Team

Davis Richardson

Chief Executive Officer

Davis Richardson is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of AUSP Inc., where he leads strategy and partnerships aligning U.S. private-sector innovation with Ukraine’s reconstruction and defense modernization. Davis built AUSP from deep experience advising frontier-market leaders and emerging technology companies through his communications firm, Paradox Public Relations, which has advised the Ukrainian Government’s BRAVE1 initiative and numerous U.S. clients in politics and the deep tech sector. He is also a Limited Partner at Green Flag Ventures, which invests in dual-use Ukrainian companies.

His work integrates capital, technology, and policy to create transparent pathways for investment in Ukraine’s defense, infrastructure, and cultural resilience. Under his leadership, AUSP operates as a trusted platform connecting American and Ukrainian interests through accountable, outcomes-driven collaboration.

Adam Kraft

Acting National Security Advisor

Adam Kraft serves as the acting National Security Advisor to AUSP, guiding defense-sector collaborations, U.S. government partnerships, and Allied government engagement. Holding the required U.S. federal and military credentials, Adam’s background includes work with the U.S. intelligence community and senior military leadership across six presidential administrations. His duties including Track II diplomatic liaison between U.S. leadership, AUSP stakeholders worldwide, and our overseas Allies. At AUSP, he leads national security strategy and ensures alignment between Ukrainian defense innovation, U.S. strategic priorities, and NATO operational guidelines. His counsel helps position AUSP as a trusted conduit between joint allied defense ecosystems and private-sector innovation.

David Grasso

Head of Partnerships

David Grasso leads AUSP’s partnerships and business development initiatives, building alliances across government, finance, and industry to accelerate Ukraine’s reconstruction. A member of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Board and the Harvard Business School Club of Houston, David specializes in forging multi-stakeholder collaborations that convert policy goals into investable projects.

Edward Akrout

Cultural Ambassador

Edward Akrout serves as AUSP’s Cultural Ambassador, leading cross-cultural initiatives that unite art, heritage, and national identity with Ukraine’s broader reconstruction effort. A Franco-British actor, artist, and founder of the nonprofit Art Shield, Edward works to preserve and promote Ukrainian culture through international partnerships, exhibitions, and fundraising campaigns. His leadership bridges diplomacy, art, and civil society, ensuring that Ukraine’s cultural resilience stands alongside its economic and defense recovery.