Erick Page-Littleford

Acting Director SBIR/STTR Program Office, SBA

Erick Page-Littleford serves as Acting Director and Program Manager for the SBA’s Office of Investment and Innovation (OII). This role leverages his significant experience supporting the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, including serving in principal roles executing innovator engagements, program evaluations, and implementing congressional and administrative policy. Prior to joining SBA, Erick served as a program manager, with a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business, leading a team supporting the Department of the Navy’s SBIR and STTR programs. Erick earned his B.S. in Public Policy and his M.S. in Science, Technology & Public Policy from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). He is also certified by the Project Management Institute as a Project Management Professional and by the Scrum Alliance as a Certified Scrum Master.

Nancy Kamei

Program Development Specialist, SBA

Nancy Kamei is a Program Development Specialist at the Small Business Administration (SBA) which coordinates the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs.  Nancy is a serial entrepreneur having served on the start-up teams of four Silicon Valley biotechnology start-up companies (Onyx Pharmaceuticals) and has more than 20 years of experience as an investor, having selected and managed portfolios of both public equities (Capital Group Companies) and venture capital (Intel Capital). For several years prior to joining the government, she served as a national instructor for the I-CorpsTM Program, interacting with National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF) grantees.  Since 2017 she worked as a Program Director at the NSF and NIH where she worked in the SBIR and I-CorpsTM Programs and served on the start-up team of the Convergence Accelerator.   After receiving her doctorate in pharmacy from the University of California, San Francisco, she started her career at Merck and then completed her master's degree in business administration at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.  Nancy also has over 40 years of service in the non-profit sector.

Stephanie Fertig

Program Lead, HHS

Stephanie Fertig has more than twenty years of experience in translational research and has led the creation and implementation of multiple programs focused on small businesses and product development at NIH.  She currently oversees the Health and Human Services Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs and is co-chair of the Entrepreneurial Workforce Diversity Working Group.

Ben Schrag

SBIR/STTR Program Director and Policy Liaison, NSF

Ben Schrag joined the U.S. National Science Foundation as an SBIR/STTR program director in 2009. Ben has worked across several portfolio areas including advanced materials, instrumentation and hardware, nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing. He became the policy liaison for the SBIR/STTR programs in 2016. Ben won the NSF Director's Award in 2014 and 2016. Prior to NSF, he was the director of research and development at Micro Magnetics, where he led a development effort to commercialize a new magnetic imaging tool for semiconductor metrology. During this time, he also served as a visiting scientist at Brown University. Ben received his doctorate in physics from Brown University.

Bob Smith

Associate Director, Defense SBIR/STTR Program, DoD-Navy

As Director of the Navy’s SBIR/STTR and Special Programs, Mr. Smith manages numerous activities designed to assist small businesses in getting their technologies fully developed, tested, and inserted into products and services used by our Naval warfighters. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Smith was the Director of Disruptive Technologies in the Office of Naval Research. The mission of the Disruptive Technologies program is to provide game changing technical options for the future Navy. Mr. Smith was also the Program Manager for the Department of the Navy’s Rapid Innovation Fund, which supports small business concerns rapidly inserting their technology solutions into acquisition programs of record. Mr. Smith was lucky to have previously spent 22 years as a Marine helicopter pilot. Mr. Smith has a BA in Accounting from Whittier College and an MS in Systems Management from the Naval Postgraduate School. He was the recipient of the 2013 Department of the Oreta B. Stinson Advocacy Award (formerly Small Business Advocate Award), one of the annual Navy Acquisition Excellence Awards. The award is given by the Department’s Office of Small Business Programs as recognition of a non-small business professional within the DON that demonstrates direct strong support for the DON Small Business Program, and through their documented actions contributed significantly to improving the opportunity for small business success.

Dusty Lang

Director, SBIR/STTR, DHS

In 1998 Dusty began working at Patuxent River Naval Air Station at the Hazardous Materials Warehouse. After subsequent positions in the Information Resource Management Office and PMA-207, in 2006 she moved to the Naval Air Systems Command Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) office. During her time in the NAVAIR SBIR office, she served as the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Lead, with a brief intermission, from 2015-2016, as the Department of the Navy STTR/STP Program Manager. In 2016 she moved to the Department of Homeland Defense SBIR program.

Gynelle Steele

Deputy Program Executive, NASA

Gynelle Steele is the acting Program Executive for NASA SBIR and STTR Programs. Steele previously managed the Glenn Research Center SBIR/STTR Program Office and was the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Liaison. Prior to serving as Glenn's SBIR/STTR Program Manager, Steele was an engineer in the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) serving as the Center Software Release Authority where she led the design and implementation of the Agency's software repository and designed and managed the Glenn Garrett Morgan Commercialization Initiative (GMCI) which was the Agency's only program focusing exclusively on transferring technology to small disadvantaged businesses. Steele has received multiple awards including the ARMD Associate Administrator's Program and Mission Support Award, the Office of Small Business Programs Technical Person of the Year award, the NASA Medal for Exceptional Service, and the National Women of Color award. She holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Ohio University and a MBA from Cleveland State University.

Eileen Chant

Outreach Program Manager, DOE

Eileen manages the DOE Phase 0 Outreach and Assistance program and coordinates our outreach efforts at state, regional and national conferences. The Phase 0 program offers specialized Phase I proposal preparation and review assistance to eligible applicants from underrepresented groups and states.

Candace Wright

SBIR/STTR Program Lead, DoD - MDA

Ms. Candace Wright, is the SBIR/STTR Program Lead within the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Her office provides government funding opportunities, including technological innovations by small businesses focusing on DoD major weapons systems acquisitions. Ms. Wright has served over twelve years within MDA as an acquisition professional, managing cost, schedule, and performance, within several major weapon system program offices to include serving as the Acquisition Lead for the Homeland Defense Radar- Guam and for the multi-billion dollar GroundBased Missile Defense System (GMD) Next Generation Interceptor (NGI). Ms. Wright also completed a competitive rotational assignment as the Executive Officer to the MDA Executive Director in which she supported Agency Senior Leaders with day-to-day mission planning and execution of the Missile Defense System in support of the warfighter. Prior to her current role, Ms. Wright served as the Division Lead for Program Baseline Support where she successfully led in the coordination, synchronization, standards, policies, and processes of the six Missile Defense Baselines (Contracts, Test, Schedule, Resources, Technical, and Operational Capability). In addition, her organization executed program planning, analysis, execution of Director’s Reviews, and MDA Change Management Processes. Ms. Wright holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Data Analytics and Statistics from Auburn University. She is Scrum Master Certified and DAWIA Certified in Program Management.

