Nicholas Vandre

Nic Vandre is a retired Special Operations leader, 4x founder, venture partner, board member, and national security ecosystem architect known for architecting ecosystems that align demand, funding, and contracting to connect mission needs to the industrial base and accelerate all-of-government acquisition modernization. He works at the intersection of government, industry, academia, and capital to build modern on-ramps that move innovation from concept to capability with greater speed, alignment, and impact. Nic advises leaders across the public and private sectors on end-to-end innovation, agile R&D, non-traditional acquisition, dual-use technology, and ecosystem development. His approach helps connect mission need, talent, capital, data, and execution to create scalable pathways for collaboration and delivery. He is especially recognized for linking the tip of the spear to the broader innovation economy, connecting warfighters, founders, investors, universities, corporate partners, and decision-makers to accelerate outcomes and open doors. As a military-connected leader, Nic is also a strong advocate for transitioning veterans and military spouses, helping connect exceptional talent to meaningful opportunities in entrepreneurship and other high-growth sectors shaping the future. At eMerge Americas, he brings an operator’s perspective on innovation, workforce transition, strategic partnership, and building ecosystems that deliver real-world results.