Aditi Kumar

Aditi Kumar is the former principal deputy director of the Defense Innovation Unit within the U.S. Department of Defense. In this role, she led numerous initiatives focused on the accelerated acquisition and fielding of commercial technologies in response to urgent military needs. Prior to joining DIU, Aditi served as the senior advisor to the undersecretary of defense for acquisition & sustainment, leading efforts related to industrial production expansion and acceleration.

Before joining DoD, Aditi was the executive director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. Aditi also led the Belfer Center’s Economic Diplomacy Initiative, focused on research and expertise at the intersection of international affairs and economic policy. Aditi was previously a principal at management consultancy Oliver Wyman in the financial services and public policy practices. 

Aditi has a BS in economics and a BA in international studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s Huntsman Program, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. Aditi immigrated from India when she was nine and grew up in Missouri.