Damian Taylor

Deputy Program Executive for Integration, NASA

Damian Taylor Deputy Program Executive for Integration, NASA SBIR/STTR Program Damian Taylor is employed at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). He currently serves as the Deputy Program Executive for Integration in the NASA SBIR/STTR program. Damian has held various programmatic positions with increasing responsibility in NASA for the last 10 years. Prior to NASA, Damian worked for various companies—including Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen, Kodak, ITT Space Systems, and ARES, Inc.—for over 15 years within the Space, Intelligence, and Department of Defense industries as an Engineering Consultant, Systems Engineer, Program Manager, and Business Unit Manager. Damian holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Western International University and Florida Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the Air Force’s Squadron Officer School as well as the Air Command and Staff College in the areas of electronics technology, international business, management, acquisition/contracts, leadership, and national security/policy. After nearly 30 years of total service in the active Army and Air Force Guard, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Taylor has led troops and deployed as an Air Force reserve officer in various leadership positions, serving last as an Inspector General.

Ed Metz

SBIR Program Director, ED

Dr. Edward Metz directs the SBIR program at the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, which provides seed funding for the R&D of innovative forms of commercially viable education learning technologies. Metz specializes in working with industry leaders in the development of education technology, research to test implementation in schools and the promise of games to increase learning, and on business models for private sector commercialization. Metz’s work through SBIR has included leading the annual ED Games Expo and cross-agency stakeholder initiatives focusing on building capacity for games for learning in education. In recent years, ED/IES SBIR has been a leading funder in the games for learning space, making awards to industry leading game development firms such as Electric Funstuff, Sokikom, Spry Fox, Filament Games, Teachley, Schell Games, Kiko Labs, and Strange Loop Games.

Elden Hawkes, Jr.

Partnership and Innovation Specialist, SBIR/STTR, SBA

Elden Hawkes serves as the Partnership and Innovation Specialist, a role that supports the advancement of the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/ STTR) programs. His primary duties include managing the agency’s Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program. Other duties include outreach efforts targeting Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and SBIR Road Tours. Prior to SBA, Elden spent seven years with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) where he helped grow the USDA’s SBIR program as its program specialist and program manager. He holds a degree in Environmental Science/Marine Science and a Master’s in Food and Agricultural Science, both from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Haley Doude

Center Technology Transition Lead, NASA

Dr. Haley Doude is the Center Technology Transition Lead for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center and a program specialist for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. She joined NASA in April of 2023. Prior to her time at NASA, Haley was the Director for Huntsville Corporate Engagement for Mississippi State University (MSU). While at MSU, she was also an assistant research professor leading the university’s metal additive manufacturing research team. She has 10 years of experience in academic research leading programs primarily in materials processing and advanced manufacturing with an emphasis on new program establishment and growth. Haley holds a doctorate and master’s in mechanical engineering and bachelor’s in biological engineering all from Mississippi State University.

Henry Ahn

SBIR/STTR Program Director, NSF

Henry Ahn joined the U.S. National Science Foundation as an SBIR/STTR program director in 2016. Prior to joining NSF, Henry managed seed and early stage investment programs for TEDCO, a venture capital firm, for 12 years including the Technology Commercialization Fund, its flagship seed funding program for technology-based companies in Maryland. During his time at TEDCO, Henry mentored numerous entrepreneurs and was a guest speaker at entrepreneur support groups. He also served as an advisory board member and a judge. Additionally, Henry was part of the licensing/supplier relations team at a biotechnology company called Upstate, where he successfully negotiated, licensed and commercialized approximately 190 biomedical research reagents from around the world. Henry’s background also includes five years of research, primarily in the field of immunology. Henry has an MBA from Rice University, a master's in biotechnology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a bachelor's in biomedical engineering from Boston University.

Jacqueline Gray

SBIR Program Manager, NIST

Jacqueline Gray is the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Manager of the Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Ms. Gray leads, manages, and executes the SBIR program at NIST. She communicates and collaborates with the national small business community, inter-agency SBIR Program Managers, NIST Laboratories, and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expand and enhance the SBIR Program at NIST. Every year Jacqueline joins forces with the NIST Grants Management Division, her TPO colleagues, the Office of the Chief Counsel for NIST, and the Department of Commerce’s Federal Assistance Law Division to develop and publish grant program announcements for innovative scientific and technological small businesses. Before joining NIST, Jacqueline managed and negotiated international contracts and procurements at the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM). Prior to joining NIST, Jacqueline managed the negotiation, award and administration of SBIR contracts at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Her career in the private sector involved overseeing defense and civilian contracts for a variety of high-tech programs. Ms. Gray holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science from Coppin State University, a Master of Administrative Science degree from Johns Hopkins University, a Pharmacy Technician Certificate from Carroll County Community College, and an Executive International Business Certificate from Georgetown University.

Jason Janik

Open Topic Branch Chief, AFWERX

Mr. Jason Janik is the Open Topic Branch Chief at AFWERX. Mr. Janik is responsible for overseeing a $1.3B portfolio of Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer effort as part of the AFVentures’ Open Topic strategy, planning and program execution. Mr. Janik began his Air Force career in 2001 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. Upon commissioning, he began his career as an Acquisition Officer where he has held a diverse range of acquisition and leadership positions, including those in aircraft, space, crypto and cyber acquisitions. Mr. Janik has served in base level, center level and command level positions. Ex: The captain entered the Air Force in May 2013 through ROTC from Hometown University. He completed intelligence officer training in April 2014, and since then has held a variety of intelligence positions related to intelligence production and target development. Captain Doe took part in multiple multinational training exercises in the Korea and Germany, where he was the principle developer of the SHINYTHING framework now used for NATO sensor integration. EDUCATION 2001 Bachelor of Science, Business Management, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado 2002 Air and Space Basic Course, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 2014 Master of Science, Military Operational Art & Science, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 2014 Air Command and Staff College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama 2014 Joint PME Phase I, Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama CAREER CHRONOLOGY 1. August 2001 – March 2003, Acquisition Professional Development Team Lead Program Manager, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California 2. March 2003 – September 2003, Mars Rover Program Manager, National Aeronautical and Space Administration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California 3. September 2003 – June 2005, Space Tracking and Surveillance System Modeling and Simulations Program Manager, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California 4. June 2005 – August 2007, Joint STARS Re-engining Deputy Program Manager, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts 5. October 2007 – April 2011, Mini-Crypto Lead Program Manager, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 6. April 2011 – April 2013, KG-3X Lead Program Manager, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 7. February 2013 – July 2014, Identification Friend or Foe Mode 5 Lead Program Manager, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 8. July 2014 – August 2015, Cyber Command and Control Situational Awareness Future Capability Lead Program Manager, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 9. August 2015 – October 2016, Cyber Command and Control Situational Awareness Deputy Section Chief, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Lackland Air Force Base,Texas 10. October 2016 – April 2019, Protections and Countermeasures Section Chief and Bounty Hunter Lead Program Manager, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 11. April 2019 – September 2020, Cryptographic Modernization 2 Lead Program Manager, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 12. September 2020 – December 2021, Unified Platform Production Deputy Section Chief, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas 13. December 2021 – March 2022, Base Operations Support Lead Acquisition Program Manager, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command Acquisition Division, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 14. March 2022 – April 2023, Flight Operations Section Chief, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command Acquisition Division, Randloph Air Force Base, Texas 15. April 2023 – Present, Open Topic Branch Chief, AFWERX AFVentures Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio (Remote) MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS Joint Service Commendation Medal National Defense Service Medal

Lili Portilla

Commercial Transition Specialist (CTR), Arpa-H

Lili Portilla is supporting ARPA-H as a contractor for Strategic Analysis, Inc. Prior, she was a Senior Director of Government Programs at Novavax. She is also a 30-year veteran of the NIH where she developed various collaborations/alliances, private-public partnerships, managed technology transfer and SBIR/STTR program activities.

