Engineering the modern mission

A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Abbas founded Aspetto in 2008 and has built it from a custom clothing brand into an integrated defense technology company spanning hardware, software and mission systems for federal and Department of War customers. His work has been featured by Forbes, Newsweek, CNBC and Esquire.

A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Manufacturing & Industry, Robert helped create America’s first bullet-resistant clothing line and leads Aspetto’s manufacturing, R&D and program execution, turning the company’s engineering into fielded product at scale.

Steve Cakebread is a veteran technology finance executive and capital markets leader who has led the financial teams behind the successful IPOs of Salesforce, Pandora, and Yext. As CFO of Salesforce, he helped guide the company through its 2004 IPO and a period of rapid growth, establishing the financial infrastructure needed to scale into a major public technology company. He later served as CFO of Pandora and Yext, leading both companies through their public offerings, and previously held senior finance roles at Autodesk, Silicon Graphics, and Hewlett-Packard. Steve is also the author of The IPO Playbook and brings decades of experience in scaling high-growth companies, corporate governance, capital markets, and preparing businesses for life as public enterprises.

Todd Harbour is a data strategist, enterprise architect, and technology executive with more than three decades of experience building and scaling mission-critical data platforms across the national security, government, and commercial sectors. He previously served as Chief Data Officer for the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology and as the inaugural Chief Data Officer for New York State, leading large-scale data strategy, governance, analytics, and modernization initiatives. Todd is also an author and recognized thought leader on data leadership and literacy. Today, he is Co-Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Technology Officer of Core4ce, where he leads advanced technology initiatives and The Forge, the company’s incubator focused on commercializing innovations in cybersecurity, engineering, and data science.

Tom Davis is a former Member of Congress and recognized leader in federal policy, government technology, and public-private strategy. He represented Virginia’s 11th Congressional District for 14 years and served as Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where he helped author more than 100 pieces of legislation that became law, including major federal acquisition and information security reforms. Following Congress, Tom served as Managing Director of Deloitte’s Government Relations practice and today is a Partner at Holland & Knight focused on federal policy, government contracts, national security, and emerging technologies. He has also served as Rector of George Mason University and brings decades of experience navigating the intersection of government, technology, regulation, and business.

Major General Ralph H. Groover III (U.S. Army, Ret.) brings nearly four decades of leadership experience across special operations, national security, defense strategy, and international security cooperation. During his career, he commanded Special Operations forces in Africa, served in Afghanistan, and held senior leadership positions at U.S. Central Command spanning operations, strategy, plans, exercises, and training. He later served as the United States Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché to Egypt, strengthening strategic relationships with key U.S. partners across the Middle East. General Groover concluded his military career as Special Assistant to the Director of the Army National Guard and also brings extensive civilian law enforcement experience, including leadership roles in SWAT, investigations, aviation, and police operations.

Francisco Morales is a serial entrepreneur, operator, and investor with more than three decades of experience building and scaling consumer, tactical, and performance brands. He co-founded 5.11 Tactical in 2003 and helped grow the company from approximately $2.5 million in first-year sales to more than $500 million in annual revenue, expanding it into a globally recognized brand serving military, law enforcement, public safety, and consumer markets. He became CEO in 2018, leading continued retail, product, and brand expansion after the company’s $400 million acquisition by Compass Diversified and through its later preparation for a Nasdaq IPO. Francisco remains a 5.11 board member and significant shareholder and also serves on the board of Veritone, a publicly traded AI technology company.

Mike Morehouse is a serial entrepreneur and investor with more than 40 years of experience building, scaling, acquiring, and exiting companies across the defense, intelligence, and federal technology markets. He co-founded FGM, helped grow it to more than $45 million in revenue, and supported its sale to Arlington Capital Partners before the business ultimately became part of Accenture. He later co-founded Core4ce, helping raise capital, execute five acquisitions, and build a leadership team that secured more than $500 million in Department of War contracts, before becoming CEO in 2024. Mike also co-founded Grist Mill Exchange and has served as a longtime investor, mentor, and board member of Aspetto since its founding.