Speakers

Dr. Will Roper is the founder and CEO of Istari Digital, a technology startup backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Istari is building the world’s first engineering metaverse to enable fully digital design, certification, and testing of complex systems—from satellites to medicines—accelerating innovation while reducing cost and environmental impact.

Prior to founding Istari, Dr. Roper served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, overseeing $60 billion annually in R&D and operations for over 5,000 aircraft and space systems. He led major defense innovation efforts in artificial intelligence, digital engineering, venture investment, and hypersonics, and helped pioneer the military’s use of advanced prototypes and drone swarms.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Roper founded the Department of Defense’s Strategic Capabilities Office, where he directed the development of next-generation systems and technologies. He began as the Missile Defense Agency’s chief futurist while at MIT.

Dr. Roper is currently a Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Georgia Tech, a senior advisor at McKinsey & Co., a member of the Defense Innovation Board, and serves on several startup and investment boards. He holds degrees in physics from Georgia Tech and a doctorate in mathematics from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.