Mara Schindelholz

SBIR/STTR Program Director, NSF

Mara Schindelholz joined the U.S. National Science Foundation as a SBIR/STTR program director in 2023. Mara is also a principal research and development staff member at Sandia National Laboratories, where she has developed sensor diagnostics and advanced digital technologies for the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. Her recent recognitions for her leadership in this area include the 2022 Sandia Mission Innovator Award and DOE's Energy I-Corps Commercialization Award. Prior to joining Sandia, Mara was a senior materials research engineer at Luna Innovations (now Luna Labs) and a consultant for ElectraWatch (since acquired by Austal USA). In both positions, she worked on and led DoD SBIR programs to develop and commercialize diagnostic sensing and predictive materials models. Mara received her master's in materials science and engineering and a bacherlor's in chemistry from the University of Virginia.

Matt Williams

Acting Director, SBIR/STTR Program Office, DoD

Mr. Matthew Williams is the Acting Director, SBIR/STTR Program Office, Director, OSD Transitions SBIR/STTR Technology (OTST) Program, and the OUSD (R&E) Technology Portfolio Manager for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s / Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office. Mr. Williams manages transition activities designed to assist Small Businesses Concerns in getting their technology developed and inserted into Acquisition Program of Records, Systems and Sub-Systems used by our warfighters across the agencies. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Williams was the NAVAIR SBIR Commercialization Readiness Program (CRP) Manager. The mission of NAVAIR’s CRP program is to provide NAVAIR Program Managers (PMA’s), Competency Managers and Naval Air Warfare Centers (NAWC’s) with transition funding and strategies for state-of-the-art SBIR technologies to be transitioned and/or integrated to NAVAIR Acquisition Program of Records, Research Laboratories and Fleet Readiness Centers. Mr. Williams was NAVAIR’s Phase III Contracting Manager, overseeing contracting support / services to five (5) Program Executive Officers (PEO’s), thirty-three (33) Programs (PMA’s) and five (5) Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC’s) - managing over 400 contract actions – valued in excess of $400M annually. Mr. Williams retired after 24 Years of Naval Service as a Flight Engineer. After retirement, he was the KC/C-130J DAPML from 2001-2004 – during initial Aircraft Acquisition.

Michelle Matrone

Program Analyst, Arpa-H

Michelle Matrone is a Program Analyst for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) in the Technology Transfer and Transition (T3X) Division within the Project Accelerator Transition Innovation Office (PATIO), where she provides contractual and administrative oversight for public-private partnerships for transition and the ARPA-H Small Business Program. Michelle received her Master of Business Administration from Holy Family University in 2015. In her previous role, she was a Contracting Officer from 2012-2023 for the Defense Logistics Agency within the Contracting Services Office Philadelphia (DCSO-P). Michelle attained her Federal Acquisition Certification Level III in both the Government Acquisition and Contracting Officer Representative disciplines.

Michael Vinje

Center Technology Transition Lead at Kennedy Space Center, NASA

Mike Vinje is the Center Technology Transition Lead (CTTL) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), where he leads KSC SBIR/STTR activities and assists with technology development. Prior to this role, Mike Vinje served as one of KSC’s Commercial Partnership Development Managers, where he helped KSC transition to the busy multi-user spaceport it is today. Mike Vinje received a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University after serving in the U.S. Army 25th Infantry Division. He began his KSC engineering career in 1999 on the Space Shuttle as a contractor working the Orbiter Main Propulsion Systems, where he developed repairs and manned the firing room console during test and launch operations. In 2005, he joined the Constellation Program where he served as the KSC lead for the Orion Service Module until accepting a position with the KSC Center Planning and Development Office in 2010. In 2014, Mike Vinje assumed leadership of SBIR and STTR activities at Kennedy within the Research and Technology Management Office. In this position, Mike Vinje has most recently worked to integrate technology development across the Federal government by establishing joint efforts between NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and other DoD organizations. Throughout his career Mike Vinje has witnessed firsthand the massive changes enabled by new technology, and he looks forward to helping industry drive more change in the future.

Mina Khalil

SBIR/STTR Program Manager, DoD - SOCOM

Mina Khalil is the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Manager at the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM).  Mina Khalil has a plethora of experience in rapid development in NAVIAR and USSOCOM as a Systems Engineer and Program Manger producing state of the art systems and solutions for Department of State, SOUTHCOM, USSOCOM, and SOCCENT. Mina’s experience includes vehicular and aircraft C4I integration, operation centers, broadcast systems, IT and data management, analytics software development, and satellite communication. Mina’s Program Management past work also includes small business innovation, design, integration, supply chain management, and future innovative development.

Monique Pond

Team Leader & Program Director, NIH

Dr. Monique Pond is a Program Director in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Development Center at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). She manages a portfolio of grants and contracts to small businesses developing novel cancer therapeutics, digital health technologies, and therapeutic devices. Monique leads the CARE program, Connecting Awardees with Regulatory Experts, and other collaborative initiatives with FDA to assist small businesses in navigating the regulatory pathway for their technology. She initially joined the NCI SBIR Development Center in 2018 as a Science & Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Prior to joining NCI, Monique spent several years as a regulatory medical writer and consultant at a small start-up where she provided clients with regulatory support for FDA, EMA, and other country submissions. She was awarded a National Research Council Fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology where her postdoctoral research focused on the development of bioanalytical tools. Monique earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Pennsylvania State University and a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin.

Paul Staszak

SBIR Focal - BDS Technology Strategy, Boeing

Dr. Paul Staszak serves as the Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS) SBIR Focal. He has 25 years of experience at Boeing as a project engineer focusing on research, development, design and test of technologies, including those used on the Space Shuttle, X-37, and various space, mission systems, sensors and communications programs. In his SBIR Focal role, he promotes the integration of SBIR technologies into BDS products. He is part of the BDS Technology Strategy organization, which examines the BDS technologies that are required to support current and future government programs and aligns the technology investment plan with the company’s enterprise strategy. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Ceramic Engineering.

