Autonomy on the Front Line: Tim Francis at USC Marshall

USC Marshall School of Business and BizVets LA present an evening with Tim Francis, Director of Growth at Overland AI.

Overland AI builds autonomous ground vehicles for the U.S. military and other federal customers. Tim leads the company’s Expeditionary portfolio, which spans the Marine Corps, SOCOM, federal civilian agencies, and wildfire response. He led Overland’s pursuit of the Accelerating the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) contract, which resulted in production awards for the Marine Corps and SOCOM.

Tim’s path runs from end user to industry provider: a Marine Corps intelligence officer with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, then federal roles at U.S. embassies abroad, then business development at C3 AI before joining Overland. He’ll share what he’s learned about getting new technology into the hands of the people who need it, and what that journey looks like for veterans moving into defense tech.

The evening brings together USC Marshall students and alumni, including the Master of Business for Veterans program, and the BizVets LA veteran business community.

Details

• Date: Friday, November 6, 2026
• Time: 6:30 PM (doors at [time]; program begins at [time])
• Location: The Vineyard Room, Davidson Conference Center, USC, 3415 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90089
• Parking: [lot / validation details]
• Cost: Free for BVLA members & students / $25 general admission (registration required)
• Food and drinks: Open bar and hor d'oeuvres served

About the speaker
Tim Francis is Director of Growth at Overland AI, where he leads the Expeditionary portfolio (USMC, SOCOM, federal civilian, and wildfire). He previously held a business development role at C3 AI and began his career as a Marine Corps intelligence officer with multiple deployments to Afghanistan, followed by federal government roles at U.S. embassies abroad. He holds a B.S. in history from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the University of Nebraska, and lives in Loudoun County, Virginia with his wife, three kids, and a dog.

Presented by USC Marshall School of Business and BizVets LA.
Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase and the Warrior Heritage Foundation.