BEVERLY J. SEAY
SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NATIONAL SECURITY INNOVATION NETWORK, ORLANDO
The National Security Innovation Network brings together defense, academic and entrepreneurial innovators to solve national security problems in new ways. Seay is a senior executive with Fortune 500 experience in the modeling and simulation defense industry. She established the NSIN in Florida four years ago through an agreement with the state’s university system and the Florida Defense Alliance, and by working with 70 NSIN colleagues to engage students, faculty and early-stage ventures in Florida and the Southeast. She has served as chair of the University of Central Florida’s board of trustees.
EDUCATION: University of Michigan (BS, MS)
DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I would serve as a university president, leveraging my expertise in technology, innovation, fundraising and operational leadership.
MENTEE IMPACT: Through my mentorship, two UCF students founded ZuLeris after developing the Electronic Warfare Virtual Training Environment solution in UCF/DIU’s Entrepreneurship for Defense course. I guided them in leveraging UCF’s capstone program to build their prototype, securing DIU Fellowships for Army demonstrations, and hiring key talent. Within 18 months, they won their first defense contract establishing a strong foundation for future growth.
HOBBY: Time with my grandchildren. ... I love to think about how I can help them and provide them with opportunities to grow. They keep me on my toes and make me laugh.
INDUSTRY TREND: The rapid integration of AI, digital twins and immersive environments, driving a new era of innovation. Modeling and simulation are evolving beyond traditional training to enable decision support, smart cities, health care solutions, cybersecurity and predictive maintenance. AI and machine learning are creating adaptive, intelligent simulations that model complex, dynamic environments — delivering full lifecycle mission support, real-time operational advantage and accelerating innovation across critical sectors to meet emerging global challenges.
