Team Disaster Games

SUCCESS STORIES > HACKING FOR HOMELAND SECURITY

Team Disaster Games

Colorado School of Mines

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Making Disaster Preparedness Accessible

The Team

Torin Johnson

• University Innovation Fellow
• Graduate TA for Innov8X (Hacking for Homeland Security)
• Former Project Engineering Intern at JR Clark Enterprises 
• Former Venture Capital Intern at Rockies Venture Club 
• BS in Computer Science and Robotics & Intelligent Systems

Maxwell Sissman

• Senior Scientific Analyst at OBXtek
• Senior Consultant at Artlin Consulting
• MS in Space Resources from Colorado School of Mines
• MS in Systems Engineering from the George Washington University
• BS in Aerospace Studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Tabish Iqbal

• Founder / Energy Analyst at Ceres Energy Solutions
• Former Finance / Accounts Officer at Mari Petroleum Company Limited
• Former Finance Executive at Pakistan Oilfields Limited 
• MS in Mineral & Energy Economics from Colorado School of Mines
• BBA, Finance & Investment from National University of Sciences and Technology

Problem Sponsor

FEMA Region VIII

Original Problem Statement

The National Preparedness Division needs a safe and interactive way to run large-scale emergency simulations in order to improve crisis management skills and validate the response capabilities of the various communities.

Beneficiary Discovery Interviews

25

The Innovation

Across the United States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) responds to and works to prevent disasters. A critical piece of FEMA’s mission is ensuring a well-prepared general population, which greatly increases the efficiency and likelihood of success in these emergency situations. Typically, FEMA hosts large scale, in-person role playing simulations to help prepare individuals for disaster response. However, when the pandemic broke out, FEMA was no longer able to conduct their in-person training sessions and was looking for a suitable alternative.

With this new challenge at hand, FEMA Region VIII, which covers the mountain region of the United States, tasked Team Disaster Games at Colorado School of Mines with educating the general public on disaster preparation and response.

As the team began their investigation into this problem, they spoke with experts at organizations such as FEMA, the Red Cross, NARA and the Disaster Institute in order to better understand disaster preparedness challenges. Through this beneficiary discovery process, the team found that a primary challenge with educating the public is that the training sessions are resource intensive, which limited the number of individuals they would be able to reach.

In addition to the resource heavy nature of these training sessions, the team also found that there was little incentive for the general public to participate in these disaster preparedness training sessions. The team compared the attitude toward visiting a doctor. Something you should do but may not always be a top priority to do in your free time. While ensuring a well-prepared general population would greatly increase the efficiency and likelihood of success for emergency responders, they also found that there was little incentive for the general public to engage.

With this in mind, the team decided that their solution must be both engaging and educational. While there was plenty of disaster engagement material available, it was the engagement that proved to be the primary challenge.

With this information the team began to explore low fidelity simulations, such as the one created by NARA and iThrive. Initially, the team considered creating their own game (board or video) to engage their desired population segment. However, the team soon realized that creating and marketing an entirely new game would be very challenging, and beneficiary discovery interviews proved that an unfamiliar game with a government seal of approval quickly lost its appeal.

From there, the team went on to consider “reskinning” games, specifically those popular with our target demographic. This would involve taking known and popular games among their demographic and modifying them to include disaster preparedness scenarios. The team tested this concept by reskinning popular games “Jenga” and “Exploding Kittens”, and watched for behavioral changes in action and conversation of those who participated as a way to validate our hypotheses. 

Ultimately, the team took their findings and published a White Paper on the use of games to educate their segment of the general population (college students) on disaster preparedness. Though the team tested their hypotheses on college students, they believe this can be an example case for educating the larger population. The team focused on creating engaging games, suitable for a small group with limited resources. 

Though the team does not have plans to continue with the project themselves, they hope to hand their work on to a future Hacking for Homeland Security team to continue with this research and turn their pretoype into a prototype that FEMA may actually be able to implement.

Presentation

Team Disaster Game’s
Hacking for Homeland Security Experience

Growing Their Disaster Preparedness Network

One of the highlights of the course for Team Disaster Games was the “flipped classroom” style of learning, where students share their findings with the instructors, rather than listening to a lecture. This methodology challenged Team Disaster Games to connect with experts in the field to validate, or disprove, their hypotheses. 

