Bio
Ian Chustek is a William H. McRaven National Security Fellow with Bravo Victor Venture Capital (BV), where he learns and advises on Portfolio Operations and School.House, the fund’s invite-only platform experience dedicated to national security founders.
Ian is completing 20 years of service in the United States Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel out of U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). His career includes 14 years in Army Special Operations Forces, more than a decade of which was spent in sensitive interagency assignments, building and sustaining trusted relationships across the U.S. Government and with foreign defense partners in support of strategic national security objectives. Over his final five years, he held a leadership role overseeing operations, policy, and planning alongside interagency and Department of War stakeholders to execute strategic operations across multiple theaters and domains. He earned a master’s degree in Strategic Security Studies from the National Defense University in 2021. Across nine deployments throughout the Middle East and Africa, he delivered decision-grade insight and options to leaders in complex, high-threat environments.
Throughout his service, Ian worked at the intersection of mission and capability—translating operational requirements into innovative solutions and integrating emerging technologies when legacy systems fell short. He pairs that operational experience with formal business training, having earned his MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in 2025, bringing an investor’s lens to the evaluation of defense technology and the founders building it.
Now entering venture capital to continue advancing the national security mission, Ian focuses on supporting disciplined, mission-first founders tackling consequential problems. His interest extends beyond defense to the broader set of critical technologies of national interest—the capabilities that underpin American competitiveness and security. He brings operational clarity and a field-informed perspective to the Fund, helping bridge the gap between venture-backed innovation and the capabilities the nation actually needs—strengthening the technological advantage of the United States and its allies in an era of strategic competition.
