Everyday
Extraordinary

Ritu Chadha, Ph.D.

As Senior Research Director at Peraton Labs within the Strategic Innovation Group, Ritu leads the Autonomous Systems Research business unit.

Artificial Intelligence is far more than a tool for polishing resumes or drafting emails—it’s transforming how we interact with and impact the world. At Peraton, AI has been at the heart of our mission to create a safer world for decades.

In this episode, we dive into the innovative work of Ritu Chadha, Ph.D., a leader in AI technology at Peraton. With a background in cybersecurity, data analytics, and machine learning, Ritu has contributed to critical projects for agencies like DARPA and the U.S. Army. She’s been instrumental in developing technologies like a communication system that became a vital lifeline for armed forces and CyberVAN – a platform that has revolutionized how we train against cyber threats.

Join our host, Scott Cooper, as he explores Ritu’s incredible journey and looks ahead to the future of AI, where the focus is on making this powerful technology even more trustworthy and impactful.

Jeff Berlet and Cleo Brown

Jeff is the Senior Director for Technology within Peraton’s Cyber Mission Sector​. Cleo is the Senior Enterprise and Cloud Computing Architect/Engineer Advisor to ARCYBER​.

These days, cybersecurity is at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and with good reason. Events like the Colonial Pipeline attack—a breach that brought one of the largest U.S. oil pipelines to a standstill—highlight just how vulnerable our critical infrastructure can be. As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, Peraton’s work in securing our nation’s infrastructure and strengthening its cyber defenses is more important than ever.

In this episode, we sit down with Cleo Brown, who’s on the front lines of preventing these attacks, and Jeff Berlet, who’s developing forward-thinking strategies to keep our online and offline world safe. They discuss how Peraton is tackling today’s challenges while also investing in the future of cybersecurity, from training the next generation of experts to advancing our nation’s offensive and defensive capabilities.

Leslie Cunkelman and Sonny Giroux

Leslie is the Outreach Supervisor on the NASA / JPL DSN contract​. Sonny is the current DSN Program Manager under Peraton’s S&I sector.

A mission to the moon is a milestone that all of humanity can take pride in. With the stakes higher than ever, the complexity is staggering, involving a vast number of moving parts working together to achieve what once seemed impossible. As we prepare for the next historic moment when humans return to the moon’s surface, Peraton will play a critical and fundamental role, harnessing the top scientific and engineering minds in the world to make this ambitious mission a reality. For decades, Peraton’s team has been the foundation of communication for both deep space and near-space missions. The success and safety of these missions hinge on maintaining connections with spacecraft that are sometimes light-years away.

In this episode, we dive deep into Peraton’s pivotal role in supporting NASA’s space exploration with Sonny Giroux, program manager for the deep space contract, who has been leading the charge for over a decade, and Leslie Cuncleman, outreach supervisor and a seasoned expert in translating the complexities of space travel into concepts that the rest of us can actually understand.

Natalie Nencioni

As Senior Director of Technology Program Management in the DMHS sector, Natalie leads the field investigators of RDG.

Trust is the cornerstone of effective government, and that trust starts with the people who show up every day to serve our nation. With nearly 4.5 million Americans holding security clearances, the stakes are high—these are the individuals trusted with our most sensitive national secrets. But how do we ensure that those who protect our nation are truly trustworthy?

In this episode, we explore Peraton’s role in conducting background investigations for the federal government. A process that ensures agencies—from the intelligence community to the defense department—are staffed with individuals who uphold the highest standards of integrity.
We speak with Natalie Nencioni, who has dedicated her career to this fascinating line of work. We’ll take you behind the scenes as she shares her journey and the impact of her investigations, making sure that those we rely on to keep our government running are people we can truly trust.

Tony Patillo

As Senior Director of Strategic Innovation under the Technology & Engineering function of SIG, Tony is the Mission Capability Lead (MCL) for Tradecraft.