Torin shared that he really enjoyed that he was able to meet and network with people working in the disaster preparedness space.  For Tabish, the interview process was his favorite part of the course and was “ultimately what led the team to find a successful solution to the problem we were tasked with addressing.”

The team also highlighted that the interview process gave them the opportunity to have an iterative problem solving process. It allowed them to focus on the problem first and made the challenge they were facing more digestible. By speaking with a wide range of beneficiaries, the team was able to focus on the pretotype they were developing and figure out what the real problem was, rather than going down the wrong path without understanding what beneficiaries really needed.

Getting Outside of the Classroom

For Tabish and his teammates, the course had a steep learning curve. The team was confronted with an unfamiliar problem and were tasked with using unfamiliar entrepreneurship strategies. However, he shared that the course helped him improve the ways in which he thinks through problem solving. For Maxwell, he similarly stated that using the Mission Model Canvas made considering both the business layer in addition to the public benefit element became more default as the course went on.

Team Post-Quantum Cryptography

University of Alabama in Huntsville

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Decoding the Future of Post-Quantum Cryptography

The Team

Matthew Daigle

• MS in Computer Science Candidate at University of Alabama in Huntsville
• BS in Computer Science from University of Alabama in Huntsville

Erik Failing

• BS in Computer Science Candidate at University of Alabama in Huntsville

Angela Allison

• Software Engineer Associate at SAIC
• Former Software Engineer Intern at Raytheon
• BS in Computer Science from University of Alabama in Huntsville

Sean Pagani

• BS in Computer Science Candidate at University of Alabama in Huntsville
• Research Assistant at Information Technology and Systems Center (ITSC)

Original Problem Statement

Department of Defense Engineers need the ability to assess post-quantum cryptography algorithms in order to ensure system encrypted data security.

Beneficiary Discovery Interviews

15

The Innovation

Quantum computing is an operating system that works much faster than traditional computers and allows users to show information beyond just 0s and 1s (bits). Quantum computers have the ability to store information in “qubits” or in four different states (00, 01, 10, 11.) While this system has not fully been developed, the advent of quantum computation threatens to undermine information security systems. Given this threat, the Department of Defense tasked Team Post-Quantum Cryptography with assessing post-quantum cryptography algorithms in order to determine which should be employed to ensure data security. 

This was an entirely new topic for the team, so the group’s process began with learning more about quantum computing and encryption through interviews with experts. The team quickly realized that there are very few experts within this field. As shown in the graphic, while there are many individuals who study quantum computing and cryptography respectively, it was challenging for the group to identify a large pool of experts to contact. 

Nonetheless, the experts they were able to contact were a beacon of knowledge and offered tremendous support for the direction of their work. With the help of these experts and the extensive research the team conducted on their own, the team selected promising algorithms for further analysis. 

Once these algorithms were selected, the team worked diligently to prove that they had the potential to efficiently and reliably secure information security systems against attacks performed by a quantum computer. To do so, the team started by benchmarking the performance of each algorithm. From there, the team validated the security of these algorithms’ operations within tightly constrained environments. 

The team presented the information to their problem sponsor through a white paper report which presents the team’s findings about the state of quantum encryption and the three algorithms the team tested. Of the team, both Matthew and Erik plan to continue their work on this problem beyond the end of the Hacking for Defense semester.

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Presentation

Team Post-Quantum Cryptography’s
Hacking for Defense Experience

Quality over Quantity 

Most Hacking for Defense teams aim to contact a certain number of experts each week. While this works well for broad topics, weekly interview requirements proved to be a challenge for Team Post-Quantum Cryptography. There are very few experts that work at the intersection of quantum computing and cryptography. That pool is even further narrowed by security clearances that prevented several experts from speaking with the team about their work. With these restrictions, the team decided to focus their energy on high-quality, in-depth interviews with subject matter experts. 

The team conducted 15 beneficiary discovery interviews and had extensive conversations with eight others via email. For Team Post-Quantum Cryptography, these interviews were not brief, 10 minute phone calls. These interviews averaged an hour each with the longest interview reaching three and a half hours. With just 15, high-quality interviews, the team was able to engage in hours of conversation that ultimately led to the success of their final white paper report. 

