Jenn Gustetic Director of Early Stage Innovations and Partnerships NASA

Ms. Gustetic is a senior executive who architects innovation systems for impact. Currently she is the Director of Early Stage Innovations and Partnerships for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. In this role she leads a portfolio of technology programs that engages diverse sources and creativity and innovation across the country, awarding more than $300M in funding annually through prize competitions, SBIR/STTR, research grants , internal innovation team projects, advanced concepts studies, and technology transfer. She also currently serves as the co-chair of the Partnership for Public Service's Innovation Council (2018-today). 

Previously she has served in various technology program management roles at NASA HQ, as the Assistant Director for Open Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and throughout her career has led numerous innovative communities focused on incentive prizes, citizen science, design thinking and the maker movement.

Outside of her government duties, she also serves on the board of trustees member of the Van Alen Institute and on board of advisors member of the National Science Policy Network. 

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 was a future of work research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School from 2017-2019 and 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.