Our Leadership Team

Adam Lurie currently serves as Chief Executive Officer at Knexus, where he leads the company’s strategic growth and the delivery of advanced technology solutions to the public sector. With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of technology and national security, Mr. Lurie specializes in corporate strategy, go-to-market execution, and driving transformational growth for technology-focused organizations.

Previously, as President of Exiger Federal Solutions, he launched and grew the federal business unit from $2M to $25M in annual revenue in two years. He has extensive experience driving the growth of technology companies while delivering mission effective solutions to agencies such as DLA, DOW/OSD, Navy, Army, and DHS. Additionally, Mr. Lurie has an established track record of shepherding public sector businesses through foundational change, as he led the acquisition of Convergent Solutions to Exiger and Social Intelligence’s Government Services Business Unit to Omniplex World Services.

Mr. Lurie holds a Master of Science in Justice, Law, and Society from The American University, a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from The George Washington University.

Jim Thompson serves as President and Chief Growth Officer at Knexus, where he drives the company’s expansion across the US Government market. Bringing 25 years of experience supporting the Department of Defense and various federal civilian agencies, Jim specializes in aligning mission needs with innovative, technology-driven solutions to address complex challenges.

Prior to Knexus, Jim co-founded 202 Group, helping guide its growth from inception to its acquisition by BlueVoyant. In this role, he supported the Navy and Air Force with advanced supply chain risk management solutions. Earlier, Jim spent nearly a decade in strategy consulting at Avascent (now Oliver Wyman), leading diverse engagements for major federal contractors and systems integrators.

Jim began his career as an Acquisition Manager in the U.S. Air Force, leading project teams supporting multi-billion-dollar space and command-and-control systems. He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a BS in Management from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Justin T. Karneeb is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Knexus, where he defines the technical vision and oversees the enterprise architecture for mission-critical AI solutions. With a 15-year tenure at Knexus, Mr. Karneeb specializes in engineering sophisticated, hybrid systems that bridge the gap between theoretical research and robust operational deployment.

Under his leadership, Knexus develops multi-layered AI architectures that leverage Large Language Models (LLMs) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) as components of broader, reasoning-based solutions. By integrating LLMs with Planning, Scheduling, and Case-Based Reasoning, he ensures that Knexus provides verifiable, goal-directed intelligence. A recognized authority in Explainable AI (XAI), Mr. Karneeb served on the evaluation team for the DARPA XAI program, where he designed the metrics used to quantify human-machine interoperability and establish “appropriate trust” in autonomous systems.

Mr. Karneeb serves as a strategic partner to key federal agencies, including DARPA, the Naval Research Lab, and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). His decade-long work integrating AI components into NAVAIR’s Next Generation Threat System (NGTS) highlights his expertise in deploying high-stakes AI within complex, large-scale military simulations. He holds a Master of Science in Computer Science & Engineering from Lehigh University and is a published author in multiple AI research proceedings.

Michael Floyd currently serves as Director of Research & Innovation at Knexus, where he leads technical and research efforts for multiple DoD and government research contracts. With over 20 years of expertise in artificial intelligence and software engineering and over 12 years supporting the DoD, Michael specializes in bridging the gap between theoretical research and deployed operational systems.

He has researched and published on many subtopics in AI including generative AI, explainable AI, human-machine teaming, goal reasoning, automated planning and scheduling, case-based reasoning, and trusted autonomy. Floyd is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers in the fields of AI, including publications at top-tier AI conferences, and has received numerous awards for his research. In these areas, he has organized thirteen international scientific meetings and served as a program committee member for over 90 international scientific conferences and meetings.

Michael Floyd holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a thesis on artificial intelligence, from Carleton University.

Dr. Christine Task currently serves as Director of Privacy Solutions at Knexus, where she leads the practical application of privacy-preserving technologies in high-stakes environments. With over 14 years of experience in data privacy and artificial intelligence, Dr. Task specializes in bridging the gap between theoretical research and deployed operational systems.

While at Purdue University, Dr. Task’s graduate research included foundational work in data privacy, leading to a widely used tutorial on Differential Privacy. She has extensive experience supporting customers such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the US Census Bureau, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Her work focuses on Differential Privacy (DP), synthetic data, and benchmarking Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs). Dr. Task has led or advised on the design of eight challenges in privacy technology, including the first national challenge in differential privacy—the NIST Differential Privacy Synthetic Data Challenge. These public challenges and benchmarking programs evaluate and guide the advancement of new technologies in Privacy and AI.

Dr. Task holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University. She is a widely published author and a recognized subject matter expert who is frequently invited to speak at technical workshops and seminars.

Hannah Hein currently serves as the VP of Supply Chain Solutions at Knexus, where she works with government clients to customize AI solutions to solve their supply chain challenges. With over 16 years of experience in project management and data analytics, Ms. Hein specializes in translating complex data into actionable operational strategies and driving solutions, including the formalization of a partnership with Google.