Hacking for Defense Sparks Student Curiosity 

The members of Team Post-Quantum Cryptography had little engagement with the field of quantum cryptography before the semester. A curiosity in the topic sparked student’s interest in the course. Matthew stated he took Hacking for Defense because he “...likes to learn new things”. He continued to share that this course allowed him to “learn about things I never thought I would learn”.

Erik shared his interest in working on a project throughout the semester that produces a final product. He was excited about the opportunity to work on a long term project and have the ability to reflect proudly and say “I did this!”. With the flipped classroom model, students are able to take control of their learning and determine the course of their semester. 

The team cited the Lean LaunchPad tools as a key reason for their success. Working with the Mission Model Canvas guided their initial steps to better understanding the challenge at hand. Matthew said “Without it, we wouldn’t have known where to start.” The use of the MMC allowed the team to effectively modify the canvas and pivot throughout the semester. The team’s curiosity paired with the Lean methodology allowed the team to successfully evaluate post-quantum cryptography algorithms to support their sponsoring organization.

Team Magneto

Georgetown University

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Side Stepping Physics to Identify Electromagnetic Spectrum Jamming Threats

The Team

Cindy Martinez

• Former Policy Analyst at the Department of Homeland Security, advising senior government officials on military cyber operations and space security issues
• BA in Cybersecurity and Marketing from California State University, San Bernardino
• MA Candidate for Security Studies from Georgetown University

Mack von Mehren

• Associate at Pallas Advisors, advising cutting-edge tech companies on navigating the national security ecosystem
• Former Marine Corps Infantry Officer
• BA in History and Leadership Studies from Williams College
• MA Candidate for Security Studies from Georgetown University

Nick Edwards

• Active Duty Army Officer with 10 years experience
• Deployed to Iraq in 2011 and Afghanistan in 2012
• BA in Political Science from Penn State University
• MS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University

Problem Sponsor

Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Cross Functional Team, OSD

Original Problem Statement

Infantry units and radio operators need a way to practice identifying and responding to electromagnetic spectrum jamming in order to remain effective in communication-compromised environments.

Beneficiary Discovery Interviews

61

The Innovation

Initially, Team Magneto viewed this issue as a policy problem and sought to create a more efficient approval process for jamming training. The team believed that by reducing this lengthy process, there would be more opportunities for more jamming training to occur within the Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Cross Functional Team.

However, the team soon realized that the bureaucracy was too dense to focus their efforts on solving that issue. One beneficiary stated: “It would take an act of God to do what you’re asking.” Informed by the course’s basis in the Lean LaunchPad methodology, the group decided to pivot. 

After going back to the drawing board to find a solution, the team had a breakthrough: they realized that training could continue if they are able to simulate jamming, rather than actually jamming equipment. With this pivot, they are able to entirely sidestep the lengthy approval process for jamming and could provide Soldiers and Marines with exposure to jamming through training. 

With this new direction, the team produced the “In-Line Jamming Simulator” which completely removed the EMS physics within typical jamming training. The problem sponsors and beneficiaries are eager about this innovation, with one beneficiary stating: “I want it, when can I get it?”

With the strong interest in their solution, the team will continue to work on this project beyond the end of the semester and are currently working to create 10 - 20 prototypes of the In-Line Jamming Simulator to get the product in the hands of end-users for further feedback. Team Magneto is a Common Mission Project Impact Fund recipient, which will support their work in developing a prototype. Additionally, they are pursuing several other funding opportunities to continue to develop their product.

Presentation

Team Magneto’s
Hacking for Defense Experience

Team Magneto’s Mack Von Mehren heard about Hacking for Defense long before logging into his course registration portal at Georgetown University. During his 2017-2018 deployment to Korea with his Marine Battalion he was asked to identify problems he was facing in the field that could be addressed by undergraduate and graduate Hacking for Defense students.

After identifying the problems within his own unit to be solved by university students, when he became a graduate student himself, he was enthusiastic about taking the course himself and to work toward solving problems faced by soldiers in the field. 

Mack Von Mehren emphasized the course’s value for both problem sponsors and for students taking the course, which allows them to “Be a ‘do-er’ before (they) have actually graduated.”

