Katherine Brownson

Katherine is the CEO of a Venture Capital Fund focused on dual-use technology to drive defense innovation. A senior data scientist, prior to co-founding S2 Ventures Katherine has nearly a decade of experience working in defense. She has served as an Intelligence and Information Operations Strategic Advisor to National Security Agency, II Marine Expeditionary Force, MARFORCYBER, CENTCOM, EUCOM, and PACOM in addition to efforts with JIOWC, JSOC, MARSOC, USASOC, and the Joint Special Operations University.

After exiting her first startup she transitioned to USSOCOM as the lead data scientist for the J-3 Information Operations. In this role she specialized in cognitive psychology research pertaining to social engineering, working with Congress to restructure the operational assessment criteria, innovation roadmap, and new technical platform requirements. She was named the J-36 International Liaison where she worked to harbor collaboration and innovation across NATO and was a presenter at the 2019 IO Symposium in Stuttgart.

Additionally, Katherine has volunteered on Human Trafficking task forces, contributed as an illicit finance analyst to assist in recovering investor funds in the Federal case against “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli, and led behavioral research studies in effort to prevent and better predict acts of violence in school districts.

No stranger to the startup environment—nor is she one to back down to the challenges that come with the tech startup and defense sectors alike—she has been a founding member of defense startups and served as an advisor in the private sector.

Hailing from a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, she started her professional career “as a nobody and without a network”, but never let that deter her from chasing down opportunity. She believes sink or swim moments are what make us, and that she wouldn’t be where she is today if it weren’t for the people who believed in her and continue to harbor a supportive network in her endeavors. In her free time Katherine enjoys spending time with her son, fishing, skiing, surfing, playing beach volleyball & padel, and is an avid equestrian and outdoorswoman.