Dr. Regina E. Dugan is an internationally recognized business executive, producer, engineer-artist, taskmaster, and product developer. Dr. Dugan has led world-class, global teams, and hundred-million to multi-billion dollar efforts to deliver novel products at Meta, Alphabet, and as the 19th Director, and first woman to lead, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The NYTimes noted that Dr. Dugan is “credited with having a knack for inspiring, and indeed insisting on, creative thinking,” and for her unwavering approach to innovation that advances research and solves practical problems. FORTUNE described her as one of the world’s leading experts on product innovation, “the kind that unhinges old ways of operating, juices competition and creates new growth.” She has been named to the Verge 50 list, Fast Company’s ‘Most Creative People in Business 1000′, CNN’s ‘Top 10 Thinkers’, and CNBC’s ‘NEXT LIST’. As executive producer, she has received 4 Annie Awards, 1 Emmy, and an OSCAR nomination.

Dr. Dugan earned her PhD from Caltech and was named a Distinguished Alumna in 2017, joining noted honorees such as Carver Mead and Gordon Moore. She earned her BS/MS from VaTech, where she is a member of the Academy of Engineering Excellence, and in 2022, received the University Distinguished Achievement Award.

Dr. Dugan is the co-author of Issues in Science and Technology article, ‘Changing the Business of Breakthroughs,’ and the co-author of Harvard Business Review cover article, ‘Special Forces Innovation,’ a 2013 HBR McKinsey Award finalist. She has spoken at events such as Code Conferences D9 and D11, Washington Post Summit on U.S. Competitiveness, PopTech, and TED. More recently, Dr. Dugan spoke at Philanthropy Asia Summit, Fortune Brainstorm Health, and Abundance 360 Summit.

Dr. Dugan previously served on the boards of Varian Medical Systems, Zynga, and Cruise; she is currently a director on the boards of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Siemens AG.