Riverside Research is a not-for-profit scientific research organization that supports the U.S. Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. It conducts independent research and development across Centers of Excellence such as Biomedical Engineering, Cyber, Electromagnetic Sciences, and ISR, using modeling, simulation, assessment, and program management to produce mission-focused analyses and capabilities. The company differentiates itself through independent, objective, defense- and IC-aligned work without commercial product pressure, spanning multiple technical domains rather than a single product line. Its goal is to advance national security by delivering rigorous research and trusted technical solutions for defense and intelligence needs.
Company Size
501-1,000
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$8.7M
Headquarters
Lexington, Kentucky
Founded
1967
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Comprehensive medical, dental, & vision plan
403(b) Retirement Plan
Non-contributory Retirement Plan
Flexible Spending Plan
Long-term Care Plan
Generous PTO
Parental Leave
Military Leave
Tuition Reimbursement
Student Loan Repayment
Identity Theft Protection
Life Insurance
Short & long-term Disability
Riverside Research and Kitware have enhanced CMake, a widely used software build tool, to improve how organisations deploy software updates and manage security vulnerabilities. The collaboration, funded by DARPA's Enhanced Software Bill of Materials programme, integrates software inventory capabilities directly into CMake's build system. Modern software often incorporates thousands of third-party components, creating complex dependency networks that complicate vulnerability remediation. The enhancement embeds critical metadata within software inventories, enabling system maintainers to identify and update software whilst maintaining operational continuity. This approach differs from existing methods that rely on external scanning tools or self-reporting, which can introduce ambiguities. The integration provides authoritative dependency modelling and reproducible results, helping organisations across government and industry track cyber risk more accurately. Future work will focus on richer metadata modelling and improved handling of transitive dependencies.
Riverside Research has appointed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula and Stacey A. Dixon to its Board of Trustees. The national security nonprofit said the appointments strengthen its ability to address complex challenges across the national security community. Deptula retired from the US Air Force in 2010 after more than 34 years of service. He is recognised as an expert on military airpower and spacepower issues, with a background in drone engineering and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Dixon is a Distinguished Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology's Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. She previously held leadership roles at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Riverside Research serves the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community through its Open Innovation Center, focusing on areas including AI/ML, zero trust security, and computational electromagnetics.
Riverside Research names national security technology leader Tom Lash president and CEO. Sep 10, 2026, 10:25 ET WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Riverside Research, a leading technology research and development nonprofit supporting U.S. national security, announces the appointment of Tom Lash as president and CEO. Lash is a recognized technology and business leader with nearly 30 years of experience supporting the federal market, bringing extensive expertise in national security, the U.S. intelligence community, strategic growth and emerging technology. Under his leadership, Riverside Research's nonprofit, mission-first identity and independent research model will continue to guide strategic priorities. "Tom's proven ability to lead complex national security organizations, advance emerging technologies, and build trusted relationships across the intelligence community made him the clear choice to lead Riverside Research," said Jim Shields, chair of the Riverside Research Board of Trustees. "His strategic vision and mission-focused leadership will position the organization for continued growth while preserving the technical excellence and sponsor-focused culture that distinguishes Riverside Research." Lash most recently served as CEO of Vibrint, a leading federal technology innovator. Lash led multiple acquisition strategies and expanded technology partnerships to build Vibrint into a highly competitive national security technology company with capabilities spanning AI, cyber, cloud, high-performance computing, mission resilience, quantum and next-generation communications. Before joining Vibrint, he spent six years at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he created and led the Federal Delivery Organization responsible for contract execution across AWS's U.S. federal portfolio. He also led AWS's U.S. national security account team of more than 125 cleared technology professionals. "Riverside Research has a distinguished legacy of technical innovation and trusted support to the national security community," Lash said. "I am honored to join the organization and look forward to working with its talented team to accelerate growth, deepen our sponsor partnerships, expand the impact of our research and mission solutions and advance next-generation research in AI/ML, sensing and secure architectures." Before joining AWS, Lash held several leadership positions at SAIC and Leidos, including chief technology officer and chief strategy officer for the companies' intelligence systems and defense groups. He also led a series of progressively larger business portfolios focused predominantly on the U.S. intelligence community. Lash's appointment comes as Riverside Research looks to build on its strong foundation, pursue strategic growth and advance its impact across the national security community. Lash succeeds Steven Omick, Ph.D., who chose to step down after a decade of leadership that strengthened Riverside Research's sponsor relationships, research enterprise and position as a trusted national security partner. Lash earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, a master's degree in electrical and computer engineering from George Mason University, and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University. He also serves as an adjunct lecturer at Georgetown University, where he teaches graduate cloud security. About Riverside Research Riverside Research is a national security nonprofit serving the Department of War and the U.S. intelligence community. Through its Open Innovation Center, Riverside Research invests in multidisciplinary research and development and encourages collaboration. Its areas of expertise include object and activity detection; accelerated artificial intelligence and machine learning; zero trust; open architectures; computational electromagnetics; plasma physics; precision timing; terahertz imaging; commercial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and collection planning. Learn more at www.riversideresearch.org. SOURCE RIVERSIDE RESEARCH
Riverside Research, a technology research and development nonprofit focused on US national security, has appointed Tom Lash as president and CEO. Lash brings nearly 30 years of federal market experience, including leadership roles in national security and the US intelligence community. Most recently, Lash served as CEO of Vibrint, a federal technology company with capabilities in AI, cyber, cloud, and quantum technologies. Before that, he spent six years at Amazon Web Services, where he created and led the Federal Delivery Organisation and managed a team of over 125 cleared technology professionals supporting US national security accounts. Lash previously held leadership positions at SAIC and Leidos, including chief technology officer and chief strategy officer roles within their intelligence and defence divisions.
Riverside Research has partnered with Tera AI to provide navigation solutions for autonomous systems operating without GPS. The collaboration addresses vulnerabilities in electronic warfare environments where GPS systems face jamming or spoofing. Tera AI's DeepSLAM technology uses passive cameras to create real-time 3D maps of unknown areas. The system enables autonomous platforms to determine location and navigate without GPS dependency. Dr Tony Zhang, Tera AI founder, explained that autonomous systems have historically relied on controlled environments and GPS. As jamming becomes more common, real-time spatial intelligence is essential for mission success. Riverside Research will integrate DeepSLAM into its offerings for defence and intelligence applications. The partnership aims to improve positioning capabilities across military and commercial platforms, from aircraft to unmanned vehicles, ensuring operational continuity in contested environments.