Nick Edwards, MSFS graduate stated this course “was the most rewarding class I took at Georgetown.” The entire team stated the course was an incredibly challenging and rewarding experience. They look forward to pursuing their solution beyond the course.

Team GroundWatch

University of Colorado at Boulder

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From Hacking for Defense Students to Company Co-Founders

The Team

Lt. Matthew Giltenan

• Co-Founder & Chief Operations Officer of GroundWatch
• U.S. Army Infantry Officer
• BA in Communication and Media Studies from Fordham University
• MBA from University of Colorado Boulder

Ron Thompson

• Co-Founder and CEO of GroundWatch
• Former Quantitative Developer at Point 72
• Former Rapid Prototype Application Developer at Booz Allen Hamilton
• MS in Computer Science Candidate at Tufts University
• Post-Baccalaureate Studies in Computer Science at University of Colorado Boulder
• BA in Government from Georgetown University

Carl Mueller

• Co-Founder / CTO of Lighting in a Bot, Inc.
• Former Research Scientist at QualTek Molecular Laboratories
• PhD in Computer Science Candidate at University of Colorado Boulder
• BS in Biopsychology University of California - Santa Barbara

Cameron Casby

• Mechanical Engineer at CACI International Inc.
• Co-Founder / CTO of GroundWatch
• MS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder
• BS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder

Michael Flanigan

• Former Development Engineer Ocean Aero Inc.
• Former Systems Engineer at DMC, Inc.
• MS in Computer Science Candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder
• BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame

Nicolas Mayhan

• Co-Founder of GroundWatch
• BS in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Candidate

Problem Sponsor

U.S. Army Special Operations Command

Original Problem Statement

USASOC Operational Detachments seeks to improve the automation of sensory information processing within their Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System in order to identify potential threats.

Beneficiary Discovery Interviews

65

The Innovation

The U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) is developing a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (“Count sUAS”) platform that will be mounted onto military vehicles. Hacking for Defense team GroundWatch was tasked by the USASOC to focus on integrating the visual and the machine learning algorithms. 

As the group began their process, they interviewed over fifty beneficiaries including USASOC commanders, Army engineers, sensors manufacturers and the end-user. As the group further explored this topic another key issue emerged: sensor integration. They found that many Count sUAS options from competitors require sensors to only work with internal products from the same company. They also found that many of their competitors' sensors struggle to track out-of-frame objects. Their solution needed to use the data from sensors to provide a full picture of the battlespace.

With the challenges faced by end-users in mind, the team decided to look further down the pipeline to address how these sensors worked together. With this, the team developed “Sixth Sense”, a sensor middleware that gives clients more choice with sensors and software (preventing vendor lock-in) and improves out-of-frame tracking capabilities. The solution provides more robust sensor integration that allows systems to be more modular than a traditional more customized integration. 

Additionally, the team addressed the problem of out-of-frame objects by combining the streams from various sensors to provide 360 degree situational awareness. Through Sixth Sense integration, the team has enabled the sensors to communicate with one another more effectively and pass relevant information to allow the sensors to automatically track threats. Finally, Sixth Sense allows the sensors to track threats out-of-frame, which means the camera doesn't need to be pointing at the threat continuously to estimate where it is. 

From this Hacking for Defense group,  three of the members of GroundWatch, Ron Thompson, Matthew Giltenan, Cameron Casby have formed a company, with Michael Flanigan continuing to work with the group as a software developer while pursuing another startup opportunity. The team is working on developing a more advanced prototype and looking at commercial opportunities.

To get in touch with GroundWatch, please contact info@ground-watch.com or ron.thompson@ground-watch.com.

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Presentation

Team GroundWatch’s
Hacking for Defense Experience

Working directly to serve the end user

A highlight for Team GroundWatch was that they were able to work on a solution that directly impacted end-users. Ron Thompson stated that most of his previous interactions with the military had been with officers. However, throughout their work, the team had the opportunity to interview and work with a lot of enlisted personnel on the ground. This allowed the team to create a solution that would not just be helpful in the abstract but allowed them to create something that would actually be helpful for the end-users on the ground. 

