2024 Service Academies Global Entrepreneur Summit 
Oct 15-17, 2024

Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park
3111 Fairview Park Drive
Falls Church, VA 22042

The Service Academies Global Summit (SAGS) partnered with West Point Entrepreneurs to bring you the Service Academies Global Entrepreneur Summit (SAGES). The inaugural SAGES took place on Oct 15-17 in the national capital region where we connected Service Academy entrepreneurs worldwide to achieve business success. 

Theme – Forging Futures: Leadership, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship

Featured Speakers

Ron Green, USMA ‘90
Dawn Halfaker, USMA ’01
Kathy Hildreth, USMA ’83
France Hoang, USMA ‘95

with Distinguished Guest Speaker
Dr. Shauna “Doc” Springer, Ph.D.
TRUST: 5 Critical Insights for Entrepreneurial Success
Sponsored by the Pompidou Family

Trust is the lifeblood of effective military units, healthy close relationships, and successful entrepreneurial ventures. Loss of trust is central to where we become damaged, and where our business ventures fail. I found my path to insight through my unique role as a trusted Doc to our nation’s warfighters, and I have shared these insights to help entrepreneurs find success, and Fortune 500 companies take their workforce through the pandemic, during an epidemic of social distrust. This talk delivers 5 of my most critical insights on how entrepreneurs build, maintain, and fail because of how we earn, extend, and withhold trust. Participants will walk away with a series of questions that will be a practical tool for assessing the value of potential business ventures and entrepreneurial partnerships.”

Meet our SAGES 2024 Sponsors

DOWNLOAD THE SAGES 2024 AGENDA

DOWNLOAD THE SAGES 2024 LIST OF SPEAKERS

VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

The following speakers appeared at SAGES 2024:

  • As always, the SAGS event was superbly conducted and created connections that are of tremendous value to graduates (and future graduates) of the U.S. service academies. My thanks to the Organizing Team for all that you do!
    GEN (Ret) Stanley McChrystal (USMA ‘76), President, The McChrystal Group
  • SAGS is really a superb event. I’m delighted to have been a part of it and thankful for the amazing work that the Organizing Team did.
    GEN (Ret) Vince Brooks, (USMA ‘80), Director, Gary Sinese Foundation, Former Commander of US Forces Korea, U.N. Command and ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command
  • I am so impressed with the different people who are here - so many different service academy graduates! I am so glad to see all the service academies represented as well as a wide range of ages, as well as different industries, and those who are still in uniform and still serving. We have so much to share with each other!
    Kay Hire, USNA
  • SAGS is a top-notch event! The Organizing Team’s hard work brings incredible speakers and learning to our graduate community. Thank you for being influencers and networkers, and for your dedication to the super-community of service academy alumni.
    Cathy McClain (USAFA ’82), Chair, Air Force Academy Board of Directors
  • Congratulations on an incredible SAGS 2019! It was both pleasure to join you, an honor to be a guest speaker, and a privilege to meet so many inspiring graduates of our service academies! It reinforced to me just how fortunate my own personal journey since graduating from USNA has been to my life, my family, and my career.
    Carl C. Liebert III | CEO & President, AutoNation
  • SAGS 2019 was a very insightful and uplifting event for me. I enjoyed being around other like-minded professionals who understand the value of integrity, diligence and service. The panel discussions, the depth of information, the breakout sessions and the opportunities to fellowship and network gave me an emotional lift, a renewed focus and a lasting boost of encouragement. I especially enjoyed the breakout session on entrepreneurship. This was the primary purpose for me attending SAGS this year and the session did not disappoint. I left the session inspired, filled with ideas and made some important contacts who are willing to assist me in my effort to pivot in my professional life.
    Mr. Chris Magee, USMA ‘88
  • To say that my attendance at the annual Service Academies Global Summit was anything less than exemplary would be an understatement. If you're a service academy grad, I highly recommend you attend for several reasons. 1) SAGS puts you in a position to serve others through the many networking sessions. 2) SAGS is a huge professional development experience - whether you're still in uniform or not. You will hear the latest in cutting edge topics that affect our current world - leadership, cyber security, engineering, self-improvement, and many others. 3) Finally, you will walk away from SAGS with viable leads and helpful new relationships no matter what you do for work.
    Kris Yagel
  • SAGS brings together some of the brightest minds on the planet, individuals who are dedicated to solving seemingly intractable challenges with a focus on the higher good. If you want to be surrounded by difference makers and inspired, attending SAGS is a must!
    Alaina Love
  • I want to pass along a note about my experience at the Service Academy Global Summit. There have been very few times in my life where I have been in the company of that many accomplished and inspiring individuals. I look forward to the next event and will encourage others to come!
    Casey Gillikin, PE
  • SAGS fills a professional and career development gap most alumni didn't know we had, bringing the compelling firepower of insights, connections, and advice from "been there" influential insiders and experts. The impact of grads helping grads is incredibly forceful - a deep and powerful network.

    This isn't another "networking" event. The Summit is about reaching the summit of who you can be, professionally and personally, with targeted focus areas and guideposts to the paths to success.

