Accomplishing missions others cannot.
The majority of us at 2430 Group come from the government. We chose that line of work to serve our country and people. We spent entire careers working for the public doing work we love. But while inside, the bureaucracy impeded innovation and it wasn’t something we could fix.
While we see the value and merit in the system that keeps our government accountable, we also see how it hinders our strategic capabilities against adversaries.
Conversely, a few of us had our start in the private sector, innovating, working fast and hard for results. However, there was no mission to serve the people; instead, we sought to innovate and develop the next best thing to sell.
At 2430 Group, we view ourselves as a bridge between the private and public sector. The two sectors do not have aligned missions; however, together, they have the potential to serve our country, innovate, and protect national security in amazing ways.
With our fantastic team of experts from the private sector, the intelligence community, the military, law enforcement, and academia, all with decades of experience in identifying and mitigating threats to our national security, we will accomplish missions others cannot.
Our Team
We have a dedicated team of experts contributing to this important work.
Associate Founder
Aaron Brown
Aaron has over two decades of experience in law enforcement, Army Special Operations, and national security, including as a senior operations officer and field leader at the Central Intelligence Agency. His experience includes leadership roles at the CIA, with operations spanning the globe. Aaron is recognized for his knowledge of surveillance technology risks and his ability to develop advanced solutions.
Director
Glenn Chafetz
Glenn has more than 30 years experience in government, academia, and the private sector. He spent most of his career at CIA, where he served multiple overseas tours, including three as Chief of Station. He was also the Agency’s first Chief of Tradecraft and Operational Technology. Glenn also served in the State Department, both overseas and in Washington, and has taught or held research positions at a number of universities, most recently American University, and the National Intelligence University.
Associate Founder
Mat Henley
Mat is a globally recognized security professional with over 25 years of experience in complex, adversarial environments with expertise in technical threat pursuit, attribution, and investigation. He is an established authority in internet child safety issues and in handling intrusions, insider abuse, malware, and other technical abuses. Mat has worked at eBay, PayPal, Facebook, Uber, and Cloudflare, disrupting criminal activities worldwide. As a builder at heart, he possesses a passion for continuous progress within the dynamic sphere of cybersecurity.
Associate Founder
Brian Sorenson
Brian has over two decades of experience in national security affairs gained from his service at the Central Intelligence Agency as a senior Operations Officer and Paramilitary Operations Officer and in US Army Special Operations. He was a Boren National Security Education scholar in Shanghai, China prior to joining CIA and speaks Mandarin Chinese and Thai.
Director of Research and Analysis
Lindsay Wright
Lindsay is the Director of Research & Analysis at 2430 Group. She has 15 years of operational and managerial experience in OSINT investigations, national security, and foreign policy, supporting private industry and other U.S. Government agencies.
In her free time, Lindsay enjoys mountain biking. Our team is amazed by Lindsay's bicycling skills; she is an amateur enduro racer.
Director of China Research
Xavier Ortiz
Xavier has over twenty years of experience in national security through his tenure with the US Army and the Department of Defense. Focusing on China's foreign and defense policies and the impacts of US-China strategic competition on US national security. His research encompasses China's military modernization, technology policies, and economic statecraft. Additionally, he studies China's influence on international organizations and its non-traditional forms of aggression against the US and its allies and partners.
2430 Group Fellow
David Rader
David was the Deputy Director (GS-15) of the Global Investment & Economic Security Directorate at the Department of Defense, focusing on national economic security, foreign direct investment, trade and industrial policy, and all matters under the purview of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). His roles spanned macroeconomic modeling, risk management, due diligence, technology development, and policy decisions. His work frequently involved dialogue with government officials, business leaders, law professionals, and international partners. David's background includes diverse industry roles in banking, research, and law. He is currently pursuing a graduate degree in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.
Director of Physical Security Assessments and Vulnerability Mitigation Strategies
Jorge I. Conrado
Jorge is a retired Supervisory Special Agent with the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Jorge joined the Department in 1999 after serving as a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. During his distinguished career with Diplomatic Security, Jorge served overseas for 14 years in various U.S. Embassies including Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Albania, and Russia, with his last four-year assignment being in Moscow. Here, he was a key liaison during the 2018 FIFA World Cup and even earned the 2018 European Council of the Year award from the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) for his leadership.
