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Christian Elam

Overview​

Christian Elam is a policy advisor and entrepreneur working at the intersection of defense, space technology, and government relations. He maintains significant political connections, particularly with Republican lawmakers and the Trump administration. While politically right-leaning, he describes himself as moderate and independent. Christian moved to Washington D.C. on New Year's Day 2025 and has an apartment on the river with views of the city's fireworks displays.

Background & Experience​

  • Currently involved in defense and space technology initiatives, particularly with NASA
  • Working to position Dr. Christyl C. Johnson as NASA Administrator under Trump administration
  • Leading advocate for the Kids Online Safety Act, which has received bipartisan support (passed 91-3 in the Senate)
  • Co-founded laser company for counter-drone technology with significant military demand
  • Recently attended the Milken conference (May 2025)
  • Has close connections with XPRIZE and the Milken Institute
  • Joining the national board of the YMCA
  • Building youth representation into federal policy for the first time in U.S. history

Key Connections & Network​

  • Dr. Christyl C. Johnson: Close personal friend (she made his birthday cake) and current NASA Deputy Associate Administrator whom he's positioning for NASA Administrator role
  • Working with Bishop TD Jakes on NASA initiatives
  • Meeting with the Huntsman, Miller, and Koch families in Utah
  • Planning meetings with Utah's governor and three congressional representatives
  • Tim Stewart: President of U.S. Oil and Gas Association, helping with Utah manufacturing facility meetings
  • Connections to Tim Stewart (brother of former Congressman Chris Stewart, who chaired House Armed Services Committee and House Intelligence Committee)
  • Has connections to help secure Republican co-sponsors for legislation
  • Maintains relationships with several influential political figures (mentioned a potential 2028 presidential candidate)
  • Recently conducted a "fly-in" with six congressmembers to reintroduce his bill
  • CIA Leadership: Friend and advisor who was chief innovation and technology officer for CIA for 25 years, national security advisor to VP Cheney
  • Noma Restaurant: Connected to founder of Noma in Copenhagen (world's #1 restaurant 5 times) for space food development

Projects & Initiatives​

NASA Administrator Campaign (June 2025)​

  • Strategic Opportunity: Jared Isaacman's withdrawal as NASA Administrator nominee created opening
  • Dr. Johnson Positioning: Working to get his close friend Dr. Christyl C. Johnson appointed as NASA Administrator
  • Political Appointment Offer: She asked him to join as political appointee and senior executive at NASA
  • New NASA Branch: Would create entirely new branch focused on private investment, bringing together family offices, venture funds, and private industry
  • September Event: Major showcase at Amazon AWS headquarters featuring NASA 2040 Project

NASA 2040 Project​

  • Building the first self-sustaining human civilization on the moon by 2040
  • 53 member countries signed onto Artemis Accords (UAE, Egypt, Switzerland, France, Australia)
  • 187 published technical shortfalls offering $4M to develop solutions plus NASA contracts
  • Collaborating with CEO of Milken Institute and Oxford University vice chancellor
  • Focus on mental healthcare, extended reality, gaming, and food systems for space travel

Laser/Counter-Drone Technology​

  • Military Demand: U.S. Army wants 6,000 units worth approximately $8 billion annual revenue
  • Manufacturing Challenge: Complex semiconductor-level manufacturing requirements
  • Utah Facility: Planning large-scale manufacturing facility in Utah
  • Strategic Support: Tim Stewart (U.S. Oil & Gas Association) arranging meetings with Utah leadership

Kids Online Safety Act​

  • Legislative Success: Passed Senate 91-3, recently reintroduced to House
  • Historic Innovation: First federal policy to formally build youth representation into enforcement
  • Youth Co-chairs: Young people co-chair the FTC enforcement committee rather than just older Congress members
  • Suicide Prevention Focus: Removes harmful content teaching children suicide methods
  • Bipartisan Support: Successfully secured broad political support across party lines

Youth Government Expansion​

  • Federal Caucus: Creating caucus to provide youth voice across all government aspects
  • Diversity Focus: Ensuring representation from Alabama to San Francisco, arts to computer science backgrounds
  • YMCA Integration: Using national YMCA board position as community funnel for youth caucus
  • Gaming Initiative: CIA advisor creating veteran suicide prevention game being adapted for space education

Political Views & Approach​

  • Self-described as "right-leaning" but moderate and independent
  • Expressed view that "Trump winning is great for the Democratic Party" by forcing them to "have a hard reset"
  • Critical of big tech's approach to content moderation and child safety
  • Believes government should "remove the red tape and support some of the funding" but not be relied upon entirely
  • Has hosted or plans to host influential people at his DC apartment, including for Fourth of July celebrations
  • Strong supporter of merit-based appointments while being aware of historic significance

