Hacking for Defense® Enters Next Phase of Growth Through a Strategic Collaboration With the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University and the Common Mission Project, Nonprofit Partner of BMNT Inc

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hacking for Defense® (H4D) – the academic course that allows students to work on national security problems -- is poised to expand through a new collaboration between The Common Mission Project (CMP) and the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation (GKC) at Stanford University.

Hacking for Defense was created at Stanford University in 2016 by Steve Blank, and Joe Felter, co-founders of the Gordian Knot Center; and Peter Newell, CEO of BMNT; to engage university students in a new form of national service. The class has been taught at more than 50 U.S. universities. This collaboration will enable the class to expand to over 100 universities nationwide.

CMP, the non-profit partner of innovation company BMNT Inc. is responsible for administering and expanding H4D. GKC continues to support the development of the pedagogy for H4D and is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

H4D has transformed how national security problems are solved, providing a strategic innovation capability for the United States, its partners and allies. Authorized by Congress, the course teaches students how to use modern entrepreneurial tools and processes, including Blank's Lean Startup methodology, to address critical real-world challenges – such as safely evacuating special forces under fire, detecting and countering drones, and predicting and preventing cyber threats. 

Sister versions of H4D are taught in the UK and Australia. In addition, H4D is the flagship program in a series of entrepreneurship courses such as Hacking for Diplomacy, Hacking for Homeland Security, Hacking for Manufacturing, and Hacking for Climate, also administered by CMP. The GKC intends to also support the growth of these "H4" sister programs.

Alex Gallo, executive director of CMP, explained: "This partnership will expand the impact of H4D through connecting the program to the objectives of strategic competition with China and Russia by developing and building the capabilities, emerging operating concepts and talent required to work on these problems."

"We are excited to work closely with CMP to expand the impact of H4D. This more formal collaboration will bring H4D back to its founding at Stanford University; grow its connection to its original government sponsor, ONR; and increase the opportunity to engage other government agencies," said Gordian Knot Center director Joe Felter.

Media contact: Terri S. Vanech, BMNT Communications Manager, [email protected], 203-918-1270

SOURCE BMNT