John Lee is the Co-Founder and CEO of Safire Technology Group, a defense technology company developing the next generation of intelligent, electrified energy systems for national security. Under his leadership, Safire has evolved from its origins in Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s R&D ecosystem and the FedTech commercialization program into a vertically integrated energy company, combining ruggedized hardware and AI-enabled software to deliver the DoD’s first Common Energy Picture (CEP).

Prior to Safire, John held senior roles in both government and venture-backed technology companies. He served as Head of Contracts (USG) at Palantir Technologies, where he helped scale government revenues from $80M to over $400M annually, and later as a founding member and Board Director at Improbable US. He began his career as a Contracting Officer for the Department of Defense, managing over $200M in the Navy’s SBIR portfolio, and has since advised and invested in numerous dual-use startups. John is also an Adjunct Professor of MBA at the Washington University of Virginia, where he mentors rising business leaders on innovation and scaling in high-growth environments. He holds degrees in Economics (UMD) and Supply Chain Management (UMGC), and completed the Fleet Seminar Program in National Security and Strategic Studies at the U.S. Naval War College.