Whitefish Security Summit Young Professionals Program
Thu, Apr 02
|The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
DREAMING BIGGER THAN FICTION? STEP INTO THE REAL WORLD OF INTELLIGENCE, MEDIA, AND INFLUENCE, AGES 21-27
Time & Location
Apr 02, 2026, 6:30 AM MST – Apr 03, 2026, 8:00 PM MST
The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, Whitefish, MT 59937, USA
About the Event
Whitefish Security Summit
Young Professionals Program
April 2–3, 2026
Whitefish, Montana
Join the Whitefish Security Summit Young Professionals Program where curiosity meets real-world challenges. Designed for ages 21-27, this immersive experience blends national security insight, strategic storytelling, and tech savvy to prepare you for careers that matter. Build skills. Make connections. Shape narratives. Learn from intelligence professionals, tech innovators, and storytellers. Transform the way you see the world, and the role you play in it.
OFFICIAL SUMMIT AGENDA
Day One – Thursday, April 2nd
6:30 – 7:45 Location TBD
Morning PT with a Navy SEAL Commander
Led by Retired Naval Special Warfare Commander Eric “Olly” Oehlerich
09:00 – 09:50 The Firebrand Hotel · VIP Session (limited access)
VIP Speaker Reception
Featuring General Stanley McChrystal and Summit speakers
10:00 – 10:15 The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Welcome & Opening Remarks — Jeffrey Caruso
10:15 – 11:15 The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Character as Strategy: Leadership for America’s Critical Frontiers
Speaker: General Stanley McChrystal, US Army (Ret.)
11:15 – 11:55 The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Fireside Chat: From Langley to Cupertino to the Front Lines of Geopolitics
Guest: Anthony DeMario
Moderator: Jeffrey Caruso
11:55 – 12:35 The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Wise Women, Hard Targets: Story, Strategy, and the Future of U.S. Security
Panel: Carmen Medina (Moderator), Laura Thomas, Rachel Grunspan
12:35 – 13:35 · Attendee’s Choice (Downtown Whitefish)
Lunch Break
13:35 – 14:15 Whitefish Performing Arts Center
Action Films and the Intersection of U.S. Intelligence
Speaker: J. Mills Goodloe
14:15 – 14:55 Whitefish Performing Arts Center
Fireside Chat: Secrets and Stories: Intelligence, Influence, and the Battle for Relevance
Guest: Rodney Faraon
Moderator: Teresa Smetzer
15:10 – 15:50 Whitefish Performing Arts Center
The Evolution of Intelligence Collection & the Need for Cultural Acuity in Analysis
Speaker: David Tinsley
15:50 – 16:30 Whitefish Performing Arts Center
Reel v Real: The Melding of Espionage and Entertainment
Speaker: Darrell M. Blocker
16:30 – 17:00 Whitefish Performing Arts Center
The Consequences of Portrayal: When Authenticity Matters — and When It Doesn’t
Panel: RJ Casey and Matt Westbrook
Moderator: Susan Barrows Libby
17:00 – 19:00 Attendee’s Choice (Downtown Whitefish)
Dinner Break
19:00 – 20:00 Great Northern Bar & Grill
Documentary Screening with Q&A
Panel includes Michael “Mick” P. Mulroy and Eric “Olly” Oehlerich (with filmmakers and advisors)
20:00 – 21:00 Great Northern Bar & Grill
A Sip to Remember: Notes, Conversations, and a Pour
Presented by Four Branches Bourbon with Mike Trott and RJ Casey
Day Two – Friday, April 3rd
6:30 – 7:45 Location TBD
Morning PT with a Navy SEAL Commander
Led by Retired Naval Special Warfare Commander Eric “Olly” Oehlerich
09:00 – 09:50 Larch House · VIP Session (limited access)
Live “Eyes On” Podcast Broadcast
Featuring Colonel Andy Milburn (USMC, Ret.), Commander Eric “Olly” Oehlerich (USN, Ret.)
Moderator: Dee Takos
10:00 – 10:40 Second Story
SCRIPTED CRISIS: Turning Real-World Threats into Drama
Howard Gordon
10:40 – 11:20 Second Story
AI Cubed – Artificial Intelligence, Artistic Infringement, Anarchist Impact
Bianca Goodloe
11:20 – 12:00 Second Story
How Power Shapes the Story: Inside Hollywood’s Influence Machinery
Tatiana Siegel
12:00 – 13:00 Attendee’s Choice (Downtown Whitefish)
Lunch Break
13:00 – 13:40 Second Story
Archetypes for AI Security and Governance
Benjamin Harvey, Ph.D.
