The Interview: Aneesh Chopra

A Q&A with the outgoing chief technology officer of the United States, Aneesh Chopra.

He hits on SOPA, open government, and MacGyvering an innovations policy for the country.

After two and three-quarter years in the U.S. CTO seat, Chopra, 39, who holds joint titles as assistant to the president and associate director for technology in the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive Office of the President, is leaving the president's service Feb 8. Chopra cut his teeth in the consulting world, as managing director of the Washington (DC) health care and education think tank the Advisory Board Company. He moved into government to do a stint as Secretary of Technology for the state of Virginia, but there was still plenty he had to learn on the job once in the White House, he says, when it comes to how you go about pushing the country towards innovation from that perch.