    Gretchen Idsinga
  • As military academy graduates we are all committed to the notion of lifetime service to the nation whether in uniform or out. The SAGS Summit is an invaluable forum to meet and share insights with graduates from all three academies and all walks of professional life. It’s an important gathering of those who are dedicated to continuing service, to professional accomplishment and to personal bonding. I highly recommend it!
    David Kim, Apax Partners
  • The Service Academy Global Summit was a great way to connect with hundreds of academy graduates, share best practices, and spur one another on to continue living lives of service to country and to others.
    Dr. Al Chase, White Rhino Partners
  • It was a privilege and pleasure attending the 2017 SAGS. As granddaughter, daughter, wife and mother-in-law of Naval Academy alumni; it was thrilling to see academy alumni coming together as family to share stories and support each other. As the Director of the SACC Conferences; it was even more exciting to meet and network with alumni and assist in their career transition. Thank you for including SACC in your conference and for inviting CDR Church USN (Ret) USNA ’67 and myself to speak with the alumni. It was phenomenal, invigorating and wonderful to be part of SAGS.
    Michelle Mazanec, Director, SACC Career Conference
  • I have attended USAF Academy graduate events, Service Academy Career Conferences, and Corporate Gray Service Academy events, and found the Service Academy Global Summit (SAGS) a unique addition to the service academy graduate networking and learning environment. From the ‘star-studded’ speakers to the wonderful cross-section of graduates in and out of uniform SAGS created a tremendous learning and networking opportunity. I especially loved the panel of entrepreneurs building strong companies with social consciousnesses!
    Chris Hauth, Col (ret) USAFA ’88, Manager, KPMG LLC
  • The Service Academy Graduate Summit was one of the most professionally and personally fulfilling events I’ve attended since graduating from USMA fifteen years ago. If you’re seeking advice or to help advise others, there’s no excuse to miss the next summit.
    Dave Gowel, CEO, RallyPoint
  • The SAGS was much like the service academies themselves -- unique, inspirational and critically important. Though we recognize the clear bonds we share with the fellow graduates of our respective institutions, it is the nation that will realize the true upside when we recognize the important voice ALL of us share when coming together for thoughtful discourse on critical issues of the day.
    Christopher Howard, President, Richard Morris University
  • The Summit brought home to me the strength of the academy network, reminding me of the vast network of people who share our key values and a commitment to service. Be it reconnecting with a classmate, speaking with a recent grad, or engaging with a distinguished graduate during one of the fireside chats, I was constantly in awe of the participants and proud of everything SAGS does to strengthen our bonds.
    Doug Pardo, USMA '00, New Politics, Senior Director
  • Congratulations on chairing an outstanding Service Academies Global Summit this year in Washington, DC. The Agenda was timely and relevant and the speakers were incomparable. From Secretary McDonald (USMA’75), to Administrator Bolden (USNA’68), to General Wolfenbarger (USAFA’80) and Admiral (Michel USCGA’85), the speakers brought their unique perspectives and wowed the participants with their personal stories and lessons learned in very distinguished careers. The feedback I received from participants was both glowing and appreciative for having had the opportunity to mix and mingle with fellow service academy graduates who are engaged and clearly ‘making things happen.’ This was a first class event and I am positive it will become an institution amount our distinctive and exceptional group.
    William “T” Thompson, Esq. ’73, Past-President & CEO, Association of Graduates, U.S. Air Force Academy

Summary video of SAGS 2019. Watch and share this video on YouTube.


SAGES is organized in cooperation with the West Point Association of Graduates (AOG), the USAFA AOG, the USCGA Alumni Association, the USNA Alumni Association – Greater Washington Chapter, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Foundation – Washington, D.C. Chapter

Background Info on the U.S. Service Academies Global Entrepreneur Summit

The purpose of the Service Academies Global Entrepreneur Summit (SAGES), a non-profit endeavor organized by alumni from the five U.S. service academies, is to bring together service academy graduate entrepreneurs, business leaders (CEO’s/CXO’s), and investors across the globe to create new opportunities for partnership and collaboration while creating a “super-community” of veteran entrepreneurs worldwide.  This focus takes the following forms:

1)    Fellowship – forming new friendships, relationships and opportunities for collaboration and engagement among graduates of the five U.S. Service Academies 

2)    Leadership/Professional Development – professional development and broadening to prepare us for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow through the exploration of timely, relevant issues and emerging trends from different sectors and in diverse areas (e.g. geopolitics, leadership, business, technology, entrepreneurship, etc.)

3)    Service – inspiring ourselves to live the missions of our alma maters throughout our lives, reflect upon how we’re presently doing so, and identify/advocate ways that we can continually contribute to the betterment of society

SAGES is an inclusive and relevant gathering of proven leaders from the business, government, military and NGO/nonprofit sectors who engage in networking opportunities, actionable learning, thought-provoking discussions and collaboration possibilities.  Attendees describe it as a transformative experience that strengthens shared bonds and helps its participants to become even better leaders and members of society.  

SAGES brings together a community of mutual support and provides an annual professional refresher – a respite from our busy lives wherein we can pause, reflect, recharge and be inspired – as well as a reunion and an opportunity to form friendships with alumni from one’s sister academies.  SAGES Summits embody the five trademark qualities of informality, curiosity, fun, respect, and relevant, actionable content. SAGES is organized by volunteers and made possible by our partners, sponsors, speakers and advisors.


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