Megan Smith

U.S. Chief Technology Officer

The tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States is one of our greatest national assets. It is an evolving and evergreen tradition: At no point in our history have we been without passionate innovators who have used the technology, innovation, and design thinking of their time to advance solutions to pressing problems and needs — and move our country forward.

Our Founders had these skills — they, of course, were statesmen, writers, leaders, orators, organizers — they were also inventors, engineers and systems thinkers. George Washington founded what is now the Army Corps of Engineers prior to the founding of the United States, knowing that technical capability and ingenuity were needed.

The innovator’s seat at the table is part of our longstanding American tradition.

The Presidential Innovation Fellows program gives our country a powerful mechanism to ensure that the most current cross-functional innovative thinking can be part of our governance. That technology innovation and design talent can join expert colleagues already in government and together address the greatest challenges our leaders are facing.

Like similar Federal and external fellowships designed to bring top American talent to serve in our government — White House Fellowships, Presidential Management Fellowships, Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and others — the Presidential Innovation Fellows program gives us a path for bringing talent with the latest innovative approaches and technology skills into the Federal government for a burst of time.

Fellows have already delivered extraordinary value for the American people in just the first three years.

We can only imagine the kind of impact we will see year after year as the program supports this top American talent to collaborate and innovate with colleagues across government — providing great value, lowering costs, and together solving the many challenges we face as a nation.