Forging What’s Next In Defense and Dual-use Technology

Philadelphia holds world-class research, emerging technologies, and mission-ready talent—yet these assets remain fragmented. Independence Foundry exists to unify them into a federally aligned, regionally driven defense and dual-use technology ecosystem that accelerates national security impact.

We don’t speculate.
We don’t talk in theory.
We execute.

Independence Foundry is already live—connecting federal partners, universities, industry, and talent into one coordinated national security engine.

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Who We Are

Independence Foundry is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit institution built to serve as the connective infrastructure for the region’s defense and dual-use technology ecosystem.

We are not:

  • An incubator

  • A venture fund

  • A civic innovation hub

We are a regionally anchored, federally aligned national security platform purpose-built to:

  • Accelerate mission-relevant technologies

  • Strengthen government-industry-academia collaboration

  • Build defense-aligned talent pipelines at scale

This is institutional capacity—not a program experiment.

Why This Matters Now

The defense innovation race is no longer optional—it’s active, global, and accelerating.

Philadelphia sits at the intersection of:

  • World-class research institutions

  • A growing defense workforce

  • Expanding federal mission presence

Yet without coordinated infrastructure, these assets operate in isolation.

Independence Foundry exists to eliminate that fragmentation—aligning technology, talent, and mission into one unified regional national security engine.

This is about:

  • Mission readiness

  • Workforce resilience

  • National security relevance

  • Long-term regional defense positioning

The window is open. We are building now.

Mission Pillars

Dual-use Technology Acceleration

Aligning emerging regional capabilities with real federal defense and security priorities.

Defense Talent Pipelines

Preparing students, veterans, and early-career professionals for DoD-aligned career pathways.

Government-Industry-Academia Nexus

Building sustained partnerships that accelerate mission execution.

Regional Impact

Expanding Philadelphia’s defense footprint through coordinated, mission-driven infrastructure..

Early Execution and Momentum

Independence Foundry is not an idea. It is operational.

Within its first 30 days, the Foundry has:

  • Become a registered Pennsylvania nonprofit

  • Secured EIN and submitted 501(c)(3) application

  • Launched full brand, website, and LinkedIn platform

  • Executed the Future Force Forum + Workshop with:

    • NIWC Pacific Philadelphia

    • Community College of Philadelphia

  • Delivered:

    • DoD internship pathway education

    • Federal application portal training

    • One-on-one leadership coaching

  • Initiated collaboration with:

    • Naval Welding Institute

    • University City Science Center

  • Entered strategic dialogue with:

    • NavalX

    • Liberty Tech Bridge

  • Selected to attend:

    • Navy Rapid Capabilities Office Industry Day

This is execution velocity—not concept validation.

Programs and Operating Cadence

Independence Foundry operates year-round on a national-security-aligned cadence:

  • Future Force Forum (Quarterly)
    Workforce exposure, DoD pathway navigation, early-career activation

  • Defense Talent Workshops & Pathway Activations
    Student readiness, federal applications, veteran transition alignment

  • Regional Defense & Dual-Use Technology Summit (Annual – March)
    Flagship convening of federal, industry, and academic leaders

  • Institutional Working Groups & Pilot Programs
    University-industry collaboration aligned to federal priorities

Who We Serve

Students & early-career professionals seeking defense -aligned careers

Veterans & military-affiliated professionals transitioning to civilian impact

Universities & research institutions advancing missioin-ready innovation

Dual-use companies & defense primes scaling capabilities

Federal & Government partners executing national security priorities

Independence Foundry operates as the connective infrastructure across this entire ecosystem.

Partnership Model

Independence Foundry is sustained through a tiered institutional partnership model:

  • Forge Partner – Regional ecosystem builders

  • Catalyst Partner – Program-enabling sponsors

  • Strategic Partner – Ecosystem-shaping institutions

  • Founding Benefactor – Institutional founders circle

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Founding Capital

Independence Foundry is raising $150,000 in Founding Capital to anchor its first year of regional operations. This capital directly funds:

  • Program delivery & regional expansion

  • Administrative, compliance, and institutional infrastructure

  • Platform, communications, and federal-grade partner materials

  • Federal, academic, and industry convenings


$150K stabilizes operations and fully activates regional scale.

Founding Partners receive:

  • Early ecosystem positioning

  • Priority program alignment

  • Public Founding Partner recognition

  • Long-term regional defense infrastructure impact

This is legacy-level positioning, not event sponsorship

Join Us In Forging What’s Next

Founding Partners receive:

  • Permanent recognition as institutional founders

  • Priority alignment in programs and regional pilots

  • Early access to federal, academic, and industry collaborations

  • Public visibility across platform, convenings, and media

  • Long-term strategic positioning in a growing defense innovation corridor

This is legacy positioning—not sponsorship.

Become A Founding Partner