Peter Atherton

SBIR/STTR Program Director, NSF

Peter Atherton joined the U.S. National Science Foundation as an SBIR/STTR program director in 2013 with a broad background in the physical sciences and extensive experience in technology development and commercialization. Before joining NSF, Peter was the original CEO, and most recently chief technology officer, of MIKOH Corporation Ltd., a publicly traded company that he founded in Sydney, Australia. While at MIKOH, he was instrumental in developing and commercializing technologies in a range of fields, including diffractive optics, laser-based marking, radio frequency identification and internet-based personal authentication. Prior to MIKOH, Peter spent approximately seven years at the Overseas Telecommunications Commission in Australia, where he managed optical fiber communications research and development, including approximately 14 months at BT's Martlesham Heath R&D laboratories in the U.K. While at OTC, his research group made world-leading advances in high-speed optical communications technologies, some of which were commercialized via spinoff companies. He also managed the externally contracted development and commercialization of several optical fiber and optoelectronic technologies and was instrumental in establishing a commercialization center for specialized optical fibers at the University of Sydney. He moved to the U.S. in 1998 to further develop the company's technologies and markets. Peter holds a doctorate in physics (quantum optics) and a Bachelor of Engineering (mechanical) from the University of Queensland in Australia.

Ruth Shuman

Program Director, I-Corps, NSF

Ruth Shuman joined the U.S. National Science Foundation as an SBIR/STTR program director in 2009. Prior to joining NSF, she founded and was president and CEO of a successful venture-backed life science company, Gentra Systems Inc., that developed, manufactured and sold products for genetic testing and research to clinical and research laboratories worldwide. Following Gentra's acquisition, Ruth held consulting and advisory positions with multiple startup companies and was a CEO-in-Residence for Life Sciences with the University of Minnesota's Venture Center, where she evaluated the business potential of university-developed technology. Ruth began her career as a faculty member at North Carolina State University and is a pioneer in the development of gene transfer and genetic engineering technology. She holds a doctorate in genetics and cell biology from the University of Minnesota.

Terrell Reid

Corporate Supplier Diversity Programs Manager, NGC

As Northrop Grumman’s Corporate Supplier Diversity Programs Manager, Terrell Reid is responsible for corporate oversight and administration of the company’s Mentor-Protégé, Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR), Historically Black Colleges/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI), Indian Incentive and AbilityOne programs.    Terrell earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering from Morgan State University, and a master’s degree in Technical Management from Johns Hopkins University. After spending over 12 years as a systems engineer on Navy programs at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), Terrell joined Northrop Grumman in 2018. He is currently pushing forward Northrop Grumman’s infrastructure, strategy, and performance in supplier diversity initiatives.

Adam Sorkin

Small Business Policy Manager, NIH

Adam Sorkin has over a decade of experience championing small business research and development. He previously supported Small Business Programs and intramural technology transfer activities at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Prior to joining NIH, Adam led R&D, strategy, and fundraising efforts of start-ups developing novel regenerative medicine and anti-infective applications.

Alastair Monk

SBIR/STTR Program Director, NSF

Alastair Monk joined the U.S. National Science Foundation as an SBIR/STTR program director in 2019. Prior to joining NSF, Alastair was an active member of the startup ecosystem in Virginia, serving as a mentor, judge and entrepreneur. He has been directly involved in medical startups for the last 10 years. Most recently, Alastair was the vice president of medical products at Cupron Inc., where he led the development, protection and commercialization of a platform copper antimicrobial technology. He also founded and ran Chrysalides Consultants, a consultancy firm mentoring and providing strategic support to medical startups. Prior to Cupron and Chrysalides Consultants, Alastair was head scientist at Biocontrol Ltd. (now Armata Pharmaceuticals), developing and commercializing bacteriophage therapy for clinical applications. Alastair had an active academic life as a microbiology postdoc at Virginia Commonwealth University in Internal Medicine, and has authored a number of published papers, conference abstracts and oral presentations. Alastair has a doctorate in microbiology from the University of Bath in the U.K., and a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from the University of Birmingham in the U.K.

Alf Carroll

Engineering Technology Partnering, Raytheon

Alf Carroll is Raytheon Engineering Technology staff member, where he is a Site Innovation Advocate, Leads Small Business Partnering, and is a ‘Blue Tech’ Champion leveraging his Ocean Engineering expertise. He supports several Raytheon teams, including Advanced Technology (AT), Supplier Innovation (SI), and Systems Engineering. Alf has led many technology projects including Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (AT/FP), Ballistic Protection, Naval Systems, and Energy Security/Assurance. Before joining Raytheon, other projects included Submarine Propulsion, UUV Systems and Targets, Torpedo Defense, and Fiber Optics Comms/Sensing, and Embedded SW. Empowered by Raytheon’s positive ‘Lean Forward’ engineering culture, Alf continues to provide technical support to the ZUMWALT-Class Destroyer, SPY-6 Radar Product Line, and other programs. He’s currently privileged to lead ‘SBIR Pilot Portfolio’ projects with US Navy. Alf is a passionate champion for SBIR programs across RTX, DoD and DOE. In this role, he promotes “outside the box” concepts/innovative Team-Oriented solutions via collaboration with SME’s, Tech Directors, Chief Engineers, Program Managers, Universities, and US Small Businesses. Alf earned his MS in Ocean Engineering Masters at MIT, a BS in Mechanical Engineering at Northeastern University, preceded by 2 years at the US Coast Guard Academy. Alf is active as an RTX Pride Ally, is active in several RTX-ERGs, and is a proud parent of 2 young Americans. Previously, he was Board Chairman of Salvation Army/ Greater New Bedford, MA and Co-Chair at Engineering Technical Advisory Board at Upper Cape Regional High School. Alf is a mentor at Raytheon, and also for Technology ‘Cohort-Members’ in the Blue Technology domain.

Brittany Sickler

Director, Investment and Innovation Ecosystems, SBA

Brittany Sickler is the Director of Investment and Innovation Ecosystems for the Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) effective. In this role, she is responsible for building networks of stakeholders across the country to improve access for small businesses seeking federal R&D and patient capital funds, creating strategic connections via the Regional Innovation Cluster (RIC) program, the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC), and more.  Prior to this role, Brittany launched a new division at the Economic Development Administration responsible for over $63M in investments to develop economic development networks supporting communities with connections, technical assistance, and promising practices at scale. Previously, Brittany spent almost nine years at SBA in the North Dakota District Office, the Office of Entrepreneurial Development, and most recently in the Office of Investment and Innovation where she designed and managed funding for entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) and coordinated outreach across the federal agencies representing America’s Seed Fund.   Ms. Sickler holds a Master’s in Community Economic Development and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala as well as an AmeriCorps VISTA for microlender Ascendus in Miami.