The team made all the difference

For most of Team GroundWatch, the team and teaching staff at CU Boulder made the course such a meaningful experience. Ron stated that his favorite part of the Hacking for Defense experience was “hands down the team.” He appreciated being with a group of such dedicated and motivated teammates that allowed them to make real progress on such a big issue in such a short amount of time. Mike spoke on behalf of the team to praise the CU Boulder teaching team. After hearing Hacking for Defense instructor Lloyd Thrall speak, Mike realized “I want to be in the same room as that guy.” The team appreciated the support and guidance from their teaching team that supported their team to where it is today.

Team Crow’s Nest

University of Colorado Boulder

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Innovating the Search and Rescue Process through Data Fusion

The Team

Jeff Venicx

• CU Robotics Club Founder and Team Lead for Robosub Team
• PhD Candidate in Computer Science at University of Colorado Boulder
• MS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder
• BS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder

Jake Luoma

• Former Engineer at Genentech
• MS in Computer Science Candidate at University of Colorado Boulder
• BS in Chemical and Biological Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder

Stacy Hayes

• Former Software Development Intern at Lockheed Martin
• BS in Computer Science from University of Colorado Boulder

Alex Mclaren

• Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corp
• Former Intern at the U.S. House of Representatives
• BS in Electrical Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder

Chad Lewis

• Development Engineer at Figure Engineering
• Former DevOps Intern at Webroot
• BS in Computer Science from University of Colorado Boulder

Jake McGrath

• Owner of McGrath Technologies
• Former Software Engineer at Overall Electric LLC
• BS in Aerospace Engineering and Applied Math Candidate at University of Colorado Boulder

Nolan Ferguson

• Former Systems Engineer for Air Force Office of Hypersonic Research funded research team
• BS in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from University of Colorado Boulder

Problem Sponsor

National Security Agency (NSA)

Original Problem Statement

National Security Agency (NSA) personnel need alternative techniques to use UAVs to improve time and success rate of Search and Rescue missions.

Beneficiary Discovery Interviews

42

The Innovation

The National Security Agency (NSA) tasked Team Crow’s Nest with coordinating multiple Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles (UAVs) to support Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts. As the team began researching their problem and conducting beneficiary discovery interviews, they identified other SAR procedures that require innovation. Some of these key innovations include better understanding how SAR crews utilize resources such as drones including cost, response time, sensor packages, etc. 

As the team continued to conduct beneficiary discovery interviews, they realized the real issue wasn't in how to deploy UAVs, but rather how to effectively allocate resources to improve the mission’s success. They found that the true problem lies in identifying how to effectively utilize existing technology to improve the success of a SAR mission. Many of the resources available to SAR teams are not coordinated to work together to support a mission. The team pivoted and began brainstorming how to most effectively allocate resources and create a system that could be as versatile as the product’s end-users. 

Ultimately, the team discovered data fusion was the most effective way to combine the various sets of information that are essential for a successful SAR mission. The team utilized topographical maps, GPS tracking, radios and drone deployment options to form one unified source of information that SAR teams are able to utilize to better carry out their mission. Algorithms within the system use all available information and additional subject behavior modeling to project likely hiker travel patterns. This information is used to highlight where SAR efforts are best focused. 

This innovation dramatically reduces the preparation time needed for SAR teams. The platform pools all relevant information and creates a projected travel path for the subject so the team can focus solely on carrying out their mission. 

Many of their beneficiaries and future end-users agreed with the product’s success. A US Navy officer stated: “This predictive analysis could take SAR planning from hours to minutes.” Reducing the SAR planning time is essential to ensuring the mission is successful. A Chief Warrant Officer at the Army National Guard of Colorado told Team Crow’s Nest that: “The success rate increases exponentially with additional prep time. Someone has to try and figure out resource allocation based on probability.” This resource would serve as an invaluable resource to SAR efforts within the state of Colorado and beyond. 

With this innovation, the team is able to generate insights that would typically take years of experience in the field of SAR to generate. The team will be continuing their work beyond the semester and are in the process of applying for funding opportunities.

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Presentation

Team Crow’s Nest’s
Hacking for Defense Experience

Try, Fail, Adjust

When asked to describe the hardest and the most rewarding aspects of the course, Team Crow’s Nest gave a surprising answer. “The answer to both would be the team.” They shared that at times it was a challenge to balance all the different attitudes on the team. Each team member had a different idea on the direction of their work which led to friendly arguments and debates among the group.

