Ian Howard

Background

About Ian Howard

I’m a program leader who thrives at the intersection of technology, innovation, and impact. Over the past seven years, I’ve managed complex programs across startups, defense, and research ecosystems - connecting vision to execution and turning ambitious ideas into measurable outcomes. In the startup and innovation world, I’ve led the commercialization of deep-tech research, transforming early-stage prototypes into scalable products and funded ventures. My work has secured multi-million-dollar government grants, venture investment, and commercial contracts, and I’ve mentored university research teams through SBIR/STTR commercialization, helping bridge academic innovation to market adoption. In technical environments, I’ve guided multidisciplinary teams delivering complex robotics, IoT, and hardware programs from concept to deployment. As Principal Investigator on NSF, DoD, and enterprise programs, I manage full lifecycles - defining requirements, mitigating risk, and ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery through disciplined systems engineering and clear stakeholder communication. At my core, I’m a systems thinker and communicator - connecting research, business, and operations to deliver real-world impact. Currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at UT Austin, I focus on autonomous robotics and intelligent systems integration, scaling deep-tech innovation into market-ready technology.