As the Potomac Institute celebrates its 30th year, we are revitalizing our brand to meet the challenges of a contested global order. Central to this transformation is the "People Power" that has defined us for three decades, led by our Board of Regents. Welcome to our latest interview series: Regents in Conversation, a masterclass in the bold, unconventional thinking that gives our clients, and our nation, what it needs, not just what it wants.

In this series, CEO Jennifer Buss sits down with a few esteemed members of PIPS’ Board of Regents to discuss their respective work and careers, their experience with The Potomac Institute, and their thoughts on current and future policy topics.

In this episode of Regents in Conversation, Potomac Institute CEO Jen Buss speaks with Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Charles Bolden about leadership shaped by military service, human spaceflight, and public responsibility. The discussion connects Bolden’s experience in the Marine Corps, NASA, and national service to current policy questions facing the United States, including the future of commercial space, the role of public-private partnership, and the governance challenges created by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. For congressional and defense audiences, the conversation underscores the need for disciplined leadership, sustained strategic investment, and nonpartisan institutions capable of informing policy in complex, high-consequence domains.

Key Takeaways:

• Sustain long-term US leadership in space through clear national direction. Bolden’s career illustrates that national advantage depends on persistence, mission focus, and continued investment in the people and institutions that support American leadership.

• Treat commercial space as a strategic national capability, not only a market opportunity. The discussion points to the need for durable public-private partnership models that align NASA, the Department of Defense, and industry around resilience, innovation, and national security objectives.

• Reinforce constitutional responsibility and public-service leadership in national decision-making. The episode highlights the importance of leaders who can operate with discipline, accountability, and commitment to institutional mission in periods of strategic change.

• Use nonpartisan, data-driven analysis to guide policy in fast-moving technology sectors. As space and artificial intelligence policy evolve, decision-makers need rigorous research and independent analysis to support oversight, governance, and resource allocation.

• Prepare governance structures now for technologies that will shape future competition. The conversation suggests that emerging technologies require earlier and more deliberate policy attention if the United States is to manage risk while preserving strategic advantage.