EI Conference 2023 Speakers and Tech Scouts

Timothy Carty

Founder and Director of Engineering at EMP Shield, Inc.

Mark Patterson

USCENTCOM Technology Discovery and Outreach Chief

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Tim Fowler

Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSTRATCOM

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Joseph L. Haack

Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science & Technology Advisor - U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL

Tim is a key asset to USSTRATCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific and technical research and analysis, helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters, and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Technology Information Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the needs of the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also has responsibilities supporting NORD-NORTHCOM and SPACECOM. Prior to his current position, Mr. Fowler served 25 years in the US Navy both active and reserve in a variety of tactical, staff and command positions in both the continental U.S. and overseas. Tours included starting out his career in Surface Warfare, with follow on tours in Tactical communications, Combat Engineer's, and Technology programs at the Office of Naval Research. While in ONR he worked in ONR Global "TechSolutions" and Code O3T Transitions. He retired in 2011 as a Commander at United States Strategic Command J81. His career spans from the Cold War to Deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Fowler also has a strong and diverse business background to include working in the Insurance, Energy, and Defense sectors. While in the Defense sector he has been a Project Manager for SBIR/STTR's, USSTRATCOM OSD (IPA) representative working and managing Emerging Technology programs such as the Joint Capabilities Demonstration Program. (JCTD) He was assigned to the White House Covid-19 Task Force during the first phases of the crisis to assist in responding to worldwide pandemic technology needs.

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Timothy Carty is the Founder and Director of Engineering at EMP Shield, Inc., in addition to holding a seat on the Board of Directors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Tennessee School of Engineering. Mr. Carty has over 40 years of practical experience in the electrical, information technology, data, communications, and public service sectors. During this time, he has founded and partnered businesses providing network design, automation, security systems, electrical supply, and system integrations. From 1987 to 2017, Timothy was responsible for securing B2 Stealth Bombers located at a Midwest Air Force Base, construction of federal and state detention facilities, touchscreen network design development for military and detention facilities, and wireless network highspeed internet development for a large city in the United States. During this period, he was the President/Owner of a company responsible for cellular and wireless internet network development in Guyana, South America. This included satellite Earth stations with point-tomultipoint wireless networks, voice-over internet protocol (VOIP), voice-over satellite (VOS), fixed, mobile wireless, and cellular networks. In 2017 Timothy cofounded EMP Shield, LLC, which was incorporated in May 2018. EMP Shield, Inc. specializes in the development and manufacture of devices designed to protect homes, businesses, electric grids, and more from high-altitude electromagnetic pulses (HEMP) and lightning strikes. It is during this period that he has become intimately involved in the design, testing, and certification of similar technologies, vulnerability assessments, associated federal-level policy development, and the mitigation, response, and recovery of critical infrastructure. Mr. Carty serves on (9) national working groups and committees concerning HEMP and national power resilience for the following organizations/departments: Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Defense, Joint Base San Antonio, National Electrical Resilience Council, Federal Bureau of Investigation InfraGard – National Disaster Recovery Committee, Data Center Security, Domestic Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations, and National Resilience Power Work Group. He is a member of the National Security Collaboration Council, Homeland Defense, and Security Information Analysis Center. Timothy currently holds thirty-one patents individually and has co-developed an additional ten patents related to HEMP hardening, which are held by EMP Shield, Inc.

Currently serving US Central Command (USCENTCOM) through outreach support to small business and the discovery of innovative technology to meet both identified and potential future technical gaps. Before CENTCOM, Mark served as the Chief Technology Officer for Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) beginning in 2019 with a focus on supporting sensitive activities for the deployed SOF elements in the AOR. This was made possible due to Marks extensive knowledge of clandestine technologies as he directed the Technical Operations Division of SOCCENT for over ten years with one of those years spent in Industry working for Draper Laboratories in Cambridge, Mass. Prior to his tenure at SOCCENT, Mark worked at USSOCOM within the Program Executive Office, Special Reconnaissance where his priority focus was the Hostile Forces Tagging Tracking and Locating Program with sixty-four deployed Field Service Representatives supporting both OIR and OEF. Mark is a retired US Army Special Forces NCO from 5th Special Forces Group with multiple rotations to both Afghanistan and Iraq prior to his retirement. He is married to his wife Diane of 34 years with two daughters and is a Tampa native with many family members in and around the area.

