# Joe Makol

> Co-founder & CTO of Citadel Defense (sold to BlueHalo for $100M+)

Co-founded Citadel Defense (raised $13.8M, sold to BlueHalo, built AI-powered systems to detect and disable drones for U.S. defense.

Scaled Citadel into a market leader, securing federal contracts and beating legacy defense firms.

Founder of Luna Government, helping startups enter government markets with GenAI tools, proposal strategy, and product positioning.

Also co-founded Luna Intelligence, an AI platform that automates search and drafting of government proposals.

Former Engineering Director at BlueHalo, leading post-acquisition tech integration.

Advisor to defense startups and mentor at UC San Diego’s Rady School accelerator.

Things I can advise on:
✔️ How to win government contracts
✔️ Guidance on federal proposals
✔️ Selling to the Department of Defense
✔️ Building anti-drone technologies
✔️ Dual-use product strategy
✔️ Fundraising in defense tech
✔️ Getting acquired by a prime

Excited to help founders scale in defense and navigate the federal landscape with confidence.

**Rating:** 5/5 (5 reviews)

## Offerings

- Video call (15 min): $250.00

## Subscription Plans

- Defense Strategy — 1:1 Advisory + Fractional Work (VIP) ($4000.00/month)
- Defense Strategy — 1:1 Advisory + Fractional Work (Full) ($2000.00/month)

## Example Questions

- I’m thinking of starting a company. What are the next few things I should focus on?
- How do I know if my business idea will work?
- How would you approach growth for my business?
- What key metrics should I aim for at different stages to be a best in class company?

## Links

- [Expert profile](/JoeMakol)
- [Avatar](https://media.intro.co/avatars/20036tr5v-MF9.jpg)
- [Marketplace](/marketplace)