John Gowan is VU’s Senior Director for Aerospace & Defense and is known for his extensive executive-level leadership and connections in the aerospace industry. His work in Aerospace & Defense stems from 20+ years at NASA Johnson Space Center as a Division Chief, Strategic Partnerships Manager, and technical leader, giving him a front-row view into the trends shaping this ecosystem.

John collaborates with Venture University to help build VU’s partnerships with aerospace start-ups, industry associations, and future founders or investors. As part of VU’s Frontier Portfolio, Aerospace & Defense investments have become an increasing percentage of deployed capital, and experts anticipate the industry will become one of the fastest growing markets over the next 10-20 years. Through this collaboration, John brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial imagination, investment strategy and aerospace industry insight to VU’s global investing platform.

Beyond his professional work, John has volunteered with organizations combating human trafficking and is active in his church community. He lives in Houston with his wife and two daughters.