"DIU is the Department's innovation pointman...the primary interface with the non-traditional ecosystem. Its mission is to convert entrepreneurial products into tangible combat power." — Pete Hegseth, 57th Secretary of War
Our Leadership
We bring experience from both the commercial sector and the joint force.
Sarah Pearson
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Chris Murphy
Chief Technology Officer
Matt Cook
Chief Material Officer
Tabitha Kinchen
Director of Portfolio Operations
Laura Hunnewell
Chief of Staff, DC
Cullen Greenfield
Chief of Staff, Mountain View
Portfolios
David Payne
Autonomous Warfare
Jarred Conley
Autonomous Warfare
Joseph Kunkel
Kill Web
Chris Murphy
10x
Maria "Masha" Danilova
AI Crosscutter
Autonomous Warfare
Overwhelming the adversary with unmanned mass.
Kill Web
Out-sensing and out-targeting the adversary through AI-integrated space architecture.
10x
Speed and radical cost reduction fielding solutions 10x faster and 10x cheaper.
AI Crosscutter
Weaving next-gen AI solutions into the core of every project.
Scaling at the Speed of Relevance.
We move in months by leveraging Other Transaction (OT) authority, we bypass legacy "drag" to award prototype contracts in as few as 60 to 90 days.
Our Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) isn't a science fair, it is a fast lane designed to turn commercial breakthroughs into fielded military power.
Get the CSO PlaybookProblem Curation Phase
Receive, understand, and evaluate DoW partner problem sets.
CSO Phase
Solicit evaluate and select proposals.
Prototype & Scale
Execute and Award.
Removing the Friction from Innovation.
Fast-Track Awards
Evaluation to contract in a fraction of the time of standard acquisition. We operate at commercial tempo to outpace the threat.
Built for Non-Traditionals
We use 5-page solution briefs and virtual pitches, not 100-page proposals.We lower the barrier to entry for the world's best tech.
A Clear Path to Production
Successful prototypes have a direct, non-competitive "on-ramp" to full-scale production contracts.We solve for the 'Valley of Death' with direct-to-field pathways.
Submit Your Solution
The mission is urgent, and we are your pathway. Whether you're a startup with a breakthrough or a warfighter with a gap, let's deliver the overmatch our warriors deserve.
Have a solution for our most critical gaps?
"Cassowary Vex" Suborbital Launch of Hypersonic Test Platform / Feb 2026