David Witkowski – a troubleshooter with a strong desire to fix problems

David Witkowski is a results-oriented polymath and recognized leader with a background in engineering and applied physics, specializing in wireless and telecommunications.

“I’ve always been a troubleshooter, with a strong desire to fix problems. During my career I’ve been happiest in roles where I was empowered to locate and resolve issues, and especially I’ve enjoyed working on multi-disciplinary challenges where the solutions require a holistic approach. In my experience when challenges arise in complex systems the link between root causes and issues is not always obvious.”

David serves as Executive Director for the Civic Technology Initiative – which includes Wireless Communications and Smart Cities/Region – at Joint Venture Silicon Valley, as Co-Chair of the GCTC Public Wi-Fi SuperCluster at NIST. He is also a member of the Silicon Valley advisory teams for both CTIA and GSMA.

David’s specialties are business development, early-stage startup leadership, product management, technical marketing, technical account management, and strategy and analysis.

“It’s important to stretch your experience beyond your comfort zone, and be open to new ideas. I read extensively about everything from history to business management. I also enjoy reading historical analyses of military strategy, and current analyses of geostrategy and global economics. This not only helps me solve problems, it helps me understand the inter-relationships of complex systems and the human experience.”

He solves problems in the interface between public policy, communications, and economics.

“At the end of the day, complex systems are highly influenced by people, and people are extremely varied in their thinking and experiences. Knowing what motivates people informs understanding of how they’ll influence complex systems, and it also provides insights on how to communicate proposed solutions in ways that will be understood and accepted.”