Amanda Hawkins currently serves as the Director of Innovation for Data Society and Director of Coalition Success for LifeHikes.  In these positions she is responsible for the development and instruction of innovation and human centered design courses and concepts to organizations globally.

Prior to joining Data Society and LifeHikes, she was the founder and CEO of Friendly Minds, an educational consulting company founded to help parents during COVID, and Ursus USA, an innovation and human centered design company driving innovation in bureaucracies.  She retired from the U.S. Navy as a Commander in 2018. 

While in the Navy, Amanda served in various operational and staff roles as a Naval Flight Officer.  Her final operational tour was in command of Patrol Squadron Sixteen, a maritime and patrol reconnaissance aircraft squadron which operated the P-8A Poseidon in Europe engaged in sea control and power projection alongside allies and partners.  Other operational tours included combat operations globally where she conducted maritime patrol aviation, intelligence and reconnaissance, and aircraft carrier operations as the assistant navigator. 

Staff tours culminated in her qualification as a Joint Qualified Officer after serving on the Joint Chiefs of Staff creating cyberspace requirements for the warfighter.  She also served on the Chief of Naval Operations staff conducting Flag Officer detailing where she developed and implemented strategic career progression and succession planning for executive leaders.

During her time in the Navy she participated in several combat and peacekeeping operations across the globe.  She has received numerous personal and unit awards for her work including the 2018 Captain Joy Bright Hancock award for inspirational leadership.