13:40 – 14:20 Second Story
Blinding the Beholder: Adversarial Attacks to Defeat Autonomous Drones
Robi Sen
14:20 – 15:00 Second Story
So You Want to Build a Defense Startup
Lance Cottrell
15:00 – 15:40 Second Story
Imagined Worlds, Real Moral Consequence: A Fireside Chat
Guest: Elizabeth Heider, Ph.D.
Moderator: Jeffrey Caruso
15:40 – 16:20 Second Story
When Stories Become Signals: Intelligence, the Paranormal, and Conspiracy Thinking
Carmen Medina and Julia Mossbridge
16:20 – 17:00 Second Story
One Mission. Two Cultures: CIA–DoD Collaboration in Practice
Guests: Andrew Hartsog and Eric “Olly” Oehlerich
Moderator: Michael “Mick” P. Mulroy
17:00 – 19:00 Attendee’s Choice (Downtown Whitefish)
Dinner Break
19:00 – 20:00 Second Story
Documentary Screening with Q&A
Panel with founders of Iron Butterfly Media and clips from their documentary “The Women Who Have Written History from the Shadows.”
Day Three – Saturday, April 4th
9:00 – 11:00 · Somewhere around Whitefish Lake
The Lobo Treasure Hunt
Coordinated by Michael “Mick” P. Mulroy and Eric “Olly” Oehlerich
KEYNOTES & FEATURED VOICES
General Stanley McChrystal
Commander, U.S. Forces–Afghanistan & ISAF (U.S. Army, Ret.)
Howard Gordon
Writer, Producer & Showrunner
Darrell M. Blocker
Former Deputy Director, Counterterrorism Center, CIA
Rachel Grunspan
Former Chief Futurist, Directorate for Digital Innovation, CIA
Elizabeth Heider
Author, Physicist & Naval Analyst
Anthony DeMario
Executive Vice President, Strider Technologies
Carmen Medina
Former Deputy Director of Intelligence, CIA
Rodney Faraon
Partner & Co-Founder, Crumpton Global; Former CIA Officer
Benjamin Harvey, Ph.D.
Founder, AI Squared; Former Chief of Data Science/AI, NSA
Bianca Goodloe
Producer, Financier, Attorney
Eric “Olly” Oehlerich
Commanding Officer, DEVGRU Squadron Two; U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Laura Thomas
Former Case Officer & Chief of Base, CIA
Mick Mulroy
Co-Founder, Lobo Institute; Former Paramilitary Operations Officer, CIA
Matt Westbrook
Writer & Producer; Former CIA Operations Officer
Teresa Smetzer
Former Director of Digital Futures, CIA Directorate of Digital Innovation
J. Mills Goodloe
Director, Writer, Producer
TECH, STRATEGY & FUTURE SECURITY EXPERTS
Kris Coleman
Founder & CEO, Red5; Author & Futurist
Susan Barrows Libby
MI1 Executive Team; Former Chief of Staff, Global Technology Firm
David Tinsley
Founder & CEO, Five Stones Intelligence; Retired Supervisory Special Agent, DEA
Robi Sen
CEO, Cognoscenti Labs LLC; Former Co-Founder & CTO, Department 13
Jeffrey Caruso
Founder, Suits and Spooks | Creator, MI:1
RJ Casey
Special Operations Veteran & Film Industry Professional
Lance Cottrell
Angel Investor, Venture Capitalist & Entrepreneur
Dexter Ingram
Counterterrorism & National Security Strategist; Founder, IN Network
Julia Mossbridge, Ph.D.
Futurist, Neuroscientist & Physicist
Andrew Hartsog
Executive Vice President, Constellis; Former CIA Chief of Operations (Special Activities) & Chief of Station
Cadie Naquin Hopkins
Co-Founder, Iron Butterfly Media
Note
These speakers represent leaders from intelligence, national security, technology, entertainment, and strategic policy — reflecting the summit’s mission to connect real-world security with cultural narratives.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Arrival April 1, 4:00 pm / Departure April 4, 12:00 pm
Conference Attire: Business Casual/Professional
Accommodations: Whitefish Riverfront Hotel, 920 Spokane Avenue, Whitefish, MT 59937, 1.406.862.7600
Shuttle service available with 24-hour notice from Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) and Amtrak
Shuttle service to and from The Lodge at Whitefish Lake
Complimentary breakfast from 6:00 - 10:00 am