Darren Milligan is an educational and civic technologist, cultural heritage educator, and digital strategist and designer. He has worked across museums, non-profits, B2B software companies, government agencies, and cultural institutions to develop meaningful digital experiences and services.
He currently serves as director of digital services at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA), where he leads digital transformation initiatives. His work focuses on enhancing ITA’s customer engagement, empowering service providers, and streamlining operations through digital technologies. He oversees the agency’s digital services portfolio, including Trade.gov, ITA’s flagship site offering a broad range of interactive and transactional tools.
For over 15 years, Darren held multiple leadership roles at the Smithsonian Institution, most recently as the founding acting director of the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology. There, he set the strategic vision for educational outreach across the Institution, expanding the discoverability of digital content, developing new distribution models, and launching innovative platforms. He produced educational games and simulations, led content and marketing strategies for national teacher audiences, and directed award-winning platforms such as SmithsonianEducation.org, a two-time Webby People’s Voice Award winner. Darren also led project partnerships with organizations including Harvard Project Zero, the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy at The Pennsylvania State University, Family Place Libraries, the MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program and The Education Arcade, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Pearson Foundation’s New Learning Institute, and the Council of Chief State School Officers. He has been actively involved in securing funding from major national initiatives, including the National Science Foundation’s Informal Science Education program, IMLS National Leadership Grants, the Smithsonian Institution/Gates Foundation Youth Access Grant, and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative’s Digital Projects and Audience Development Fund.
Darren led the creation of the Smithsonian Learning Lab, a groundbreaking digital platform designed to transform the way educators and students access and use museum resources. Under his leadership, the Lab evolved from a conceptual prototype into a robust, user-centered learning environment that enables the creative reuse of more than six million digitized Smithsonian objects. The platform empowers teachers, students, and lifelong learners to curate, adapt, and personalize collections for use in classrooms and beyond. Darren directed the multidisciplinary team responsible for research, design, development, and implementation, working in close collaboration with educators to ensure the platform met real-world teaching needs.
Since its launch, the Learning Lab has supported millions of users across the globe and has become a cornerstone of the Smithsonian’s digital education strategy. It received the 2019 Webby Award for Best Education Website, was recognized as one of Common Sense Education’s Best Museum Apps and Websites, and won the 2017 AAM Media & Technology Gold MUSE Award for Education and Outreach. The Lab has been widely cited as a model for open-access digital cultural heritage platforms and is regularly highlighted in national conversations about the future of museum-based learning.
Earlier in his career, Darren was the producer and art director for Smithsonian in Your Classroom, a print magazine distributed to every elementary and middle school in the U.S., and co-designed the exhibition The World of Your Senses in partnership with the Dalai Lama, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, and the Exploratorium.
Darren teaches graduate courses on museums and digital media as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Art and Art History at Georgetown University. He writes and speaks regularly on digital innovation in museums and education. His work has been published and supported by organizations including Harvard University, UNESCO, Adobe, ISTE, SXSWedu, and the American Alliance of Museums, and recognized by Tech & Learning, School Library Journal, EdTech Digest, and the Webby Awards, among others.
Prior to his work in cultural heritage, Darren worked in corporate marketing for international software companies and developed online citizen science and mentoring programs with the Purple Martin Conservation Association. He holds bachelor's degrees in biology (ethology & evolution) and Spanish (Latin American popular cultures) from Allegheny College, and a master of arts degree in digital heritage from the University of Leicester. He served as secretary of the board of directors for MCN (Museum Computer Network) and is a voting member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
Darren lives in Washington, D.C., with his Boston Terrier, Baldwin.
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