We are building resilient and diversified supply chains

  1. 501(c)(6) Independent Non-Profit Business Trade Association with seed funding from the Department of War’s Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA), convening critical mineral miners, processors, end-user manufacturers, investors, and the public sector

  2. “Resilient Price” Data Clearinghouse articulating the real, transparent cost structures and supply and demand projections for metals that are ethically produced without state-backed subsidies

OUR MISSION

The Critical Minerals Forum is an independent 501(c)(6) non-profit business trade association that facilitates the collaboration needed for increased and reliable production of critical minerals by convening leading companies across the minerals supply chain, investors, and government institutions. We have two primary objectives: 

  1. Develop actionable cost, price, supply, and demand projections with geographic granularity.

    In partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) Open Price Exploration for National Security (OPEN) initiative, preeminent data analytics firms produce forecasts and Forum members provide feedback to refine them, yielding credible deal-relevant data under multiple policy scenarios.

  2. Provide a clearinghouse for expanded critical minerals supply chain projects.

    Market participants share opportunities for critical minerals investments and investors can identify their financing requirements.

    The Forum also provides a mechanism for information sharing between investors and government agencies, based on market data, and to support coordination of investment activities.  

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Strategic Role

A Central, Trusted Entity for the Global Critical Mineral Ecosystem

  • Serves as a neutral convener across industry, government, and research institutions

  • Created DARPA joint working group for technical / strategic planning

  • Recognized by Congressional and Department of War stakeholders as a key advisory voice

  • Acts as an international ambassador for allied critical mineral security and supply chain resilience

  • Advises leading industry operators, investors, and policymakers on strategic direction and implementation

A Strategic Access and Market Positioning

  • Direct access to senior decision-makers across the full critical mineral value chain

  • Participation in targeted working groups and technical roundtables that shape industry standards

  • Early visibility into new project pipelines, investment priorities, and consortium formations

  • Curated introductions that reduce business development time and increase hit rate

  • Support in tailoring service offerings to current operator and investor procurement needs

DATA Clearinghouse FOR Resilient price, and supply and demand Forecasts

  • Our data platform is the most accurate, up-to-date data hub for the forecasts of Resilient price, and supply and demand of critical minerals

    • “Resilient Price” is our metric that incentivizes resilience by articulating the true cost of production for metals ethically produced without state-backed subsidies.

  • Real-time intelligence on policy, funding, and regulatory shifts affecting project timeline

Our team

  • Rob Strayer

    President

  • Evanna Hu

    Co-Founder / Senior Advisor

  • Donald Davidson

    Chairman of the Board

  • Eric Schwesinger

    Senior Advisor

  • Charlie Lawson

    Chief of Staff

2nd annual Summit

October 7 & 8, 2025

We convened the full supply chain, connecting miners, minerals processors, and advanced manufacturers with metals traders, private equity, venture capital, and U.S. and foreign government officials in one room. The result was actionable connections, commercial transactions, and durable partnerships.

In panels with the defense sector, we discussed procurement strategies and navigating sourcing across multiple tiers of suppliers. Allied foreign governments underscored their capacity to collaborate on tangible steps toward mineral resilience, while making clear that the “middle” of refining and processing must be built into U.S. and allied supply chains. Former and current U.S. government officials emphasized the urgency of this issue—from project finance to direct engagement with mineral-related projects. Executives from domestic producers, including South32 Hermosa and NioCorp Developments, spoke about their anticipated role in securing supply for U.S. industries.

We also previewed the CMF Dashboard, a comprehensive, novel tool for supply, demand, and cost insights with geographic customization and asset-level cost curves. Powered by AI-driven models that forecast trends by country and identify minerals most vulnerable to disruption, it provides transparent outputs to help stakeholders make informed investment decisions and accelerate new capacity. With transparent cost information and without relying on manipulated benchmark indices, suppliers and end-users can confidently enter into offtake contracts using price indices that are relevant to the counterparties and viable for the long term. Data-driven modeling of supply-demand dynamics and production costs helps de-risk investments and counteract the distortions created by state-backed market manipulation

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By coming together, we can bridge gaps, identify opportunities for data-driven solutions, and co-create a future where the critical minerals markets are more transparent and efficient as well as resilient. Your participation is key to this transformative journey.  Join the discussions, share your expertise, and help us shape the future of critical minerals — by contacting us here. 

For our members

If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact your personal membership manager directly or email m@cmforum.org. We will respond within 1-2 business days.