Managing Director and Partner at Beacon Global Strategies Jeremy Bash, Beacon Global Strategies VP Kaly McKenna, Ridgley Walsh CEO Juleanna Glover, John Harris, Olivia Igbokwe, Katelyn Bledsoe, Steve Clemons, author Kevin Maney, Sumi Somaskanda from the BBC, General Catalyst’s Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, and Thomas Wagner.

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 21: (L-R) Chief Presenter BBC News, Sumi Somaskanda, Managing Director, External Affairs, Americans for Prosperity, Katelyn Bledsoe and Anchor, CNN, Pamela Brown attend a reception celebrating the release of Hemant Taneja’s “The Transformation Principles” at The Jefferson Hotel on October 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for General Catalyst Institute)

Puck Power Breakfast: Leigh Ann Caldwell Sits Down with Majority Whip Tom Emmer at Riggs

September 19, 2025 By WHC Insider

Puck News hosted its latest Power Breakfast at the Riggs Hotel on Thursday morning, September 18, with chief Washington correspondent Leigh Ann Caldwell in conversation with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN). The wide-ranging Q&A—featured in Puck’s The Best & The Brightest—spanned free speech in media, crypto legislation, and the path to avoiding a shutdown.

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 18: (L-R) Leigh Ann Caldwell and Tom Emmer speak onstage during the Puck Power Breakfast at Riggs Washington D.C. on September 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Puck)

SPOTTED: Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Kristin Smith, Jon Kelly, Dave Grimaldi, Mary Streett, Lee Brennen, Ben Cantrell, Jonathan Cousimano, Yemisi Egbewole, Riley Kilburg, Rachel Green, Ian McKendry, Colin Moneymaker, Lila Nieves-Lee, Amy Roberti, Kristin Sharp, Liz Gough, Alex Bigler, Tina Anthony, and Ali Hattamer.

On free speech and media censorship

Emmer, in the wake of the political fallout from Charlie Kirk’s assassination, criticized network decisions to cut and edit political interviews:

“We don’t need somebody at CBS deciding that they’re going to edit a presidential candidate’s interview because she can’t put a sentence together and she doesn’t make any sense… Regardless of your political persuasion, you would want that.”

On cryptocurrency legislation

Calling digital assets a “nonpartisan” issue, Emmer pushed back on efforts to frame crypto as partisan:

“This is not about Republicans. This is not about Democrats. This is about Americans and what’s best for our country… This is the number one thing in terms of the golden age of digital assets that [the president] is going to be responsible for creating.”

He noted younger voters, ages 18–40, see crypto as their issue, and warned against politicians using it as a wedge.

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 18: (L-R) Rachel Horn, Colin McClaren, and Alex Allaire attend the Puck Power Breakfast at Riggs Washington D.C. on September 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Puck)

On avoiding a government shutdown

With government funding again on the line, Emmer stressed pragmatism:

“The animals in the watering hole tend to look at each other differently as the water recedes… We’ve been figuring out how to get through it.”

He pointed to bipartisan progress on appropriations bills and said Speaker Mike Johnson will push a short-term continuing resolution to buy seven more weeks.

Since launching in May, Puck’s salon series has hosted Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN), Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN). Each conversation draws a curated crowd of administration officials, Hill insiders, and business leaders, with insights appearing in Caldwell’s must-read newsletter The Best & The Brightest and on Puck’s Powers That Be podcast.

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 18: Leigh Ann Caldwell and Tom Emmer speak onstage during the Puck Power Breakfast at Riggs Washington D.C. on September 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Puck)

Deepu Talla of NVIDIA Predicts “Golden Age of Manufacturing” Fueled by AI Robotics

September 11, 2025 By WHC Insider

The Washington AI Network hosted a power breakfast and podcast taping at the House at 1229, where Tammy Haddad interviewed Nvidia’s Deepu Talla.

*Tammy Haddad interviews Deepu Talla at the House at 1229 for the Washington AI Network Podcast*

Washington, D.C. — In the latest episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast, host Tammy Haddad sat down with Deepu Talla, NVIDIA’s Vice President of Robotics and Edge AI, to dive deep into the future of physical AI and its potential to reshape industries from robotics to manufacturing.

