Govini to Convene Senior Leaders at 2026 Defense Software & Data Summit Focused on Execution at Speed and Scale

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Govini will convene senior leaders from the Department of War, government, industry, capital markets, and the commercial technology sector for its annual Defense Software & Data Summit on March 10 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C.

Leaders across government and industry have described this moment as a "golden era of defense," defined not by rhetoric, but by structural change. Acquisition authorities have expanded. Industrial base policy has sharpened. Capital markets are actively reallocating toward defense production, advanced manufacturing, and dual-use technology. The current Administration has created real policy momentum; the question now is whether industry and the Department can convert that momentum into sustained operational advantage.

The Summit brings together the officials, executives, and capital allocators responsible for ensuring that acquisition reform, industrial capacity, capital formation, and software modernization move to deliver measurable defense outcomes.

"This administration has demonstrated the will and ability to drive policy change. Translating those changes into execution across the Defense Acquisition lifecycle is now the defining leadership responsibility in the Department of War," said Tara Murphy Dougherty, CEO of Govini. "This Summit brings together the leaders who must ensure that reform translates into real capability and action,  delivered at the speed and scale this moment demands."

The invite-only 2026 Summit will bring together the officials and industry leaders responsible for translating reform into operational outcomes, including:

• Hon. Michael A. Obadal, Under Secretary of the Army
• Hon. Brandon Williams, Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, Department of Energy, and Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration
• Dr. Vic S. Ramdass, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy
• Patrick N. Kelleher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Materiel Readiness
• Andy Mapes, Acting Principal Deputy Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Office of the Secretary of War, Chief Digital & Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO)
• Daniel B. Poneman, Former Deputy Secretary of Energy
• Gen. Joseph A. Ryan, Commanding General, U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command
• Lt. Gen. Michael J. Lutton, Deputy Commander, U.S. Strategic Command
• Rear Adm. Chad L. Jacoby, Deputy Commandant for Systems, U.S. Coast Guard
• Maj. Gen. Joseph D. Kunkel, Director of Force Design, Integration, and Wargaming, Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures 
• Tara Murphy Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer, Govini
• Christopher T. Calio, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, RTX
• Mark Marengo, Managing Director, Global Co-Head, Diversified Industries Investment Banking, J.P. Morgan
• Joseph Larson, Vice President, Head of Government, OpenAI

Moderated by leading national security journalists, the Summit will examine what it will take to align warfighter demand, capital, industrial capacity, and software systems across the defense enterprise to speed execution. Sessions will focus on:

• Synchronizing capabilities to meet the threat, munitions demand, investment, and manufacturing capacity
• Modernizing nuclear systems while preserving rigor and accountability
• Integrating acquisition, sustainment, and operations into a unified software-driven readiness model
• Embedding AI into legacy systems through trusted data and interoperable infrastructure

The 2026 Defense Software & Data Summit is an invite-only gathering of senior decision-makers committed to strengthening national defense through software, data, and accountable execution. Attendees can request an invitation here: https://www.govini.com/request-an-invite-2026-defense-software-and-data-summit 

Media interested in covering the Summit should please contact: [email protected] 

About Govini

Govini's industry leading software accelerates and modernizes the Defense Acquisition Process. Ark, Govini's flagship product, is a suite of AI-enabled Applications, powered by integrated government and commercial data, that solves problems across the entire spectrum of Defense Acquisition, including Supply Chain, Science & Technology, Production, Sustainment, Logistics, and Modernization. With Ark, the Acquisition community eliminates slow, manual processes and gains the ability to rapidly imagine, produce, and field critical warfighting capabilities. Ark transforms Defense Acquisition into a strategic advantage for the United States. To learn more about Govini, visit govini.com.

SOURCE Govini