Aaron Hayman leads SocialScout, a boutique open source intelligence company that helps identify online threats to the veteran and military family community. He brings 15 years of experience in security threat analysis for federal and state governments, NGOs, and the private sector.

Ellen Gustafson

Co-Founder & Executive Director
We the Veterans & Military Families

Ellen is a proud Navy Spouse and Navy and Coast Guard Granddaughter. She is a Co-Founder and the Executive Director of We the Veterans & Military Families, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that empowers the veteran and military family community to showcase patriotic citizenship and strengthen democracy and is the organizer of the Vet the Vote Coalition. She is also the Co-Founder of the Military Family Building Coalition, the first non-profit supporting active duty military in building their families.

She previously co-founded FEED, Food Tank and co-directed the Summit Institute. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she worked at the Council on Foreign Relations, the United Nations World Food Program and ABC News. Ellen is the author of "We the Eaters: If We Change Dinner, We Can Change the World," has been a Fortune Most Powerful Women Entrepreneur and has given four TEDxTalks. She lives with her husband and three young children in Virginia.

Keith Hotle

Chief Executive Officer
Stop Soldier Suicide

Keith Hotle is Chief Executive Officer of Stop Soldier Suicide, an organization dedicated to preventing military suicide through suicide-specific treatment and supportive services and innovative technology. Hotle holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Wyoming and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas Law School, with 25 years of experience within the suicide prevention field. Throughout his career, he has focused on creating programs and services that meet veterans where they are, providing life-saving resources and support. Hotle is passionate about developing best-in-class systems that bring hope to veterans and empowering them to build healthy, fulfilling lives.

William Braniff

Executive Director
PERIL, American University

William Braniff is the Executive Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) at American University. He most recently served as the Director of the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) at the Department of Homeland Security, implementing a public health-informed approach to targeted violence and terrorism prevention. Braniff previously served as the START director at the University of Maryland, the director of practitioner education at West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center. Braniff spoke at the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism in February 2015, and the United We Stand Summit in 2022 and has testified before Congress on six occasions. He is a founding board member of We the Veterans and Military Families, an organization dedicated to strengthening American democracy.

William Negley

Founder & CEO
SoundOff

William Negley is the founder and President of Sound Off, a technology-driven nonprofit working to modernize how U.S. military veterans access mental health support by reducing barriers, improving navigation, and creating more responsive pathways to care. He previously served as an officer in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, with significant experience in Afghanistan and South Asia across counterterrorism, counterintelligence, foreign intelligence, and covert action efforts. Earlier, he worked on national security issues as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. He holds an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin, as well as graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of San Diego.

Julie Hendricks

Director of Operations
We the Veterans & Military Families

Julie is a Navy veteran, serving as a rotary-wing aviator for 12 years. She served on the USS Enterprise for two deployments in support of Operations OEF and OIF. Her final deployment was to Baghdad Iraq, where she represented the U.S. government to develop program management plans in support of increased security cooperation. After her time in the Navy, Julie spent eight years as a consultant in the defense industry, successfully managing large and small teams to run proposal and capture activities for large federal contracts.

Julie is passionate about engaging in her local community, and has served as a volunteer for varied organizations throughout her life, including the Girl Scouts, Meals on Wheels, veteran nonprofit The Mission Continues, and the Fairfax County Continuum of Care Committee to fight homelessness. She holds a B.A. in English from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.A. in Rhetoric and Writing Studies with a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy from San Diego State University. Julie lives in Falls Church with her husband and two children and is also a proud Navy spouse. Her favorite day is election day.

Tim Murray

VP, Technology
TAPS

Tim Murray, a retired U.S. Army First Sergeant with over 20 years of active service, is the Vice President of Technology and principal technical advisor to the TAPS Leadership team.

Tim spent most of his military career stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and overseas. Tim enjoys volunteering and found his way to TAPS by supporting multiple events as a Military Mentor.

Ben Keiser

Co-Founder & Executive Chairman
We the Veterans & Military Families

Ben joined the Marine Corps while in college, serving in the reserves into law school, and deploying to theater for OIF. After graduating, Ben practiced at a large law firm in Washington, D.C. and New York where he focused on sustainability. He currently serves as the Chief Risk Officer of Elutions, a multinational AI company. Ben is the son of a Vietnam era Navy surface warfare officer and grandson of a WWII Army medic. He lives with his wife and rescue dog in Phoenix, AZ.

