SBIR FALL Innovation Conference

DECEMBER 3-5, 2024  |  AUSTIN, TX   






  2024 day-at-a-glance  

Detailed Program

Tuesday, December 3 Lone Star Ballroom
9:15 AM Keynote - Accelerating Innovation through America's Seed Fund
10:30 AM SBIR 101
11:00 AM Agency Reverse Pitches
Confirmed Agencies:
NSF
HHS
DOE
NASA
ED
NIST
NOAA
DOT
USDA
DHS
DOD
12:00 PM Ask Me Anything Lunch
1:15 PM Navigating Agency Differences
2:00 PM Executing My Award
2:45 PM Finding Help - Getting Started
Wednesday, December 4 Lone Star Ballroom
10:30 AM Agency Differences - Focus on Evaluation
11:15 AM Transitioning to Phase II
12:00 PM Ask Me Anything Lunch - SBA
1:15 PM Phase III
2:00 PM Commercialization - Partnerships
2:45 PM Working With Defense Primes
Thursday, December 5 Lone Star Ballroom
9:15 AM Ask Me Anything - DoD
10:30 AM DoD Evaluator and TPOC Panel
10:30 AM Crossing Over from One Agency to Another
  2024 DETAILED PROGRAM   



TUESDAY DECEMBER 3, 2024


8:00 AM
Lone Star Ballroom E 

Defense TechConnect, SBIR/STTR, and Resilience Week Keynotes

Presentation of Colors and National Anthem
Army ROTC Color Guard, University of Texas at Austin
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Jennifer Rocha, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, TechConnect Division, ATI
Accelerating Innovation For National Security
John Jansen, CEO, ATI
Army Futures Command (invited)
Kyle Werner, NSWC Crane’s Deputy Technical Director (DTD), U.S. Navy
Resilience Week Keynote
Robert Russell, Regional Director (A) for Region 6, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
9:15 AM
SBIR/STTR Keynote Program
Erick Page-Littleford, Office of Investment and Innovation (OII), U.S. Small Business Administration

10:30 AM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: SBIR 101

The Basics about the SBIR Program


11:00 AM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Agency Reverse Pitches

Samir Iqbal (Invited), Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF)
Adam Sorkin, Small Business Policy Manager, Health and Human Services (HHS)
Eileen Chant, Outreach Program Manager, Department of Energy (DOE)
Keith Woodman (Invited), SBIR Senior Operations Manager, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Laurie Hobbs (Invited), ED/IES SBIR Management and Program Analyst, Department of Education (ED)
Nicole Berry, SBIR Program Administrator, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Rachael Sack (Invited), Chief, Innovative Research Division, Department of Transportation (DOT)
Keith Harris, Director, Division of BioEnergy, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Connie Benesh (Invited), Outreach Manager, Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Tylar Temple, Deputy Director, Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office, Department of Defense (DOD)

12:15 PM
 

Lunch (on own)


12:00 PM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Ask Me Anything Lunch

Eileen Chant, Outreach Program Manager, Department of Energy (DOE)
Adam Sorkin, Small Business Policy Manager, National Institute of Health (NIH)
Samir Iqbal (Invited), Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF)

1:15 PM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Navigating Agency Differences

An inside look into the world of SBIR/STTR. You should leave with an understanding of how to figure out which agency is right for you and concrete next steps.

Candace Wright, SBIR/STTR Program Lead, Department of Defense (DoD)
Eddie Billingslea, Small Business Strategy Coordinator, National Institute of Health (NIH)
Samir Iqbal (Invited), Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF)

2:00 PM
Griffin Hall, Rooms 201, 202, 203, and 204 

Defense TechConnect, SBIR/STTR Agency Tabletops, and Smart Cities Connect Expo Hall Opens


2:00 PM
Rooms 201 and 202 

SBIR/STTR: Agency Tabletops


2:00 PM
Rooms 203 and 204 

Defense TechConnect: Spotlight Showcase Tabletops


2:00 PM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Executing My Award

Leave with an understanding of what needs to be done during Phase I to comply with grants/contracts and to put your organization in the best position for Phase II.

Doug Goodman (Invited), Commercialization Partner, NASA
Nicole Berry, SBIR Program Administrator, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Rachael Sack (Invited), Chief, Innovative Research Division, Department of Transportation (DOT)

2:45 PM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Finding Help - Getting Started

This panel will highlight the various types of help and support available for SBIR applicants.

