Silicon Curtain 26 | September 17, 2026

8:00 - 8:30 AM | Registration and Networking Breakfast

8:30 – 8:35 AM | Welcome Remarks

8:35 – 9:10 AM | Keynote Presentation
A Look Over Our Shoulder: From the Iron Curtain to the Silicon Curtain 
Keynote Presenter:
Susan Eisenhower, Founder & Chairman-Emeritus, The Eisenhower Institute, Author of “How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions”, Chairman of the Eisenhower Group, Inc.

9:10 – 9:45 AM | Fireside Chat
Boardroom Power & Global Risk: Governance in an Age of Geopolitical Volatility
Discussants:
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Hari Panday

***Please note that Hari Panday’s remarks reflect his personal views alone and do not represent the positions of any firms, companies, or organizations with which he is formally affiliated***

As President & CEO of PanVest Capital, and formerly Chair at Tarion Warranty and Pro-Demnity Ins. and Committee Chair at the Ontario Securities Commission, Meridian Credit Union, and Canadian Securities Exchange, Hari Panday has shaped some of Canada’s most consequential regulatory and market‑integrity frameworks. His oversight experience extends through the Independent Review Committee at TD Asset Management and into major academic, cultural and civic institutions, including the Osgoode Law School, Rotman School of Management, Schulich Business School, Institute of Corporate Directors, Royal Ontario Museum, Massey Hall, and the Harbourfront Centre. A long‑serving Honorary Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and a professor in York University’s Master's in Financial Accountability program, Hari’s career reflects a commitment to disciplined governance, excellence in intellectual capital, national service, and the long‑view thinking required to navigate a fractured global landscape.

9:45 - 10:05 AM | Exclusive Interview
Open Science in U.S. Higher Education Institutions: Changing Views on National Security, Student Immigration and Company Talent Acquisition
Interviewer:
Interviewee:
Dr. Jane Gatewood, Vice Provost for Global Engagement, Emory University

10:05 – 10:20 AM | Networking Break

10:20 – 10:50 AM | Executive Briefing
Behind the Silicon Curtain: The Emerging Playbook of the Intelligence Economy
Presenter:
Chad Sweet, Co-Founder & CEO, The Chertoff Group

10:50 - 11:20 AM | Fireside Chat
Silicon Curtain as a Supply Chain Story: Defined by Export Controls, Geopolitical Fragmentation, and Forced Realignments
Discussants:
N. MacDonnell Ulsch, Founder & Chief Analyst, Gray Zone Research & Intelligence, Skytop Contributor and Host of “Gray Zone Report: China”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Abe Eshkenazi, Chief Executive Officer, Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)
Edwina Payne, Member, Board of Directors, Sunrise Banks; Member, Board of Directors, Royal Neighbors of America; Advisory Board Chair, Successive Digital; Board Member, NACD Atlanta

11:20 AM - 11:55 AM | Panel Discussion
Company Risk and National Security Risk: A Converging Threat Landscape
Moderator:
Chuck Brooks, Professor, Georgetown University, CEO, Brooks Consulting International, Skytop Contributor & Host of “Intelligence Briefing”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
Edward H. You, Founder & Principal, EHY Consulting LLC
Paul Wertz, Chief Executive Officer, SherpaWerx, Practice Head Telco, Ravenscroft Consultants Limited, President, AFCEA Atlanta Chapter, Former Client Solutions Executive (Federal & Enterprise), AT&T
Dewayne Hart, Chief Executive Officer, Author and Advisor, Secure Managed Instructional Systems (SEMAIS), LLC
Jeff Gunnulfson, Assistant Vice President, Security and Risk Management, Association of Fuels and Petro-Chemical Manufacturers (AFPM)

11:55 - 12:30 PM | Fireside Chat
Emerging Threats: AI’s Impact on Security and the Irreplaceable Human Factor
Discussants:
Chuck Brooks, Professor, Georgetown University, CEO, Brooks Consulting International, Skytop Contributor & Host of “Intelligence Briefing”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Bill Deckelman, Chief Legal Officer, Andersen, Vice Chairman, The Howard Baker Forum AI Collaborative

12:30 - 1:20 PM | Networking Luncheon

1:20 – 1:55 PM | Panel Discussion
Governance Challenges for Boards: Emerging Risks, Many Not Thought of Five Years Ago
Moderator:
David A. Katz, Partner, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Panelists:
Kerrie MacPherson, FCPA, FCA, Independent Director, Chair Audit Committee, Member Nominating & Governance, Synechron Technology, Independent Director, Chair Risk Committee, Member Audit and Nominating/ Governance Committees, Community Bank System, Inc., Partner, EY (Retired)
Will Clarke, Independent Director; Partner, Newport LLC; Founder & President, Clarke Growth and Sustainment Strategies; NACD Connecticut Board Member; Captain (Retired), U.S. Navy
Mauro da Cunha, Independent Director, Multiple Boards, Senior Advisor, Engage.MC, Skytop Contributor and Host of “Capital Connection”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series