The team also attributed these “arguments” as the ultimate reason for their success. Everyone on the team cared so deeply about what they were working on and wanted to succeed. The team environment was one that encouraged open discussion about all aspects of the project. Even when they believed they were on the right track, a teammate would jump in with a “Well… what about this?” This allowed the team to push their final product to one that was completely thought through after challenge from other team members and led the team to success. 

H4D is Shaping the Academic Experience

For many students, Hacking for Defense is a highlight of a student’s academic experience and impacts a student’s future career plans. For Jeff Venicx, Computer Science PhD candidate, this course opened his eyes to the variety of funding opportunities available that will allow him to continue his research. As a true Colorado native, he describes this unexplored area of research funding as fresh powder in the snow that he is excited to trek through. 

For teammate Chad Lewis, the course has led him to work for his problem sponsors after graduation. He urged the Common Mission Project team to “Do whatever you can to keep this course around. This is one of three courses that I will remember for the rest of my life. We went through it all: all the hardships, all the arguments. I truly think that this is a program that needs to be advocated for.” As shown through Crow’s Nest and their Hacking for Defense experience, this course is one that truly shapes student’s academic experiences.

Douglas County Search and Rescue Dog

Team 007

The Ohio State University

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Linking Incompatible Systems to Streamline Communication Across the Intelligence Community

The Team

Jackie Carlin

• Former Account Manager at DeanHouston, Inc.
• MPA Candidate from the Ohio State University
• MBA from the Ohio State University
• BA in Strategic Communication from Miami University

Michael Dumitrescu

• BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the Ohio State University

Maya Perlmutter

• Undergraduate Research Assistant, OSU Battelle Center for Science, Engineering and Public Policy
• BS in Psychology

Cassie Boutelle

• Master of Public Health Candidate, Emory University
• BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering

Problem Sponsor

Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security

Original Problem Statement

The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence needs visibility into the intelligence fulfillment process in order to confidently respond to requests for information.

Beneficiary Discovery Interviews

92

The Innovation

At the beginning of the semester, Team 007 was tasked with “increasing visibility in the intelligence fulfillment process” within the intelligence community. Initially, the team felt overwhelmed by the broadness of this topic. However, through nearly 100 beneficiary discovery interviews, Jackie, Michael, Maya and Cassie from Team 007 collected and analyzed the experiences of subject matter experts, stakeholders, and beneficiaries to figure out the root of this issue. 

The team quickly discovered that the lack of visibility into the intelligence fulfillment process comes from incompatible management and collaboration systems. This mismatch in systems prevents intelligence analysts from communicating with one another about relevant information. One intelligence analyst stated:

“Collaboration would be so much easier if I even had the name of another analyst working on this topic.” 

Once Team 007 team identified the root cause of the problem, incompatible collaboration systems, the team used Lean Innovation tools and the human-centered design process to brainstorm a variety of potential solutions. Each week, the team had multiple hypotheses that continuously evolved through their beneficiary discovery. Ultimately, the team was able to confirm their hypothesis and decided the most effective solution to this problem would be their proposed production management system, “Nile”.

Nile is an application that will bridge the gaps between the existing systems in the intelligence community. The goal of this application is to increase knowledge management capabilities through communication interfaces and a data archiving system. The team compared the problems faced within the intelligence community to the issues faced within a retail distribution center, and “Nile” would allow communication between those making the “deliveries” or fulfilling requests for information. As the team continued to develop their MVP, the team had the opportunity to travel to present their wire-frame to stakeholders at NASIC, the DIA, and the Pentagon, and used the feedback to further refine their ideas. These trips to Dayton, OH and Washington, DC proved invaluable to their final product. 

Despite strong sponsor feedback, the team does not currently have plans to continue their work on this project beyond the semester. However, the team has indicated a strong interest in continuing to support their sponsoring organization or further pursuing the project at some point in the future.

With each new hypothesis, the team literally went “back to the drawing board”.

