Wes Brown

Co-Founder & CEO, Tension Dynamics · Founder, Defense in Depth Solutions

West Point ’06 · Carnegie Mellon (Tepper) MBA · Army Ranger · TS/SCI

Wes Brown is Co-Founder and CEO of Tension Dynamics and Founder of Defense in Depth Solutions, a veteran-owned (SDVOSB) defense-technology advisory in the New York metro area. He also advises Carnegie Robotics and Super Powers Mobility (SPM). A West Point–trained mechanical engineer and Carnegie Mellon MBA, he spent his Army career in defense acquisition — managing the Army’s $655M robotics portfolio, serving as an assistant product manager on the M153 CROWS program, and working at the Army’s AI Integration Center — and led more than 400 combat missions as an infantry officer and Army Ranger.

United States Military Academy at West Point, Class of 2006 — not the U.S. Naval Academy.

defindepth.com · linkedin.com/in/wesley-brown

Current — Building

Co-Founder & CEO — Tension Dynamics

Aug 2024 – Present · Pittsburgh, PA

Deep-tech "physical AI" company that improves the speed, responsiveness, and range of motion of any robot or machine. Co-founded with Spencer Krause, Jason Economou, and Mike Vindler.

Founder & Principal — Defense in Depth Solutions (SDVOSB)

Aug 2024 – Present · New York Metro

  • Helping businesses achieve their goals with strategic planning and non-dilutive funding.

Current — U.S. Army Reserve

Acquisition Officer (USAR) — 75th U.S. Army Reserve Innovation Command

Jun 2024 – Present · Greater Washington, DC area

  • Supporting the Army’s Acquisition Corps and innovation ecosystem on a part-time basis.

Industry

Technical Product Manager — Carnegie Robotics

Jan 2022 – Apr 2023 · Pittsburgh, PA

  • Corporate Development: Advised the entire C-suite on varying forms of federal business engagement, evolving the company’s DoD work from exploratory R&D to stable, long-term, profitable projects.
  • Contract Development: Focused technology development of an expiring contract towards the customer’s most critical needs, securing additional resources and extending the contract by 3 years for over $10M.

Government Civilian

Deputy Director, Product Development — Army Artificial Intelligence Integration Center (AI2C)

May 2020 – Jan 2022 · Greater Pittsburgh

  • Restructuring: Identified key shortfalls across the AI2C enterprise to develop and implement a change management plan that enabled more product development and initiated rapid budget growth.
  • Organizational Development: Determined the enterprise integration strategy for the Army’s principal AI office, creating the foundation for the US Army’s forthcoming AI technology roadmap in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University.
  • Strategy Implementation: Developed the functional and fiscal approach to improve Army organizations as part of an organizational development and implementation plan that placed the technology first.
  • Project Management Leadership: Created project management processes, controls, and delivery metrics to satisfy lengthy lists of requirements for delivering products in a highly regulated environment.

U.S. Army Reserve — Prior

Acquisition Staff Officer (Activated Reservist) — Headquarters, ASA(ALT), The Pentagon

Jun 2023 – Jun 2024 · Washington, DC

  • Corporate Oversight: Managed the Pentagon-level process for urgent hardware requests in support of global operations for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)).
  • Product Strategy: Provided regular technical and federal business expertise to make decisions that supported strategic procurement and federal budget goals.

Acquisition Officer (USAR), ASA(ALT) Reserve Element — U.S. Army Reserve Command (USARC)

Sep 2018 – Apr 2023 · Pittsburgh, PA

  • Strategic Advisor: Consult with executive-level management on R&D planning, implementation, and management, as well as the intricacies of product delivery in the federal business environment.
  • Acquisition Advisor: Advised leadership of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force (AITF) on the facets of the adaptive acquisition framework, and how to best introduce independent RDT&E efforts into programs of record through traditional and nontraditional contracting and program management techniques.
  • Project Integration: Advised the director of the JAIC program for predictive maintenance on technology integration, budgeting, and federal procurement to obligate $20M in less than a year.
  • Acquisition Advisor: Advised the 75th Ranger Regiment on how to influence SOF and Army acquisition processes from their Regimental S8, improving their requirements generation within USASOC as well as institutionally connecting the organization to FCC as experts within the user community.
  • Acquisition Advisor: Under the senior acquisition advisor, advised members of the Army Applications Lab on how to mature novel innovations with intent to transition components to ASA(ALT) programs.

