PARC Forum:
The future of defense
technologies
MARCH 26, 2026 | 5:00-7:00 PM PT
SRI’S PARC CAMPUS
Government and VCs – working together to help shape
military technology innovation
Join us at SRI’s PARC Forum as we explore the future of national and global security and defense technologies.
California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis will be joined by Christopher Kirchhoff (head of AI strategy and global security at Scale AI and Defense Innovation Unit advisor) and Raj M. Shah (managing partner of Shield Capital and executive chairman and co-founder of Resilience). Kirchhoff and Shah are also the co-authors of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War.
Together, the speakers will address urgent questions at the intersection of government, innovation, and defense, such as:
- How venture-backed innovation is changing the nature of military technology development
- What sectors are bridging the gap between cutting-edge innovation and military capabilities
- What role does Silicon Valley play in maintaining America’s strategic advantage
- How emerging technologies are reshaping the future of warfare and global security
This timely conversation comes as dual-use technology moves from the periphery to the center of national security strategy, with implications for California’s economy, America’s defense posture, and global stability.
Date/time: March 26, 2026 | 5:00 – 7:00 PM PT
Location: SRI’s PARC Campus,
3333 Coyote Hill Drive, Palo Alto, CA or online
Speakers
Christopher Kirchhoff
Head of AI Strategy and
Global Security, Scale AI
About Christopher
Kirchhoff is the founder of the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley office and co-author of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War, which offers an insider look at the elite Pentagon unit devoted to bringing Silicon Valley’s cutting-edge tech to the U.S. military.
Eleni Kounalakis
Lieutenant Governor of
California
About Eleni
As California’s Lieutenant Governor, Kounalakis serves as the state’s international representative, promoting California industries and companies abroad, particularly in the defense technology sector.
Raj M. Shah
Managing Partner,
Shield Capital
About Raj
Shah is the former director of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit and is now managing partner of Shield Capital, a firm focused on technologies for commercial and national security applications. Shah also co-authored Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War.
Register for PARC Forum
“The PARC Forum events offer that rare magic where I can get a front row
seat to a place where visionary thinking meets world impact.”
– PARC Forum attendee