“Montana Intelligence Summit Announces All-Star Lineup of National Security and Media Leaders”
America’s top national security thinkers and storytellers will meet in Montana to discuss the forces reshaping power, leadership, and society
Suits & Spooks’ First Annual Montana Intelligence Summit is a boutique national security event that convenes leading voices from the U.S. Intelligence Community and the entertainment industry to explore how modern warfare, espionage, and influence operations are shaped by film, television, and digital media. Held April 2–3, 2026 in Whitefish, Montana, the summit is designed as a high‑signal, small‑venue “anti‑conference” where intelligence professionals, creatives, technologists, and policy thinkers can engage in candid, off‑the‑record discussions about cognitive warfare, disinformation, and the stories that inform public understanding of national security.
Purpose and mission
The Montana Intelligence Summit builds on the 14‑year Suits & Spooks tradition of “shaping a revolution in security affairs” by expanding its focus from intelligence and tech to the natural nexus between the Intelligence Community and the entertainment industry. The event’s purpose is to improve the realism and nuance of on‑screen portrayals of intelligence and conflict, while highlighting how narrative, social media, and popular culture are now central battlegrounds in persuasion, division, and distraction.
Format and experience
Structured as an intimate, curated gathering rather than a traditional trade conference, the summit emphasizes interactive sessions, in‑depth panels, and informal networking over large keynotes and expo halls. Attendees can also participate in special offerings such as a VIP lunch and book signing with featured speakers, underscoring the event’s focus on direct access and substantive dialogue.
Strategic goals
Through this inaugural Montana event, Suits & Spooks aims to establish an annual national security summit in the Rocky Mountain West that attracts both senior practitioners and emerging voices. The organizers intend for the summit to seed new collaborations, influence future projects in Hollywood and streaming media, and foster a more informed public debate about intelligence, technology, and the evolving character of conflict.
Featured Speakers and Sessions
The Montana Intelligence Summit will feature a distinguished lineup of speakers and sessions that reflect the event’s unique focus on the intersection of intelligence, leadership, technology, and entertainment.
General Stan McChrystal (U.S. Army, retired) will deliver a keynote address titled “Character as Strategy: Leadership for America’s Critical Frontiers,” examining how values‑based leadership shapes outcomes in an era of complex security challenges.
“Wise Women, Hard Targets: Story, Strategy, and the Future of U.S. Security” will bring together CIA veterans Carmen Medina, Laura Thomas, and Rachel Grunspan for a candid panel discussion on how narrative, diversity of perspective, and analytic tradecraft inform U.S. strategy in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
In “Reel v Real: The Melding of Espionage and Entertainment,” Darrell Blocker (CIA, retired) will explore how real‑world intelligence operations collide and converge with their on‑screen portrayals, and what that means for public understanding of espionage.
Robi Sen, co‑founder and CTO of Department 13, will present “Blinding the Beholder: Adversarial Attacks to Defeat Autonomous Drones,” offering an insider’s view of emerging counter‑drone techniques and their implications for future conflicts.
Entertainment attorney, financier, and producer Bianca Goodloe will lead “AI Cubed – Artificial Intelligence, Artistic Infringement, Anarchist Impact,” addressing the legal, creative, and disruptive dimensions of AI at the crossroads of copyright, culture, and security.
In “The Evolution of Intelligence Collection and the Need for Cultural Acuity in Analysis,” Dave Tinsley (DEA, retired; founder, Five Stones Intelligence) will trace the changing nature of collection and emphasize why cultural understanding is now a critical component of effective intelligence work.
Screenwriter and director Mills Goodloe will discuss how high‑impact storytelling shapes perceptions of national security in “Action Films and the Intersection of U.S. Intelligence,” highlighting the feedback loop between Hollywood narratives and real‑world policy debates.
Finally, “So You Want to Build a Defense Startup,” presented by angel investor and venture capitalist Lance Cottrell, founder of Anonymizer, will offer practical insights for entrepreneurs seeking to navigate the defense and national security innovation ecosystem.