Kingswood Defense Group

The Kingswood Defense Group brings together a powerful combination of world-class capabilities, access to capital markets and a seasoned team to support companies seeking to leverage their capabilities to support the United States Armed Forces.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT – we can support you throughout your request for proposal process, providing experienced guidance where you need it, helping you align your capabilities to the criteria outlined, and opening doors to decision makers inside the U.S. government. We can also help you access opportunities for non-dilutive capital and grants and/or research & development funding to support your efforts.

ACCESS TO CAPITAL MARKETS – we understand that contracts only fund a portion of the business expenses necessary to deliver on government requirements. We have the capital markets expertise you need to help you raise equity, and can offer strategic M&A support.

ACCESS TO A BROAD NETWORK OF CONTACTS – we have deep and long-term relationships across all levels of the defense industry and can provide introductions to help support your business. Whether you need access to the influencers and decision makers in an RFP or grant proposal, or a capital infusion from one or more of the 500+ defense industry investors we work with, we can help facilitate inviting the right people into your process.

As you will see by clicking on any member below, our team brings unparalleled expertise and deep connections across the industry. If you are ready to learn more, please contact Ryan Sabet at rsabet@kingswoodus.com.

Paul Ostrowski

Paul Ostrowski is a senior leader with a demonstrated leadership and management record of exceptional results in demanding, high-pressure environments. He is uniquely skilled in developing strategic plans, changing organizational cultures, and implementing vision leading to innovative outcomes. He possesses extensive experience in developing federal acquisition and contracting strategies and executing strategic planning for major defense research, development, test, evaluation, and defense procurement programs. Paul has a proven ability to cultivate high-performing teams and foster collaboration among stakeholders to achieve strategic objectives. He is a known Capitol Hill entity with extensive Congressional and Government relations including fellowships, member and staffer information sharing and testimony. His success has come from being an adaptable, resilient, and agile high-level thinker, who is comfortable operating in ambiguous and constantly changing environments while adding lasting enterprise value.

As a government Senior Service Executive Paul served as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Director of Supply, Production and Distribution for Operation Warp Speed/Countermeasures Acceleration Group, leading an “Whole of America” approach along with Industry, Academia, Public and Private Associations and the Government to develop, manufacturer, test and deliver safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics to the American people and internationally in response to COVID19.

As a Three Star General Officer and Principal Military Deputy and Director of the Army Acquisition Corps, he led the acquisition workforce of more than 39,500 professionals while providing oversight for more than 720 diverse acquisition programs with a combined portfolio of $36.6B.

Paul has served with distinction at every level of the defense acquisition process including Program Manager, Program Executive Officer, Deputy Commanding General of a theater-wide expeditionary acquisition force in Afghanistan, and principal liaison to the newly created Army Futures Command in his role of Military Deputy.

Paul is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and has earned a Master of Science in Systems Acquisition Management from the Naval Post Graduate School, and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces/Eisenhower School in Washington D.C.

Jay Wisham

Jay Wisham is the former Executive Director of the Army Applications Laboratory in Austin, TX — the only unit with the sole mission to conduct innovation activities and investments for the Army. Prior to joining AAL, he was the Senior DOD Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, studying and building an ecosystem around the development and employment of cutting-edge, emergent technology, and better partnering with private industry.

Jay previously served as the lead for Artificial Intelligence applications in Army Futures Command’s (AFC) Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team, and as program director for Project Convergence — the Army’s largest effort to make Al- and data-enabled systems a reality at the tactical edge. He has also led several AFC partnership efforts to critical research universities and leading innovators in high-tech industry sectors including Applied AI, human-machine integration, human performance, robotics, data-enabled technology, and others. His career has included several opportunities to help design and bring emergent technology to Soldiers on behalf of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and private industry.

Jay has multiple combat deployments and has served in a variety of leadership positions predominately in reconnaissance and surveillance organizations. Before assignment to AFC, he served as a Squadron Commander where he deployed the first advise-and-assist mission to support Ukraine’s ability to defend itself during its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Jay is married to Heather Wisham. They have a 14-year-old son, Parker, and live in Austin, Tx with three massive dogs.

Scott Robison

Scott is a Special Forces veteran, with 22+ years on active duty in the US Army where he developed comprehensive expertise in the evaluation of technologies for the armed services that was informed by his wide-ranging knowledge in counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, unconventional warfare, foreign and domestic weapons, testing and fielding specialized technical weapons and equipment for force protection, and personnel recovery.

Mr. Robison’s last assignment on active duty was as the Director of a Special Weapons Testing Task Force at Operational Test Command (OTC) at Ft. Hood TX where, for nearly eight years between 2004-2011, he oversaw the test and evaluation of six Acquisition Category (ACAT) I programs and 300+ ACAT II and III programs and rapid fielding initiatives, while designing and implementing OTC’s Rapid Acquisition Initiative (RAI) test methodology. Scott is also a graduate of all Defense Acquisitions University Level II courses in in Contracting, Program Management and Test and Evaluation.

Scott’s extensive background in managing teams and programs to evaluate emerging technology in both the military and commercial business, combined with his success as a business consultant and advisor ensure he is regularly sought out by companies looking to strengthen their market presence within both Federal and Commercial markets.

