Forum convened builders, policymakers, and leaders in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON — (September 16, 2026) Today, the New American Industrial Alliance (NAIA) and Build American AI (BAAI) hosted The New Industrial Age Forum in Washington, DC to bring leaders from factory floors, laboratories, and construction sites across the country into conversation with policymakers working to shape America’s manufacturing renaissance.
The Forum featured a series of senior panels between leading industrialists and bipartisan policy leaders focused on the critical issues facing the country, including AI and the American worker, defense production and supply-chain resilience, and establishing energy abundance. Attendees also participated in targeted issue roundtables on key policy issues, including strategic capital, robotics in manufacturing, and critical minerals.
For photos and videos of the event, click here.
“Only a few years ago, ‘reindustrialize’ was just a word. Today, almost 450 people came together from across the country, in a restored manufacturing facility that hasn’t been used since 1989, to back the builders working tirelessly to create an American manufacturing renaissance. The time for discussion is over. Today was a day of solutions, and NAIA looks forward to working to make those solutions a reality,” said Julius Krein, NAIA President & CEO.
“America is entering a new, golden age of manufacturing and innovation. One thing to tell DC is what is the red tape, the policies, holding you back from the unique opportunity right now. I’m super optimistic about what we’re doing in the future, jobs are coming back, we’re seeing new investment, and America is starting to build again,” said Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr.
“We were excited to partner with the New American Industrial Alliance to bring together policymakers, business leaders, and innovators to demonstrate that AI is the backbone of the next industrial age. The rebuilding of America’s industrial base will happen on job sites, plants, grids, and fabs. Our nation has what it takes to make things again,” said Nathan Leamer, Executive Director of Build American AI.
“We’ve got to get back to that tight feedback loop that I saw when I was working in the private sector before coming to Congress. The best companies have that tight feedback loop where you see a problem, you fix a problem, you iterate and you iterate and iterate. We’ve lost that in government. We’ve lost that in the private sector because of all the roadblocks and all the red tape we put in,” said Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09).
Speakers included:
- Administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA
- Administrator Kelly Loeffler, SBA
- House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02)
- Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, Jacob Helberg
- FCC Chairman Brendan Carr
- Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO)
- Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09)
- Former US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai
- Isaiah Taylor, CEO, Valar Atomics;
- Aaron Slodov, CEO, Atomic Industries
- Shyam Sankar, CTO, Palantir
- Carrie Wibben Kaup, President, Exiger
- Isaiah Taylor, Co-Founder and CEO, Valar Atomics
- Morgan Brennan, CNBC
- Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT)
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The New American Industrial Alliance (NAIA) is a multi-sector trade association dedicated to creating the next American manufacturing renaissance. We are builders, investors, and policymakers united in our commitment to steer America toward the policies, partnerships, and institutions that will unlock the full potential of our innovation engine and capital markets. America’s techno-industrial prowess is key to restoring manufacturing capacity, bolstering national security, rebuilding trust between citizens and their institutions, and ushering in a new era of prosperity for Americans of all economic classes.
Build American AI is a 501c4 nonprofit with the mission to advance pro-innovation policies that build trust in technology, boost America’s competitiveness, and ensure U.S. leadership in the transformative technologies of tomorrow.