Ms. Gustetic is a technology and innovation leader and a policy entrepreneur. But STEM topics (and school overall) were not always her strength. It wasn’t until 8th grade that her “math brain” was activated in Algebra class. Since then, her interest, experience, and leadership in science, technology, engineering, and math has only grown, leading her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Florida. A sophomore during 9/11, she took a keen interest in the role of policy to shape our lives, adding a minor in international relations to her studies. An internship on Capitol Hill and a desire to apply her technical knowledge in service of society led her to the master’s program in technology policy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Over her 15+ year career she has brought a unique blend of technology, policy and innovation skills and knowledge to her work, in topics ranging from homeland security to inclusive cities to space exploration. She has led at the highest levels of the Federal Government, including in the White House, and is a sought after thought leader, completing a 2-year research fellowship with the Harvard Kennedy School in 2019 where she developed methods for organizations to envision and create an equitable future of work. She has published on open innovation, crowdsourcing, citizen science, research and development, future of work, and how to build communities of practice in the MIT Press, Space Policy Journal, New Space Journal, and Issues in Science and Technology.

 She also is passionate about supporting the next generation of STEM leaders, participating as a founding mentor for the Brooke Owens Fellowship and the secretary of the board for the National Science Policy Network.