Lore HQ is a growth strategy firm built exclusively for companies operating in defense, autonomy, and dual-use technologies: where winning requires more than a great product. It requires credibility, access, and execution inside the U.S. government ecosystem.
We help companies navigate and win within the Department of Defense and federal acquisition landscape, translating technical advantage into funded programs, operational adoption, and long-term contracts.
Why Lore HQ Exists
The hardest part of defense innovation isn’t building the technology.
It’s getting it adopted.
Brilliant companies fail to cross the gap between:
A working product
A funded requirement
A fielded capability
Lore HQ exists to close that gap.
Every company has a story.
We make it scale.
About the Founder
Marisa Lightfoot is the founder of Lore HQ and a growth executive with deep experience across defense, intelligence, and emerging technology.
She previously served as Head of Growth at a drone startup, where she drove U.S. government adoption of autonomy software and built a large qualified defense pipeline through strategic positioning, partnerships, and engagement across DoD stakeholders.
Her background spans:
U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer in an Infantry Brigade
Technical Program Manager at NGA and CIA, supporting early cloud and operational AI deployments
Senior Director at EY-Parthenon, advising on AI and advanced technology strategy
Leadership in bringing new sensing and autonomy capabilities from concept to mission deployment
She has worked directly with:
Department of Defense stakeholders
Intelligence Community organizations
Congressional and appropriations dynamics
Venture-backed and scaled defense technology companies
Marisa combines operator credibility, technical fluency, and growth execution, a rare combination in the defense ecosystem.
