Life after DARPA
By design, working at DARPA is a short-term proposition. But connection to the organization can continue to shape the trajectory of your career.
Each of our former employees and contractors exits the organization as a member of a rich network of people who have a shared passion and commonality of experience.
Ambassadors for our Mission
DARPA alumni are the living repository of our history: the ambitious programs, challenges faced, lessons learned through failure, successes celebrated, and relationships and impact made in service of our nation.
Our alumni are an exceedingly generous cadre – loyal to our mission and ready to provide advice or leadership when needed. Many continue working in service of national security at other agencies, consulting, or private-sector companies.
We proactively seek candidates for future agency leadership roles from within our alumni network. Additionally, by maintaining open channels of communication, supported by an events strategy, we aim to enable alumni to serve as ambassadors for our mission to the broader research community.
The DARPA Alumni Association is an independent, worldwide organization that nurtures lifelong relationships, coordinating events, and service opportunities.
The DARPA Effect: An Experience that Drives a Lifetime of Impact
We attract some of the most ambitious minds in science, technology, and national security, people who thrive on solving seemingly impossible problems. The impact of a DARPA role doesn’t end when someone’s appointment is over. Time and again, those who served here move forward, leading groundbreaking research, launching transformative companies, shaping critical policy, and inspiring the next generation of innovators. This series celebrates DARPA alumni, who carry the mission forward and continue to change the world.
Anne Fischer, Ph.D., explains how her experience at DARPA prepared her for a role in early-stage technology investment.
