About Sidney Olinyk

Sidney is the Founder & CEO of Duco, which empowers leading companies to operate safely, securely, and responsibly by mobilizing the world’s leading experts.

An entrepreneur and former Obama Administration political appointee, Sidney’s career spans technology, trust and safety, national security, and policy–from the Pentagon to civil society to the startup world in Silicon Valley. She has executive experience driving growth, scaling international teams, and advising executives at multiple organizations in both the private and public sectors.  

Sidney’s private sector experience includes serving as Vice President of Business Development at the global development organization Sayara International and as the first employee at a US-based drone startup called Measure. At the Truman National Security Project, Sidney directed the organization's democracy and human rights initiative, fellowship program, and leadership development department. 

In the Obama administration, Sidney served as the Chief of Staff for Middle East Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense where she was the principal advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy and supported the Secretary of Defense in developing strategy, implementing organizational change, and managing interagency coordination across a number of U.S. national security priorities. Earlier in her career, she also served at the U.S. Department of Justice where she conducted legal research and advising for multi-billion dollar proposed acquisition investigations.

Sidney is a National Security Fellow at the Truman National Security Project, a visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, a Board Member at Globally and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, Guild Member at the NFX venture firm, and a startup advisor. She holds a M.Sc. in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a dual B.A. in International Studies and Media & Government Studies from American University in Washington, D.C. 

Sidney is an avid explorer and globetrotter and has hiked dozens of U.S. national parks and visited 50+ countries. She has led foreign policy delegations in Turkey and Azerbaijan, developed and implemented youth programs at a refugee camp in Kenya, was selected as an Emerging Leader at the German Marshall Fund’s Atlantic Dialogues conference in Morocco, and contributed to the Japan Foundation’s Young Researcher Program in Tokyo and Kyoto.

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