Recorded live at The House at 1229 in Washington, D.C. on September 8, the conversation shed light on how AI breakthroughs—from general-purpose models to next-generation simulation—are rapidly transforming robotics. But Talla was quick to point out that these innovations are just the beginning, and their impact is poised to revolutionize U.S. manufacturing in the coming decades.

The Unique Challenges of Physical AI

Talla highlighted the inherent difficulties of working with physical AI, emphasizing the high safety and accuracy standards needed when robots interact with the real world. “The physical world is extremely challenging,” Talla noted. “The safety needs, the accuracy that’s needed in order to be safe is extremely high.” For decades, robots were relegated to simple, high-volume tasks—mainly in controlled environments like factories.

But the future, Talla believes, lies in empowering robots to take on tasks in small and medium enterprises—where labor shortages and dangerous jobs have long been a significant barrier. “The technology to solve these difficult problems did not exist, until very recently,” he added, pointing to recent breakthroughs as key drivers of change.

*L to R: Tammy Haddad, Ashley Lerner, and Reggie Love*

The “ChatGPT Effect” for Robotics

A particularly exciting development in this space, according to Talla, is the potential to create a “ChatGPT for the physical world.” He noted, “Can you believe it? ChatGPT is not even three years old. Can you imagine the world before ChatGPT? The whole world is on a similar quest for ‘can we create a ChatGPT for the physical world?’”

This analogy underscores the power of general-purpose AI models—like the one driving language processing in ChatGPT—and their potential to be adapted for robotics, creating machines that can perform a wide array of tasks in an intelligent, adaptable way.

*L to R: Tina Anthony, Joanna Guy, Machalagh Carr, and Ashley Callen*

Closing the “Sim-to-Real” Gap with AI and Synthetic Data

Talla also pointed to simulation as a game-changer in the development of robotics. Historically, testing robots in real-world environments was too costly and unsafe. “It’s not fast, it’s not safe, it’s too expensive to build and test robots in the physical world,” he said. But simulation technology has improved dramatically, helping bridge the sim-to-real gap.

In tandem, synthetic data generation—the use of AI to create vast quantities of realistic training data—has emerged as a key enabler. Talla explained, “Can we use AI itself… to create a thousand times more data or a million times more data? The hope with all of this is the more data you create, the better the data, then you can train this general-purpose brain.”

The Rise of Humanoid Robots

One of Talla’s most compelling predictions was the rise of humanoid robots. “It’s quite likely that humanoids will be the largest opportunity for humanity,” he remarked. Given that human-centered design has shaped infrastructure for centuries, humanoid robots make perfect sense as a general-purpose AI form factor. “Humanoids provide us the best opportunity to create that general-purpose brain,” Talla said, revealing his excitement for the potential of humanoid robots to operate seamlessly in human-built environments.

U.S.-China Robotics Race and the Future of Manufacturing

The conversation also touched on the increasingly competitive landscape of robotics between the U.S. and China. Talla emphasized that both nations are pushing ahead aggressively, but U.S. reshoring policies and AI-driven robotics are giving American manufacturers a unique advantage.

“The golden age of manufacturing for the United States has started,” Talla declared. “With the policy of reshoring manufacturing and with robotics solving the ultimate problem of small and medium general-purpose robotics… I genuinely believe it’s going to completely change the trajectory of how United States manufacturing happens in the next 20 years.”

This shift is particularly significant for smaller businesses that had previously been unable to afford automation. Thanks to advances in robotics, these companies will now be able to tap into AI-driven manufacturing solutions, making the U.S. manufacturing sector more competitive and efficient.

*L to R: Sophie Shulman, Deepu Talla, Sarah Weinstein, Angela Krasnick, and John Rizzo*

Energy Efficiency: The Next Frontier for AI

As Talla discussed, energy efficiency is the final frontier in AI development. “Power, energy is relatively fixed… Which means if that’s the constraint, it’s all about what’s the max performance at the lowest cost that you can deliver in that energy budget,” he said. NVIDIA is focused on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible within these energy constraints, highlighting the massive leap in compute power over the past decade. “Within the same energy… a million times more compute has been delivered in the last 10 years,” he shared.