Craig Owens

Program Manager for SBIR, LMCO

Craig currently serves as the Program Manger for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. Craig is based out of Ft. Worth, TX and supports the other Lockheed Martin Aeronautics sites at Marietta, GA and Palmdale, CA. He has served in this position since May of 2007. Craig has 26 years of experience at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. He began his career in Fort Worth, TX, in 1989 as an Operations Analyst on the National Aerospace (NASP) program. During his tenure at the company, he has performed a variety of different roles within the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics organization, including serving as the Deputy Lead for the F-35 Prognostic and Health Management Demonstration team during the Concept Demonstration Phase of the program. Craig also spent two years as the Manager for Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP). He spent a total of nine years in various roles on the F-35 Vehicle Design and Development team. Prior to working on the F-35 program, he worked as a maintainability design engineer on the F-16 program and served the same role on various advanced development programs. Craig earned his BS and MS degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR in 1987 and 1989, respectively. He also earned his MBA in Management from the University of Dallas in 1994. Craig currently resides in Aledo, TX, with his wife Sophie and three children.

Rich Pisarski

Center Technology Transition Lead at Ames Research Center, NASA

Dr. Ryszard (Rich) Pisarski is the Center Technology Transition Lead (CTTL) for NASA’s SBIR/STTR program at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. His responsibilities include coordinating the CTTLs residing in all ten NASA centers. This work involves facilitating activities that lead to infusion of SBIR/STTR technology into other NASA programs/missions and working with potential small business program applicants and awardees. Prior to this Dr. Pisarski was the head of the Astrophysics Data Facility at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. In this role, he was responsible for managing a group of scientists and technologists involved in developing and building data systems for processing, archiving, and distributing flight data, as well as developing scientific analysis software and supporting various flight missions. Dr. Pisarski obtained his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia University in 1984 and his MBA from the Stern School of Business at NYU in 1999.

Nicole Fox

Applied SBIR Autonomy Transition Broker Team Lead, Army

Nicole Fox leads the Army’s Applied Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Autonomy Transition Broker Team under ASA(ALT). Previously, she served on the staff of the Army Research Office (ARO) in Durham, NC as ARO’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Manager. She has held this position since August 2011. Prior to assuming her ARO role, Ms. Fox served from 2001 through 2005 and again from 2010 through 2011 as the Program Specialist for the Army STTR program. She has received several awards including the Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, Commander's Award for Civilian Service, the small Business Technology Council Champion of Small Business Technology Commercialization, and the Civilian Service Commendation Medal, 2014, 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively.

Jenica Patterson

Small Business Program Director, ARPA-H

Jenica Patterson, Ph.D. is the Director of the Technology Transfer and Transition (T3X) Division within the Project Accelerator Transition Innovation Office (PATIO), where she oversees public-private partnerships for transition and the small business program for ARPA-H. Dr. Patterson received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and post-doc at the intramural NIH Program. She served as a Science and Technical Advisor from 2014-2018 at the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) in the Biological Technologies Office (BTO) and Information Innovation Office (I2O), supporting neurotechnology, OMICs and gene editing programs. Further she served as a Program Director at NIH from 2018-2023 on various translational therapeutic and diagnostic programs at the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) on the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostic (RADx) program.

Melinda Coffman

SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator, USDA

After earning her B.S. in Agriculture from Northwest Missouri State University, Melinda was planning a career in Sustainable Agricultural when she was side-tracked. While serving as an advocate for a family member with a severe and persistent mental illness, she became interested in the field and accepted a position in a community mental health center. Her work received recognition from the University of Kansas Center for Mental Health Research and Innovation (CMHRI), where she was recruited for a position. Melinda gained a plethora of experience at the University of Kansas, from training and consulting to research and program evaluation. She felt an affinity for research and was able to learn and develop her research skills with both quantitative and qualitative data. She also expanded her program evaluation knowledge and became the primary evaluator for the evidence-based and emerging practices that were promoted by CMHRI. She served as the lead research associate for a national study organized by Dartmouth University. She and her colleagues completed the analysis of that data ahead of schedule. Through her research and evaluation projects she became proficient in multiple evidence-based and emerging practices. She co-authored multiple fidelity instruments and academic publications. Melinda earned an M.B.A. from Benedictine College to further her interest in applying business principles to social problems. She is a strong proponent of data driven decision making, project management tools and techniques, and results-based management. She also acquired an interest in entrepreneurism through her M.B.A. program in addition to some individual entrepreneurs she has known

Rajesh Kumar

Program Officer, SBIR/STTR, Office of Strategic Extramural Programs (ERP/OSEP), NIA

Dr. Rajesh Kumar is a program officer at the Office of Strategic Extramural Programs of the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The NIA provides ~$150M annually, through non-dilutive SBIR funding, to startups developing innovations addressing age-related diseases with a focus on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. Dr. Kumar is responsible for promoting and supporting small business innovations within the NIA’s mission. Dr. Kumar has significant academic and industry experience as a scientist and innovator. He holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry and has expertise in cardiovascular, ophthalmic, regenerative, and aging biology. Following postdoctoral training in India and at the University of Virginia, Rajesh joined the faculty of Texas A&M University Health Science Center. Prior to joining NIA, he was the scientific director of a regenerative medicine startup company working to bio-print living tissues. Dr. Kumar has mentored several young scientists, and his research has produced several original publications and patents. One of his innovations has resulted in a commercial drug and two are in different phases of clinical development.

Peter Walker

SBIR/STTR Program Director, DHA

CDR Walker is an Aerospace Experimental Psychologist (AEP) in the Navy’s Medical Service Corps. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 2005, and completed aeromedical flight training in 2006, earning his “wings of gold” as AEP #131. He received his Ph.D. in Cognitive Science the University at Albany, State University of New York. CDR Walker is a data scientist and academic leader in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. His interests focus on the application of authoritative data for digital modernization. He has been an advocate for innovation and change within the Navy for the past 17 years. His leadership and keen eye towards organizational change has led to the adoption of several different products across the R&D Enterprise. CDR Walker’s Navy career began at the Naval Aerospace Medicine Institute as the Fleet Support Division Officer in Pensacola, Florida. Here, CDR Walker was responsible for the development and validation of the Psychomotor Test Battery (PBM) supplement to the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB). In 2008, CDR Walker reported to the School of Aviation Safety as the Human Factors Program Manager. While here, CDR Walker helped sponsor a tri-service working group to focus on the coordination of data collection and the validation of the Human Factor’s Analysis and Classification System. In 2011, CDR Walker reported to the Chief of Naval Aviation Training as the Science Advisor to CNATRA. While there, CDR Walker was responsible for the complete overhaul of the Naval Flight Score (NFS) scoring system, resulting in the review and validation of over 3000+ student naval aviators. In addition, CDR Walker was responsible for the development and validation of a standardized scoring system focused on objective and verifiable test metrics. In 2015, CDR Walker reported to the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) where he served as the Deputy Director for Operational and Undersea Medicine. Here, CDR Walker stood up the first-of-its kind Precision Medicine program focusing on the use of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for precision health and medicine. In 2018, CDR Walker reported to the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as a Program Officer for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education. Here, he was responsible for a portfolio exceeding $20M annually and led the effort to develop a program focusing on promoting the MPT&E enterprise. He would go on to serve as the Science Advisor to the Chief of Naval Operation’s (CNO) directed Culture of Excellence. CDR Walker focused on developing collaborations across the RDT&E Enterprise including government, industry and academia. In 2020, CDR Walker reported to the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center as one of the initial plank holders. CDR Walker helped to establish the Products Directory and developed an RDT&E roadmap for the inculcation and adoption of AI and ML technology. Perhaps the highlight of his career, CDR Walker served as the Product Manager for Project Salus, the Department of Defense’s data analytic platform for COVID. He helped to establish a multi-variate data pipeline to model issues such as disease spread, food shortages, and most recently the prioritization of vaccine distribution. CDR Walker was directly responsible to briefing the Coronavirus Task Force. CDR Walker is currently assigned to the Defense Health Agency as the Deputy Branch Chief for the Science and Technology Portfolio Management Branch and the Program Director for the Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business Technology Transition Program. CDR Walker is the author of more than 40 peer-reviewed research articles. He served as the Chair of the Human Factors Engineering Technical Advisory Group (HFE-TAG) Selection and Classification Sub-TAG for 2008 through 2010 and was the Founder and Chair of the U.S. Naval AEP Society. He is a graduate of the Naval War College Joint Professional Military Education (JPME-I) course. His military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal (3 awards), and the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Keishla Tirado

