Dr. John Kaplan, PhD, JD, PE
Dynamic Veteran Leader & Innovation Expert
Dr. John Kaplan is a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, transformative technology transfer leader, and electrifying speaker who captivates audiences with storytelling, singing, and dancing. As Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Technology Transfer Program since 2016, he revolutionized a $1B research enterprise across 130 facilities, achieving record FY2025 licenses, royalties, and invention disclosures—driving 150% disclosure growth, 500% revenue increase, and 250% more VA-led licenses. Honored as the 2022 Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Technology Transfer Professional of the Year, Dr. Kaplan launched the BRAVE initiative to bridge lab innovations to market, impacting veterans and beyond.
Born in northern New Jersey, Dr. Kaplan overcame profound adversity—losing his father at 5, his brother at 13, and his family home to a fire. The Air Force ROTC at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) was his salvation, instilling discipline that fueled a 20+ year military career, including Chief Administrative Officer at DARPA ($3B budgets) and Pentagon IT upgrades. With a PhD in Electrical Engineering, JD in patent law, and MBA—all earned evenings while serving and raising his MIT-educated daughter—his resilience drives his mission. An ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, he brings boundless energy to every talk.
