A Fireside Chat with a GPS Pioneer
Join us for an extraordinary fireside chat with one of the pioneering minds behind the Global Positioning System (GPS) — a technology that quietly powers our everyday lives. From navigating road trips, food deliveries, and dating apps to global banking, utility grids, and emergency response, GPS is woven into the fabric of modern civilization. But what happens when this invisible infrastructure falters or faces disruption, whether from natural causes or intentional jamming? In this engaging session, we’ll peel back the layers of Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) innovation, explore stories from its creation, and examine the surprising extent of our digital dependency — including what goes dark when these systems go down, and the things we can do to keep them working. Engineers, innovators, and curious minds will leave with a richer appreciation for the tech we take for granted and fresh insights on building resilient systems for the future.
PANELIST:
Steve Poizner, Co-Founder & CEO, oneNav, Inc. – a businessman, technology entrepreneur, and former California Insurance Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate. Over his 30+ year career in Silicon Valley, he founded multiple companies, including Strategic Mapping Inc. (digital mapping software, later sold to Claritas/ESRI) and SnapTrack, Inc. (pioneered GPS integration in mobile phones, sold to Qualcomm for over $1B). He was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Council Hall of Fame in 2014. At Qualcomm, he served as SVP, overseeing 12 emerging businesses. Steve is currently the co-founder of oneNav, a next generation GPS/GNSS company enabling ultra low power, secure and precise solutions for military, government, commercial and consumer applications.
MODERATOR:
Craig Miller, President Viasat Government – President of Viasat Government, leading the company’s global defense business with a focus on multi-domain networking, data integration, and AI-enabled defense operations. With over 30 years at Viasat, he has held senior roles including President of Strategic Initiatives, Engineering, Chief Product Officer, and President of Government Systems, where he oversaw satellite connectivity, tactical networks, cybersecurity, and the $2B divestiture of the Link-16 business to L3Harris. Earlier, he launched Viasat’s Resilient Space Missions and Hybrid Adaptive Network architecture. Before Viasat, he worked at Hughes Missile Systems Group on radar countermeasures. He also serves on the EvoNexus Board of Directors and holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona.