Prior to joining Knexus, Ms. Hein was a Director and Program Manager at Exiger, where she led over 50 projects in supply chain risk management (SCRM) software and services across the Department of War (DoW). Prior to Exiger, Ms. Hein worked with Haystax Technology to deliver risk mitigation software to the Army using Bayesian modeling and software solutions.

Ms. Hein began her career as a Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy. During her service, she led teams of up to 75 sailors in complex evolutions and managed projects to identify and remediate critical system deficiencies. She is a graduate of the Navy’s Nuclear Power School.

Ms. Hein holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She has also completed post-graduate training in computer science and data science from institutions including Harvard EdX and the University of Michigan.

Bryan Auslander currently serves as Director of Engineering & Rapid Prototyping at Knexus, where he leads the design and implementation of advanced AI and machine learning systems that automate mission planning and operational decision-making. With over 16 years of specialized experience in applied artificial intelligence, Mr. Auslander specializes in bridging the gap between theoretical research and deployed operational systems, particularly through the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) and automated planning techniques.

Previously, Mr. Auslander served as a Senior Data Scientist at GEICO, developing large-scale predictive models. He has extensive experience supporting U.S. Navy customers, including the Naval Research Laboratory and NSWC Panama City, where he pioneered the application of Hierarchical Task Network (HTN) planning and machine learning to optimize Mine Countermeasures (MCM) and undersea warfare operations. More recently, he has been at the forefront of digital transformation for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), leveraging agentic AI and generative models to enhance supply chain resilience and automate complex logistics reasoning.

Mr. Auslander holds a Master of Science in Computer Science, a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Business from Lehigh University and holds a Google Professional Cloud Developer certification. Mr. Auslander was awarded the 2025 Dr. Kalyan Gupta Award for Science and Engineering. He is also a widely published author in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Dawnn McCullough serves as Vice President of Mission Support at Knexus, where she provides executive leadership for operational execution, contract performance, and strategic growth across the company’s DoD portfolio. She oversees workforce strategy, compliance, financial performance, and customer engagement in both classified and unclassified environments, ensuring disciplined delivery and sustained mission alignment.

With more than 20 years of experience supporting DoD missions, including prior service in the U.S. Army, Dawnn specializes in translating complex operational and logistics requirements into executable programs and scalable delivery models. Her expertise spans portfolio management, contract execution, proposal strategy, workforce operations, and risk governance. She is known for strengthening operational discipline, mitigating risk, and aligning delivery with evolving government priorities.

Prior to Knexus, Dawnn served as Director of Operations and Proposal Management at S4 LLC, leading multi-site DoD contract execution and directing full-lifecycle proposal efforts that contributed to the award of numerous competitive contracts. Her experience includes extensive support to U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force organizations, with emphasis on logistics data integration, enterprise systems, sustainment operations, and mission support services.

Dawnn holds an Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Project Management and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Anu Cheriathundam joined Knexus as the VP of Finance and Administration in September 2025, bringing over two decades of experience in financial leadership and strategic operations within defense, aerospace, and other government contracting sectors. She is a seasoned finance executive known for driving growth and managing complex financial landscapes within government contracting and commercial organizations.

Prior to joining Knexus, Anu held leadership roles in finance and corporate management for government contractors of all sizes. Some notable roles include Chief Financial Officer for Eutelsat America Corp and VP of Finance at Linder Global Events. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong track record of financial stewardship and strategic planning. She also brings with her extensive experience in overall corporate operations which include regulatory compliance and employee relations.

Anu is deeply committed to serving her community and currently serves as Treasurer of the Board at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington. She is a native to the DMV area and currently is based in Arlington, Virgina. She is a proud alumna of Virginia Tech (along with her 4 siblings) where she earned a B.S. in Finance.

Bob Owens serves as Vice President of Delivery at Knexus, where he leads the company’s technology delivery and operational strategy for advanced AI/ML solutions. With more than 25 years of experience in operational leadership and product delivery, Mr. Owens specializes in designing and implementing complex technical solutions for large-scale organizations, ensuring alignment between client requirements and system capabilities. He drives technology adoption to consistently improve business outcomes. 

Prior to joining Knexus, Mr. Owens was the Chief Delivery Officer and President of Enterprise AI at Torch.AI. In this role, he managed account level strategy and P&L management across both Federal and Commercial sectors, consistently delivering profitable growth through tailored AI/ML-powered solutions and deep client engagement. He was ultimately responsible for developing and executing the organization’s Data & AI strategy for National Security focused agency customers.  

Mr. Owens holds a Master of Business Administration from Baker University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Kansas State University. He has also been a member of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) Security Policy Reform Council (SPRC) since 2022.