Lyn Womack, Deputy National Ombudsman, Small Business Administration, Office of the National Ombudsman (SBA ONO)
Reynaldo Vasquez, Southwest Regional Outreach Officer, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Inessa Stepaneko, Deputy District Director, Small Business Administration (SBA)
Cindy Matsuki (Invited), SBIR Program Manager, Free and Secure Trade (FAST)


4:00 PM
Rooms 201 and 202 

SBIR/STTR: Agency Tabletops Reception


4:00 PM
Rooms 203 and 204 

Defense TechConnect: Spotlight Showcase Tabletops Reception


WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4, 2024

Welcome to Day Two
Jennifer Rocha, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, TechConnect Division, ATI
Moderator: Jennifer Rocha, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, TechConnect Division, ATI
Erick Page-Littleford (invited), Acting Director and Program Manager for the Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer, U.S. Small Business Administration
Joe Bryan, President, Muswell Orange
Kawa Amina (invited), DIU
DARPA

10:00 AM
Lone Star Lobby 

Coffee Break


10:30 AM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Agency Differences - Focus on Evaluation

Learn key insights on the criteria used to evaluate SBIR/STTR proposals.

Elden Hawkes, Jr., Partnership and Innovation Specialist, Small Business Administration (SBA)
Eileen Chant, Outreach Program Manager, Department of Energy (DOE)
Laurie Hobbs (Invited), ED/IES SBIR Management and Program Analyst, Department of Education (ED)
Nurun Nahar, Program Specialist, Division of Bioenergy, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

11:15 AM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Transitioning to Phase II

Learn about the key steps and success factors for moving from Phase I to Phase II

Colleen Gibney, SBIR Deputy Program Manager, Defense Health Agency (DHA)
Jose Colucci, General Business Specialist, National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST)
Keith Harris, Director, Division of BioEnergy, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Jennifer Rocha (Welcome Remarks), Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, TechConnect Division, ATI

12:15 PM
 

Lunch (on own)


12:00 PM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Ask Me Anything Lunch - SBA


1:15 PM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Phase III

Learn the keys to a successful SBIR/STTR journey and Phase III success.

Brian Shipley (Invited), Director, Navy SBIR/STTR Program, U.S. Navy
Angie Donahoo (Invited), Innovation Sector Director, General Services Administration (GSA)
Nicole Allen, Army SBIR Program Coordinator, U.S. Army
Carissa Grosh (Invited), Program Manager, AFWERX, Air Force Research Laboratory

2:00 PM
Griffin Hall, Rooms 201, 202, 203, and 204 

Defense TechConnect, SBIR/STTR Agency Tabletops, and Smart Cities Connect Expo Hall Opens


2:00 PM
Rooms 201 and 202 

SBIR/STTR: Agency Tabletops


2:00 PM
Rooms 203 and 204 

Defense TechConnect: Spotlight Showcase Tabletops


2:00 PM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Commercialization - Partnerships

Learn about programs that can support your transition to development and production. Learn what you can do to better position yourself for assistance.

Genevieve Lind, Program Manager, Small Business Administration (SBA)
Devin Bohannon (Invited), APFIT Program Manager, APFIT
Tylar Temple, Deputy Director, Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office, Department of Defense (DoD)
Jacob Choi, Regional Assistant Director, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Manny Oliver, Director, SBIR/STTR Programs Office, Department of Energy (DOE)

2:45 PM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Working With Defense Primes

Gain insight into the role major primes play in acquisition programs and how R&D from other businesses transitions into those programs.

Alf Carroll, SBIR Black Belt, Raytheon Technologies
Craig Owens, Program Manager for SBIR, Lockheed Martin
Terrell Reid (Invited), Corporate Supplier Diversity Programs Manager, Northrop Grumman
Colin Sindel (Invited), Contested Logistics Solutions, Boeing


4:00 PM
Rooms 201 and 202 

SBIR/STTR: Agency Tabletops Reception


4:00 PM
Rooms 203 and 204 

Defense TechConnect: Spotlight Showcase Tabletops Reception


THURSDAY DECEMBER 5, 2024


9:15 AM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: Ask Me Anything - DoD


10:30 AM
Lone Star D 

SBIR/STTR: DoD Evaluator and TPOC

Hear directly from the people writing SBIR/STTR topics and evaluating the proposals. Topics: keys to a successful proposal, what you should know about TRLs and MRLs, and so much more.

Jennifer Thabet, Program Director, Small Business Programs Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Dominique Quesada, Operations Manager, Defense Health Agency (DHA)
Allen Franke (Invited), Program Manager, AFWERX, Air Force Research Laboratory
Petra Branthoover (Invited), SBIR Phase III Lead, U.S. Navy
Gina Sims (Invited), Director, DoD SBIR/STTR, Department of Defense (DoD)
Manny Oliver, Director, SBIR/STTR Programs Office, Department of Energy (DOE)
Connie Benesh, Outreach Manager, Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Robin Burke (Invited), Program Manager, Special Operations Command (SOCOM)


2024 Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors & Partners

2024 SBIR/STTR Agency Partners

SBIR/STTR Agency Partners


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