SPEAKING
Keynotes & fireside chats that translate tech vision into action
About Tony as a Speaker
Tony Grayson brings a rare combination of submarine command experience, hyperscale technology leadership, and entrepreneurial success to audiences worldwide. As a Top 10 Data Center Influencer and Stockdale Award recipient, he delivers keynotes that bridge military precision with technology innovation, translating complex challenges into actionable insights for defense leaders, technology executives, and organizations navigating rapid change.
His presentations draw from commanding nuclear submarines, building billion-dollar cloud infrastructure at AWS, Meta, and Oracle, and founding a modular data center company that scaled to $500 million. Whether speaking to military audiences about transition, corporate teams about resilience, or industry conferences about AI infrastructure, Tony's authentic storytelling and strategic framework resonate with audiences seeking leadership in uncertain times.
Book Tony to Speak
Tony is available for:
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Keynote presentations
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Panel discussions and fireside chats
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Workshop facilitation
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Executive roundtables (intimate, interactive sessions)
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Virtual and hybrid events
Keynote Examples & Insights
From Submarine to Silicon Valley: Leading Through Any Transition
Tony shares his journey from commanding USS Providence to leading infrastructure programs at the world's largest tech companies. This keynote explores the universal principles of successful transitions, whether military to civilian, startup to enterprise, or legacy to AI. Audiences learn how to leverage existing strengths, build new competencies, and lead with confidence when everything changes.
Ideal for: Veteran transition programs, corporate transformation initiatives, leadership development conferences
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The Stockdale Paradox: Leading with Grit When the Stakes Are Highest
Drawing from earning the Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale Award, Tony unpacks what it means to lead when failure isn't an option. He shares lessons from submarine operations, hyperscale data center crises, and startup challenges, revealing how to maintain unwavering resolve while confronting brutal facts. This talk delivers a practical framework for resilience, decision-making under pressure, and inspiring teams through adversity.
Ideal for: Executive leadership summits, military conferences, crisis management forums
Building Infrastructure for the AI Era: Speed, Scale, and Security
As infrastructure demands explode with generative AI, Tony explains what it takes to deploy compute at the speed and scale AI requires. From hyperscale cloud regions to tactical edge deployments, he shares insights on modular architecture, rapid deployment strategies, and balancing commercial innovation with defense-grade security. This technical and strategic talk equips leaders to make smarter infrastructure decisions.
Ideal for: Data center conferences (AFCEA, DCD, 7x24), technology summits, CIO/CTO forums
Bridging Two Worlds: Defense Innovation Meets Commercial Technology
Tony operates at the intersection of Silicon Valley and the Pentagon, a rare vantage point few leaders occupy. This keynote explores how defense and commercial technology can accelerate each other, lessons from building infrastructure for Secret/Top Secret environments, and why the next decade of innovation will be shaped by those who understand both worlds. Essential perspective for anyone working in dual-use technology.
Ideal for: Defense industry conferences, national security forums, public-private partnership events
Mission-Critical Leadership: Principles from the Deep
What does it take to lead 150 people in a nuclear submarine thousands of feet below the ocean, where every decision could mean life or death? Tony shares the timeless leadership principles learned in the Navy's most demanding command roles: trust, accountability, mission clarity, and caring for your team. These lessons translate directly to high-stakes business environments where execution excellence matters.
Ideal for: Corporate leadership training, management development programs, team-building events
Sustainable Innovation: Building Carbon-Neutral Infrastructure at Scale
The data center industry faces a sustainability crisis as AI workloads explode energy demands. Tony shares his pioneering work with recyclable composites, nuclear integration, and carbon-neutral design, proving that environmental responsibility and technological advancement aren’t opposing forces. This talk challenges conventional thinking and offers a roadmap for sustainable infrastructure.
Ideal for: Sustainability conferences, ESG forums, infrastructure innovation summits
Betting on Veterans: Why Military Talent Is Tech's Competitive Advantage
As Veterans Chair for Infrastructure Masons and Nomad Futurist, Tony champions veteran hiring in technology. This passionate keynote makes the business case for military talent, explaining how to recruit, integrate, and retain veterans who bring unmatched leadership, adaptability, and mission focus. Organizations learn practical strategies to tap into this underutilized talent pipeline.
Ideal for: HR conferences, diversity and inclusion summits, veteran service organizations
From Idea to $500 Million: Scaling a Startup in Critical Infrastructure
Tony shares the unvarnished story of founding and scaling a modular data center company from concept to $500 million in contracts. He covers securing first customers, navigating near-death moments, building the right team, and ultimately achieving a successful exit. This keynote is packed with tactical advice for founders, investors, and operators in infrastructure and defense technology.
Ideal for: Startup conferences, venture capital forums, entrepreneurship programs
The Future of Compute: AI Factories, Sovereign Clouds, and Edge Intelligence
Where is infrastructure headed as AI reshapes computing? Tony provides a strategic roadmap covering AI factories optimized for LLM training, sovereign clouds for data residency, and edge computing for real-time inference. He explains emerging architectures, the shift from hyperscale to distributed compute, and what organizations must do now to prepare for the next decade.
Ideal for: Technology strategy conferences, AI summits, digital infrastructure forums
Leading 1,000+: Lessons from Scaling Oracle's Global Cloud
Managing over 1,000 people across a $1.3 billion budget while launching 35+ cloud regions taught Tony invaluable lessons about large-scale leadership. This talk explores organizational design, delegation at scale, maintaining culture during hypergrowth, and keeping teams aligned on mission when complexity explodes. Essential for leaders managing large, distributed organizations.
Ideal for: VP/SVP leadership conferences, enterprise scaling summits, operational excellence forums*
To book Tony for a keynote, fireside chat, or thought-leadership session, get in touch 🡥.
