Heather Richman is a seasoned corporate development and strategy expert with a longstanding focus on the intersection of national security, technology, and investment. She has a diverse background, including experience on Capitol Hill, in academia, and in the national security innovation sector.

Richman spent 1999–2004 in Washington, D.C., working with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, where she oversaw appropriations, budget, and tax matters. She played a key role in managing the post-9/11 redevelopment of Lower Manhattan and contributed to the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security from a funding perspective. She later managed government relations for Stanford University and led outreach strategies for the Precourt Institute for Energy, focusing on the intersection of energy and national security.

She was also a founding team member of Elemental Excelerator, now part of Emerson Collective, originally funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) in 2012. Elemental leveraged an initial $36 million Navy investment to support 99 portfolio companies, which have collectively raised over $2 billion in private and corporate capital.

Richman currently serves as Entrepreneur in Residence at BMNT Partners, where she leverages her experience and extensive network to build dynamic ecosystems of entrepreneurs, investors, and experts. Her work focuses on accelerating the development and deployment of impactful, dual-use technologies for the U.S. Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community.

In 2019, she launched the Defense Investor Network in response to growing concerns among U.S. investors and family offices regarding foreign direct investment (FDI), aiming to assess its impact on national security and develop alternative investment pathways.