Alexander (Sasha) Stolyarov is the Chief Executive Officer of the Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA), a Manufacturing USA institute accelerating the development and domestic manufacturing of advanced fibers, fabrics, and textile-enabled systems. He leads AFFOA’s strategy across government, industry, and academic partnerships, advancing innovations in defense, healthcare, and industrial applications. Dr. Stolyarov also founded the Defense Fabric Discovery Center (DFDC) at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, establishing a national hub for textile innovation in support of U.S. defense needs. He earned his Ph.D. from MIT and Harvard, where his research focused on multimaterial fibers and textile-based devices. He brings deep technical expertise and systems-level leadership to bridging research, manufacturing, and real-world deployment.