👋 Welcome
The Boyd Institute is a think tank for America’s future. Our mission is to advance bold, asymmetric solutions to issues that will shape the decades ahead. We are a 501c3 nonprofit and welcome financial support.
A Think Tank for “LFG Americans”
Our core audience is what we call “LFG Americans” and likeminded friends abroad — smart, driven people eager to solve problems and help build a better future.
At a time when it’s easy to get lost in culture-war noise, we offer a space focused on substance. A space to channel that LFG energy into meaningful solutions.
How We Work: Quarterly Policy Sprints
Every few months, we rally around a single challenge that’s important America’s future. We call these quarterly policy sprints.
Drawing inspiration from IDEO’s design labs and DARPA’s rapid-fire projects, the sprints blend think-tank rigor, book-club curiosity, and startup-style experimentation.
In each sprint, we:
Start and expand conversations about the challenge
Surface ground truths and fresh perspectives
Host events, discussions, and essay contests
Apply design thinking and play
Propose concrete solutions at the intersection of policy, technology, and commerce
Recent Sprints
🤖 Drones & autonomy: Advancing autonomous tech across land, sea, air, and space
🌍 Rethinking U.S.-Africa strategy: Exploring new approaches to diplomacy, investment, and infrastructure aligned with African priorities and American interests.
⚓ Modernizing maritime: Bringing innovation to the maritime sector and pushing it into the future.
🚀 Unleashing space exploration: Creating frameworks for space mining, debris mitigation, and governance to unlock humanity’s future in space.
🌳 Leveling up natural resources intelligence: Developing better ways to map, track, and manage resources for smarter decisions and stronger environmental stewardship.
🌊 Strengthening AUKUS: Advancing Pillar II capabilities to ensure peace and resilience in the Indo-Pacific region.
🖥️ Improving technology statecraft: Finding new ways to align emerging technologies with national strategy to sharpen geopolitical competitiveness.
What Makes Us Different
We’re not a traditional think tank, and that’s intentional.
One issue at a time — Depth over breadth, with quarterly, time-boxed policy sprints
Substantively ‘America First’ — Passionate about meaningful solutions for America’s future above the fray of partisan politics
Outside-the-box — Focus bold and asymmetric ideas, unafraid to test weird ideas or look a little dumb
Technology orientation — We lean into the intersection of technology and policy
Virtual, asymmetric - We run light and try to be asymmetric ourselves: high impact relative to resources.
Values
Our name honors the legacy of John Boyd, the maverick fighter pilot best known for developing and championing the OODA loop. We aim to channel his spirit — speed, adaptability, maverick thinking — into tackling today’s challenges.
Our core values include:
Asymmetry - We seek leverage: small things with big impact
Agency - We believe individuals and groups can shape the future.
Agility - We move fast, learn, and adapt.
Intellectual honesty - We seek truth over tribe & value epistemic grounding.
Maverick thinking - We prize curiosity, design thinking, and creative ideas.
Pragmatic optimism - We’re builders, not cynics.
Collaboration - We convene unusual allies to solve tough problems.
Follow & Support
Sign up below to stay in the loop and join our next sprint. We typically send about one email every week — no spam, just signal.
Core Offerings
Here’s how we bring our work to life:
📬 Substack Posts — Intelligence briefings and compelling “hot takes” related to our quarterly policy sprint. Also: news about the institute
🍽️ Sprint Salon Dinners — Salon dinners with friends, allies, and experts
📝 Essay Contests — Contests to catalyze conversations and surface new solutions
🎥 Media — Periodic podcasts, livestreams, and video explainers
Board & Team
The Boyd Institute was founded by Jeff Giesea, an entrepreneur passionate about applying creative thinking to global challenges. Our board includes Jeff and two others:
Brigadier General John Wilkinson (Ret. U.S. Air Force)
Terry Dunmire, international attorney and investment banker with deep expertise in Africa.
Our team includes Peter Banks, who is running our current sprint on housing, and William Miller, who is helping him. Both highly talented.
Donate
The Boyd Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit. All donations are tax-deductible and help us continue producing high-quality, independent work. To support us, email [email protected]
Contact
To stay informed, sign up for our newsletter below. Questions or ideas? Email us at [email protected]
