Q‑Branch founder Marc Cervantes dives into the realities of building dual‑use companies that sell to government. We cover the origin story, the craft of becoming an ‘acquisition ninja,’ and lessons from engagements spanning DIU to state and federal partners. For founders, Marc maps the path past innovation theatre toward programs with budget, users, and urgency — and shares straight talk on entering the U.S. market from Australia. We close on how Q‑Branch and BZV can strengthen cross‑border deal flow and AUKUS Pillar Two collaboration.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atx-maverick/
• Organisation: Q‑Branch – https://www.q-branch.dev/

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Website: https://beatenzone.vc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos

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Hosts & Cohosts:

• Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis
• Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/

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Policy veteran John Thomas outlines Station D.C.’s vision and how legal, regulatory, and policy strategy intersect with defence innovation. We explore advising dual‑use companies, collaborating with DIU and IQT, and what Australians often misunderstand about entering the U.S. market. Founders will learn how to pace ambition with compliance, structure early engagements, and navigate the complexities that can either unlock — or undermine — market entry.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmarkthomas04/
• Organisation: Pillsbury – https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/lawyers/john-thomas.html

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos

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Hosts & Cohosts:

• Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis

• Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/

Produced By The Podcast Boss

Army veteran and social innovator Dylan Conway reveals how a simple idea — ‘just one book can change a life’ — became one of Australia’s largest book communities. We discuss the mission of bibliotherapy in strengthening mental resilience for serving members and veterans, building a movement of 20,000+ readers, and why the World’s Coolest Readathon resonates. For innovators and transitioning veterans, Dylan shares candid lessons on pivots, momentum, and designing programs that actually help people.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-conway-613847200/
• Organisations: Brothers ’n’ Books – https://abf.org.au

Australian Bibliotherapy Foundation

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos

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Hosts & Cohosts:

• Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis
• Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/
• Jake Bostock – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/

Produced By The Podcast Boss

Former Director of the Defense Digital Service and co‑founder of Rebellion Defence, Chris Lynch shares a rare end‑to‑end view of software, procurement, and venture in national security. We revisit why DDS was created, the enduring lessons from Rebellion, and how Arsenal evaluates dual‑use founders today. Practical guidance includes avoiding theatre, engaging the right PEOs and budget owners, and the timing of partnerships with primes. A grounded roadmap for founders aiming to build durable capability in the U.S. and AUKUS markets.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: Chris Lynch | LinkedIn
• Organisation: Arsenal – Link TBD

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Website: https://beatenzone.vc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos

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Hosts & Cohosts:

• Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis

• Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/

Produced By The Podcast Boss

Venrock investor and U.S. Navy Reservist, Morgan Hitzig, breaks down the U.S. defence‑tech landscape from a top‑tier VC perspective. We cover re‑industrialisation, public safety tech, and a survivability‑first lens for dual‑use capability. Morgan shares operator lessons from Dataminr, practical guidance on selling into government, and red flags for ‘innovation theatre.’ Founders will take away a playbook for mapping the human terrain (end users and budget owners), choosing the right prime partnerships, and focusing on real problems with budgeted demand. A sharp look at how Aussie startups can earn their place in the U.S. market — and where BZV and Venrock can collaborate across AUKUS.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: Morgan Hitzig - Venrock
• Organisation: Venrock – https://www.venrock.com/

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos

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Hosts & Cohosts:

• Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis
• Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/
• Jake Bostock – LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/]

Produced By The Podcast Boss

Space is now a live attack surface. Zendir’s Chris Capon explains how digital twins and persistent rehearsal environments prepare warfighters for space‑cyber integrated missions. We walk through the training → rehearsal → operations loop, real‑world scenarios (reaction‑wheel hacks, solar‑array spoofing, ground‑station backdoors), and the road to autonomous constellations. From federated learning at LEO to software‑defined satellites and AUKUS Pillar II ‘decision advantage,’ this is a masterclass on readiness, speed, and secure data in space operations.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: Chris Capon https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-capon/
• Organisation: Zendir – https://zendir.io/

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Website: https://beatenzone.vc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos

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Hosts & Cohosts:

• Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis
• Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/
• Jake Bostock – LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/]

Produced By The Podcast Boss

From Army service to venture, Jake shares the human side of capability building. He unpacks his transition out of uniform, the hard‑won lessons from prototyping a training grenade inside Defence, and why that experience reshaped his view of how founders must engage as end‑users first. We talk common pitfalls when pitching to the Army, the role of trust and culture, and where sovereign capability matters most in the next decade. A reflective close on fatherhood, mateship, and what it means to work on technology that keeps people safe.

Guest Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/
• Organisation: Beaten Zone Ventures – https://beatenzone.vc

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Website: https://beatenzone.vc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeatenZoneVenturePartners/videos

Spotify: [Add profile link]

Hosts & Cohosts:

• Peta Ellis – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petaellis
• Sean Singleton – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-singleton-b616292/

• Jake Bostock – LinkedIn: [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake123456789/]

Produced By The Podcast Boss

In this episode, the founding partners of Marque Ventures share how a veteran-led venture capital firm is backing defence, space, and critical technologies across the U.S. and allied markets. We unpack their dual-use investment thesis, lessons from collaborating with ManTech, and how active duty, Guard, and Reserve experience informs their approach to scaling companies. The team offers sharp insights on avoiding “innovation theatre,” building the right relationships early, and what international founders often misunderstand about breaking into the U.S. market. A candid conversation on bridging capability gaps, accelerating adoption, and strengthening cross-border AUKUS partnerships.

Guest Links:

• Marque Ventures Website
• Jake Chapman – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakechapman/
• Tip Myers –h ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tip-myers

Produced by The Podcast Boss