Tex Schenkkan is the Director of National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC), a new initiative within the U.S. Department of Defense. NSIC’s mission is to accelerate the development of dual-use hardware technologies critical to national security and economic competitiveness. NSIC enables startups to advance key milestones in their product development by addressing the shortfall of private investment from trusted sources.

He joined DoD as a contractor in the spring of 2019 before becoming a civilian employee (HQE) in September 2019. Since receiving Congressional funding for NSIC in FY2021, he has focused on building the team and operations to execute on its mission. NSIC was launched at the beginning of March 2021 and is on track to obligate the full amount of its Congressional appropriation of $15M in startups developing products related to batteries, hydrogen-based systems, space, sensors, hypersonics and quantum technologies.

Mr. Schenkkan had a 30-year career in Silicon Valley, all focused on combined hardware and software systems for businesses and consumers. He began as a strategy consultant before joining Hewlett Packard in the mid ‘80’s. After nearly twelve years at HP, he went on to senior executive roles in two Fortune 500 companies and then moved to smaller companies in various senior roles. Before retiring from the commercial sector, he was CEO of a startup developing aftermarket electronic products for the automotive market.

Mr. Schenkkan graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in History from Yale University. He was an Arjay Miller Scholar in the class of ’82 at Stanford Graduate School of Business where he received his MBA.

A native of Austin, Texas, Mr. Schenkkan resides in San Francisco with his wife and near his two children and their families.