Presentation

Team 007’s
Hacking for Defense Experience

“Failing Fast” Through Beneficiary Discovery

Master of Public Administration student Jackie praised Hacking for Defense as “One of the best classes I have taken in my academic career. I am really happy I was able to experience it.” She further explained how the course taught her and her teammates “how to let yourself be wrong.” Through many iterations of the team’s hypothesis, Jackie realized being wrong is an essential part of the process. Her attitude throughout the discovery portion of the project was: “If you’re wrong, okay you’re wrong.” This attitude allowed the team to take risks and quickly find a way to pivot to find another solution. The course taught her to “put yourself out there and let people talk you through things… accept that you don’t know everything (so you are able to learn.)”

Teammate Maya Perlmutter was motivated by the overall mission of the course to continue working hard on her project. Aligned with the Common Mission Project belief that mission driven entrepreneurship is a new form of national service, Maya stated: “Knowing that it (our solution) would help someone in the future definitely motivated me throughout this course.”

Both Cassie and Michael are interested in working in the public sector in the future. This course gave the team significant exposure to public sector work and confirmed their interest in pursuing a career in government. 

The entire team cited the course and their experience traveling to conduct beneficiary discovery interviews in Dayton, OH and Washington, DC as a highlight of their academic experience.

Auen Analytics

Colorado School of Mines

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Embracing Entrepreneurship as a New Form of National Service

The Team

John Pugh

• Former Lab Manager at Microsoft
• U.S. Army Veteran
• MS in Geological/Geophysical Engineering Candidate at Colorado School of Mines
• BSc in Geological/Geophysical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines

Morgan Cox

• Computer Science on Tour Program Coordinator
• BSc in Computer Science Candidate at Colorado School of Mines

Problem Sponsor

Air Force Inspection Agency

Original Problem Statement

The Analysis Division of the Air Force Inspection Agency needs a way to leverage relevant data collection and analysis for Air Force missions in order to recommend specific topics or trends for inspection.

Beneficiary Discovery Interviews

95

The Innovation

The Air Force Inspection Agency (AFIA) takes in a large amount of data each year that is used to inform inspection areas. While the organization is able to quickly find key topics, processing this information in order to identify larger trends is a very time consuming process. This process can lead to a lag between reporting and investigation which means lost time, money and resources for the organization. Auen Analytics was tasked with improving the organization’s ability to identify trends during the Spring 2020 semester of Hacking for Defense. 

Auen Analytics worked with AFIA to identify specific challenges with data analytics. Through 95 beneficiary discovery interviews, the team began to better understand the issues with inspection topic identification. The team soon realized the best way to improve the organization’s ability to identify key trends was through natural language processing and specifically topic modeling. This technology will provide AFIA with the ability to quickly identify the key topics, so they can direct inspections in the right places, preventing major issues from arising. This technology uses up-to-date, open source data to ensure the information they are working with is timely and actionable.

Their problem sponsor at AFIA was very positive about their work and even began including other members from his organization to support Auen Analytics. He was highly engaged throughout the entire process and helped the team understand the problem thoroughly. 

Given this positive feedback from beneficiaries and potential end-users, Auen Analytics is excited to continue their work beyond the semester. The team has formed an LLC and is currently working on pursuing funding opportunities and has applied for several military funding sources.

Presentation

Auen Analytics’
Hacking for Defense Experience

Mission Driven Entrepreneurship

At the Common Mission Project, we believe that entrepreneurship is a new form of national service. Auen Analytics embraced this ideal through their work with AFIA. John Pugh, a U.S. Army Veteran, became very focused on supporting the organization. He said: “I saw this problem and had an idea of how to help. I really want to help ease their pain, so that other people are helped down the line.” Understanding the value that this work would bring to members of the organization, the group worked diligently to find a solution.

The group was committed to serving their organization and was excited to do so using Lean LaunchPad tools. John stated “This was my first time doing anything like this (using Lean LaunchPad methodology). The visualization tools were very helpful and allowed us to quickly identify where the problem was.” By combining both a dedication for national service and entrepreneurship, Hacking for Defense students are able to effectively create innovative solutions for their sponsoring organization and ultimately support the end users.

