Meet the Leaders Driving the AI Revolution
Luke Traina is a trailblazing entrepreneur and transformational leader in the AI and machine learning space. With four startups successfully launched and three major exits, Luke has earned recognition as CSM’s Most Influential CEO of the Year Under 30 (2023) and a nomination for the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2024.
As the Founder and CEO of ARBO Consulting, Luke spearheaded the company’s exponential growth, achieving 700% year-over-year revenue growth from 2022 to 2023, followed by a staggering 2,000% revenue growth in 2023-2024. Under his leadership, ARBO was named to the 2024 Inc. 5000 list, solidifying its position as one of the fastest-growing companies in the nation.
Recognized for his visionary leadership, Inc. has compared Luke’s innovative thinking and strategic foresight to that of a young Mark Zuckerberg. Luke’s ability to challenge conventional norms and lead with a disruptive mindset has garnered acclaim from media outlets such as Forbes, Bazinga, AP News, MSN, and MarketWatch.
At the forefront of AI use cases and integrations, Luke continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible. His pioneering solutions have powered cutting-edge technologies for a portfolio of high-profile clients, including AMEX, Rocket Mortgage, United Wholesale Mortgage, and Kylie Cosmetics.
In addition to his leadership at ARBO, Luke is a published author and an active angel investor, focusing on groundbreaking ventures and partnerships in the VR/AI space as well as the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. His commitment to fostering innovation and supporting the next generation of technology is a hallmark of his entrepreneurial journey.
Luke’s results-driven approach and visionary mindset are reshaping industries and setting new standards for success in the AI consulting world.
David Acosta is the disrupting force and co-mastermind behind ARBO’s explosive rise as one of the most influential consulting firms of 2024.
As CIO & Head of AI, David doesn’t just lead—he redefines the future of AI integration, consistently pushing boundaries that others are scrambling to follow.
With two decades of strategic marketing experience, having consulted for powerhouse names such as American Express, the NBA and ENS Labs, David Acosta leverages his profound understanding of human behavior and consumer psychology to architect AI systems that are both cutting-edge and deeply human-centric. Specializing in advanced NLP systems and simulation frameworks, David sits comfortably at the helm of AI innovation.
His ability to merge creativity, AI expertise, and business acumen distinguishes him as a critical and unmatched authority in the AI space. By contextualizing AI within business strategies, David ensures that every solution he creates addresses the right problems, even those yet to be identified. His approach is driven by market disruption and reinforced with strategic AI inputs.
In an industry that often focuses on technical builds, David excels at identifying missed opportunities, ensuring that AI is a strategic asset that drives long-term success. At ARBO, he has led the firm into uncharted AI territory, helping it achieve a 1400% growth YTD, positioning AI as a weapon for exponential growth — rather than just a tool.
David’s ongoing independent research spans over Knowledge Reasoning [KR], Cognitive Computing, Explainable AI [XAI], and of course AGI, further solidifying his leadership in the field. He believes that high-quality human-AI interactions create feedback loops that refine AI through human engagement, leading to higher-quality outcomes.
His visionary approach transforms AI into a strategic force that solves real-world challenges and unlocks new growth opportunities — whether it be the finance, political or military sector.
In a world full of noise, David has become the signal. He’s not playing by the rules — he’s writing them.
David has co-founded two companies, one in the finance sector and the other in simulations. He is set to release his first book on AI ethics and co-author a second in 2025, covering the fundamentals of business startups and AI integration — further cementing his place as a visionary in the AI, decentralization and XR space.
[XR Extended Reality refers to a broad spectrum of immersive technologies that blend the physical and digital worlds: virtual reality + augmented reality (AR) + mixed reality]
Vinh Vuong is the co-founder, Chairman, and CEO of Garrison Fathom. With a diverse background in strategic investments and advisory, Vuong has led significant initiatives across various industries, including finance, technology, mining, commodities, and entertainment.
Prior to founding Garrison Fathom, Vuong established VUONG Holdings, where he achieved an impressive average annual return of 133% through strategic investments in equities and real estate over a five-year period. In 2020, he spearheaded Project Takeoff, a significant public-private partnership with the U.S. government focused on securing critical and rare earth minerals. His leadership in this initiative was a testament to his forward-thinking approach to resource management and economic stability. Additionally, Vuong played a pivotal role in co-leading the expansion of 5G infrastructure across the United States, collaborating with partners to attract domestic investments and garner legislative support.
Vuong’s experience with the minerals space led to the successful completion of a major transaction in 2020 for VUONG Holdings, valued at nearly $2 billion. In October 2021, he led a group of partners in submitting a $150 million final bid in an auction to acquire Remington Arms Company from bankruptcy, aiming to prevent the breakup of the 206-year-old company. Remarkably, at just 29 years old, Vuong was the youngest investor to participate in this historic deal.
In 2015, Vuong founded VUONG Global, a strategic advisory firm dedicated to providing corporations and governments with solutions for crisis management. Vuong has guided teams handling complex projects for Fortune 500 companies, political leaders, and high-profile individuals. His financial and political acumen was shaped by mentorship from esteemed figures such as Anthony R. Dolan, Robert H. Bork Jr., and Richard Torrenzano. To date, Vuong has consulted with over 75 clients, including global industry leaders like HSBC, Broadridge, Morgan Stanley, CME Group, BNY Mellon, eBay, Qualcomm, Google, Facebook, The TMX Group, The Hershey Company, Investment Technology Group, The Pennsylvania State University, Starr Insurance Companies, Boy Scouts of America, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
On the political stage, Vuong has engaged with numerous advocacy groups and political organizations across multiple countries, from London to Washington, D.C. His work spans critical issues, including tax reform, constitutional law, and geopolitical challenges. Notably, he has been an advocate for freedom in Hong Kong in response to China’s breach of the peace agreement. Vuong has also focused on enhancing the U.S.’s global positioning in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, telecommunications, and securing supply chains for critical and rare earth minerals, especially in the face of competition from China and other global adversaries.