Ben is a member of the board of the We the Veterans Society for American Democracy and Executive Chairman of the We the Veterans Foundation. As Executive Chairman, Ben co-chairs the Board, advises the executive team, and works with the Executive Director to set strategic direction and operational priorities.

Emily Barson

Senior Director, Policy & Engagement
GoFundMe

Emily Barson serves as Senior Director of Policy & Engagement at GoFundMe. In this role, she leads the platform’s work with public officials and partners to advance GoFundMe’s mission to help people help each other. Emily has spent two decades on the front lines of political, governmental, and non-profit efforts. Previously, Emily was the founding Executive Director of United States of Care, a non-profit organization working to ensure that everyone can access quality, affordable health care. She also served as Director of Intergovernmental and External Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services, leading the department's work with state, local, and tribal governments and external stakeholders.

Tom Baker IV

Principal Investigator
Ground Truth NC

Tom Baker IV is a twelfth-generation American and Navy veteran with a decade of active service. From 2022-2026, Tom served as the North Carolina State Lead for Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative he built a statewide threat monitoring network protecting election workers and civic organizations across three election cycles. He is the founder of Ground Truth NC, applying intelligence tradecraft to threats facing democratic institutions, and of Wake Forest Matters, a local accountability journalism outlet. Tom is a graduate of the Student Veterans of America Leadership Institute and a recipient of a VFW/SVA legislative fellowship.

Kate Lurie

Consultant
Brennan Center for Justice

Kate Lurie is a consultant with the Brennan Center’s Elections and Government Program where she focuses on election threats. She previously served as the Director for Election Security and Foreign Malign Influence at the National Security Council. Prior to that, Kate served as Staff Director for the Foreign Malign Influence Center at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. She previously led teams implementing counterterrorism programs and policy at the National Counterterrorism Center. Kate received her BA in Judaic studies from the University of Oregon and her MA in international relations and religion from Boston University.

Jenn Colton

Executive Director
Americans For.

Jenn Colton is Co-founder and Executive Director of Americans For. She is a political strategist and digital marketing expert with a decade of experience working with national electoral entities, advocacy organizations, and nonprofits. Prior to joining AF full time, she was Vice President at Trilogy Interactive overseeing the influencer and content creator practice. Jenn graduated from Duke University with an honors degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Policy Journalism.

Chris Purdy

Founder and CEO
The Chamberlain Network

Chris Purdy is the Founder and CEO of The Chamberlain Network, an organization dedicated to mobilizing veterans to protect democratic values and institutions. A former Combat Engineer in the Army National Guard and an Iraq War veteran, Chris has extensive advocacy experience, having previously led veterans’ initiatives at an international human rights organization. He also has a background in education, serving as a Special Education teacher and school administrator. Chris is actively involved in national security and human rights initiatives and holds degrees in Sociology, Education, and Public Affairs.

Diego Echeverri

Director of Advocacy
Secure Democracy Foundation

Diego Echeverri is the Director of Advocacy at Secure Democracy USA, where he leads state-level election policy and coalition engagement efforts focused on military and overseas voting, election administration, and bipartisan democracy initiatives. A U.S. Army veteran who served with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, Diego previously worked on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign and served as an aide to Governor Charlie Crist in Florida. Prior to his current role, he worked in advocacy and government affairs with organizations including Americans for Prosperity and Concerned Veterans for America, building coalitions across ideological lines. Diego also co-founded a men’s accessories brand that was featured in GQ and multiple times in Washingtonian magazine. He is married to his wife Sara, and together they have a son, a daughter, an English bulldog, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel; in his free time, Diego enjoys gardening and riding his Triumph Bonneville motorcycle.

Ingrid Sundlee

Chief of Staff
We the Veterans & Military Families

Ingrid is the daughter of an Army veteran. She has nearly 15 years of communications and project management experience with the federal government, including extensive work on humanitarian disaster relief in Iraq, Nigeria, and the Caribbean. She has an MA in International Relations from the University of Nottingham.

Flag Day Convening 2026

Flag Day Convening 2026 Flag Day Convening 2026

June 11, 2026

Speakers

Aaron Hayman