1:55 – 2:15 PM | Exclusive Interview
Iran Conflict: Global Shockwave of Note for Boards and Shareholders
Interviewer:
Kandie Stroud, Skytop Contributor & Host of “Washington & the World”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Interviewee:
John Browne, former Conservative Member of Parliament, Investment Banker, Author, Columnist & Television Commentator

2:15 – 2:50 PM | Panel Discussion
Firewalls & Fault Lines: Emerging Technologies & Digital Age Espionage
Moderator:
Chuck Brooks, Professor, Georgetown University, CEO, Brooks Consulting International, Skytop Contributor & Host of “Intelligence Briefing”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
Margaret E. Kosal, Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology

2:50 – 3:10 PM | Exclusive Interview
Regulation as a Weapon: CFIUS, Sanctions, and the New Rules of Global Commerce
Interviewer:
Interviewee:
Jeffrey Neuman, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Tronox, LLC

3:10 – 3:25 PM | Networking Break

3:25 – 4:00 PM | Panel Discussion
The Next Generation of Threats: Commercial Space Assets and Security Risks
Moderator:
Tim Chrisman, Executive Director, Association for Space Finance | Foundation for the Future, Skytop Contributor, Host of “Case for Space”, a SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Panelists:
N. MacDonnell Ulsch, Founder & Chief Analyst, Gray Zone Research & Intelligence, Skytop Contributor and Host of “Gray Zone Report: China”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
James J. Townsend Jr., Adjunct Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security (CNAS), Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for European and NATO Policy
Matthew Friters, Chief Data Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Lonestar Data Holdings Inc., Vice President and Senior Analyst, Stony Lonesome Group LLC, former Director, Cyber IMAT, United States Space Force, former Director, Cyber National Mission Force

4:00 - 4:20 | Exclusive Interview
Mind the Gap: Digital Exposure, Executive Vulnerability and Governance
Interviewer:
Interviewee:
Jim Neidig, Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, 360 Privacy, former Global Head of Security and Chief Security Officer, Apple

4:20 – 4:40 PM | Fireside Chat
The Policy Cold Front: Rules and Cross-Border Regulatory Fragmentation
Discussants:
Larry Clinton, President, Internet Security Alliance, Skytop Contributor and Host of “Fixing Cybersecurity”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Thomas Kopecky, Co-Founder & CEO, Centerseat.ai, Co-Founder & Board Director, Ontic

4:40 - 5:00 | Fireside Chat
In the Fight for Facts: Covert Targeting of Western Companies Designed to Destabilize Trust
Discussants:
Scott McHugh, Professor of the Practice, Rice University, James Baker Institute for Public Policy, Special Agent-in-Charge, US Department of State (Foreign Service), Bureau of Diplomatic Security (Retired), Federal Security Director, Department of Homeland Security (Retired), Vice President, Global Asset Protection, Walmart Stores Inc. (Retired), Global Director Crisis Management and Chief Security Officer, LyondellBasell Chemical International (Retired), Founding Program Executive, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Institute for Homeland Security, Sam Houston State University (Retired) 
Robert Liscouski, Co-Founder and former CEO & Chairman, Quantum Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ: QUBT), Chairman, Quantum Cyber (NASDAQ: QUCY), CEO, Fog Data Science, LLC, Skytop Contributor and Host of “Shadow Networks”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series

5:00 – 5:35 PM | Panel Discussion
Dual-Use Surveillance Dilemmas: Smarter Cities, Vulnerable Citizens, and Leaders At‑Risk
Moderator: 
Panelists:
Charles Randolph, Senior Vice President, 360 Privacy, Steering Committee Chair, Critical Infrastructure Research Forum (CRIF), Sam Houston State University, Cybersecurity Sector Committee (CSC), U.S. Department of State, Member of Board of Directors, International Protective Security Board
N. MacDonnell Ulsch, Founder & Chief Analyst, Gray Zone Research & Intelligence, Skytop Contributor and Host of “Gray Zone Report: China”, SkytopTV Talk Show Series
Allan Samson, Head of Security, Americas, Ørsted, Board Member, BACKBONES, Former Vice President, Head of Global Corporate Security, Xerox, Former Assistant Federal Security Director for Law Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Transportation Security Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Former Supervisory Federal Air Marshal, U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Transportation Security Administration Office of Law Enforcement, Former Supervisory Special Agent, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Former Special Agent, Defense Criminal Investigative Service
TJ Klomp, Vice President, Chief Physical Security Officer, Amazon

5:35 PM - 5:40 PM | Closing Remarks