Mike MacKay serves on the Advisory Board for the Creative Defense Foundation. A retired U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations veteran, he now applies his leadership to the civilian national security ecosystem as founder of Cognitae and co-founder of Frontier House DC. He also spent time in the Pentagon as a legislative liaison and national security advisor in both the US House and US Senate, bringing direct experience in military operations, startups, and the legislative and policy arena. His practical insight supports CDF’s aim to modernize defense acquisition and empower agile innovation.