Human-Robot Collaboration in the Future

Looking ahead, Talla painted an exciting picture of human-robot collaboration. “What’s easy for humans to do is hard for robots… What’s easy for robots to do is hard for humans,” he said. In the future, he believes, humans and robots will work side by side, with robots taking on tasks that are too dangerous or repetitive for humans, while humans provide the higher-level reasoning and adaptability that robots still lack.

“Every human in the future will be teaching or instructing or working alongside robots, and the more intelligent the robots become, the more you can trust them to do jobs that you don’t want to do,” he said, offering a glimpse into a future of collaborative, intelligent machines.

*Policymakers and tech leaders gathered at the House at 1229 to hear from Deepu Talla, NVIDIA’s VP of Robotics and Edge AI*

Looking Ahead to GTC D.C.

Before signing off, Talla teased NVIDIA’s GTC D.C. conference in October, promising a sneak peek at the future of robotics. “I’m a hundred percent sure we are bringing many robots to the [Washington Convention Center’s] expo hall at GTC D.C., including for manufacturing,” he said, leaving listeners eager to see what’s next for AI-driven robotics.

SPOTTED: Irish Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason, Machalagh Carr, Reggie Love, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Cecilia Kang, Ashley Callen, Helen Toner, Shane Tews, Maryam Mujica, John Rizzo, Ashley Lerner, Shailagh Murray, Kristin Sharp, Marc Gustafson, Ali Nouri, Asad Ramzanali, Yemisi Egbewole, Tyler Kendall, Nathan Bomey, Miranda Nazzaro, Joanna Guy, Katy Balls, Sarah Weinstein, Ruth Berry, Sophie Shulman, Angela Krasnick, Mariel Garcia, Jaisha Wray and Gabriel Coupeau.

Washington Women Technology Network Hosts ‘2024’ Authors Josh Dawsey and Tyler Pager

August 25, 2025 By WHC Insider

August 6, 2025 — Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad and Lucid Motors’ Vice President of External Affairs Jessica Nigro hosted a Washington Women Technology Network breakfast conversation at The House at 1229 featuring Wall Street Journal political investigations reporter Josh Dawsey and New York Times White House correspondent Tyler Pager, co-authors of 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.

*Tammy Haddad, Tyler Pager, Jessica Nigro, and Josh Dawsey*

The authors discussed the reporting behind the book, campaign dynamics in 2024, and the role of authenticity, gender, and media strategy in shaping public perception.

Josh Dawsey described Donald Trump’s media style and influence:

“He [Trump] gets shot… probably a quarter of inch from dying, and his first impulse is to lift his arm up in the air and say Fight. I think there were a lot of people who really dislike Trump or weren’t his biggest fans who thought that was kind of badass. I mean, I think that sort of changed the public perception of him in that moment,” said Dawsey.

Pager reflected on the role of former President Obama and internal challenges facing the Biden campaign:

“Barack Obama… didn’t think Joe Biden should run in 2016. He didn’t think Joe Biden should run in 2020, and he definitely didn’t think Joe Biden should run in 2024 and repeatedly,” said Pager. “One of the things that the campaign really struggled with was this sort of bifurcated structure where Joe Biden’s closest aides were in the White House, and the campaign was run by people that were not particularly close to the president and were not empowered to run the campaign.”

SPOTTED

Luxembourg Ambassador Nicole Bintner-Bakshian, YouTube’s Alexandra Veitch, the Consumer Technology Association’s Tiffany Moore, BBC anchor Sumi Somaskanda, NobleReach Foundation’s Tina Anthony, Omidyar Network’s Govind Shivkumar, Salesforce’s Charlotte Smith, Business Software Alliance CEO Victoria Espinel, Joanna Guy of Booz Allen Hamilton, Charlotte Rock of the General Catalyst Insitute, Invenergy’s Andrew Wills, Stacy Kerr of Penta, Michael Ahrens of FGS Global, Joiwind Ronen of Ned’s Club, producer Kathy O’Hearn, GM’s Ashley Lerner, and Sydney Snowden, chief of staff to David Urban.

Army CTO Alex Miller Challenges Industry: Bring Your Best Tech to the Army; Warns of Drone Threats, Praises ChatGPT-5 Energy Efficiency in Washington AI Network Podcast

August 22, 2025 By WHC Insider

In an exclusive interview with the Washington AI Network, U.S. Army Chief Technology Officer Dr. Alex Miller pushed for AI companies to offer their best technology to the military, describes the dominance of drones calling them “airborne IEDs” and stressed the importance of working with commercial AI providers in the debut episode of the Washington AI Network Podcast’s new CTO Sessions series.