Researcher and Director of Social Media and Website Development
Yasmeen Ziada
Yasmeen is a researcher at 2430 Group. She is a recent college graduate from Portland State University with BA degrees in Political Science and Arabic. Yasmeen started with 2430 Group in June 2022 as their first intern, assisting in an array of their OSINT and due diligence projects. Now, in addition to research, she helps the team build the website and maintain a social media presence.
In her free time, Yasmeen enjoys swimming and has recently begun to dip her toes in the craft of sewing.
Work with Us
Term Project Program
At 2430 Group, we seek applicants to contribute to term projects. We
need:
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OSINT researchers
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Data scientists
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Linguists
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Forensic financial analysts
Our research focuses on the intersection of international affairs and commerce. All of us have an interest in the power of data. A native proficiency in the English language is required.
2430 Group in the Media
When is our 9/11 Moment with China?
The Cipher Brief | Tom Lyons | September 14, 2023
9/11 fundamentally shifted US foreign policy priorities towards the Middle East. When will we have a similar reckoning with China? More >
DSR Spy Show - Revolutionary Change in the Intelligence Community: The Technology Factor
Deep State Radio \ Podcast \ September 11, 2023
Evolving technology promises revolutionary change in the intelligence community. Marc and David are joined this week by leading expert and former Directorate of Operations’ first Chief of Tradecraft and Technology Glenn Chafetz to dicsuss how information gathering and spycraft have an will continue to change with the advent of AI and more. Join us. Listen >
Why Putin’s Russia Cannot Accept its Borders
Atlantic Council \ Glenn Chafetz and John Sipher \ August 11, 2023
To understand Russia’s current obsession with Ukraine, it is important to recognize that Russia was never a state in the common usage of the term. Unlike the modern Turkish state... More >
China, Lawfare, and the Contest for Control of Low Earth Orbit:
The Chinese government seeks strategic advantage in space through attacks on the Western private sector.
The Diplomat \ Glenn Chafetz and Xavier Ortiz \ August 10, 2023
People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force officers Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui Wang argued in their 1999 book, “Unrestricted Warfare,” that to win a war with the United States, China must mass its intelligence, economic, and political resources where U.S. defenses were weakest: its private sector. The book today reads like a plan for the past two decades of non-military warfare waged against the Western private sector by Beijing and its business surrogates... More >
China's Plan to Rule the World's Smart Devices, FCC Urged to Act
Newsweek \ Shaun Waterman and Didi Kirsten Tatlow \ August 8, 2023
When police, firefighters and other first responders across the U.S. rush to emergencies, they rely on special devices to avoid overwhelmed public networks.
Chinese spies could be listening in. ... More >
How China’s Political System Discourages Innovation and Encourages IP Theft
The SAIS Review of International Affairs \ Glenn Chafetz\ July 31, 2023
U.S. observers have long complained that Chinese firms steal intellectual property (IP) from American companies, universities, and research institutions.¹ Most of these complaints stress that the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) directs this theft. Other analysts focus on military applications of the theft. Both arguments are true, but presume that the problem’s ultimate source is policy. It is not. ... More >
Defending Against State-Sponsored Espionage Targeting the U.S. Private Sector is a Team Effort
The Cipher Brief \ Glenn Chafetz\ June 30, 2023
Last year, Congress spent 52 billion dollars on the CHIPS Act to advance the semiconductor industry in the United States because semiconductors are critical to the U.S. strategic advantage. Yet, the U.S. government and private sector spend almost nothing to protect that advantage, specifically against state-sponsored theft. It makes little sense for the U.S. government to support private sector research, development, and manufacture of critical technology like semiconductors, and then lose those hard-fought gains to espionage.... More >
Doing Business with China in 2023 has Become More Risky
The Dallas Morning News\ Patrick Walsh and Glenn Chafetz\ June 9, 2023
Americans doing business with China should rethink their operations and plans. On April 26, the Chinese government passed an amendment to ... More >
Insider Buzz: Blindspots - Episode 1
Code 42 \ Podcast \ November 15, 2022
Join host Beth Miller and guest speaker, Glenn Chafetz to learn about security blindspots and what you can do to bring them to light. Watch >
Our Affiliations
The UnderSimplified Podcast
From Aaron Brown, 2430 Group Associate founder
Aaron uses his career in the CIA, as an Army Ranger, and deputy sheriff, and now as an entrepreneur and technologist, to engage deep thinkers and experts across pivotal issues of our time. Using this platform, Aaron challenges these guests to join him in raising the quality of our collective conversation. And, if we are lucky, maybe we’ll find an easier path to travel together.
