Austin, TX—What does it take to modernize the United States military? Why are US troops lacking the most current technological innovations that can save lives and help them win battles? How does surveillance by other countries affect our national defense capabilities? Julie Willis, in her intense and thought-provoking book Conceal Reveal: The Space Between Entrepreneurs and the Defense Industry, meets these questions and more to frame a gutsy challenge to the dysfunctional systems affecting military modernization.

"I want people to realize we have a problem that needs to be solved in order for the future generation to adequately defend our country against our adversaries," Willis says.

A former Army spouse, who endured three deployments during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Willis combines this personal knowledge with her years of experience working as a government contractor. Her career as a Strategic Communications Consultant for government branches such as Army Futures Command, Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense Inspector General give her an insightful eye for the mechanizations and policies which affect the defense of our country.

"I'll tell you a little secret that'll make a few of you uncomfortable," she says. "I've been paying attention the entire time. I may not have been the influential one in the room or one of the players at the table, but I was there."

As Julie Willis transitioned from being a government contractor inside Army Futures Command, to being an entrepreneur in defense innovation, she was thrown into the forefront of disruptive technologies and potential espionage during the beginning of the Covid lockdown. She founded Austin based DEFIANT Communication to support the innovators, researchers, and startups, enabling them to better communicate with and market themselves to the military. Conceal Reveal is her story of entrepreneurship in the defense innovation ecosystem before, during, and leaning into our post-COVID world.

"Here's the real issue…," says Willis, "there are companies in this country today that have bridged those (technological) gaps that cannot find a way to tell the military about it. Even if they could…it won't get to the front lines. Insane, right? There are solutions already, but we're stuck."

In this book, you'll encounter stories of entrepreneurship and the defense industry in 2020 and discover:

• What is blocking the disruptive technology our warfighters need to protect and defend our country
• The true cost of research and development
• How you can contribute to the success of our military in 2021 (and beyond)
• How DEFIANT Communication pivoted to serve the community of disruptors at the heart of defense innovation

This is a book about the birth of a company, about brave moves during chaotic times, and about a gutsy female entrepreneur who never loses sight of her mission – saving the lives of American warfighters.

Willis is bold, blunt, and direct in her assessment of the problems and corruption in the defense industry. Conceal Reveal speaks to inspire and delivers a challenge to public servants and entrepreneurs who want to grapple with the real issues inherent in the modern defense innovation ecosystem.

"Know what I want?," Julie asks. "I want this to be read by someone who can add it to a growing pile of evidence proving more needs to be done to fight corruption in government spending. If you are that someone, please let me know."

"Julie's humble, outsider perspective on defense innovation is exactly what we need to keep the community honest. She calls it as she sees it, and blazes a trail for entrepreneurs to follow and connect." —Graham Plaster, Founder of the Intelligence Community Inc.

"Julie Willis reveals the flaws and corruption in that middle ground war zone between bureaucracy and innovative tech companies." —Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 50 Reviewer, 5-Stars

"This is an essential book to help unravel the complexities of a system gone awry."—John J. Kelly, Detroit Free Press

Here is a sample from Julie Willis' Innovator Operator podcast series. In this episode she interviews Prescott Paulin, founding member of Defense Innovation Network and President of 300 Below, Inc an award-winning defense innovation company.

Conceal Reveal: The Space Between Entrepreneurs and the Defense Industry, Defiant Communications, 264 pages, 2020, ASIN: B08Q3H57WR (paperback) $14.99, (ebook) $5.99 available at Amazon and www.DefiantComms.com.

Julie Willis currently resides in Austin, TX. She has a BS in Social Sciences from Washington State University and earned her Executive Master of Professional Studies in Global Strategic Communication from Georgetown University. She has previously worked as a Strategic Communications Consultant for Army Futures Command, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense Inspector General.

Julie is the CEO and Founder of DEFIANT Communication, a strategic communication firm for defense companies. She is the author of Conceal Reveal, a story of entrepreneurship in the defense innovation ecosystem before, during, and leaning into the post-COVID world. As part of her mission to help innovators communicate their capabilities to the military, Julie hosts the podcast Innovator>

Julie Willis is a regular girl who pays attention, a former Army spouse, a lover of coffee, travel, and hotel breakfasts. Most of all, she loves the American warfighters and is passionately committed to the mission of equipping them with the innovative technology they need.

You can find more information about Julie Willis and Conceal Reveal at www.DefiantComms.com.

Media Contact: For a review copy of Conceal Reveal or to arrange an interview with Julie Willis, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Communications Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on twitter @abookpublicist