SBIR/STTR Spring Innovation Summit 2024 | TechConnect | 17 June 2024 | Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center, 201 Waterfront St, National Harbor, MD 20745

This event are the nation's largest source of early stage, high risk research and development funding for small businesses. These programs provide more than $4 billion annually in competitive awards, enabling entrepreneurs to develop new technologies and ultimately facilitate the commercialization of innovation. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with and hear from SBIR/STTR leaders and experts, as they learn how to submit more competitive proposals and leverage available resources.

2024 Speakers

Henry Ahn
Program Director, NSF

Kari Ashmont
Translational Team Lead, NIH

Peter Atherton
Program Director, National Science Foundation

Eddie Billingslead
Small Business Strategy Coordinator, NIGMS

Eric Blatt
IP Attorney, Scale Firm

Devin Bohanan
APFIT Program Manager, DoD

Larry Branthoover
PEO(T) APEO Science and Technology, NAVAIR, Navy

Elizabeth Burrows
Technology Manager, Bioenergies Technologies office, DOE

Alf Carroll
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Raytheon Technologies

Daniel Carroll
Program Director, AFWERX

Dan Cassenti
Research Psychologist, Army

Eileen Chant
Outreach Program Manager, DOE

Melinda Coffman
SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator, USDA

Stephanie Fertig
Director, NIH Small Business Program

Jacqueline Gray
SBIR Program Manager, NIST

Carlos Gutierrez
Innovation Outreach Specialist - National Programs, USPTO

Elden Hawkes, Jr.
Program Analyst, SBA

Nancy Kamei
Program Director, SBA

Jason Kessler
SBIR/STTR Program Executive, NASA

Brian LaCroix
CPA, Jameson & Company

Dana McCoskey
Environmental Technologies Manager, DOE

Ed Metz
ED SBIR Program Manager, ED

Erick Page-Littleford
Director, SBIR/STTR Program Office, U.S. Small Business Administration

Vinny Pande
Space Ventures Branch Chief, SpaceWERX

Eric Poppe
Managing Director, Cherry Bekaert

Carol Rabke
Technology to Market (T2M) Advisor, DOE

Meena Rajagopal
Program Officer, NIH

Terrell Reid
Manager of Supplier Diversity Programs, Northrop Grumman

April Richards
SBIR Program Manager, Environmental Protection Agency

Jennifer Rocha
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, ATI, TechConnect Division

Abigail Roots (Invited)
Program Manager, Chemical and Biological Defense Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Programs

Chris Sasiela
Director, Innovator Support Services, NIH

Ben Schrag
Program Director and Policy Liason, NSF

Jenny Servo
President, Dawnbreaker

Michelle Shinn
Program Manager, Office of Nuclear Physics

Brian Shipley
Program Manager, Navy

Ruth Shuman
I-Corps Program Director, NSF

Brittany Sickler
Director of Ecosystem Development / Office of Investment and Innovation, U.S. Small Business Administration

Gina Sims
Director of Defense SBIR/STTR Program, DOD

Bob Smith
Consultant, SBIR Expert

Dilawar Syed
Deputy Administrator, SBA

Jennifer Thabet
Program Manager, DARPA

Matthew Williams
Director, Rapid Innovation Fund, DoD

Keith Woodman
SBIR Senior Operations Manager, NASA

Candace Wright
SBIR/STTR Program Lead, MDA

Connie Benesh
SBIR Outreach Manager, DHS

Jose Colucci
General Business Specialist, NIST

Krista Covey
North Carolina - FAST, FAST

Allen Franke
Program Manager, AFWERX

Eva Garland
CEO, Eva Garland Consulting

Colleen Gibney
SBIR/STTR Deputy Project Manager, DHA

Arthur Grijalva (Invited)
Director, SpaceWERX

Tammi Neville
Program Specialist, USDA

Jagadeesh Pamulapati (Invited)
Director, Laboratories, OUSD R&E

Derek Parks
Commercialization and Business Analyst, NOAA

Lindsay Portnoy
Program Director, NSF

Darren Shaffer
DOT SBIR Contracting Officer, DOT

Randy Simpson
Chief Operating Officer, TechOpp, Inc.

Tyler Temple
Program Manager, Army

Ron Uba (Invited)
Senior Business Development Specialist, MBDA

2024 Sponsors & Partners

SPONSORS :
Lockheed Martin
Northrop Grumman

PARTNERS:
• Department of Energy
• Department of Defense
• Army
• Navy
• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
• Department of Homeland Security
• Missile Defense Agency
• Naval Sea Systems Command
• NASA
• National Science Foundation
• DMEA
• US DOH and Human Services
• Defense HEalth Agency
• CHIPS for America
• US Department of Agriculture
• US Environmental Protection Agency
• DOE
• AFWERX
• NIST
• SBA
• Minority Business Development Agency
• Department of Transportation
• US Patent and Trademark Office
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• SBIR STTR
• NSF Innovation Corps.