In addition to his service in Special Forces, Scott served as Joint Task Force Team Leader for JTF Full Accounting in Vietnam and led a Joint Team supporting JTF 6, DEA and Federal police conducting counter drug operations. During his combat tour in Iraq, Scott served with US Army Asymmetric Warfare supporting Counter Terrorism operations in Northern Iraq. As the Chief of Contingency Contracting for I Corp he executed over $30 million in contracts and procurements for MND North and was the team lead for the Forward Operational Assessment for MND North.

Scott was commissioned and received an Associates of Arts degree in 1988 through the early commissioning program at New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) where he graduated as a Distinguished Military Student. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Colorado in 1992 before reporting for active duty as an Infantry Officer in the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii.

Currently, Scott serves as the Founder/Owner Cadet Holdings LLC Consulting and the Chief Strategy Officer for Protective Shields, LLC. Also, Mr. Robison is a strategic advisor to the Executive Board of Peak NanoSystems. Serves on the board of Makamer Solutions, and heads up the Military ETF for Crowd Point, and Advisory board to M42 AI. Owner of Robison Ranch and In 2016 he established Camp Cowboy, a 501 (3)C non-profit charity organization, for veterans and first responders utilizing equine therapy for the relief of PTSD and other physical and mental illnesses related to their service careers. Additionally, Scott serves on the Advisory Board at Baylor University’s Business School for entrepreneurship and their lab-to-market assistance programs and is a long-time coach and supporter of Select Softball with the team Texas Glory RWB.

Marcos A. Cervantes

Marc has established a notable career spanning over two decades in venture capital and the US Army. At the helm of Copperstone Venture Firm as Managing Partner, and as CEO at Q-Branch, Marc has concentrated on leading global projects and strategic investments aimed at driving technological progress and expansion. His efforts in these roles have involved active investment and support of entrepreneurs, companies, and governments in their commercial ventures.

In his military tenure, Marc's exemplary leadership, strategic acumen, and dedication to mission accomplishment have been evident. His role as a Department of Defense expert in weapons systems development has involved tapping into worldwide innovation networks to procure and invest in essential technologies for the Special Operations Community. His achievements include founding the US Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office and serving as a Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, contributing to the formation of the Army’s Future Command and the revamp of the R&D investment strategy across the US Army. Additionally, his tenure as a Senior Product Manager at the United States Special Operations Command involved handling pivotal technologies for national security. Marc's unique combination of military insight and business expertise equips him to adeptly tackle complex challenges, advance technology, and foster organizational growth.

Marc holds a degree from the Citadel, Military College of South Carolina, and an MBA from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.

Jeff Thompson

JEFF EMBARKED ON HIS PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY BY JOINING THE US ARMY AFTER EARNING AN ARMY ROTC SCHOLARSHIP AND GRADUATING FROM PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY. HE DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF ON ACTIVE DUTY WITHIN THE 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION, SERVING AS BOTH A PLATOON LEADER AND IN BATTALION STAFF OFFICER ROLES, ULTIMATELY ACHIEVING THE RANK OF CAPTAIN.

HIS PROFESSIONAL TRAJECTORY ALSO INCLUDES SIGNIFICANT ROLES AS AN EXECUTIVE LEADER WITHIN FORTUNE 50 INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND BANKING FIRMS, AS WELL AS A PARTNER IN AN EARLY-STAGE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM. ADDITIONALLY, HE HAS BEEN AN ACTIVE ANGEL INVESTOR AND A SUCCESSFUL STARTUP FOUNDER AND OPERATOR.

WITH OVER TWO DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN FINANCIAL SERVICES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, JEFF HAS AMASSED INVALUABLE EXPERTISE ACROSS CAPITAL MARKETS, INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, PRIVATE EQUITY, VENTURE CAPITAL, AND BANKING. HE HAS LED ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE AND GROWTH, DRIVING MARKET SHARE AND REVENUE GROWTH INITIATIVES WHILE SPEARHEADING SALES AND DISTRIBUTION EFFORTS FOR A $200 BILLION INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND PRIVATE BANKING BUSINESS, SPECIALIZING IN ALTERNATIVE ASSETS, STRUCTURED LENDING, AND LOWER MID-MARKET INVESTMENT BANKING. EARLY IN HIS CAREER, JEFF PERSONALLY MANAGED A DIVERSIFIED INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PORTFOLIO TOTALING $900 MILLION ACROSS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECURITIES.

KNOWN AS AN INFLUENTIAL AND GROWTH-ORIENTED VISIONARY LEADER, JEFF CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATES HIS ABILITY TO TRANSLATE ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES INTO ACTIONABLE STRATEGY EXECUTION, EFFECTIVELY NAVIGATING CHALLENGES IN DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENTS.

OUTSIDE OF HIS PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVORS, JEFF IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE KATE AMATO FOUNDATION AS A BOARD MEMBER, DEDICATED TO ADVANCING SAFER, SMARTER, AND MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER. HE SPLITS HIS TIME BETWEEN DARIEN, CT, AND AUSTIN, TX, WITH HIS WIFE KATHLEEN AND THEIR DAUGHTER. DURING LEISURE MOMENTS, JEFF ENJOYS PURSUITS SUCH AS FLY FISHING AND MOUNTAIN HIKING.