Team XpaNet

University of Southern Mississippi

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Improving Cellular Communication at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

The Team

Jasmine Kelley

• PhD in Business Management at Auburn University
• BA in Economics (Emphasis in Mathematics) and BSBA in Management from University of Southern Mississippi

Jacob Smith

• Former Intern at USM Center for Economic and Entrepreneurship Education
• MS in Information Systems (Cybersecurity) Candidate at Georgia State University
• BS of Business Administration at University of Southern Mississippi

Lacie Borel

• Member of the USM Forensic Science Society
• BA in Legal Studies Candidate at University of Southern Mississippi

Problem Sponsor

Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center

Original Problem Statement

Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center constantly battles with connectivity. Due to the high volume of use, cellular networks are often overloaded and incapacitated. Service members need reliable internet connectivity in order to consistently perform their duties and responsibilities.

Beneficiary Discovery Interviews

110

The Innovation

Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center in Hattiesburg, MS is the largest Military Reserve component training site in the nation. The base often experiences an influx of personnel which leads to overloading the cellular network and constant battles with connectivity. Soldiers undergoing field training at Camp Shelby need strong, stable cellular network coverage to effectively communicate with individuals on and off base.

Hacking for Defense Team XpaNet was tasked with improving the spotty and unreliable cellular network coverage at Camp Shelby. Initially, the team researched who the beneficiaries and potential partners were. Not only did the team reach out to personnel on Camp Shelby, they also contacted other actors that could support the development of their MVP. These contacts included organizations on base, residents in the surrounding Hattiesburg area and network providers.

After speaking with these beneficiaries, the team created a decision matrix to help inform the decision making process for Camp Shelby personnel on how to best improve cellular connectivity on Camp Shelby. The team narrowed their options down to 5G, COWs, COLTs, and additional hardware.

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Decision-Making Matrix

With the decision matrix, the team ultimately concluded that the best option for the base to improve cellular connectivity is to wait for the expansion of 5G. Though this option received low scores for availability and certainty, it received the highest possible scores for range, price and stability. 

Team XpaNet’s innovation is based on the methodology they used to evaluate the different options they identified that would help the base address their issue. The team considered all options that would solve this issue and connected the beneficiaries with the right people. The team connected personnel at Camp Shelby with service providers that can provide the base with 5G connectivity as it continues to be developed.  

The team’s problem sponsors were very happy with the innovations and connections that the team established in just one semester. He stated he was “Very proud of you guys (Team XpaNet) , you knocked it out of the park!” While the team currently does not have plans to continue their project beyond the end of the semester, they are open to serving as a resource for Camp Shelby as they continue to improve their cellular infrastructure.

Jacob Smith visiting Camp Shelby

Presentation

Team XpaNet’s Hacking for Defense Experience

H4D is Unlike Any College Course They Had Taken Before

A key component of the Hacking for Defense experience that Team XpaNet highlighted was how different it is from other college courses. Jasmine Kelley stated: “I really enjoyed the openness of the course... it surprised me. We don’t just sit in a classroom and we are able to discuss ideas freely.” With the flipped classroom model of Hacking for Defense, students are encouraged and expected to come to class with their ideas and discoveries from the previous week. 

The team also highlighted how supportive the Hacking for Defense teaching team was. Lacie Borel was “surprised by how helpful professors were. They really want to help you. The professors would try to push you in the right way with very open and honest feedback.” Though a challenge initially, it was helpful to hear direct feedback from professors in order to build the best MVP as possible. Lacie also shared that “The professors treated us more like peers rather than students” furthering the emphasis on a flipped classroom.

Jacob Smith highlighted how the methodology of the course supported their conclusion: “The Mission Model Canvas is a great way to trim away the fat of things that don’t matter. Without it we wouldn’t have reached the conclusion we did.”

Clarifying Future Career Paths

Not only did this course deviate from the normal college course, it also gave students a better insight into what they would like to do in the future.

Lacie Borel, a freshman during the course, believes this course put her ahead in her college career: “This course really put me forward, it taught me more in one semester than some learn in their time in college!” 

For many students, this course is the first in-depth engagement with the military or with the federal government. As a Criminal Justice major, this course helped solidify her interest in working in government. “This course helped me realize this is what I want to do in my future. This solidified my interest in helping the government and the public.”

Lacie Borel visiting Camp Shelby