Recent Events & Activities (June 2025)​

  • Trump Administration Event: Hosted event with 50 people including Trump admin officials and donors
  • Congressional Engagement: Recent fly-in with six congressmembers for Kids Online Safety Act
  • NASA Positioning: Actively working through Republican connections to support Dr. Johnson's appointment
  • California Energy Crisis: Frustrated with California closing refineries and impact on Valero (his hometown's largest employer and Travis Air Force Base jet fuel provider)

Potential Collaborations​

  • Dr. Lael Alexander: Strong interest in manufacturing expertise for laser production and space technology
  • Education Reform: Shared vision for transforming education system, particularly interested in Lael's periodic table book series (Wizard's Almanac)
  • Space Technology: Alignment on NASA 2040 Project and technical challenges requiring advanced solutions
  • Alpha Schools: Potential collaboration on space-related educational programs
  • America 250th Anniversary: Continued interest in World's Fair-type celebration

Interactions​

  • 2025-05-16 (Morning): Conducted a fly-in with six congressmembers to reintroduce the Kids Online Safety Act.
  • 2025-05-16 (First Meeting): Met with Gary Sheng in person. Discussed NASA's 2040 Project, potential collaborations around Alpha Schools, America's 250th anniversary celebration, and various political connections. Invited Gary to Fourth of July gathering with influential contacts.
  • 2025-05-16 (Brief Encounter): Briefly joined Gary's conversation with Nav Singh later in the day. Mentioned his Kids Online Safety Act, highlighting the alarming statistics about child suicide rates and explaining the bill's purpose of removing harmful content that teaches children methods of self-harm.
  • 2025-06-09: Three-way conversation with Gary Sheng and Dr. Lael Alexander. Discussed NASA Administrator positioning, introduced his space and defense projects, learned about Lael's manufacturing capabilities and educational initiatives. Explored potential collaborations on laser manufacturing, space technology, and education reform.

Transcripts​

Transcript IDDateSummary
2025-05-16-conversation-with-christian-elam2025-05-16Wide-ranging conversation about NASA's 2040 Project, space technology, political connections, and potential collaborations around Alpha Schools and America's 250th anniversary celebration
2025-06-09-gary-christian-lael-nasa-space-collaboration2025-06-09NASA Administrator campaign strategy, space tech collaboration, and education reform with Dr. Lael Alexander

Key Quotes​

From May 2025​

"The Kids Online Safety Act... [is] to remove mainly like tutorial videos talking to kids who have committed suicide. YouTube videos on how to tie a noose and hang themselves."

"Hanging is the most effective way of committing suicide, 86%. As compared to overdosing, it's 2%. And it's now the most popular."

"Children ages 5 to 11, the suicide rates increased 6x in the last five years because of it."

"We got 91 senators to pass in the senate last year. 91 to 3."

From June 9, 2025​

"I will be a political appointee and senior executive at NASA. And she would want me to create an entire new branch out of NASA focused on private investment."

"The army now wants 6,000 units of them, which is about $8 billion a year in revenue for us."

"I want to take a wrecking ball to our current education system."

"We are now trying to expand that effort through a caucus... to provide the youth voice in all aspects of government."

Strategic Value​

  • christofuture-foundation: Christian's high-level political connections (Trump administration, Republican lawmakers, CIA leadership), position with NASA Administrator campaign, and influence in defense/space policy make him exactly the type of high-influence Christian who can advance kingdom impact through government and technology sectors.
  • christofuture-prep: His pioneering work building youth representation into federal policy (Kids Online Safety Act, federal youth caucus) and his connections to educational initiatives provide valuable insights for developing innovative educational models that could influence policy and attract high-profile support.
  • applied-ai-society: Through his NASA 2040 Project ($4M in technical challenges), laser/counter-drone technology venture ($8B military market), and connections to space/defense technology companies, Christian can connect Gary with government contractors and defense industry professionals who need AI implementation for critical national security applications.

Previous Strategic Positioning​

Christian represents a unique combination of:

  • Technical Policy Expertise: Deep understanding of defense technology and space systems
  • Political Access: Direct relationships with Trump administration and Republican leadership
  • Private Sector Innovation: Successful technology development with significant market demand
  • Youth Advocacy: Pioneer in formal youth representation in federal policy
  • Cross-Sector Integration: Ability to bridge government, private sector, academia, and international partnerships

His positioning of Dr. Johnson for NASA Administrator while securing his own role in space technology policy represents a significant strategic move that could reshape NASA's relationship with private industry and accelerate space exploration timelines.