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Pallas Mentorship Program
Pallas Foundation is proud to operate the Pallas Mentorship Program, which connects emerging leaders in the national security and policymaking communities with experienced mentors.
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As part of the Pallas mission to educate the next generation of national security leaders, the Mentorship Program offers young professionals opportunities for career advice and professional development sessions. In addition to the internal Pallas team, we have external mentors whose expertise spans the national security ecosystem, with backgrounds in the Department of Defense, the Hill, the National Security Council, and the intelligence community, as well as leading technology companies, venture capital firms, and non-profit institutions.
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Interested in becoming a Pallas Foundation Mentor? Please send us an email here.
Meet the Mentors
Jeff Dressler
Partner, SoftBank Group International
Jeffrey Dressler is a Partner in SoftBank’s Global Government Affairs office in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining SoftBank, he served as the National Security Advisor to Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan and previously, National Security Advisor to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Prior to working in leadership in the House of Representatives, Dressler was a Professional Staff Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee responsible for terrorism, trade and non-proliferation. Dressler began his career as an expert on Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and in his capacity at ISW, he served as a terrorism and counterinsurgency advisor to senior commanders in Afghanistan. In 2022, Dressler was selected by the House of Representatives to serve as a Commissioner on the Congressionally mandated Afghanistan War Commission.
Beth Kroman
Defense Advisor to Michael Bloomberg
Beth serves as a defense advisor to Michael Bloomberg, where she supports his defense and innovation efforts. Previously, Beth spent three years as a Director at Pallas Advisors, a national security focused advisory firm. Prior to her work building Pallas Advisors, she served as an Analyst at The Asia Group, specializing in economic and political developments across the Indo-Pacific. She has wide experience working for international consulting and business intelligence firms. Beth was also a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Thailand. She speaks several languages, including Indonesian and Arabic. She holds a master’s degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University.
Mack von Mehren
Senior Manager, Federal at Altana AI
Mack von Mehren is an Account Executive for Defense Programs at Altana Technologies, a venture-backed startup that enables trusted commerce through an AI model of the global supply chain. His work focuses on demonstrating the value of Altana’s supply chain mapping platform to support various missions across the national security community and other government agencies. Prior to joining Altana, Mack led the build out of Pallas’ venture capital arm, focused on investing in and advising promising dual use technology companies. While working at Pallas, he received a master’s degree from Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program, concentrating his studies on the intersection of technology and national security. Before Pallas, he spent time as an analyst in the financial services industry in New York. Mack began his career as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer, making two deployments to the Indo-Pacific. Mack lives in DC with his wife, Lily, and their golden retriever, Otis.
Amanda Carolan
Consultant at Deloitte Consulting LLP
Amanda Carolan is a Consultant in the Government and Public Services practice at Deloitte Consulting LLP. In this role, she helps to transform DoD client operations with tailored solutions that maximize operational efficiencies and create a conducive environment for enterprise modernization. Ms. Carolan has worked in the national security space since 2020 when she joined Pallas Advisors as an Analyst. While at Pallas, she assisted emerging technology clients with increasing brand recognition, identifying new business opportunities, and strategically positioning their teams for success in the defense sector. Ms. Carolan also has experience in financial advisory. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics and a Master of Professional Studies in Applied Intelligence, both from Georgetown University.
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