In the movies, warfighters on tactical missions can pull up vast amounts of data at the snap of a finger. In reality, providing troops with accurate and relevant information has always been more complicated—but that’s about to change. Tony Patillo has dedicated decades of research and time into developing a program designed to give those serving our country the information they need at the speed of mission.

When the stakes are highest—when a threat is imminent or an ally is in danger—every second counts. The modernized integrated database (MIDB) was built in the early 1990s as the central intelligence repository. The platform had its share challenges, and in 2018 the Defense Intelligence Agency began a “once in a generation happening” to modernize and improve MIDB. The integrated system not only detects where threats originate but also communicates a clear, updated situational picture that works under the toughest conditions. Using transforming all-source analysis with location-based objective services (TALOS) and the machine assisted analytic rapid reporting system (MARS), Peraton is change the way military professionals share information and intelligence securely, swiftly, and at scale.

Tony is on the cusp of making things a whole lot more like the movies, ensuring that the difference between success and catastrophe is brought to minimum, and that America and its Allies have the support they need in the most dangerous, time-sensitive situations.

Sergei Li

Sergei, Vice President of Public Health, leads the CDC team that designed the COVID vaccination card.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, did you ever stop to wonder how we knew where the hotspots were? The answer lies in the immense amount of data that needed to be collected, organized, and analyzed to provide the CDC with accurate, life-saving information. At the heart of this work was Sergei Li, a veteran in this industry who has taken up the fight against some of the world’s most dangerous outbreaks over the past 25 years.

From the early 2000 Anthrax scare to the ongoing battle against HIV/AIDS and the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, Sergei’s career has been defined by his relentless efforts to manage chaos with precision. First with the CDC and now with Peraton, Sergei and his team have been instrumental in working to inform the public about pandemic hotspots, facilitating vaccine rollouts, and shaping long-term strategies to prevent the spread of diseases like HIV.

In this episode, we explore Sergei Li’s extraordinary journey, delving into how Peraton’s data-driven approach has helped protect countless lives—from acts of terrorism to global health crises—and continues to make the world a safer place.

Rob Davies

As VP and GM of Peraton’s Financial and Regulatory Business within the CSPS sector, Rob supports the BU responsible for most of the civilian federal government.

Imagine if the IRS still relied on file cabinets and fax machines. While it might not be the flashiest topic, having a dependable and efficient operating system is what makes it possible for the government to serve its people effectively. Every time you apply for a home loan, receive your tax return, or file a patent, you benefit from a system that, by and large, just works—a feat that’s anything but small.

In this episode, we sit down with Rob Davies to explore how Peraton ensures that these critical operations remain smooth and secure. While much attention is given to protecting our leaders and monitoring potential threats, the backbone of a functional government lies in data security and operational efficiency. Rob shares how Peraton is not only keeping these systems secure but continuously working to make them even better, safeguarding the sensitive information that keeps our country running.

Shawn Chenoweth

As Technical Lead Program Manager within the Cyber Mission Sector, Shawn leads the OPIAS contract supporting U.S. foreign information advantages.

This episode opens against the backdrop of the Cold War – a tale of communism vs capitalism – and how the competition of ideas was just as important as the military balance and the hard power of deterrence. As the world has changed, the competition for hearts and minds have not, though the means by which people communicate and gather knowledge about the world around them has.

In 2024, information warfare continues but with a completely new arsenal of tools, like social media, that can spread a narrative within seconds. The episode highlights how Peraton is assisting the U.S. government, the broad funding challenges, and the imperative for why the US and its allies can’t afford to underinvest in these important efforts.

In this final episode, we talk with Shawn Chenoweth, who has spent most of his career delivering the right messages to the right people, diffusing tensions, and preventing bloodshed. He shares how Peraton continues to adapt these strategies to secure freedom and democracy in our modern age, ensuring that the message of peace and open society resonates worldwide.