NOVEMBER 19-21, 2025 | NATIONAL HARBOR, MD
View Co-located Events
| 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
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| 12:00 PM | Ask Me Anything Lunch - SBIR Agencies (lunch not provided) |
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| 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 and Beyond |
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| 12:00 PM | Ask Me Anything Lunch - SBA (lunch not provided)
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| 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 Focus - Evaluator & TPOC |
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11:15 AM |
Crossing Over from One Agency to Another | |||||||||
2024 DETAILED PROGRAM
MONDAY DECEMBER 2, 2024
TUESDAY DECEMBER 3, 2024
Presentation of Colors and National Anthem
Army ROTC Color Guard, University of Texas at Austin
Army ROTC Color Guard, University of Texas at Austin
Naval Surface Warfare Center Overview and Areas of Interest
Jenna Nix, Director of Engagment, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Naval Sea Systems Command
Jenna Nix, Director of Engagment, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Naval Sea Systems Command
Naval Surface Warfare Center Overview and Areas of Interest
Lisa Good, Chief of the Contracting Office, Department Head, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Naval Sea Systems Command
Lisa Good, Chief of the Contracting Office, Department Head, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Naval Sea Systems Command
Microelectronics Manufacturing PRISM Summit Welcome Remarks
David Daniel, Chair of the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium Executive Committee, Office of the Governor of Texas
David Daniel, Chair of the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium Executive Committee, Office of the Governor of Texas
Resilience Week Welcome Remarks
Ollie Gagnon, Chief Homeland Security Advisor, Idaho National Laboratory
Ollie Gagnon, Chief Homeland Security Advisor, Idaho National Laboratory
Resilience Week Keynote
Robert Russell, Regional Director (A) for Region 6, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Robert Russell, Regional Director (A) for Region 6, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Accelerating Innovation through America's Seed Fund
Erick Page-Littleford, Director, Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
Erick Page-Littleford, Director, Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
Welcome Remarks from AFC Austin
Major General Michael “Mac” McCurry, Chief of Staff, Army Futures Command
Major General Michael “Mac” McCurry, Chief of Staff, Army Futures Command
The Basics about the SBIR Program
Erick Page-Littleford, Director, Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
Samir Iqbal, 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, SBIR Senior Operations Manager, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Laurie Hobbs, 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, Chief, Innovative Research Division, Department of Transportation (DOT)
Keith Harris, Director, Division of BioEnergy, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Connie Benesh, Outreach Manager, Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Tylar Temple, Deputy Director, Defense SBIR/STTR Program Office, Department of Defense (DOD)
Zach Vaughn, Chief, Office of Research and Innovation, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA)
Michele Pollard, Program Manager, Technology Partnerships Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Genevieve Lind, Program Manager, Small Business Administration (SBA)
Eileen Chant, Outreach Program Manager, Department of Energy (DOE)
Adam Sorkin, Small Business Policy Manager, National Institute of Health (NIH)
Samir Iqbal, Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF)
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.
Elden Hawkes, Jr., Partnership and Innovation Specialist, Small Business Administration (SBA)
Candace Wright, SBIR/STTR Program Lead, Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
Eddie Billingslea, Small Business Strategy Coordinator, National Institute of Health (NIH)
Samir Iqbal, Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF)
Nicole Berry, SBIR Program Administrator, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
2:00 PM
Defense TechConnect, SBIR/STTR Agency Tabletops, and Smart Cities Connect Expo Hall Opens
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.
