Dan Yo

Fueling Economic Growth through Smarter Small-Dollar Lending Small-dollar #SmallBusiness lending is surging, driven by growth-focused government policies and stronger collaboration between lenders and business owners. “For many lenders, you see more than a doubling, sometimes a tripling, of their small-dollar loan volume when comparing the first half of this fiscal year to last year. . . . the volume of loans more than doubled to 25,273 in FY’24, up from 12,213 loans three years ago." This surge highlights the power of well-designed policies, smart risk management, and public-private partnerships in driving real impact. Industries like manufacturing and construction—key to restoring American economic dynamism and strengthening supply chains—must receive the capital needed to fuel long-term growth. But rapid growth must be paired with strong risk mitigation to ensure high-quality loans benefit small businesses. Aligning effective public policies with private-sector innovation unlocks even more economic potential. That's why Parlay (Techstars '23) is excited to be in Texas at the IBAT convention to empower independent banks with our Loan Intelligence System (LIS); helping lenders better serve small-dollar borrowers and nurture businesses along their capital access journeys. https://lnkd.in/dtffw_nx Alex McLeod, MBA, Bruce Cleveland, #EconomicGrowth #Fintech #SBA #Lending #Texas #lending #PublicPrivatePartnerships #Manufacturing #Construction #IndependentBanks #IBAT

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In 2022, North Korea escalated its theft of cryptocurrency and digital assets, surpassing previous years’ illicit activities. This alarming trend has likely enabled the North Korean administration to advance its capabilities in both missile and nuclear weapons technology. 

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SUPPLY CHAIN RISKS - TROJAN HORSE - Exploding Pagers Deliver a Supply Chain Warning - The lethal detonation of hand-held pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah militants this week in Lebanon demonstrated powerful spycraft, but it also raised questions about a gaping vulnerability in the global supply chain. - That chain is astonishingly complex, even the most sophisticated participants are often unclear on who they are relying on for critical parts and raw materials, or where the risks lie. - "Every movement along the way, and every additional company brought into the manufacturing process represents an opportunity for those pursuing violent agendas to insinuate themselves into the works and weaponize the product." - The Lebanon attacks will most likely accelerate supply chain changes. In recent years, a growing group of labor activists, politicians and critics of liberalized trade has urged American companies to move production back home, or at least closer to the domestic market. Reshoring and nearshoring have been advanced as a means of limiting reliance on faraway factories — especially those in China — while insuring against the perils of international shipping. - The reality that international supply chains are susceptible to being penetrated by those waging war is bound to boost it further. Concerns over national security risks have in recent years been focused on specific high-risk situations: ■ Much of the world is dependent on factories in China for critical items like face masks, ingredients for critical medicines and parts for ventilators and other medical devices. ■ China might attack Taiwan, menacing the stocks of advanced computer chips concentrated on the self-governing island. ■ Faced with international sanctions following its attacks on Ukraine, Russia has cut shipments of energy to Europe. ■ In the United States, those who view China as a threat to national security have warned that Chinese-made telecommunications and electrical gear could be a Trojan Horse for crippling attacks on basic American infrastructure. - But the recent attacks reveal how even less strategic and lower-profile areas of commercial life entail grave security risks. At ports around the globe, the volume of goods being moved in shipping containers is so vast that no authority can possibly inspect more than a fraction. - In the wake of the Lebanon attacks, politicians are likely to face pressure to extend the push for reshoring and nearshoring beyond the most strategically vital goods like computer chips and electric vehicles. New policies may broaden the drive to concentrate industry in the United States and in friendly countries that can offer assurances of armoring supply chains against outside intervention. - https://lnkd.in/e5ZZe6BU

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Data-driven leader, Erik Davis, has a pretty interesting insight into annual requirements: "The army [often demands] 98% currency on annual requirements. But if it’s an annual requirement, then you can presume that roughly 1/12th of your formation is out of tolerance every month. In reality, 92% current is effectively 100%." Want to be a more data literate leader? Read and subscribe to Erik's substack. https://lnkd.in/eFMhG9rF

