Imagination as Infrastructure
A Private Salon on Funding the Systems and Stories That Secure America's Edge
Where Hollywood meets the Pentagon, and venture capital funds the future of American storytelling.
The Premise
What if the stories we tell are as critical to national security as the weapons we build? What if imagination isn't just entertainment—but infrastructure?
This intimate salon explores a provocative thesis: that America's competitive edge depends not only on technological superiority, but on narrative legitimacy. In an era where authoritarian regimes invest in "narrative weapons" and cinematic statecraft, we're convening the architects of American imagination alongside the builders of American power.
The Conversation
🎬 Culture as Capability How film, television, games, and digital media shape global perceptions of American strength, values, and possibility—and why that matters for deterrence.
💰 The Economics of Inspiration Exploring new funding models that align entertainment industry incentives with national interests, from grants for patriotic storytelling to strategic content partnerships.
🛡️ Narrative Deterrence The strategic doctrine of projecting strength through story—and how creative communities can contribute to America's competitive positioning without becoming propagandists.
🤝 Unlikely Alliances Building coalitions between filmmakers and defense technologists, screenwriters and venture capitalists, simulation designers and military strategists.
Who's in the Room
Creative Visionaries: Screenwriters, directors, producers, and game designers who understand storytelling as statecraft
Defense & National Security: Strategic thinkers, policy makers, and military leaders who recognize culture's role in competition
Technology Leaders: Founders and executives building the tools that shape how stories are told and experienced
Capital Allocators: VCs, private equity, and philanthropists interested in investing in American cultural strength
Cultural Strategists: Academics, think tank experts, and policy entrepreneurs bridging entertainment and national security
Why This Matters Now
"The defense of a nation begins in its myths." — adapted from Philip Bobbitt
For decades, American storytelling was a superpower unto itself, defining global ideas of freedom, strength, and aspiration. Today, that edge is dulled by domestic skepticism, cultural fragmentation, and the rise of adversarial narratives.
Meanwhile, our competitors understand something we've forgotten: that the stories a civilization tells about itself determine whether it thrives or declines. They're investing accordingly.
This salon isn't about propaganda or nostalgia—it's about reindustrializing American imagination for an era of strategic competition.
The Format
Intimate Scale: Capped at 40-50 participants to ensure substantive dialogue Chatham House Rules: Encouraging candid discussion of sensitive topics Working Sessions: Moving beyond panels to collaborative problem-solving Cross-Pollination: Deliberately mixing communities that rarely interact
The Question We're Here to Answer
How do we fund, create, and distribute stories that inspire belief in American potential while building the coalitions necessary to compete in the 21st century?