Book TALKx; Speakers and Good Reads

Note: Federal government or DoD employees with a .mil, .gov or a DoD-affiliated .edu email can register.

Date: Monday 23 September 2024

Time: 1:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. (Eastern) / 10:00 A.M - 11:00 P.M. (Pacific)

Who should attend: All Federal Government or DoD employees who are interested in learning more from speakers of DAU's Flagship event of the summer. 

Topic: Alexis Bonnell discusses; Simple Sabotage Field Manual by United States Office of Strategic Services

Event Description: You heard Alexis Bonnell talk at DAU’s Flagship event of the summer on 5 June 2024. Now’s your chance to continue the conversation about one of her favorite professional development books. Come join us to learn how this book has impacted Alexis' work and what she hopes you take from it.  Make some time on this Friday to attend the last BookTALKx of the summer to lean into Leadership and get inspired!

About the book: Rediscover a unique piece of wartime history with the Simple Sabotage Field Manual, originally crafted by the United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. This intriguing guide was designed to empower ordinary citizens with clandestine tactics for disrupting Axis powers from within occupied territories.

Disclaimer:  DAU does not endorse any of the books included in our Book TALKx series. Instead, past and current Flagship Event speakers choose books based on their own personal preferences.  There is no requirement to buy or read these books to have a great conversation about them! 

SPEAKER: 

ALEXIS BONNELL

Chief Information Officer and Director of the Digital Capabilities Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory

Alexis Bonnell is the Chief Information Officer and Director of the Digital Capabilities Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory, the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. She is responsible to develop and execute the AFRL Information Technology strategy, leading the strategic development of highly advanced next generation technologies and platforms for AFRL. Her focus includes catalyzing the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for air, space, and cyberspace forces via digital capabilities, IT infrastructure and technological innovation across the lab’s operations and culture.  

She was one of the first employees of the Internet Trade Association, contributing to the early development and growth of the digital landscape. She has served in challenging environments, including warzones with the United Nations to support over $1B of critical DOD operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other operational theaters. She has contributed to dual-use technology and innovation culture across the DOD Innovation community including: AFWERX, AFRL, Kessel Run, NavalX, Marine Innovation Unit, Army Futures Command, DIU, Army Software Factory, DARPA and more. Prior to her current position, she was the Emerging Technology Evangelist at Google, driving the use of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, cyber security/zero trust, API First, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and others to drive efficiency and innovation within government organizations, including tackling digital transformation in defense, healthcare, education, COVID response, natural disasters, supply chain, system/process modernization, hybrid workforce and more.

Bonnell co-founded the Global Development Lab, the premier innovation lab of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), leveraging Global Allied Nation partnerships in Science, Technology, and Innovation, reviewing over 25,000 game changing innovations and technologies, funding 1,200 of them. She served as USAID’s Chief Innovation Officer, receiving the first 10/10 for innovation in the Results For America Rankings. She was named in the Fed 100 in 2020. She also assisted with major platform and technology transitions, drove hybrid work adoption, countering malign nation initiatives and global cyber security programming.