The veteran technologist and intelligence officer gave his insights on warfighting today, “What you’re seeing in Europe with the drones — those are airborne IEDs,” Miller said. “It is a bomb that can fly a hundred miles an hour. We have to get really good at countering those — using AI to detect them in the electromagnetic spectrum, identify them instantly, and deploy countermeasures in real time.”

The conversation, hosted by Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad, covered the Army’s plans for adopting artificial intelligence, speeding procurement, the China threat and preparing soldiers for the future fight.

Miller said the Army will adopt frontier AI models rather than try to build its own.
“I don’t like to compete with industry. That’s bad for taxpayers and not good value for soldiers,” he said. “In areas where industry’s way ahead, I don’t need to compete with the frontier AI providers. We’ll adopt those and tailor them to whatever our mission is.”

On the newly released GPT-5 model, Miller pointed to gains in efficiency over raw intelligence.
“Was there a huge increase in intelligence? Not that I’ve seen online,” he said. “What we see with 5 is another massive consolidation and power efficiency. Eventually, I want to run those LLMs on soldiers’ faces with smart glasses, on their phones, and on their vehicles.”

Miller also highlighted efforts to shorten Army procurement cycles.
“Our next generation command and control document is three pages — three and a half if you count the graphic,” he said. “Then we spend a year just getting technology into our soldiers’ hands to try it and get direct feedback… What we’re trying to do now is fix the process so that’s no longer a workaround — it’s just the way the process works.”

Miller underscored the Army’s central role in U.S. defense.
“When the world dials 911, the phone rings at Fort Bragg,” he said. “We are everywhere, all the time, every day, doing every mission the nation asks us to.”

The episode was recorded on August 12 at The House at 1229 in Washington, DC, and presented in partnership with the NobleReach Foundation, where CEO Arun Gupta introduced the 2025 cohort of NobleReach scholars.

The full conversation with Dr. Miller is available now on YouTube and across podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

*SandboxAQ CEO Jack Hidary and Chad Sweet, co-founder and CEO of The Chertoff Group, attend the inaugural Washington AI Network CTO Session featuring U.S. Army CTO Dr. Alex Miller on August 12, 2025.*

NobleReach Foundation CEO Arun Gupta (far left) and Tammy Haddad (far right) welcomed the 2025 cohort of NobleReach Scholars *at the inaugural Washington AI Network CTO Session featuring U.S. Army CTO Dr. Alex Miller on August 12, 2025.*

General Catalyst’s David Greenberg, Booz Allen Hamilton’s Joanna Guy and NobleReach scholar Virginia Partridge at the inaugural Washington AI Network CTO Session featuring U.S. Army CTO Dr. Alex Miller on August 12, 2025.

Lucid Motors Launches New Critical Minerals Group to Strengthen American Supply Chain, National Security

July 24, 2025 By WHC Insider

Lucid Motors – the luxury EV tech company – announced on Wednesday the creation of a critical minerals producers collaborative to strengthen the supply chain for American automotive and EV manufacturers. The new group, called MINAC – The Minerals for National Automotive Competitiveness Collaboration – is designed to advance domestic critical mineral production and to strengthen the U.S.-based automotive supply chain.

L to R: Jessica Nigro, Head of External Affairs, Lucid Motors; Michael Tubman, Federal Affairs, Lucid Motors; Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs; and Arizona State Society president Austin Kennedy attend Lucid’s launch event for MINAC – The Minerals for National Automotive Competitiveness Collaboration – July, 23, 2025, Washington, DC.

As part of the launch, Lucid and its partners gathered lawmakers, policymakers, and industry leaders on Wednesday evening for a roundtable reception at the CTA Innovation House featuring remarks from Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ), Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK-01), and video remarks from Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06), whose Congressional district includes Lucid’s 3.85 million sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Rep. Nick Begich and Lucid’s Jessica Nigro

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), said in a statement, “Arizona is proud to be home to Lucid’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, and I’m glad to see them leading the way in building electric vehicles with American-made materials. This is how we keep the economic benefits of innovation in the United States: by strengthening our supply chains, reducing our reliance on China, and supporting good-paying jobs in Arizona.”

