Riya Patel is the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering where she works across R&E programs spanning basic research to rapid prototyping and fielding of capabilities that can be imminently fielded to servicemembers.

Riya was previously the Managing Director of Client Success at Dcode, overseeing the company’s commercial and federal practices. She has worked with over 200 high growth dual use commercial tech companies and over 1000 government leaders on how to rapidly insert commercial technologies into federal mission sets. Her experiences helping commercial and emerging technologies navigate the many valleys of death within the Department have shaped her understanding of how policies and even the smallest Departmental decisions can profoundly impact non-traditional businesses. Riya is dedicated to improving the jobs of service members and civilians through the implementation of emerging technology solutions and facilitating a culture of innovation. Previously, Riya has worked at the Defense Innovation Board, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and within the Intelligence Community.