Ian Eishen - The “Tony Stark” of The Air Force

Ian Eishen is the SEL for the CSAF Strategic Studies Group and Presidential Leadership Fellow with 22 years of experience transitioning emerging technologies into the DoD. He has spent the last and three years developing emerging technology, talent management, and innovation strategy for the militaries of the United States, United Kingdom and France. He has spent the last five years working with the venture capital community to identify and scale defense-related startups in order to benefit the Air Force and the local community. Since 2017, Chief Eishen has worked with Hacking4Defense, a DoD-sponsored university course that instructs students to address emerging threats and security challenges in the Defense and Intelligence Communities. His work with Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the University of Virginia has spurred multiple solutions that are now included in programs of record across the U.S. military. He has also worked on a number of initiatives focused on combating suicidal ideation including a mindfulness smartphone app, a holistic wellness program bringing care to the areas of the military where it is most needed, and a graphic novel anthology titled “True War Stories” in which veterans address their trauma through storytelling.