U.S. Army — Active Duty · 2006–2018

Branch Chief (Portfolio Manager), Robotic and Autonomous Systems

Sep 2017 – Aug 2018 · Fort Benning, GA

  • Portfolio Management: Managed the Army’s robotics capability portfolio worth $655M of the national budget. Brought 3 of the portfolio’s 7 major programs to the market on time and on budget, in addition to screening multiple unsolicited proposals to award over $8M of R&D funding for robotics.
  • Strategic Planning: Responsible for identifying, assessing, analyzing, prioritizing, and managing the Army’s robotic and autonomous systems strategic capability needs.

Assistant Product Manager, Crew Served Weapons — PEO Soldier

Feb 2015 – Aug 2017 · Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

  • Program Growth: Expanded the product line within the portfolio by integrating two developmental programs into the office. Filled two urgent customer needs with capable, low-cost solutions during a time of fiscal constraint, giving the office a competitive edge in a period of focused divestment.
  • Product Management: Led a 50-person organization as the deputy product manager for the Army’s remote weapons with a $754M federal budget for R&D, engineering, testing, production, and fielding.
  • Innovative Initiative: Co-led the planning, scheduling, budgeting, and overall management of a development effort for a new remote weapon system, a planned investment of more than $500M.
  • Served as the Army’s designated military lead for all remote weapon stations. Responsible for managing the cost, schedule, and performance of all associated efforts with centralized management of remote weapon station integration for all Army vehicles. Managed $754M for the development, test, production, and fielding of the ACAT IC M153 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) and other weapons systems. Responsible for planning, budgeting, testing, support, and safety verifications of Product Improvements, Fixed Site Installation, Improved Situational Awareness, and Escalation of Force integration. Provided direction to over 46 technical and support personnel. Coordinated the management of the M153 CROWS with the Headquarters of the Department of the Army and the Army Test and Evaluation Command. Worked with 15 other program management offices and Other Government Agencies to develop remote weapon station solutions. Provided centralized management of CROWS integration for all Army vehicles.

R&D Manager, Combating Terrorism Technology Team — Armaments Center

May 2013 – Jan 2015 · Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

  • Business Development: Led the $19M business development program for a public-private partnership that introduced an entirely new method of spectral imaging detection, saving taxpayer money and reducing the skepticism of experienced physicists.
  • Managed cost, schedule, and performance of advanced developmental defense systems. Responsible for enterprise-level system integration and programs valued over $17 million; and business development between the Army, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, partner nations, industry, and academia. Led ARDEC’s collaboration with DOD’s Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) and OSD Special Operations Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC) Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO).

Infantry Officer

May 2006 – May 2013

  • Commanded multiple organizations of up to 242 Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan on more than 400 combat missions.

Assistant Brigade Logistics Officer — Fort Bragg, NC. Planned, resourced, and synchronized all sustainment operations for a 5,000 Soldier organization prepared to deploy for combat worldwide within 18 hours. Served as the primary planner for bi-lateral international exercises with the Armies of both India and Indonesia.

Headquarters Company Commander — Fort Bragg, NC & Afghanistan. Commanded, trained, managed, and tactically employed a 242 Soldier organization for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Managed the security of a 1,800 personnel operations base while coordinating extended combat operations for two other companies from a remote outpost.

Rifle Company Commander — Fort Bragg, NC. Commanded, trained, and tactically employed a 131 Soldier organization prepared to deploy for combat worldwide within 18 hours as part of the Global Response Force (GRF).

Armor Battalion Maintenance Officer — Germany. Planned, analyzed, and evaluated the maintenance program of 162 combat vehicles and several thousand other combat systems for a 504 Soldier organization, ensuring the organization’s readiness and ability to fulfill executive-level tasks.

Armor Company Executive Officer — Germany & Iraq. Second-in-command of a 100 Soldier organization while responsible for maintenance and accountability of 70 combat vehicles, planning and sustaining combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and supervising the entire return movement of the organization from Iraq to Germany.

Mechanized Infantry Platoon Leader — Germany & Iraq. Responsible for the morale, health, training, and tactical employment of a 40 Soldier organization in support of US Army Europe and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Education

Master of Business Administration (MBA) — Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

B.S., Mechanical Engineering — United States Military Academy at West Point, Class of 2006

Certifications & Recognition

  • DAWIA Program Management Practitioner (Weapon Systems)
  • U.S. Army Ranger
  • Army Acquisition Corps Member
  • Order of Saint Maurice, Centurion — National Infantry Association

Publications

An Open-Path Obstacle Avoidance Algorithm Using Scanning Laser Range Data