As Head of Ventures at Sphere Entertainment Co., Rob McHenry leads Sphere’s frontier technology initiatives, identifying and developing disruptive technologies that drive the Company toward new immersive experiences and beyond. He works closely across business teams to help define Sphere’s innovation agenda, evaluate and pursue strategic investments, and lead the development of rapid prototypes to explore new concepts.
Prior to joining Sphere Entertainment in 2026, Mr. McHenry’s career spans leadership of some of the most iconic innovation engines in history. He was Deputy Director and acting Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where he led overall strategy, technical diligence, and operations for the $4B agency with a portfolio averaging 300 programs. Prior to DARPA, Mr. McHenry was the founder and CEO of Bright Silicon Technologies pioneering the commercialization of advanced optical control technology, and he served as COO of the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) driving reliable business models to deliver disruptive innovation. Earlier in his career he was a Program Manager at DARPA, launching and leading several landmark technology programs for which he received the DARPA Game Changer Award. He began his career as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy.
Mr. McHenry received a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.