Director of the Center for Innovation and Technology , PR SBTDC

Keishla M. Tirado has more than 15 years of experience as an educator and college profesor in different educational institutions and universities in Puerto Rico, offering semminars, profesional development,has been in charge of the strategic planning, accreditation processes and writing of Grant proposals. Currently Keishla is the Director of the Center for Innovation and Technology of the PR Small Business and Development Centers and also manages the PR Innovation Entrepreneurship Asssitance Program (PRidea). An SBA grant of the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST), which she was the main Grant Writer of this proposal, that had not been awarded to Puerto Rico since 2015. As the Director of the Center Keishla provides her expertise in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer programs (STTR) to provide assistance to entrepreneurs and researchers to be able to further develop their innovation and commercialize their products. The Center also provides assistance and training to entrepreneurs in the areas of cybersecurity, intelectual property, patents, among others. ​ ​

Tammy Taylor

Contract Specialist, DOT

Tammy Taylor is a contracting officer (CO) in the Innovative Research Division of the U.S. DOT Volpe Center, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has served as a CO of U.S. DOT’s SBIR program since June 2016. In addition to her work on SBIR, Taylor served as the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Disability Employment Program Manager for a three-year term that began in June 2015. Taylor also acts in an independent role as the president of the Recreational Association of Volpe Employees. She has extensive government acquisition and leadership experience. Prior to joining the U.S. DOT Volpe Center, Taylor worked as a team lead CO managing the work of up to nine contract specialists at the Department of Defense’s Hanscom Air Force Base. Before that, she spent almost 20 years at the U.S. Army’s Soldier Systems Center. While most of these years were in the contracting field, she also did work in the logistics and administrative operation fields. Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in management, both from Emmanuel College (Boston, MA).

April Richards

SBIR Program Manager, EPA

April Richards is the Program Manager of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA's SBIR program focuses on developing and commercializing innovative technologies that address the Agency's mission of protecting human health and the environment. EPA topic areas include air and climate, water, green manufacturing and homeland security. April has worked as a fellow on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee where she provided technical expertise on environmental issues. She worked for five years in private industry with an environmental engineering consulting firm in Florida primarily in the area of drinking water treatment. She has a Master's degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering and is a professional engineer.

Bijo Matthew

Founding Director to the Technology Commercialization Center, UTSA

Bijo Mathew serves as the Founding Director to the Technology Commercialization Center of the Texas South-West Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Lead Network at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). In this role he is responsible for crafting the strategy and providing executive direction to the center created to enhance deep science-based innovation, access high-risk funding including America’s Seed Fund (SBIR-STTR) opportunities for applied and translational research opportunities and promote science and technology-driven economic development across the State of Texas. In an additional capacity, Mr. Mathew authored and leads the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program that executes state and regional programs to build the SBIR ecosystem for Texas. Mr. Mathew is among the first ever U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) awardee to the Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) i6 challenge grant for enhancing the South Texas region’s innovation capacity and economic vitality. Mr. Mathew received his MBA and Masters and Bachelors in Chemical, Biological & Material Science Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. His professional career experience includes academic and industry executive roles that have included the domains of basic & applied R&D, product design and development, strategy and business development, advanced technology commercialization, and public-private partnerships.

Tony Jeff

President & CEO, Innovate Mississippi

Tony Jeff serves as the president and CEO for Innovate Mississippi. He’s a technology evangelist who speaks regularly on emerging trends and strategies in technology and innovation commercialization. Tony has overseen the coaching of more than 1,200 entrepreneurial ventures and he’s consulted with companies that have successfully raised more than $175 million in private-equity financing. He led efforts to organize private investors into the Mississippi Angel Investor Network and has recently led efforts to help organize investors into regional investor funds, such as the North Mississippi Angel Fund and the Central Mississippi Angel Fund. Prior to joining Innovate Mississippi, Tony lead corporate teams in finance, sales, engineering and operations. While working for Florida Power & Light, General Motors and Delphi Automotive Systems, Tony successfully led a variety of cross-disciplinary teams in finance and sales for multi-billion dollar product lines. He also successfully negotiated new business contracts in excess of $1 billion. Formerly the finance manager for a $4.3 billion, 140,000 employee division, Tony left that position in 2002 to return to his home state of Mississippi and accept a position with Innovate Mississippi. In addition to his corporate experience, Tony has started two businesses; one of those companies was based on a patent he co-invented and successfully brought to market. He was, at one time, a student of the Japanese language and a member of the Foreign Teaching Staff of AEON Corporation in Tokyo, Japan. Tony holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Mississippi State University. He also holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a masters of engineering from the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University. Tony is married to the former Sheila Kalka, a family-medicine physician. They reside in Madison with their sons, James and Joshua.

Pat Dillon

Founder and President, MNSBIR, Inc.

Pat sees herself as a peacock working with startups and small businesses to create the most vibrant and credible feathers in the ecosystem: she brings a focused and diligent mindset as well as a can-do attitude in an ever-changing funding landscape. Pat works with startups and small businesses to apply for federal research funding to bring their innovations to life. Pat is on an entrepreneurial endeavor, having founded MNSBIR, Inc. to provide support to startups and small businesses looking to commercialize their high-tech solutions with federal funding through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR). Pat holds a B.S. and MBA from Winona State University as well as attended the U.S. Naval War College. She is open to outreach pertaining to advisory board roles.

