TAFI
The Alliance Futures Initiative
A small, specialized team. Real bios, real credentials, and a shared commitment to asking questions that challenge our own assumptions.
TAFI's full-time staff and fellows combine on-the-ground research, regional fluency, and methodological rigor. Our work draws on the experience of national-security analysts, U.S. Navy veterans, scholars of the Indo-Pacific, and practitioners who have advised governments, foundations, and companies on alliance and partnership questions.
Founding & Executive Director
Dr. Greg Brown is the founding and executive director of The Alliance Futures Initiative. He leads TAFI's research on how alliances form, fracture, and adapt—with a focus on the Indo-Pacific, where partnership architectures are shifting fastest and the stakes are highest. Brown brings nearly two decades of analytic work for the US national security community, four years building a new think tank presence into a serious policy voice, and the kind of regional fluency Washington talks about valuing but rarely invests in building.
Associate Director
Eric Lies is the Associate Director of the Alliance Futures Initiative, where he manages the daily operations of the team as well as leading research on alliance systems, security strategy, and military affairs. An accomplished national security professional and U.S. Navy veteran, he brings over 15 years of experience to the role, blending leadership training from his time at the United States Naval Academy with lived experience in executing national security strategy.
Assistant Director for Research
Jonah Bock is the Assistant Director for Research at The Alliance Futures Initiative, where he manages TAFI's research portfolio. Jonah's own research focuses on strategic competition, Pacific Islands geopolitics, and China's influence in the region. Beyond his own Indo-Pacific regional expertise, he also brings experience spanning policy research, open-source intelligence, and structured analytics. At TAFI, he produces the PRC Pacific Embassies Monitor, a weekly product tracking Beijing's diplomatic activities across the Pacific, and has published in outlets including The Diplomat, The National Interest, and The Strategist.
Research Associate
Leah Markworth is a Research Associate at The Alliance Futures Initiative, specializing in Indo-Pacific affairs. A senior at UC Berkeley, she is double majoring in Global Studies and Cognitive Science with a minor in Mandarin. Leah's background includes research and communications roles at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) USA and a 2024 fellowship with the Hudson Institute. Fluent in Mandarin, she has travelled to China extensively, participating in the Young Envoys Scholarship Program and the 2024 Chinese Bridge Competition. Her writing on China has been published in The Diplomat.
Senior Fellow
Dr Nishank Motwani is a strategic advisor operating at the intersection of global security, emerging technology, and geopolitical risk. His career spans the “Quad” nations and includes significant experience in Afghanistan and the Middle East, providing executive leadership with the analytical rigor required to navigate polycrisis environments.
Senior Fellow
Andrew Horton is a technology founder, strategic advisor, and experienced Board Chair, with over 30 years' experience operating at the intersection of emerging technology and geopolitics. He brings a cross-sector perspective spanning corporate, government, and not-for-profit environments, and is a recognised thought leader on national security, sovereign capability, and the geopolitical implications of advanced technologies. He provides trusted senior-level advice on cyber governance, artificial intelligence, and quantum strategy.
Fellow
Austin Wu is a Fellow at the Alliance Futures Initiative (TAFI), where he conducts independent research on intelligence warfighting, Indo-Pacific deterrence, and the maritime industrial base. His analysis has been published in outlets including The Hill, The Strategist, and Real Clear Defense. Austin also serves as an intelligence officer in the US Army Reserve.
Non-Resident Fellow
Jackie Gibson is a Non-Resident Fellow at The Alliance Futures Initiative. She leads TAFI's work on subnational alliance dynamics and First Nations engagement in defense and economic strategy, with a focus on how sovereign communities in the United States and partner nations can shape the architecture of allied security cooperation. Gibson brings a career grounded in U.S.–China strategic competition, export controls, and Indo-Pacific alliance policy, built through research and analytic work at ASPI USA and the University of Oklahoma's Institute for U.S.–China Issues. She channels that foundation into a commitment to building deeper resilience into global partnerships, championing First Nations and sovereign voices as a core pillar of modern defense strategy.