Kevin Landtroop

Kevin Landtroop is a leader and entrepreneur with 20+ years of National Security experience. Through interrelated business, academic, and non-profit efforts, Kevin helps industrial-era systems find, validate, and integrate emerging technology at the scale and speed of relevance. Kevin has founded, designed, and executed programs connecting startups, DODX, VC, academic research, and defense industry, including the Center for Defense Innovation at Capital Factory and the Texas Defense Innovation Forum, and emerged as a plank holder for the national security innovation ecosystem centered in Austin Texas (ATX). Kevin is a co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at SBIR Advisors, a technology consultancy helping startups understand national security use cases, access R&D and program customers, and scale with capital and partners. Kevin also teaches Hacking 4 Defense at The University of Texas at Austin and lectures extensively at places like the Naval Postgraduate School and Air University. In early 2018 the Defense Innovation Unit, AFWERX, and Army Futures Command were newly established in ATX. Kevin began consulting with emerging technology startups, helping them develop mission applications for commercial technologies and win R&D contracts. Kevin founded the Texas Defense Innovation Forum to scale educational and assistance resources for the growing mass of potential dual-use startups. Kevin joined Capital Factory in early 2019 to open their Center for Defense Innovation and designed and executed dual-use programs such as Defense Academy and SBIR Accelerator. In 2020 Kevin helped launch SGS, the DOD-focused spinout of applied artificial intelligence powerhouse SparkCognition. Prior to coming to ATX, Kevin served the Army as a Soldier, lawyer, strategist, and leader. Kevin served as Director of Operations and Strategy for Legal Command, the DOD’s largest legal organization, leading their pivot from counterinsurgency to multi-domain conflict. Kevin served as the lead National Security Law expert at the National Training Center, the world’s largest and most realistic proving ground for combat simulation training. Kevin has two operational deployments, leading a platoon of cavalry in Srebrenica, Bosnia in 2000 and serving as National Security Law advisor to an Army Brigade in Al Anbar, Iraq from 2007-2008. Kevin helped rebuild Iraqi criminal justice institutions for Al Anbar Province and performed National Security Law reviews for over 500 detained terrorist suspects. Kevin holds a B.S. from West Point (1998), a Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Texas School of Law (2005), and a Master of Laws (LL.M) from the Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School (2010) (concentration in National Security and government contracts). Kevin was born and raised in South Texas and lives in Austin. In addition to being "cool dad" for two young kids, Kevin is an avid reader of history, a golfer, and an enthusiastic chef.