Margaret Ramey

Director, Center for Technology Commercialization

Margaret’s areas of expertise include ecosystem management, marketing, outreach and event planning. She enjoys sharing ideas and working to find the most effective and impactful solution, but she also likes to laugh. Clients who work with Margaret like that she includes a sense of fun, and that they can count on her to solve problems in a timely, efficient and creative way. Margaret enjoys the knowledge, enthusiasm and energy that entrepreneurs bring to CTC. She is inspired by any project that she knows will help her clients. She loves digging into researching a topic and coming across a tidbit that causes her to instantly say, “My clients need to know this!” Her current hobbies all involve her children at this point in her life. She is entrenched in her children’s schools and sports; volunteering and fundraising when she has time. She also like reading and binge watching anything HBO. BS in Biological Sciences, University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana

Kody Ova

Marketing & Events Specialist, Universities of Wisconsin Institute for Business and Entrepreneurship

ody’s areas of expertise include marketing and communications writing and promotion, social media creation and management, website curation and development, event planning and cross-team communications. Working with Kody is collaborative and entertaining! His open mind and quick humor can add fun to stressful projects while still keeping the team focused. Listening to others and applying creative ideas are strengths Kody brings to teams. The favorite aspect of his job is the ability to access every part of entrepreneurship in Wisconsin. As the marketing and communications specialist for the Institute, he is able to touch and promote every part of the programming, from the high-tech CTC to food businesses in FFI and everything in-between with the SBDC. Helping to tell client stories in creative ways is meaningful to Kody. Learning to tell stories through more in-depth video production is an important part of his development. Kody is passionate about cooking in his free time, testing new creative recipes for friends and family is his favorite hobby. He also enjoys yoga as well as paddle-boarding and hammocking and spending time with friends. Kody enjoys getting involved politically in causes important to him, especially involving LGBTQIA+ rights.

Jeff Smith

Director of Research Parks, MSU Research Foundation

Jeff Smith is Director of the University Corporate Research Park UCRP at MSU Foundation. In this role, Jeff manages and directs the real estate and economic development opportunities on behalf of the MSU Foundation. This includes development and construction within the Research Park system, and management of Research Park facilities, the VanCamp Incubator and Research Labs, and the Technology Innovation Center. His goal continues to focus on leveraging university, corporate research, and community technologies toward commercialization and expansion of the marketplace. Jeff currently or previously served as an advisory board member for the Lansing Regional Chamber, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Advisory Board for Redevelopment Ready Communities, the Capital Area IT Council, Prima Civitas Foundation, Entrepreneur Institute of Mid-Michigan, and the Capitol Collective. Jeff has also served as an adjunct lecturer at both Baker College and Michigan State University, teaching classes in economic development at both institutions. Jeff is a proud graduate of Michigan State University, earning both a Bachelors in telecommunications and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Jeff, his wife, and three children live in East Lansing and are proud to call the Lansing area home.

Mary Hott

In-Tech Program Manager, WV SBDC

Mary is the In-Tech Program Manager for the WV Small Business Development Center where she provides business support to innovation and technology-based companies. She has worked as a business coach with the SBDC since 2015, after spending two decades in the Boston high-tech business community. Mary earned her M.S. in Information Systems from Northeastern University in Boston, and a B.A. from the New School for Social Research in New York City. She is also a Certified Business Advisor (CBA®), certified through Kent State University. Through the In-Tech program, Mary provides SBIR/STTR proposal support and manages the WV Entrepreneurship & Innovation Investment Fund, the state’s matching fund program for SBIR/STTR awardees.

Kyle Salazar

Associate Director-Business Development, Technology Commercialization Office, SC

Kyle Salazar, MPA brings more than 14 years of experience in small business growth and development and technology commercialization. He serves as Associate Director, Business Development at the University of South Carolina’s Office of Economic Engagement focused on technology commercialization and assisting SC based companies to apply for SBIR/STTR grants through USC’s Small Business Administration funded FAST center. He has served as an I-Corps at NIH mentor and led multiple accelerator and MVP development programs. Additionally, Kyle has worked nationally as an organization development and financial management consultant.

Genevieve Lind

SBIR Program Manager, NOAA

Dr. Genevieve Lind (she/her) is the SBIR Program Manager at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She brings years of experience  in technology development and small business innovation in federal, academic, and private sector settings including with the National Institutes of Health, the Small Business Administration, and community and university based innovation programs. Genevieve holds a B.A. in Communications and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Montana.

Abigail Roots

SBIR/STTR Program Manager, DoD - JSTO-CBD

Abigail Roots is the Program Manager for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Program Office, part of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for Chemical and Biological Defense, an integral part of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program (CBDP). Prior to this, Mrs. Roots was the Program Manager for the DTRA Research Oversight Board (ROB), overseeing the governance and compliance process of the DTRA Human Research Protection and the DTRA Animal Use Oversight Programs. Mr. Roots holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from George Mason University. Awards include the DTRA Research and Development Technical Achievement of the Year Award in 2021, along with various other career and career-broadening assignments and awards.

Nathan Weaver

Acquisition Analyst, JSTO-CBD

Nathan Weaver is an Acquisition Analyst that supports the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. Nathan provides program management, acquisition support in solicitation, funds distribution, proposal evaluation, Selection Decision Document and memo writing and editing. Nathan supports programs in the areas of chemical and biological. The SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies to fulfill federal government needs with a goal to aid small businesses in solicitation and development of products for commercialization. DoD Acquisition, DoD Chemical and Biological Small Business

John Golden

Program Director, TechConnect West Virginia

John has more than 25 years of experience in helping businesses and communities identify, develop, and deploy technology solutions. Since 2014, he has managed variety of TechConnect West Virginia programs that support entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing and advancing new products and processes. He currently manages the organization’s FAST program, an SBIR/STTR outreach and support program made possible by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Amanda Allen

Program Coordinator, Florida High Tech Corridor

Amanda Allen is the Program Coordinator for the Florida High Tech Corridor where she supports the Corridor's initiatives currently with contract and grant execution, industry clustering and marketing activities. Amanda has been with the Florida High Tech Corridor since she was an intern supporting workforce development initiatives and continues to grow to support economic development across the region.

Rachael Sack

Division Chief, DOT

Rachael Barolsky Sack is the chief of the U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Innovative Research Division and the director of the U.S. DOT SBIR program. Her work focuses on innovative approaches to program design and communication strategies for sharing information on emerging technologies, best practices, and related policies. Since joining the U.S. DOT Volpe Center in 2002, Sack’s work has supported a variety of transportation areas including environmental streamlining for highway projects, technology transfer initiatives, highway safety countermeasures, and most recently the Inclusive Design Challenge, a prize competition seeking inclusive design solutions to both create and enable accessible automated vehicles for people with disabilities. She also facilitates interagency working groups and issue-specific meetings with the goals of sharing information across agencies, reaching consensus on key issues, and agreeing to action-oriented solutions. Sack has served as Federal Women’s Program manager for the U.S. DOT Volpe Center and is past president of the Women’s Transportation Seminar-Boston Chapter. In 2009, she received the FHWA Administrator’s Team Award for her work on the Surface Transportation Project Delivery Pilot Program and the FRA Administrator’s Team Award for her work on the development of FRA’s new Risk Reduction Program. In 2011, Sack received Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s EEO/Affirmative Action Award for her contributions to support women in transportation. She holds a master’s degree in energy and environmental analysis and a Bachelor of Arts degree in energy and environmental policy, both from Boston University (Boston, MA).