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US Army junior officers, we need your input!! There is a lot of discussion about #Retention and retention incentives for our talented junior officers these days, but that talk means little without junior officers in the conversation. This is the principle behind #AJOC - the Army Junior Officer Counsel (yes, spelled appropriately) - we are piloting right now. Led by Chris Slininger, MSOL, SHRM-SCP, PMP, this effort works to bring junior officers to the enterprise table to discuss issues affecting them and their people, propose solutions, have candid discussions with Army senior leaders, and get a practical understanding of how the Army (in the Pentagon) actually runs. If you are a current Army LT or CPT or you recently exited service as a junior officer, we need to know the kind of things you value. What keeps you serving? What, if you left service, might have incentivized you to stay? If you could pitch one thing to the Army’s director of military personnel policy that we need to fix, what would that be? Please get in touch with Chris Slininger, MSOL, SHRM-SCP, PMP if you want to learn more about AJOC or if you have an idea. We want to hear from you! #ArmyTalentManagement #ThisIsYourArmy

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Defense Tech and Acquisition: Pivot or Perish Edition Many executives across Washington are 🚨 sounding the alarm 🚨 that bold change is needed to address the critical national security threats. This week Matt MacGregor and I cover top stories like: • CNAS Defense Task Force Report by Michael A. Brown, Ellen Lord, Andrew Metrick, and Robert Work • Op-eds by Robert Gates, David Petraeus and Andy Yakulis • DoD scales production of munitions • Hudson Institute panels on Defense Innovation • Army Awards Robot Contracts • Marines get new C-UAS systems by Epirus • Navy needs to shipyards • Air Force reoptimizes and disaggregates • Space Force gets more software vendors • Congress punts on a defense budget with a CR https://lnkd.in/ePag2XE8

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HD HHI And Palantir Reveal Tenebris Unmanned Surface Vessel  - Naval News Interviews HD HHI and Palantir on their new Tenebris USV concept at the AI Expo for National Competitiveness in Washington, D.C. - Coming in at a length of 17 meters and a weight of 14 tons, the Korean-American USV concept aims to operate in up to sea state six at a speed of 50 knots with an operational range of at least 1000 nautical miles. HD HHI also highlighted the “AI Bridge,” a dome that houses the sensors and software for the operation of Tenebris.  - When asked what makes their joint project different from other USV concepts coming into the market, Palantir highlighted that their software capabilities will give them an edge.  “I think our view is that software is going to be a key aspect of the Navy having an open, interoperable C2 [Command and Control] capability across Tenebris, as well as all the other capabilities that will be acquired through things like Replicator and PRIME. We’re very excited to work with DIU [Defense Innovation Unit] and others as they figure out what that will look like from a C2 perspective” - https://lnkd.in/etiVFwpc

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In a concerning development, China has replaced its People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) with the Information Support Force (ISF), highlighting the growing importance of information warfare. This shift comes at a time when the U.S. is downsizing its information warfare capabilities. In a 2022 War on the Rocks article, the author points out that China's "intelligentized warfare" concept aims to use AI to manipulate the will of policymakers, military leaders, and citizens. Again, this comes at a time when the U.S. de-emphasizes information power in resourcing and prioritization. This is a critical wake-up call for the U.S. to prioritize information warfare investment. #China #InformationWarfare #NationalSecurity #greatpowercompetition #geopoliticalrisk #CCP #PLA #strategiccompetition #AI Jake Auchincloss Seth Moulton Michael Waltz Mike Studeman https://lnkd.in/giUgsYfM

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Check out this Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) article by Mark F. Cancian and Chris H. Park. It proposes critical questions to understand the reasoning and impacts of North Korean troops deployed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The arrival of these troops in Russia is a reminder of the shifting global alliances that have implications far beyond the Russia-Ukraine conflict. As authoritarian governments like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran grow closer, we’re seeing a challenge to the international rules-based order that has helped maintain peace and prosperity across multiple regions, including the Indo-Pacific. Russia’s decision to bring in North Korean support highlights the lengths it’s willing to go to maintain its position despite internal struggles and manpower shortages. This partnership adds another layer of complexity, hinting at a growing alliance between regimes prioritizing strength over transparency and cooperation. We can better prepare for the impacts on security and stability worldwide by understanding these shifts. #geopolitics #alliesandpartners #freeandopenindopacific

