[Editor’s note: “Tech Vets: Profiles in Leadership and Innovation,” is a GeekWire series showcasing U.S. military veterans leading companies within the Pacific Northwest tech industry. The series explores how military experience fosters leadership, resilience, and innovation in tech.]
Jonathan Pan didn &# 8217; t come from an army family, yet maturing in New York City, he was deeply influenced by the occasions of Sept. 11, 2001, so he joined and ultimately signed up with the U.S. Military.
Pan remained in his 2nd or 3rd week at New york city &# 8217; s Baruch University when the attacks took place. He finished his education and went into policeman candidate school in 2005 An infantry officer based at Washington state &# 8217; s Joint Base Lewis– McChord, Pan deployed to Afghanistan with the 5 th Stryker Brigade Fight Team, 2 nd Infantry Department and served in an economic growth function.
Fifteen years after he left the Army as a captain, Frying pan &# 8217; s experience is still impacting his existing function as founder and CEO of Exia Labs , a Seattle-area start-up structure AI software program to boost armed forces wargaming– the logical video games used to replicate aspects of war for tactical and strategic decision-making.
The &# 8220; pc gaming &# 8221; aspect of Frying pan &# 8217; s current job is in line with the instructions he took after the Military and grad college.
&# 8220; I &# 8217; ve been playing games ever since I was a youngster, &# 8221; he claimed. &# 8220; I matured with PCs and on-line pc gaming that all started when I remained in junior high. It truly harm my qualities in high school, and I played a bit in university. When I was in the military I had no time. &# 8221;
Obtaining a work in the computer game sector wasn &# 8217; t also on Frying pan &# 8217; s radar. But throughout an internship at Riot Games he discovered exactly how fun it could be which there &# 8217; s a whole organization and craft behind making and marketing games.
&# 8220; That obtained me hooked, &# 8221; Frying pan said.
After a pair years he moved on to begin his very own e-sports group called Coal, encouraged that the future was in that kind of home entertainment. He also attempted to obtain Mark Cuban to spend, to no avail. But the experience did aid him land a games role at Amazon, where he spent 4 years in California.
After games-related jobs at Meta and Walmart, Frying pan reconnected with a good friend that he utilized to offer with and picked his brain regarding defense tech and wargames.
&# 8220; It simply blew my mind that the armed force is spending a lot effort and time and money on board games to make truly essential decisions, &# 8221; Pan claimed.
So in 2024, back in the Seattle location, he signed up with pressures with Serj Kazar , a previous associate at Riot Gamings, and established Exia.
The startup &# 8217; s first item, Blue , features numerous AI agents that analyze papers and automate each step of the united state Army’s Military Decision Making Refine ( MDMP It can also imitate prospective systems to complete a mission. A more recent item, called Spy, was released this summer season.
In September, Exia won a $ 50, 000 prize in the Military &# 8217; s xTech AI Grand Obstacle , a campaign to define AI processes and policies that boost efficiency, reduce lifecycle expenses, and scale effect across the force. The firm increased a $ 2 5 million seed round previously this year.
Frying pan is a huge believer in the Protection Department &# 8217; s Hero Skillbridge Program, which he said he used at Amazon to directly employ 9 junior policemans transitioning out of the armed force.
&# 8220; They &# 8217; re great at trouble resolving, &# 8221; he stated. &# 8220; They just need an opportunity at a tech company to verify that. &# 8221;
Reconnecting with military contacts and introducing on behalf of the Army has had its rewards, and Frying pan seems like he &# 8217; s part of the goal once again.
&# 8220; People &# 8217; s lives are on the line. That really discharges me up. That motivates me, &# 8221; he claimed.
However the army &# 8217; s lengthy sales cycles can be hard and operating in protection is not a get-rich-quick possibility, according to Frying pan. If he had to do it once again he &# 8217;d probably begin with industrial applications very first. Exia has actually been checking into where it can discover a market fit– police or natural calamity response are possibilities.
And he calls drone delivery planning &# 8220; incredibly amazing, &# 8221; noting that Exia remains in talks with Amazon and Walmart, though nothing official has been signed.