About

Dragon Forge is a boutique consulting firm focused on the U.S. Federal market. We consult on a wide range of topics:

  • Opportunity Identification: Finding opportunities your company is ideally suited to pursue.

  • Opportunity-to-Win Strategy: Winning you work.

  • Mergers and Acquisition: Helping you inorganically grow by identifying acquisition targets with ideal market position for your business.

  • Due Diligence: Ensuring what you plan to buy and what you buying are the same thing.

  • Strategic Planning: Optimizing your business to compete in the Federal market.

  • Market Development: Getting you into agencies where you want to work.

Two people, a man and a woman, sitting on a black sofa in a modern office lounge, looking at a laptop on the white coffee table in front of them. The man has gray hair and a black shirt, while the woman has long blonde hair and a white shirt. The room has large windows with a cityscape view, and decorative objects including a black sculpture on a side table.
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Our model

We believe every client problem is unique and no single person has a monopoly on knowledge.

We bring together the best experts that fit your business challenges and objectives.

Drawing from a wide array of talent in defense, intelligence, law enforcement, and civilian agency experience, we deliver experts who know your client set inside and out.

Meet the Team

  • Brian Drake sitting at a conference panel discussion, he is smiling and looking down. Another man is reading a booklet. Both have water bottles in front of them, and a blue and white banner with the INSA logo is visible in the background.

    Brian Drake

    CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER and CO-OWNER

    Brian Drake is the Chief Executive Officer of Dragon Forge Consulting. He is also the past President and Chief Executive Officer of the Defense Intelligence Memorial Foundation. In 2021, he departed the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) where he served for over 10 years. His last assignment was leading the intelligence briefing team for the Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary, the Undersecretary for Policy, and other “E Ring” principals. He was DIA’s first Director of Artificial Intelligence (AI) where he drafted the agency’s AI strategy and oversaw a $20+ million AI investment portfolio. In 2021, he was named by Federal Computer Week as one of the Federal 100 for his work. As an analyst he led multiple teams countering threats from state and non-state actors across technology, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and counternarcotics topics. He previously was a Manager with Deloitte Consulting and a management consultant with Toffler Associates specializing in strategic planning, business development, collaboration consulting, technology, and innovation for commercial and government clients. He also worked as a military platforms and policy analyst for Systems Planning and Analysis and as a nuclear weapons programs analyst for DynCorp. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Mercer University and a Masters from Georgetown University.

  • Vince Mucker

    CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER and CO-OWNER

    Vince Mucker serves as Chief Operating Officer of Dragon Forge Consulting, where he helps translate the firm’s strategic vision into disciplined execution, strengthens internal operations, and brings the right expertise to clients navigating the U.S. federal market. A retired U.S. Army officer and national security executive with more than 25 years of experience, Vince has led complex organizations, advised senior government decision-makers, and turned high-consequence challenges into practical strategies and measurable results.

    Before joining Dragon Forge, Vince served as Chief of Strategic Priorities at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, leading cross-enterprise initiatives across countering weapons of mass destruction, space, and emerging-threat missions. His career also includes directing strategic alignment for more than $200 billion in security cooperation programs across 19 countries at U.S. Central Command; leading U.S. nuclear arms-control inspection teams in Russia; overseeing U.S.–Georgia defense cooperation programs; and commanding Army units in demanding operational environments. Across these roles, he built high-performing teams, aligned diverse stakeholders, and helped organizations move from ambiguity to action.

    Vince taught as an adjunct professor in Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program, and has routinely lectured across the Department of Defense on Russian security issues. He was selected as an Army War College Fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and holds a Master of International Policy and Practice from George Washington University, a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Texas A&M University, and an associate degree in Russian language studies from the Defense Language Institute. Outside of work, he enjoys travel, grilling, and creating memorable experiences with his family.

  • A man in a navy blue suit and tie standing in an office with large windows and modern decor.

    Joe Mashinski

    CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL

    With over 25 years of experience, Joe is an attorney and consulting professional whose expertise ranges from insurance and ERISA compliance to alternative investments and startup advisory. His career includes serving as Counsel for a Fortune 500 company, where he managed outside litigation, I.P. disputes, and complex pension issues.

    In the investment sector, he managed an alternative investment firm, successfully raising over $50MM in assets. Joe holds an AB from Princeton University, a law degree from the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State University, and is a good-standing Member of the Pennsylvania Bar.