Vuong serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Board at ARBO AI, where he provides strategic guidance and oversight, driving innovation and growth in AI-driven solutions.
Vuong’s insights and expertise have led to numerous television appearances on Bloomberg, TD Ameritrade, and Cheddar. His thought leadership is also featured in esteemed publications like Real Clear Politics, Fox News, The Daily Caller, and Newsmax, among others.
Vuong attended The Smeal College of Business at The Pennsylvania State University, where he played football under the legendary coach Joe Paterno. He furthered his education at Harvard Business School and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Willie Costa co-founded Garrison Fathom and is currently the Vice Chairman and COO.
An aerospace engineer involved in aviation for over 20 years, he has worked at three NASA centers and served as a NASA Ambassador. Willie’s engineering expertise includes leading the research into the design of autonomous VTOL vehicles for cargo delivery and urban air mobility, in programs with budgets in excess of $100 million; he has also worked as an engineering contractor for a private company developing close air support aircraft, which achieved over $336 million in sales to multiple foreign allies. He has also worked at NAVAIR, supporting the Rotary Wing Strength & Fatigue branch, Exercise Citadel Shield, and the Warfare Analysis, Engineering, and Technical Services branch – programs and engineering support eorts with combined budgets in excess of $300 million.
Willie has worked as an operations manager in the power transmission industry, spearheading new product development eorts and implementing lean six sigma initiatives to increase throughput and reduce order turnaround times; this led to a 66% reduction in order turnaround times, as well as a 10x increase in Returns & Repairs revenue at 3x increase in profitability. He has also spent several years consulting startup and growth-phase companies, focusing on operational planning and technical development. Additionally, Willie has advised corporate services and financial technology companies on proxy statements, equities research, and shareholder communications solutions.
Prior to Garrison Fathom, Willie served as President and COO of VUONG Holdings, a multinational holding company. He has worked directly with its founder and CEO, Vinh Vuong, in the creation of public-private partnership eorts within the United States government focused on critical and rare earth minerals, as well as driving legislative support for the ecient and economic expansion of 5G within the United States. Willie has also worked several brokering deals, including a $1.5 billion minerals deal signed in 2020, and led the financial diligence eort in creating a $150 million bid package to purchase Remington Arms Company out of bankruptcy.
Willie remains active in the aerospace field, especially in supporting mentoring, education, and outreach eorts. He has coauthored a best-selling book on rocket and launch vehicle design, which won the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 2022 Summerfield Book Award, which is presented annually to the authors of the best book recently published by AIAA.
Darrell M. Blocker founded DMB Consulting Services, a strategic crisis management and executive advisory firm in 2018 and has since served individuals and businesses operating in the defense, national security and international affairs sectors along with the entertainment and nonprofit industries. He also serves as a creative consultant, speaker, educator and he is an on-air ABC News contributor.
Darrell served six consecutive Presidential Administrations (Reagan to Trump) during his 32-years career in the U.S. Intelligence Community; four years as a USAF analyst and 28 years as a CIA operative within their Clandestine Service. His overseas assignments include the Republic of Korea and Panama (USAF) and Niger, Somalia, Senegal, Burundi, Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, Pakistan, and Switzerland (CIA).
During his storied career, Darrell was awarded the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the George H.W. Bush Award for Excellence in Terrorism, the Iraqi Campaign Citation for contributions to the 2003 Iraqi War, and the USAF Commendation Medal for Korea and the Expeditionary Campaign Medal for Panama. He retired in 2018 with the military rank equivalent to a 3-Star (Lieutenant General/Vice Admiral).
Darrell is a subject matter expert on North Korea, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Counterterrorism. His CIA assignments were served in traditional U.S. Embassy assignments in Niger, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, and Switzerland and in war zone missions to Somalia in the aftermath of Blackhawk Down, to Burundi after the Hutu-Tutsi massacres, and to Pakistan after 9/11.
He was on President Biden’s shortlist to be Director CIA as featured in press and news articles by ABC News, the Wall Street Journal, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Fox News, CNN, the New York Times, the Daily Beast, and the DailyMail. His TEDxUGA talk delivered in April 2022 entitled “LISTEN MORE, SPEAK LESS: LESSONS IN KINDNESS FROM A CIA OPERATIVE can be found here.
Darrell is an avid crossword puzzle enthusiast and music was his first true love. He sang in the UGA’s Men’s Glee Club for four years and in bands in Senegal and Uganda. His dream of becoming a ninja never materialized but being an intelligence officer brought all his passions into a singular and meaningful career that took him to 27 addresses and homes in eleven foreign countries over the past 60 years.
Darrell is a Leadership Council of Advisors member for Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA), an Independent Board member for Rendeavour, Africa’s largest urban land developer, focusing on building new cities across Sub-Saharan Africa with projects in Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and also volunteers with nonprofits dedicated to serving youth in the foster care system where he in his third year on the board of Peace4Kids.org.