Steven Butow - The Defense Innovation Unit

We’re joined by Brigadier General Steven Butow to discuss his role in building collaborative partnerships between the Department of Defense and private sector companies to meet the demands of America’s future goals in space. Located in Silicon Valley, the Defense Innovation Unit is a fast-moving DoD organization contracts with commercial companies to solve national security problems and foster technology innovation for the 21st century. ABOUT OUR GUEST Brigadier General Steven Butow is the Space Portfolio Director for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) of the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research & Engineering, located in Silicon Valley. Prior to joining DIU, he was the Vice Chief of the Joint Staff, California Military Department, and a former Commander of the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Federal Airfield, CA. General Butow has additionally served as the Deputy Director of the Joint Search and Rescue Center for U.S. Central Command in 2005, and as Chief of Personnel Recovery for U.S. Air Forces Central in 2007 supporting Operations IRAQI and ENDURING FREEDOM. Butow has a B.A. in Physics & Astronomy from San Jose State University and an M.S. in Management from the University of Maryland, and has completed executive courses at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.