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🚨 Big Win in GovCon! G2Xchange has the latest on the 5-year, $2.4B SPRUCE IDIQ awarded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 🌟 With 10 top-tier companies named out of 33 bidders, this contract is designed to streamline agile product design and delivery services for the VA. 💼 What's SPRUCE? The Secure, Performant, Reliable, and User-Centered Experiences (SPRUCE) contract provides digital solutions that align with VA's mission. Each task order, capped at $50M, brings together expert teams across software development, data science, product support, and more. Check out the full details on how this contract will drive VA’s digital modernization goals by leveraging industry best practices and top professionals! 👉 Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gav7kUFy G2Xchange | #govcon #VA #SPRUCE

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It’s no surprise that Russian actors have attempted to divide Americans and undermine trust in our election process. These tactics are part of a broader strategy to weaken our democratic foundations. The best defense? Staying informed and aware of these actions. When we understand the playbook, we’re better equipped to spot disinformation and push back against efforts to create division. Knowledge really is power in the fight to protect our democracy. #geopolitics #alliesandpartners #freeandopenindopacific

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Candidates applying for civil service jobs with the Department of Defense “have been so soured by the application process in the time it takes to hear back that they’ve completely written off working for the government; they’ve given up. And that makes me sad because these people were once banging down the gates wanting to work for the government, and have been beaten down so badly by the process that they just said it’s not worth it anymore. They did want to serve the country, but if they can’t even have the opportunity to hear back on a job application, then why would they put forward any more effort?” Check out this article from the ClearanceJobs podcast with the amazing Lindy Kyzer as we discuss why federal hiring is so hard. #government #hiring #civilservice

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Homeland Security warns of threats to election posed by AI - "This is not a problem for the future. This is a problem of today," said John Cohen, the former intelligence chief at the Department of Homeland Security, and now an ABC News contributor. "Foreign and domestic threat actors have fully embraced the internet, and they are increasingly using advanced computing capabilities like artificial intelligence to conduct their illegal operations." - Already, those attempting to target elections have done so "by conducting cyber-enabled hack-and-leak campaigns, voice spoofing, online disinformation campaigns, and threatening or plotting attacks against symbols of the US elections," the bulletin said. - And now, the analysis warns, the innovative abilities of generative AI can be used against future elections.Those tools can be exploited "to confuse or overwhelm voters and election staff to disrupt their duties" by creating or sharing "altered" or deepfaked pictures, videos or audio clips "regarding the details of Election Day, such as claiming that a polling station is closed or that polling times have changed, or to generate or promote other tailored false information online." - "Innovations in AI have enabled foreign influence actors to produce seemingly authentic and tailored messaging more efficiently, at greater scale," Haines added. "Even as the threat landscape is becoming increasingly complicated, it is my view that the U.S. government has never been better prepared to address the challenge," in part thanks to lessons learned from the 2016 presidential election. - "One of the most important things we need to be doing now is educating and preparing the public. Because they will be the people who are being targeted with this content -- the public is the intended target -- and the objective is to influence how people behave," Cohen said. - "State and local officials need to have a plan, so that when this content is detected, they can use trusted sources of communication to counteract and correct inaccurate information. Once that content hits, it's going to spread across the online media ecosystem rapidly, and has to be counteracted immediately," Cohen added. "Law enforcement and our security community have been slow to adapt to this rapidly evolving threat environment. We're still using the strategies of yesterday to deal with a threat of today. In a way, it's bringing a knife to a gunfight." - https://lnkd.in/evdQQucn

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Section 702 has supplied extraordinary insight into foreign dangers, including military threats, theft of American trade secrets, terrorism, hacking and fentanyl trafficking. In 2022 intelligence from 702 helped the government find and kill the Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, one of the terrorists responsible for Sept. 11. Almost 60 percent of the articles in the president’s daily intelligence briefing include information from Section 702. Although Section 702 can be used only to target foreigners abroad, it does include Americans when they interact with foreign targets. Not only is such incidental collection inevitable in today’s globalized world; it can be vital to U.S. security. If a terrorist or spy abroad is communicating with someone here, our government must find out why. https://lnkd.in/gzr7hjZm

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The U.S. has a federal law in place since 1994, the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA), which requires the Government to buy commercial solutions instead of building something custom. Unfortunately, DoD -- as well as the intel community -- often ignores this law. "When the Department of Defense ignores existing commercial solutions that satisfy requirements, the US military is less competitive and warfighters get worse products." Excellent overview of the problem by Madeline Zimmerman at Palantir Technologies. #defenseinnovation #defensetech #defenseindustry https://lnkd.in/eZD_627E 

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