Zach Walker

Zach Walker is the Texas Lead for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a Department of Defense (DoD) organization that protects and prepares the military from emerging threats by ensuring access to the most advanced commercial technologies in the world. He fosters greater collaboration between the DoD and the commercial technology sector to field better, faster, more cost-effective solutions while providing an important revenue source to emerging technology companies. He has helped deploy over $250 million of non-dilutive capital to solve national security challenges across five focus areas: Artificial Intelligence, Autonomy, Human Systems, Information Technology, and Space.

A native of Paris, Texas, Zach enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard after the 9/11 attacks and commissioned through Army ROTC in 2006. He served in a variety of enlisted and officer roles in the Army National Guard before transferring to the Air Force Reserve in 2012. He has over 15 years of intelligence, cybersecurity, and cyberwarfare experience as a military reservist, Federal civilian, and government contractor. He has served in the National Security Agency (NSA), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Air Force, and Army, where he earned a Bronze Star for wartime service. 

Zach is currently an MBA candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received his bachelor's degree from The University of Texas at Arlington and has a Master of Public Affairs degree from The University of Texas at Austin.