Before joining IronGate, Ryan Morfin built Wentworth Management Services from a small firm into a company overseeing more than $300 billion in assets, later selling it in 2022 at a record valuation for broker-dealers—an unusual operator track record for a venture investor, especially one who holds a physics degree from the University of Chicago and frames his defense-tech investing around helping the U.S. stay ahead through innovation rather than just chasing returns. He also built a public platform around these ideas through his Non-Beta Alpha podcast and appearances with defense leaders, argues that venture capital should actively help companies work with the government, sits on the board of the American Latino Museum, and often tells the story of IronGate's origin on cocktail napkins at a New York pub.