Lucid CEO Marc Winterhoff, commented on the collaborative, “Domestic supply chains strengthen manufacturing resilience, fortify sustainable supply chains, and accelerate job growth. Following in the footsteps of our previous agreements, today we are doubling down on our commitment to powering American innovation and look forward to working with our partners as we built the next generation of automotive manufacturing in the United States.”

The launch event featured Jessica Nigro, Lucid’s head of external affairs, in conversation with executives from MINAC member companies, including Alaska Energy Metals, Graphite One, Electric Metals, and RecycLiCo, to highlight how the collaborative will accelerate the development and procurement of domestic critical mineral resources.

But it’s not just the automotive industry who will benefit from these efforts. Nigro noted, “When it comes to defense and national security, the Pentagon represents only 5% of the demand for domestic critical minerals, so we need private industry, including the EV industry and collaboratives like MINAC, to drive the demand necessary to source domestic critical minerals in the supply chain and to strengthen our national security.”

Following the program, guests enjoyed a networking cocktail reception and walkaround of the company’s all-new Lucid Gravity SUV – marking the Gravity’s first appearance in the District– as well as the award-winning Lucid Air sedan, which has a range of up to 512 miles on a single charge.

The MINAC announcement comes on the heels of Lucid’s new partnership with Uber and Nuro to create a next-generation premium global robotaxi program created exclusively for the Uber ride-hailing platform. Uber aims to deploy 20,000 Lucid Gravity vehicles equipped with the Nuro Driver™ over six years.

For more information, visit www.LucidMotors.com.

Washington AI Network and General Catalyst Institute Convene Leaders Shaping the Future of National Security

July 11, 2025 By haddadmedia

Jonathan Clifford, Carey Browning, Mark Huntington, Cameron McCord, Teresa Carlson, Maryam Mujica, Jon Battles, Evan Beard, Tammy Haddad, and Kaly McKenna at Washington AI Network and General Catalyst Institute’s “Cocktails & Conversation” event on the future of national security on July 9, 2025.

The Washington AI Network and the General Catalyst Institute convened top voices in defense innovation, AI, and industrial reinvention on Wednesday evening, July 9, at The House at 1229 for a conversation exploring the future of national security through private sector leadership.

The evening featured a live podcast taping and panel discussion, led by Tammy Haddad, founder of the Washington AI Network and host of its podcast.

*GCI president Teresa Carlson and Dr. Jason Rathje, former director of the Office of Strategic Capital at the U.S. Department of Defense*

Teresa Carlson, founding president of the General Catalyst Institute, highlighted the unique opportunity and responsibility for private-sector founders to partner with government.

“You’re not just building companies—you’re building capacity,” Carlson said. “The role of the private sector is to help government scale and succeed. That’s what tonight is all about.”

Dr. Jason Rathje, former director of the Office of Strategic Capital at the U.S. Department of Defense, echoed that message:

“The nation is at an inflection point. We need to re-industrialize America. And it’s not just about the Defense Department anymore—it’s commerce, energy, state, industry, investors. You all are part of the solution set.”

The conversation then spotlighted three General Catalyst-backed founders working at the intersection of AI, automation, and industrial resilience:

Evan Beard, CEO of Standard Bots, whose U.S.-made AI-powered robotic arms are redefining industrial automation.
Cameron McCord, CEO of Nominal, which builds a software platform for testing and certifying complex hardware systems.
Jon Battles, vice president of technology strategy at Cobot and an Amazon veteran, who is applying autonomous robotics to logistics, healthcare, and defense.

*Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad interviews Standard Bots CEO Evan Beard, Nominal CEO Cameron McCord, and Jon Battles, vice president of technology strategy at Cobot.*

Beard explained how Standard Bots is making automation easier and more accessible for American manufacturers:

“If you quote parts in the U.S. versus China, it’s 10x more to make parts in the U.S.,” he said. “We need better training, and we need centers of excellence to show how to build best-in-class facilities.”
“What we heard this week is that this is a priority… It really feels like a moment of tremendous change.”

