Brendan McCord
Board MemberThe Academy for Philosopher-Builders
AI is analyzing your overall score…
Identifying your key strengths…
Evaluating your skill match against the job requirements…
Assessing your cultural and operational fit
The Academy for Philosopher-Builders
AI is analyzing your overall score…
Identifying your key strengths…
Evaluating your skill match against the job requirements…
Assessing your cultural and operational fit
I am dad to two toddlers, husband to Adriane McCord, and an avid student of philosophy and its intersections with modern technology. In the private sector, I founded two AI startups that were acquired for $400 million and have been part of efforts to transform industries. In the public sector, I was principal founder of the first applied AI organization for the US Department of Defense, author of its first AI Strategy, and spent 610 days underwater as a submarine officer. www.brendanmccord.com/readinglist
St. John's College
Graduate Coursework in Philosophy and Russian Literature
N/A – Present
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelor’s Degree
N/A – Present
Harvard Business School
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
N/A – Present
Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Board Member
February 1, 2025 – Present
University of Oxford
Lecturer & Visiting Fellow
November 1, 2023 – Present
Cosmos Institute
Founder & Chair
October 1, 2023 – Present
Applied Intuition
Advisory Board Member
January 1, 2020 – January 1, 2023
Acrisure
President
January 1, 2020 – January 1, 2023
Austin, Texas, United States
Acrisure
CEO & Founder (Acquired by Acrisure)
January 1, 2019 – January 1, 2020
Austin, Texas, United States
Tulco, LLC
President
January 1, 2019 – January 1, 2020
San Francisco, California, United States
United States Department of Defense
Founding Chief Architect
January 1, 2018 – February 1, 2019
United States Department of Defense
Head of Machine Learning
January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2018
Lux Capital
Investor & Portfolio
January 1, 2013 – January 1, 2014
New York, New York, United States
US Navy
Submarine Officer
January 1, 2008 – January 1, 2013
US economic competitiveness
April 1, 2019 – Present
Drafted an early blueprint in April 2019 for a bill to enhance US economic competitiveness (predecessor to CHIPS and Science Act); pulled in institutions such as Stanford, CMU, and MIT; discussed it during this Eye on AI podcast by longtime NYTimes journalist Craig Smith: https://aneyeonai.libsyn.com/brendan-v1
Draper Laboratory "DeepCode"
October 1, 2014 – March 1, 2015
Advisor to successful spinout and Series A raise of "DeepCode," a DARPA/US Air Force Research Lab-funded effort at Draper Laboratories. DeepCode uses deep learning to reason about programs, automating key aspects of the software development lifecycle to find and repair program flaws.
Acoustic Vector-Sensor Array Processing
December 1, 2006 – August 1, 2007
As MIT undergrad researcher, conducted mathematical modeling, data analysis, and development of performance measures for acoustic vector-sensor arrays, which are underwater microphones that measure both acoustic pressure and particle velocity.
Cultural Fit Analysis
The candidate's diverse background, spanning military, government, venture capital, and multiple entrepreneurial ventures, indicates a high degree of adaptability and a broad perspective. Their involvement in academic institutions (Oxford, MIT, Stanford, CMU) and policy development suggests a strong intellectual curiosity and a commitment to impactful work. The target role of 'Board Member' aligns well with their extensive executive, advisory, and strategic experience, demonstrating a strong cultural fit for high-level governance and strategic guidance.
Soft Skills & Operational Fit
The candidate demonstrates exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to operate at the highest levels of government and industry. Their experience in building and leading diverse teams, securing funding, and driving complex initiatives suggests strong operational fit for a senior leadership or board role. The ability to translate technical vision into actionable strategies and policy is a significant soft skill.