Teaming for the Mission: Why Collaboration Wins in Complex Environments with Bob Ritchie and Lauren Knausenberger

On this episode of The Defense Unicorns Podcast, host and CEO of Defense Unicorns, Rob Slaughter, sits down with Lauren Knausenberger, Chief Innovation Officer, and Bob Ritchie, CGO/CTO, at SAIC, to unpack the evolving intersection of defense, technology, and innovation. From their roots in the Department of Defense to leadership roles at a Fortune 500 integrator, Lauren and Bob bring a front-row view into how mission-driven tech is reshaping the national security landscape.

They share what it means to partner across startups, integrators, and government, and why solving the toughest defense challenges requires an open, collaborative ecosystem. Lauren reflects on the cultural and structural shifts sparked by efforts like AFWERX and DIU, while Bob breaks down how cloud platforms and open source models are changing the game, especially at scale.

Together, they dig into the growing momentum behind outcome-based acquisition, the importance of credible venture investment in national security startups, and why the real question isn’t “who owns the tech,” but “who’s focused on the mission.” From acquisition reform to continuous ATOs and lessons from Ukraine, this episode is a grounded, insider perspective on what it takes to modernize defense in both mindset and execution.

Key Quotes:
"We do bias towards companies that are dedicated to open source and towards the ability to help support those companies succeed, which is one of the most amazing things about what you've done with Defense Unicorns – just the one of the top Kubernetes contributors in the world, then the largest, open source contributor in the industrial base. So, those sorts of principles and values of dedication to mission, and the high standard of craftsmanship around software delivery that it takes to do your software development in open source, is something that really attracts us and how we go and think about partnerships.” - Bob

"Our core competency is solving really gnarly problems and bringing all of the tribe and all of the pieces together, and solving the problem. We're not going to be a hyperscaler and an individual enterprise services provider – we can't possibly do all of those things better than everyone else. The warfighter and the operators, they deserve the best capabilities for the mission. So, we do take it very seriously to constantly survey the environment and see who has amazing capabilities that we can bring in now and who has capabilities that we think we need in two years that maybe we should seed through our Ventures program." - Lauren 

Time Stamps:
(00:44) The  Mission and Vision of SAIC
(08:04) The Impact of Defense Innovation Programs
(12:23) SAIC's Approach to Partnerships
(21:31) Changes in Defense Policy and Funding 
(39:32) Today’s Modern Warfare and Information Dominance
(45:30)  Recommendations for Innovators for Today’s Defense

Links:
Connect with Bob Ritchie
Connect with Lauren Knausenberger
Connect with Rob Slaughter
Learn More About Defense Unicorns

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