👋 Welcome

The Boyd Institute is a virtual policy studio founded in March 2023. We’re a 501c3 nonprofit, so please consider supporting our work.

Our mission is to advance asymmetric solutions to complex global challenges. We focus on fast, creative approaches that don’t follow the usual playbook.

We apply design thinking to strategic issues, blending the rigor of a think tank with the creativity of a design studio. Our work is exploratory, iterative, and unconstrained by Washington’s old habits.

At any given time, we concentrate on a small number of high-impact areas. These include:

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.

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Approach

We move quickly and think differently. Inspired by organizations like IDEO and DARPA, we believe breakthroughs happen when the right people, the right problems, and a sense of play come together.

We value experimentation, iteration, and play. We are not bound by narrow categories or legacy institutions. The best solutions often come from unexpected directions. That’s why we focus on asymmetric solutions in whatever form they take — policy, technology, business, or beyond.

Board

The Boyd Institute was founded by Jeff Giesea, an entrepreneur and strategist passionate about applying creative thinking to policy and global challenges.

Our board includes:

  • Brigadier General John Wilkinson (Ret. U.S. Air Force)

  • Terry Dunmire, international attorney and investment banker with deep expertise in Africa.

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 and push creative, maverick-type thinking forward to meet today’s challenges.

Our core values include:

  • Speed – Operating with urgency and momentum

  • Openness – Staying curious and adaptable

  • Action – Favoring execution over talk; doing over being

  • Moral Purpose – Working to advance a free, prosperous, and resilient world

  • Maverick Thinking – Embracing creativity, truth-telling, play, and breaking through silos

  • VRHI – Variety, Rapidity, Harmony, Initiative

Donate

The Boyd Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit. Donations are tax-deductible. If you would like to support our work, contact us at [email protected].

Contact

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People

We accelerate solutions to global issues. Focus on space, sustainability, technology statecraft. 501c3 non-profit policy institute. 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇦🇺
I write The Global Guerrillas Report -- predictive frameworks for making sense of the world at the intersection of war, technology, and politics -- available on Substack and Patreon. https://johnrobb.substack.com/ Twitter @johnrobb
Notes on a world in flux — politics, culture, tech. 🇺🇸