Dan Ward is a co-founder of The SparkLit Group, where he provides coaching, consulting, and facilitation for mission-driven organizations as they work to ask bolder questions and build better futures. He particularly enjoys working with groups on culture building and strategic foresight.

He previously served as a senior principal systems engineer and innovation catalyst at the MITRE Corporation. He helped create and lead MITRE’s Innovation Toolkit team, which helped teams understand what innovation is and how to do it. He also led the MITRE team responsible for revising the DoD’s acquisition processes and was one of the principal creators of the DoD’s Adaptive Acquisition Framework. 

Dan served for more than 20 years as an officer in the US Air Force, where he specialized in leading high-speed, low-cost technology development programs and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. While on active duty, he helped establish the Air Force Research Laboratory’s rapid innovation process.

Dan is the author of four books: PUNK, LIFT, The Simplicity Cycle, and F.I.R.E. Dan’s writings have appeared in a variety of outlets including Fast Company, Forbes, and The Boston Globe.

Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Clarkson University, a master’s degree in engineering management from Western New England College and a master’s degree in systems engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.