Around the Table: Jake Hulina

Around the Table is a three-question interview series from the Make Room email newsletter. Each edition features a conversation with a peer in the national security community to learn about their expertise and experience in the sector.

Jake Hulina is a government relations manager at GeoComply and a mentee with the fall 2025 cohort of the Make Room Mentorship Program at CNAS. Before GeoComply, Hulina worked at the strategic communications firm Wachsman and at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies as a research assistant. Hulina holds a BA in political science from Middlebury College.

What inspired you to study foreign policy and technology policy specifically?

I think my career has been shaped by a butterfly effect from two formative collegiate experiences: taking an international law course and studying how open-source intelligence can speak truth to power. The former showed me both the strengths and limits of international cooperation. The latter demonstrated that, despite all the negativity surrounding emerging technology, there are incredibly powerful ways to leverage it for good.

As I’ve advanced in my career, I’ve found truth in the cliché that technology has both positive and negative effects. I’ve also come to believe that working in policy is one of the most direct ways to amplify technology’s positive impact while mitigating its associated risks.

What challenges do you face in working in contentious and rapidly evolving issues in the world of emerging technology and cybersecurity?

There’s a famous New Yorker cartoon that says, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” I think many of the challenges facing the broader technology ecosystem can be summed up by that axiom.

Anonymity, while being one of the internet's greatest features, enables sophisticated threats. It allows rogue regimes to fundraise through cryptocurrency, organized crime to conduct scams over trusted messaging apps, and state-backed actors to influence elections via disinformation campaigns. The challenge for policymakers and private-sector leaders alike is figuring out how to mitigate these threats while preserving the privacy and anonymity that so many people value.

On a personal level, the greatest challenge I face is navigating the competing policy interests of companies, governments, and other stakeholders. While almost everyone has the same goal of promoting technology’s social good while mitigating its threats to security and well-being, there are many diverse and competing views on the best way to deal with these challenges.

What advice do you have for someone who is early in their career?

My advice, which is specific to those fortunate enough to live in D.C., is that Washington is a great city for a free education. On any given day, there are numerous lectures, think tank panels, and media events, all within walking distance or a quick Metro ride from downtown. If your schedule allows, attend as many as you can, even those not directly related to your current professional interests. These events are also great places to meet other early-career professionals.

If you get on the right mailing lists, you might find yourself eating a half-decent breakfast sandwich while listening to a senator talk about space policy, all before heading into work. Not a bad way to start the day.