Ms. Kristina Walter is the Director of NSA’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, in this role she is responsible for leading NSA’s open private sector relationships, in collaboration with our government partners to protect our critical government supply chain. Ms. Walter integrates NSA’s unique intelligence insights and technical expertise to defend the Defense Industrial Base and our National Security Systems from cyber threats.

With over 15 years of experience at NSA, Ms. Walter has continuously prioritized the strategic overview of NSA’s missions. Prior to rejoining the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, she led NSA’s Future-Ready Workforce Initiative highlighting the criticality of NSA’s “people-first” mission. As well as serving as the Senior Strategist for NSA, to showcase and implement the Director’s visions through meaningful mission outcomes.

Ms. Walter earned her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, as well as a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Logistics & Supply Chain Management. Although she is a Pennsylvania native, Ms. Walter is currently a Maryland resident, alongside her husband and two children.

Patrick Tucker is science and technology editor for Defense One. He’s also the author of The Naked Future: What Happens in a World That Anticipates Your Every Move? (Current, 2014).

Previously, Tucker was deputy editor for The Futurist for nine years. Tucker has written about emerging technology in Slate, The Sun, MIT Technology Review, Wilson Quarterly, The American Legion Magazine, BBC News Magazine, Utne Reader, and elsewhere.

Dr. Martin is a chief engineer with over 13 years of experience in developing and prototyping advanced AI/ML solutions for the Department of Defense (DoD). As a technical authority on edge ML capabilities, she leads the design, development, and optimization of ML models to run effectively on compact, low-power edge processors, ensuring they are mission-ready for real-world applications.  Her work focuses on operationalizing AI/ML capabilities on edge devices for denied environments, specializing in applications such as facial recognition, aided target recognition (AiTR), mission planning, and optical character recognition and translation. She bridges the gap between cutting-edge AI/ML research and practical deployment, providing warfighters with robust, high-impact capabilities on the frontlines.