The Full Story
At the frontier of technology, humanity is the experiment. I’ve built my career in that space — where discovery collides with responsibility, and where the tools we create reshape what it means to be human. From the Pentagon to Silicon Valley, from congressional commissions to startup labs, my journey has always revolved around a single question: how do we build a future worth living in?
Government & Defense
I began my career in national security, leading biotechnology modernization at the U.S. Department of Defense and helping launch BioMADE, a biomanufacturing innovation institute focused on the future of industrial biotechnology. I’ve advised the White House, Congress, and international governments on the security, governance, and promise of emerging technologies. Today, I serve as a Commissioner on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, helping shape U.S. policy at the intersection of biotechnology and artificial intelligence.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
I believe the best way to shape the future is to build it. I’ve co-founded startups in AI, biotech, and defense technology, advised Fortune 500 companies on R&D strategy, and led computational sciences teams in industry. At Colossal Biosciences, I built their computational group and helped launch Form Bio, an AI-powered spinout. At Avidity, as Head of AI & Data Science, I’m work to bring advanced computation into rare disease drug development.
Writing & Thinking Out Loud
Stories are how we make sense of technology’s impact. Through fiction, I explore the moral and philosophical frontiers of biotechnology and AI. My upcoming series, Echoes of Tomorrow (2025), examines what happens when humanity gains the power to rewrite its own biology. My nonfiction essays in The Connected Ideas Project break down complex science and policy for a broader audience, while my academic work in AI and biotechnology has been published in peer-reviewed journals and national reports.
Adventures & Balance
My work is serious, but life should be lived boldly. I’ve cycled over 3,000 miles from Alaska to California, and I’m now training for the Great Alaskan Triathlon — a challenge that spans Denali, the Inside Passage, and the Pacific Northwest. Whether on a mountain bike trail or a kayak in open water, these adventures remind me that technology should expand what it means to live fully human, not diminish it.
Current Focus
Today, my work centers on three interconnected pursuits:
- Advancing responsible AI development in the life sciences — Building systems that accelerate discovery while maintaining guardrails that matter
- Shaping global policy on biotechnology and convergent technologies — Working with governments and international bodies to build emerging capabilities responsibly
- Telling stories that make the future tangible — Through companies, essays, and novels that bridge the gap between possibility and understanding
We are at an inflection point in human history. The choices we make in the next decade will define not just how advanced our technologies become, but what kind of humanity we choose to be.