Genevieve Lind, Program Manager, Small Business Administration (SBA)
Doug Goodman, Commercialization Partner, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Rachael Sack, Chief, Innovative Research Division, Department of Transportation (DOT)
Jose Colucci, General Business Specialist, National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST)
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 Stepanenko, Deputy District Director, Small Business Administration (SBA)
Weston Waldo, Director TEXVMS & Asst. Director Southwest I-Corps Hub, I-Corps
Cindy Matsuki, HSBIR Program Manager, Innovate Hawaii, Free and Secure Trade (FAST)
4:00 PM
Defense TechConnect, OELS, Fall Smart Cities Connect, SBIR/STTR, and Spotlight Showcase Expo Social and Poster Session I
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4, 2024
Emerging National Energy Challenges for a New Administration
Honorable Lucian Niemeyer, CEO, Building Cyber Security
Honorable Lucian Niemeyer, CEO, Building Cyber Security
Cyberspace as the 5th Domain of Conflict
John Garstka, Director for Cyber Warfare, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)), U.S. Department of Defense
John Garstka, Director for Cyber Warfare, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)), U.S. Department of Defense
Oversight, advocacy, and policy for the Department of Defense (DoD) S&T enterprise
Aprille Ericcson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology (ASD(S&T)), U.S. Department of Defense
Aprille Ericcson, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology (ASD(S&T)), U.S. Department of Defense
DOD Innovation Gamechangers Keynote Panel
Moderator: Jennifer Rocha, Strategic Partnerships, TechConnect Division, ATI
Erick Page-Littleford, Director, Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
Joe Bryan, President, Muswell Orange
Jack Ryan, Senior Program Manager, Energy Portfolio, DIU
Veronika Stelmakh, Co-Founder and CEO, Mesodyne, Inc.
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, ED/IES SBIR Management and Program Analyst, Department of Education (ED)
Nurun Nahar, Program Specialist, Division of Bioenergy, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Adam Sorkin, Small Business Policy Manager, National Institute of Health (NIH)
Learn about the key steps and success factors for moving from Phase I to Phase II
Genevieve Lind, Program Manager, Small Business Administration (SBA)
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)
Jennifer Thabet, Program Director, Small Business Programs Office, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
Erick Page-Littleford, Director, Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer Office, U.S. Small Business Administration
Learn the keys to a successful SBIR/STTR journey and Phase III success.
Brian Shipley, Director, Navy SBIR/STTR Program, U.S. Navy
Angie Donahoo, Innovation Sector Director, General Services Administration (GSA)
Brandon White, Center Liaison (CL) and SBIR Infusion Manager, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Nicole Allen, Army SBIR Program Coordinator, U.S. Army
Carissa Grosh, Ventures Specific Topic Branch Chief, AFWERX, Air Force Research Laboratory
2:00 PM
Defense TechConnect, SBIR/STTR Agency Tabletops, and Smart Cities Connect Expo Hall Opens
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 Bohanan, 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)
Gain insight into the role major primes play in acquisition programs and how R&D from other businesses transitions into those programs.
Larry Dressman, Technology Manager, NAVSEA, U.S. Navy
Alf Carroll, Technology Transition Lead, Raytheon Engineering
Craig Owens, Program Manager for SBIR, Lockheed Martin
Terrell Reid, Corporate Supplier Diversity Programs Manager, Northrop Grumman
Colin Sindel, Contested Logistics Solutions, Boeing
Dr. Bahareh Haji-saeed, Technology Scouting Director, BAE Systems, Inc.
4:00 PM
Defense TechConnect, OELS, Fall Smart Cities Connect, SBIR/STTR, and Spotlight Showcase Expo Social and Poster Session II
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5, 2024
Gina Sims, Director, DoD SBIR/STTR, Department of Defense (DoD)
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.
Moderator: Gina Sims, Director, DoD SBIR/STTR, Department of Defense (DoD)
Dominique Quesada, Operations Manager, Defense Health Agency (DHA)
Allen Franke, Program Manager, AFWERX, Air Force Research Laboratory
Larry Dressman, Technology Manager, NAVSEA, U.S. Navy
Learn about how companies can start with one agency in Phase I and move to a different agency in Phase II
Gina Sims, 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, Program Manager, Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
2024 Sponsors & Partners 
SBIR/STTR Agency Partners  |
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