# Lauren Knausenberger

> Lauren Knausenberger is the Chief Business Officer of Defense Unicorns and the former Chief Information Officer of the Department of the Air Force. Her career has moved from a teenage NSA internship through defense consulting, entrepreneurship and venture investing to oversight of a roughly $17 billion Air Force technology portfolio. Known for pressing institutions to deliver secure software faster, she helped advance continuous authorization, cloud adoption, zero trust and improved user experience across the Air and Space Forces before taking those ideas back into industry.

- **Role:** Chief Business Officer at Defense Unicorns
- **Organizations:** Defense Unicorns, EnerSys, AFCEA, SAIC, Department of the Air Force, Accellint, NextGen Angels, CACI, American Management Systems, National Security Agency
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Decision and Information Sciences, University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business, Master of Business Administration, University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School
- **Known for:** Oversaw a Department of the Air Force technology portfolio valued at approximately $17 billion and supported roughly 20,000 cyber operations and support personnel worldwide., Helped advance continuous authorization and continuous software delivery approaches within the Air Force's DevSecOps ecosystem., Scaled enterprise cloud networks and helped define zero-trust and AI foundations for the Air and Space Forces.

## Career timeline

- **1998-1999** — Worked as a cryptography and intelligence analyst intern in the National Security Agency's Gifted and Talented Program.
- **2003-2004** — Worked as a business systems analyst at American Management Systems.
- **2004-2015** — Advanced through technology, finance and intelligence-community program roles at CACI, eventually serving as a division manager and program director.
- **2015-2017** — Founded and led Accellint, while also working as a venture partner with NextGen Angels.
- **2017-2019** — Joined the Department of the Air Force as Director of Cyberspace Innovation.
- **2019-2020** — Served as Air Force Chief Transformation Officer.
- **2020-2023** — Served as Chief Information Officer of the Department of the Air Force, responsible for enterprise IT, cybersecurity, data and AI.
- **2023-2026** — Served as Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at SAIC, leading innovation strategy, AI-enabled transformation, rapid capability development, partnerships and SAIC Ventures.
- **2024-present** — Serves as an independent director of EnerSys, including on its Audit and Technology Advisory committees.
- **2026-present** — Joined Defense Unicorns as Chief Business Officer to lead growth strategy and partnerships.

## Achievements

- Oversaw a Department of the Air Force technology portfolio valued at approximately $17 billion and supported roughly 20,000 cyber operations and support personnel worldwide.
- Helped advance continuous authorization and continuous software delivery approaches within the Air Force's DevSecOps ecosystem.
- Scaled enterprise cloud networks and helped define zero-trust and AI foundations for the Air and Space Forces.
- Received two Exceptional Civilian Service medals and more than 20 technology leadership awards during her Air Force service.
- Named 2023 Global ORBIE CIO of the Year.
- Named GovCIO Media & Research's 2023 Woman Tech Leader of the Year.
- Elected to the EnerSys board of directors in 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Joined Defense Unicorns as Chief Business Officer, responsible for growth strategy, strategic partnerships and broader defense-sector impact.
- **2026-01** — Defense Unicorns raised a $136 million Series B and announced a valuation above $1 billion; Knausenberger joined later that year as the company entered its next growth phase.
- **2025-09** — Appeared with Bob Ritchie on the Defense Unicorns podcast to discuss collaboration, defense innovation and modern warfare.
- **2024-08** — Began serving as a director of EnerSys.

## Links

- Website: https://defenseunicorns.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-knausenberger

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/lauren-knausenberger
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-28