Rick Hubbard
Chief Scientist, AI, Core4ce
Rick Hubbard’s biggest recent achievement was building AI literacy into the DNA of how Core4ce delivers for its customers, not as a buzzword but as a real capability that runs from its engineers up through how it shapes solutions.
Over the past year, Hubbard has worked to make AI fluency a baseline expectation across the company, so the AI Core4ce puts in front of DOW and IC customers is grounded in genuine understanding, not hype. That shift is what lets the company show up as a true AI partner rather than a vendor bolting on features.
Hubbard focuses on raising AI literacy on both sides of the table, equipping Core4ce’s own teams and its government customers to deploy AI with real understanding of what it can and can’t do. That means fewer failed pilots, less wasted spend on tools nobody trusts and faster adoption of the capabilities that actually move the mission. When a customer understands the AI it’s fielding, it makes better decisions and gets more out of every dollar.
“Rick Hubbard is one of those rare individuals whose expertise in artificial intelligence goes far beyond theory—he knows how to apply it in ways that truly make a difference,” said Becki Norgaard, Vice President of Operations and Finance, Advanced Mission Solutions, Core4ce. “His leadership and innovative thinking have been instrumental in shaping what we do at Core4ce, especially when it comes to supporting the warfighter. Rick has a unique ability to take cutting-edge AI concepts and turn them into practical solutions that improve decision-making and operational outcomes. His work has had a real, tangible impact, helping us deliver smarter, more effective tools for those on the front lines. Simply put, Rick’s contributions aren’t just impressive—they’re game-changing.”
Why Watch
In 2026, Hubbard’s team is experimenting at pace with emerging technologies to find what actually scales for effectiveness, and doing the hard work of embedding those technologies into how the company operates. That earned, hands-on expertise is what lets Core4ce guide its customers through the genuinely complex journey of adopting AI in their own missions. The company would rather learn what works by building it itself than hand customers a roadmap it’s never traveled.
“The companies that win in defense AI won’t be the ones with the flashiest demos — they’ll be the ones whose people genuinely understand the technology,” Hubbard said. “At Core4ce, we’re investing in AI literacy from the ground up so that everything we deliver, every service and every product, reflects a real command of where this technology is headed. That’s how you become a trusted AI partner instead of just another vendor.”
Fun fact: Learning is genuinely fun for Hubbard. Chasing new knowledge and skills is what drives him, in and out of work. He’s pursuing an Executive MBA through the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Aerospace & Defense program, specifically to understand how AI can reshape how businesses and processes run across the A&D sector. For Hubbard there’s no finish line on learning; there’s always another domain worth understanding.
