Bridging the gap between what technology promises and what operators actually need.
I bring 10 years of military operational experience to the intersection of AI and defense. I know what it takes for technology to work: not in a lab, but in the field.
ID: AREVALO, B.J. · CPT, AV · 10 YRS
Credibility is earned in the field and verified in the data.
FLIGHT HOURS RECOGNIZED BY THE BOEING COMPANY · CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, DECEMBER 2022
From the cockpit to the strategy table
Brian J. Arevalo is a former Army Captain and AH‑64 Apache helicopter pilot with 10 years of service spanning planning, operations, strategy, leadership, and mission execution in high‑stakes environments. He now applies that operational discipline to AI and technology strategy, helping commercial, aerospace, and defense organizations move from concept to capability.
Brian is an MBA candidate at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, ranked the No. 1 public business school in the country and No. 3 among U.S. programs in the 2026 Financial Times Global MBA ranking, its highest placement ever. A recipient of the Consortium Fellowship, one of the most selective diversity MBA programs in the country, he brings both the credibility of someone who has operated in high‑pressure environments and the analytical rigor of an MBA‑trained strategist.
Over $793 billion in federal contracts was obligated last fiscal year, and total national defense resources exceed $1 trillion this year alone. The organizations that win understand both the technology and the operator.
I assess where your organization stands on AI adoption, identify the highest‑value deployment opportunities, and build a phased roadmap that accounts for your operational environment, regulatory constraints, and workforce reality.
The deliverable is not a deck. It is a plan your team can actually execute.
For technology companies entering the defense sector, I provide the operational context and buyer‑side perspective that accelerates credibility and shortens the acquisition cycle.
How DoD procurement actually works, what program offices actually need, and how to position your capability in language that resonates.
I work directly with engineering and product teams to translate operational requirements into system specifications — getting the user's actual needs into the design process before the product is built, not after.
This is the work that prevents expensive rebuilds.
Not sure which fits your situation?
Book a free 30‑minute call →Projects, writing, and open‑source work at the intersection of AI and defense.
Tools, experiments, and applied AI work. Repositories are being organized for release.
View on GitHub →Results from client engagements will appear here as the practice grows.
Blog articles, perspectives on the future, and other inspirations.
The Pentagon has spent billions on AI programs in the last decade. A disproportionate number have failed — not because the technology did not work in the lab, but because the people who were supposed to use it did not trust it.
To Be PublishedFree 30‑minute introductory call for qualified engagements. No pitch. Just a direct conversation about your situation and whether I can help.
Prefer email? brian114@live.com