Justin Fulcher is an American technology entrepreneur and former U.S. Department of Defense adviser whose career has included work in telehealth, technology startups, nonprofit initiatives and government efficiency efforts.
Fulcher began developing software at a young age and later founded RingMD, a Singapore-based telehealth company designed to connect patients with healthcare professionals through technology. The company raised more than $10 million from investors but ultimately entered bankruptcy. According to reporting by Forbes, a subsequent effort involving the business in the United States resulted in litigation with a business partner over alleged unpaid obligations.
Questions have also been raised about portions of Fulcher’s publicly stated educational and professional background. Fulcher received a master’s degree in nonproliferation and terrorism studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in 2023. Forbes reported that his LinkedIn profile had also listed a doctorate in international relations and affairs from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. A university official told Forbes that the institution had no record of Fulcher as a student. After the publication contacted him, his LinkedIn profile was reportedly changed to describe the doctorate as being in progress.
Fulcher also established the Palmetto Initiative in South Carolina in 2023, an organization focused on expanding access to internet connectivity and healthcare. Forbes reported that the organization had described itself as a 501(c)(3) public charity, although its listed identification information did not correspond with IRS records and South Carolina officials said it had not registered to solicit charitable contributions in the state. The organization’s website subsequently removed references describing it as a charity.
In 2025, Fulcher joined the Department of Defense as part of the Department of Government Efficiency effort focused on reviewing Pentagon spending and operations. He was subsequently elevated to serve as a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, becoming part of a reorganized Pentagon leadership structure.
Fulcher’s tenure at the Defense Department lasted approximately six months. Reports surrounding his departure followed accounts of internal disagreements involving other members of the Pentagon’s DOGE operation. Fulcher left the department in July 2025 and maintained that his departure was amicable and consistent with his original plan to serve in government for six months.
Following his government service, Fulcher has continued to describe his professional focus as technology, infrastructure, healthcare and public-sector innovation. His career has spanned entrepreneurial ventures in the United States and Asia as well as a period working within the federal government.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidjeans/2025/03/04/pentagon-doge-official-justin-fulcher/