Brian Williams is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and MBA candidate at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. While in the Marines, he served as an infantry assaultman and combat marksmanship instructor, completing two combat deployments to Afghanistan.

Following his military service, Brian began his path to higher education through Warrior-Scholar Project. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Columbia University, where he served as Vice President of Military Veterans of Columbia University and Policy Coordinator for the General Studies Student Council, leading initiatives to expand mentorship, strengthen support structures, and build partnerships across academia, industry, and government. His contributions were recognized with the Alumni Key Award, the University’s highest honor for graduating seniors, and inspired the establishment of Columbia’s Veterans Excellence Support Fund, which is dedicated to improving outcomes for undergraduate veterans.

In his MBA studies, Brian focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, national security, defense technology, and operations strategy. As an EMC² Fellow with Cornell’s Cañizares Center for Emerging Markets, he also studies how emerging economies are shaping global technology competition and security, extending his broader interest in bridging emerging technologies with large, complex organizations to strengthen U.S. national security and support innovation.

Brian has served Warrior-Scholar Project as a Lead Business, STEM, and Humanities Fellow and as an Ambassador. His commitment stems from his own transition from military to academic life, and he remains dedicated to ensuring future generations of veterans have access to the mentorship, opportunities, and community that shaped his own path.