The Honorable Dr. Will Roper is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of technology startup, Istari Digital. Backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Istari is building the world’s first engineering metaverse, where all technology – from medicines to satellites – is created completely digitally, including the world’s first digitally- certified aircraft they’re designing
this year.
Will is also a Distinguished Professor at Georgia Tech, member of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Board, and Honorary Group Captain in the U.K. Royal Air Force. Will previously served as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, overseeing $60 billion of annual technology development and operations for 5,300+ aircraft and satellites. During his tenure, Will received the Pentagon’s and Air Force’s highest awards for public service. His features in Wired, Popular Mechanics, and his Matrix-inspired guide to digital engineering, “There is No Spoon,” continue to drive thought on technology and innovation.
He holds a bachelor’s and master’s in physics from Georgia Tech and doctorate in mathematics from Oxford University, where he studied string theory as a Rhodes Scholar.
