National Center for Narrative Intelligence

DAY 1 — Monday, March 30 (Half-Day)

OPTIONAL
9:30-10:30 | NCNI & EdgeTheory Lab Open House, Location: Insight Park

MC: Dan Brookes, Director, NCNI

11:00 AM | Registration & Networking Lunch

Welcome reception and informal networking

12:00 PM | Opening Keynote

Introduction, Joe Stradinger, NCNI/EdgeTheory
“Peace Through Strength: The Cognitive Imperative”
Senator Roger Wicker
Chairman, Senate Armed Services Committee
Setting the strategic frame: Why cognitive warfare capability is essential to American defense in the most dangerous threat environment since WWII.

12:30 PM | Panel Discussion: From National Need to a National Force

"Lethality in the Irregular Space"
LTG Gil Ferguson, Commander, U.S. Army Special Operations Command
CSM David Waldo, U.S. Army Special Operations Command
LTG (R) Charles Cleveland, NCNI
Joe Stradinger, NCNI/EdgeTheory
Moderator: Dr. Doowan Lee, EdgeTheory/Georgetown

1:20 PM | Break

1:35 PM | Defining the Cognitive Domain

Keynote: What Is Cognitive Warfare? Building a Common Definition
Comparative analysis of cognitive warfare definitions across allied nations and adversaries. Working toward a consensus definition for DoD adoption.
J.D. Maddox, IWC/Deft9
Moderator: COL John Wilcox, SOCOM/EdgeTheory

2:25 PM | Cognitive Warfare in Action

8th Psychological Operations Group | NCNI–EdgeTheory Lab, Ft. Bragg
Introduction, COL Robert Cusick, Commander, 8th Psychological Operations Group
Captain Derek Janetzky: “Mapping Islamic State Recruitment Networks: Narrative Disruption in the Cognitive Domain”
Staff Sergeant Richard Theiss: “Beyond Military Signals: Narrative Early Warning Indicators in China’s Taiwan Strategy”

3:25 PM | Panel Discussion: From National Need to a National Force

"Producing a Credible Force for the Cognitive Domain"
LTG Gil Ferguson, Commander, U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Amanda Mercier, CDAO, U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Sean Chenoweth, Dir. Cognitive Advantage, NSC
Moderator: Dr. Doowan Lee, EdgeTheory/Georgetown

4:15 pm | Break

4:35 PM | The Power of Narrative in Shaping Reality

Fireside Chat
Joe Stradinger, NCNI/EdgeTheory
Haley Barbour, Managing Partner, BGR

5:25 PM | Day 1 Adjourned

6:00 PM | Summit Reception

Reception for conference attendees
Location: Memory House

DAY 2 — Tuesday, March 31 (Full Day)

MC: COL John Wilcox, SOCOM/EdgeTheory

7:30 AM | Breakfast & Networking

8:30 AM | Keynote

Introduction, Dr. Glenn Boyce, Chancellor, Ole Miss
"Legislative Foundations for Cognitive Dominance"
Congressman Trent Kelly
U.S. Representative, Mississippi
Congressional perspective on building the authorities and resources for American cognitive warfare capability.

9:10 AM | Economic Cognitive Warfare

“The PRC in the Boardroom”
Suzanne Harrison, CEO, Percipience
Peter Harter, Managing Partner, Injustice Pool

10:00 AM | Global Perspectives on Cognitive Warfare

“Lessons from the Singaporean Ministry of Defense"
COL Kennedy Lim, Director of Sense and Response
SLTC Jeremiah Jaykumar, Deputy Director of Operations Planning & Control

10:40 AM | Break

11:00 AM | AI and Cognitive Competition

"Epistemology, Technology, & Cognition"
Dr. Ray Block, RAND
Dr. Alex Philip, MITRE
Moderator: Dr. Doowan Lee, EdgeTheory/Georgetown

11:40 AM | Lunch

Open networking opportunity for all attendees

12:40 PM  | Cognitive Operations in Practice: The Interagency Perspective

"Cognitive Operations in Practice: The Interagency Perspective"
Dr. Joshua Segal, GlobeSec
Moderator: McDaniel Wicker, NCNI/Babel Street

1:30 PM | Cognitive Warfare & Artificial Intelligence

"The Intelligence of the Narrative"
Live demonstration of AI solutions supporting the full spectrum of Cognitive Warfare
Greg Griffith, CPO, EdgeTheory
Warren Husband, CTO, EdgeTheory
Nataliya Bugayova, Babelstreet

2:50 PM | Break

3:10 PM | Building a Cognitive Warfare Force

"MTE for Cognitive Warfare"
COL John Wilcox, SOCOM/EdgeTheory
LTC Jeff Reed, iWar Lead, Special Warfare Center & School

• Consensus definition and terminology

• Organizational roles and responsibilities

• Capability requirements and gaps

4:00 PM | Narrative Intelligence for AI Workforce Development

Isaac Weber, EdgeTheory

4:30 PM | Closing Session: Toward a National Cognitive Force

"America's Huntsville Moment for Cognitive Warfare in the Age of AI"
LTG (R) Charles Cleveland, NCNI
McDaniel Wicker, NCNI/Babel Street
Joe Stradinger, NCNI/EdgeTheory
Dan Brookes, ED, NCNI
Synthesis of summit findings. Roadmap for NCNI's role in building national cognitive warfare capability.

5:10 PM | Summit Adjourned