McCord described the need for software that can rapidly test and validate hardware:

“It is a solved problem in the world today to test and validate software. That same luxury does not exist if you are building hardware—and especially software-defined hardware.”
“Admiral Davidson talks about 2027. Time matters.”

Battles reflected on lessons from the pandemic and his time at Amazon:

“COVID taught us how critical the supply chains were. We had to fly in masks from China for our employees… and we just simply couldn’t make them in the U.S.”

“The government knows what needs to be done. They know the technologies that need to be developed. Now it’s about aligning these needs to a quick execution plan.”

The discussion also touched on systemic challenges—from procurement timelines to industrial workforce gaps—and the urgent need to scale innovation across agencies and across the country.

Mark Huntington, managing director, North America at PhysicsX, and Carey Browning, chief commercial officer at Re:Build Manufacturing, also spoke about modernizing industrial capabilities through software and advanced production.

Attendees included: U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach; Artem Sherbinin, CTO of the U.S. Navy’s Task Force Hopper; John Sankovich of DIU; Colonel Chris Keller, U.S. Air Force; Jim Goyer, Alex Flemister, and Jordan Wood of the White House Office of Public Liaison; Jake Denton, CTO of the FTC; Economic Club of Washington CEO Mary Brady; Jeremy Bash, managing director and partner at Beacon Global Strategies; Andrew Wills of Invenergy; Ashley Callen of Jenner & Block; Jonathan Cousimano from Gov. Gavin Newson’s office; Tyler Lewis from Gov. Wes Moore’s office; Cornerstone’s Andy Flick; GCI’s Maryam Mujica, Jonathan Clifford, and Peter Nonis; Palantir’s Machalagh Carr, Palantir; Alan McQuinn of the House Research and Technology Subcommittee; EqualAI CEO Miriam Vogel; NTIA Associate Administrator Jaisha Wray; Trevor Smith from Rep. Vince Fong’s office; Seven Letter’s Sabrina Singh; Anita McBride, author and former chief of staff to first lady Laura Bush; Onebrief CEO; Grant Demaree; NIST’s Martin Stanley; Thomas Halvorsen of the Middle East Institute; Alex Yergin of Booz Allen Hamilton; and Alex Poulin of Lavrock Ventures.

Summer Speakeasy Draws AI Policy Pros and Prompt Favorites

June 30, 2025 By WHC Insider

The Washington AI Network hosted its first-ever Speakeasy Thursday night at The House at 1229, drawing a crowd of AI-adjacent policy pros, investors, and technologists for cocktails, karaoke, slushies, and ice cream sandwiches. Guests voted on which AI they use the most and revealed their favorite chatbot prompts. The invite promised “clever cocktails, engaging company, and just the right amount of AI mischief,” and it delivered. Think boozy frozen cocktails, surprise karaoke, and yes, even an ice cream truck parked outside.

Guests whispered a secret password at the door before slipping into a cool, mood-lit space that brought together policy thinkers, tech insiders, and DC Influencers. The dress code? ‘AI Casual’—relaxed, stylish, and smart. A DJ kept the energy pulsing late into the night as DC’s AI glitterati gathered to escape the sweltering heat wave that had gripped the capital all week.

The evening came on the heels of the massively successful Inaugural AI Honors Gala hosted by the Washington AI Network on June 3rd, and the crowd was still riding high. It was clear this crew isn’t just celebrating—they’re keeping the momentum going as AI continues to dominate conversations across Washington.

It was a more relaxed midpoint in D.C.’s summer AI swirl—less summit, more speakeasy. Expect more from this growing network as it heads into a high-energy fall.

SPOTTED: Attendees included Jake Denton, Pierson Furnish, Adam Branch, Miriam Vogel, Max Fenkell, Ashley Callen, Mary Kozeny, Mitchell Rivard, Govind Shivkumar, Emma Mears, Cristobal Alex, Josh Dawsey, Joanna Guy, John Rizzo, Rachel Green Horn, Jack Kinney, James Perry Adams, Helen and Joe Milby, Meridith McGraw, Sylvia Varnham O’Reagan, Jonathan Clifford, Dan Meyers, Kevin Latek, John McCarthy, TW Arrighi, Shannon Ricchetti, Liz Johnson, Martin Stanley, Michael Falcone, Kevin Cirilli, Pierson Furnish and Sydney Snowden.

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