Cybersecurity is hitting a breaking point. Compliance checklists, tabletop exercises and confidence claims aren’t enough anymore, especially as AI accelerates both attack and defense. In this bonus episode, KB sits down with Rushell Hopkins, Professor of Cybersecurity and Computer Science, Florida SouthWestern State College and Stan McChrystal, CEO and Chairman at McChrystal Group. Together they discuss the future of cyber workforce and winning the cyber war without a map.

Rushell Hopkins, Professor of Cybersecurity and Computer Science, Florida SouthWestern State College

Rushell Hopkins is a Professor of Cybersecurity and Computer Science with more than thirty years of combined experience spanning higher education, military service, and the technology sector. She serves as the lead architect of Florida SouthWestern State College’s Associate in Science in Cybersecurity program, designing a curriculum grounded in applied, workforce-aligned instruction and industry relevance.

Her expertise includes cyber range operations, security operations center (SOC) pedagogy, and experiential learning models aligned to national cybersecurity workforce frameworks. Hopkins has played a central role in integrating artificial intelligence into cybersecurity education, ensuring students graduate with practical, future-ready skills that reflect the evolving threat landscape and employer demands.

She is currently ABD in Information Systems with a concentration in Cybersecurity. Her doctoral research focuses on the use of artificial intelligence to enhance cybersecurity education and strengthen workforce readiness.

Stan McChrystal, CEO and Chairman, McChrystal Group

Stan McChrystal founded McChrystal Group in January 2011 to deliver innovative leadership solutions to businesses globally in order to help them transform and succeed in challenging, dynamic environments. As Founder and a Partner, he advises senior executives at multinational corporations on navigating complex change and building stronger teams.

A retired four-star general, Stan is the former commander of US and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) Afghanistan and the former commander of the nation’s premier military counter-terrorism force, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He is best known for developing and implementing a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and for creating a cohesive counter-terrorism organization that revolutionized the interagency operating culture.

Throughout his military career, Stan commanded a number of elite organizations, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. After 9/11 until his retirement in 2010, he spent more than 6 years deployed to combat in a variety of leadership positions. In June 2009, the President of the United States and the Secretary General of NATO appointed him to be the Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO ISAF. His command included more than 150,000 troops from 45 allied countries. On August 1, 2010 he retired from the US Army.

In 2013, Stan published his memoir, My Share of the Task, which was a New York Times bestseller; and is an author of Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, which was a New York Times bestseller in 2015. His latest book, On Character, was an instant New York Times bestseller. He previously served as a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he also taught a course on Leadership. He is a sought-after speaker, giving speeches on leadership and team dynamics to organizations around the globe.

A passionate advocate for national service and veterans’ issues, Stan previously chaired the board of the Service Year Alliance, advocating for a future in which a year of full-time service—a service year—is a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.

Stan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Naval War College. He also completed year-long fellowships at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Council on Foreign Relations.

From the SimSpace Summit 2026 – KB on the Go | Rushell Hopkins and Stanley McChrystal (Part 2)