Blaise Zandoli

SBIR Contract Analyst, Army

Blaise Zandoli is the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contract Analyst for the Army Applied SBIR Program supporting the program’s organizational re-design of its processes and interfaces with internal Army customers as well as with external participants in the innovation economy. He performs the duties of Portfolio Manager for the two Applied SBIR Transition Broker Teams: AI/ML and Clean Tech. Blaise has fifteen years’ experience in finance and manufacturing and has worked and studied across East and South Asia, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. He is a Colonel (Ret.) in the U.S. Army Reserves. Blaise holds the degrees of Master of Business Administration from Bocconi University earned jointly with a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University, Master of National Security Strategy from National War College, Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Affairs from American University, and a Diploma in French Language and Politics from University Aix-Marseille.

Paul Reid

Portfolio Manager, Immersive, Wearables, and Sensors

Mr. Paul Reid currently serves as a Portfolio Manager for the Army Applied Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program at the Army Research Laboratory. In this position, he is the lead for both the SMART Sensors and the Immersive and Wearables Transition Broker Teams executing and managing a diverse research portfolio identifying gaps and developing new technologies and capabilities for transition to the Army. Mr. Reid has 10 years of experience supporting both basic research and SBIR/STTR efforts at the Army Research Office developing technologies for the Army, Army Special Operations Command, Defense Health Agency, IARPA and Department of Homeland Security.

Grant Warner

Executive Director, Center for Black Entrepreneurship

Grant M. Warner, Ph.D. – Dr. Warner is the Bank of America Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship and the Director of the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE). A collaboration among the Black Economic Alliance Foundation, Spelman College, and Morehouse College, the CBE aims to grow the pipeline of Black entrepreneurs and connect them to investment opportunities. By increasing investment in Black-founded companies, the CBE will ultimately contribute to closing the investment gap. Prior to joining the CBE, Dr. Warner served as the Director of Innovation for the College of Engineering and Architecture and the Office of Research at Howard University. He was the Howard University PI for the Mid-Atlantic NSF I-Corps Hub which is a $15MM effort to catalyze the lab-to-market ecosystem across Mid-Atlantic region. Dr. Warner is also co-PI for the Pathways to Commercialization effort which is exploring the commercialization capacity at HBCUs across the country. Additionally, Dr. Warner has extensive experience in Lab-To-Market commercialization. He has supported the signature Lab-To-Market accelerator in the country, the I-Corps program, across several federal agencies including the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Energy. He has served as an instructor in those programs and helped to develop the curriculum to support “deep tech” innovation. This has also extended to international Lab-To-Market programs where he provided similar support to the Korean Innovation Center KIC-Start program, Innovate Egypt, and GIST programs run by the Department of State. He received a B.S. degree from Cornell University, an M.S. degree from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University all in Mechanical Engineering.

Bailey DeVries

Associate Administrator and Head of the Office of Investment and Innovation, SBA

Ms. DeVries serves as the Associate Administrator and Head of the Office of Investment and Innovation where she leads the Agency’s portfolio of private investment partnerships and innovation funding programs. These programs include the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program, the Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Programs (SBIR/STTR), and SBA’s innovation ecosystem support organization (ESO) development programs including the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition (GAFC) and the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program (FAST). Ms. DeVries comes to the SBA after a private sector career in the asset management and defense industries. She has served in leadership and executive roles while at T. Rowe Price, Greenspring Associates (now Stepstone), Trail Mix Ventures, and Sotera Defense. She began her career at the strategy and management consulting firm, CEB (now Gartner Research). Ms. DeVries holds an M.B.A. from Georgetown University, an M.S. from Northwestern University, and a B.A. from Wake Forest University.  She serves on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee.

Isabel Casillas Guzman

27th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration

Isabel Casillas Guzman is the 27th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration and serves in President Biden’s Cabinet as the leading advocate for America’s 33 million small businesses and innovative startups. Guzman has made advancing entrepreneurship her life’s work. Growing up, she worked alongside her father in his chain of veterinary hospitals, an experience that shaped her understanding of entrepreneurship and its transformative effect on customers and on communities. She went on to launch her own businesses across a range of industries and advise other founders in paving their way to the American Dream of business ownership. She served as SBA’s Deputy Chief of Staff in the Obama-Biden Administration and then led the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. In early 2021, President Biden asked her to lead the SBA, and her nomination was confirmed by a bipartisan vote in the U.S. Senate. Under Guzman's leadership, the agency manages a $500 billion portfolio and deploys $40 billion in funding annually to America’s small business owners. As administrator, she spearheaded key agency initiatives to deliver essential pandemic assistance to the most vulnerable small businesses and underserved communities. She has also implemented effective strategies that help small businesses and innovative startups gain unprecedented access to capital, contracting, professional networks, technical training, digital tools and disaster support. As a result, more than ever before, millions of America’s entrepreneurs have the resources they need to start, grow and build resilient businesses.

Dr. Mike Minnicozzi

Senior Program Officer, NIAID

Dr. Mike Minnicozzi is a senior Program Officer for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH. In his current position, Mike works in the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation (DAIT) where he administers and oversees a research portfolio of grants, cooperative awards, and contracts on topics such as Allergy, Asthma, Atopic Dermatitis and Sepsis. In addition to his oversight of the typical award mechanisms associated with the NIH e.g., RO1s, Mike represents the DAIT as the primary contact point for all the division’s interests Small Business applicants, including clinical trial proposals. Prior to working for the NIAID, Mike worked at the Schering Plough Research Institute as a Senior Principal Scientist, where his projects included; small animal model development for allergic and non-allergic airway inflammatory diseases, the use of these animal models for the identification of novel inhibitory compounds of disease progression (e.g., anti-IL5, PDE4, anti-VCAM, inhaled steroids), in vitro antibiotic drug screening, novel immune-assay development, in vitro analysis of lipid metabolism, development of biomarkers for use in monitoring disease progression, in-licensing candidate evaluations and as a project manager for drug development. Dr. Minnicozzi holds a Ph.D. in medical physiology from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey (formerly known as UMDNJ-School of Biomedical Sciences).

Daniel Carroll

AFVentures Division Chief, AFWERX

Daniel leads the management and execution for the $1.3 Billion US Air Force and Space Force Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs. Previously, Daniel was the Chief Engineer at USAF Kessel Run, the Technical Director at the US Special Operations Command Program Executive Office Fixed Wing aircraft, and the Autonomous Vehicles Lead Engineer for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center. Daniel earned an MSx in Management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business through the USAF Civilian Development program and a BS/MSE in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.