Arati Prabhakar

Golden Gov: Federal Executive of the Year

An engineer and applied physicist, Prabhakar has deep experience leading key government science and technology roles. She’s currently the director of the White House Office of Technology Policy and is the president’s chief advisor for science and technology. Prabhakar previously directed the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and was the first woman to lead the National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST). In addition to her public sector experience, Prabhakar spent 15 years working as an executive and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. At OSTP, Prabhakar has been a leader in the Biden administration’s efforts to regulate and harness the power of AI. At a congressional hearing in September, Prabhakar underscored the importance of managing AI’s risks but also noted that “used responsibly, AI can help us deliver better outcomes and create new possibilities for the American people.”