Jenn Gustetic

Jenn Gustetic is an experienced innovation leader in the Federal government and a policy entrepreneur, having served as the Program Executive for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR/STTR) at NASA Headquarters (2016-2020), the Assistant Director for Open Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (2014-2016), the Program Executive for prizes and challenges at NASA (2012-2014), co-chair of the Partnership for Public Service’s Innovation Council (2018-today), co-chair of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Interagency Maker working group (2016-2018), future of work research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School (2017-2019), co-founder of Design Thinking DC (2011-2014), board of trustees member of the Van Alen Institute (2016-today), and board of advisors member of the National Science Policy Network (2018-today). She has also previously worked at the Transportation Security Administration on their transportation grants programs as well as in the private sector as a management consultant for Phase One Consulting Group.

In her most recent SBIR/STTR role, Ms. Gustetic has funded small businesses approximately $200M annually for research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs and have significant potential for successful commercialization. She has focused on small business engagement and technology transition in her SBIR role. Compared to the 2011-2015 period, from 2016 to today, total investment dollars through Post-Phase II awards into SBIR companies has doubled to over $40 million. Also, the value of NASA Phase III SBIR awards has more than doubled since FY18 from roughly $17M in FY18 to over $35M in FY20, with 78 Phase III awards made in FY20.

Ms. Gustetic holds a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in technology policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has also received an executive education certificate from Stanford University in Venture Capital investing. She has published numerous writings on innovation including in the MIT Press, Space Policy Journal, New Space Journal, and Issues in Science and Technology. She lives on Capitol Hill in Washington DC.