Tech Scout

Margie Johns

USINDOPACOM J8 - Field S&T Adviser for DoD Information Analysis Centers

MJ leads with mutual respect for all beings. MJ is currently assigned to USINDOPACOM J8 as a Field S&T Adviser for the DoD Information Analysis Centers with oversight of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. Building lasting communities of interest with more than 7,000 scientists and engineers in 49 states, connecting the DoD, DoE, industry, and academia. Military and DoD Civilian experience includes: -Science Advisor for Special Operations Command Pacific, advising SOCPAC's senior leaders about relevance of emerging technology. -Ops Support Commander for PACAF Support Forces Antarctica, supporting LC130 and C-17 operations from New Zealand to Antarctica. -Senior Ops Support Officer for USUSINDOPACOM J3, planning and executing multinational joint training events to test national security strategies and strengthen ties with partner nations. Affected training for 300,000+ personnel annually. -Pol/Mil Strategist for USINDOPACOM J5, executing National Security Strategy and coordinating international engagements with foreign governments, NGOs, militaries, and universities. -Operational Support Commander for PACAF’s OPRATION DEEP FREEZE for LC130 and C17 ops from New Zealand to Antarctica in support of the National Science Foundation -Cyber Officer, engineering and deploying communication systems worldwide. -Chief of Operational Plans for Air Force Research Lab HQ, leading tech transfer from AFRL’s 7 labs to the warfighter via deployments, field exercises, demonstrations, tests, war games, and programs of record. -Troop Commander, leading special teams on tactical deployments to the Middle East and Europe. -Civil Support Team Ops Officer, 1st responder for CBRN emergencies. -Inspector General, enforcing highest standards for USAF and ANG units. MJ lives on her regenerative farm on an island in the Salish Sea. There she encourages biodiversity while stewarding meadows and old growth forest. Ensuring adequate nutrition and shelter to sustain humans, domesticated animal partners, and wild co-inhabitants (plant, fungi, insect, elements, and animals) with surplus to share with neighbors. Her biggest joy is her 3 children and their chosen life partners.

Dr. F. Michael von Fahnestock

IPA Technology Coordinator - Science and Technology Office Headquarters - U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

As part of the Science and Technology Division in the J8 Resources and Innovation Directorate, Dr. “Mike” von Fahnestock is the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command coordinator for S&T projects related to Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD), Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs). Additionally, he serves as Operational Manager for a Joint Capability Technology Demonstration and Operational Manager for Rapid Innovation Fund and Coalition Warfare Projects. Prior to his current Interagency Personnel Agreement (IPA) assignment, Dr. von Fahnestock served five years on active duty as an Army Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel with both Pacific Command in the S&T Office and the Army Human Resources Command. Prior to this latest service activation, Dr. von Fahnestock worked at Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, OH, as a program manager, specializing in environmental process design technologies, and as manager of the Energy and Environment Internal R&D Program. With over 20 years at Battelle, Dr. von Fahnestock has held positions in the research, line management and program management tracts, including manager of Battelle’s Hazardous Materials Research Center. He managed numerous environmental restoration projects, technology demonstrations and chemical-biological research and development efforts. Dr. von Fahnestock earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Ohio State University where he also obtained his M.S. in Chemical Engineering. He holds an MBA from University of Hawaii and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. While at Cal Poly, he completed one year at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, Lyon, France. Military education includes Intermediate Leadership Education Course, the Fundamentals of Acquisition 51 Course, Combined Arms Staff Services School, and the Chemical Officer Advanced and Basic Courses. Dr. von Fahnestock is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Project Management Professional and member of the Army Acquisition Corps with Level III Engineering Certification. He holds four patents and has won two R&D 100 Awards and an Army Lean Six Sigma Enterprise Award.

David Rios

Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Advisor to USCENTCOM

Mr. David Rios has over 34 years serving his country as Active Duty military and later a DoD contractor; currently he serves as the Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Advisor for United States Central Command, on the Command Science Advisor’s Staff. He is responsible for discovery of technologies, research, analysis, and mentoring of new & emerging technologies which have the potential to provide material solutions to Headquarters and Component validated needs to prepare the command for current and future operational requirements that support the National Military Strategy and the USCENTCOM Combatant Commander’s Strategy. Mr. Rios served 24 years as an Officer in the United States Navy as a Helicopter Naval Aviator, stationed on multiple aircraft carriers in the fleet; performing and decorated for several at-sea rescues during his career. His last 5 years on Active Duty were served at United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) overseeing combat operations in numerous contingency operations to include Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and NEW DAWN. He attended The Ohio State University graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Aviation Human Factors followed by a Master’s Degree in Joint Military Operations as a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College. He currently lives in San Antonio, FL and his hobbies include breaking/fixing classic cars, restoring antique tube and transistor stereo equipment, and home-brewing beer.

Ronald "Ronnie" Hobbs

Director of Small Business - Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB - Oklahoma

Ronald Hobbs is the Director of Small Business at Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. He leads the Small Business Directorate, which is charged with maximizing small business participation, liaison with the Small Business Administration, industry outreach, source development, and internal and external education on small business matters. “My goal is to connect your capabilities to AFSC requirements at the speed of relevancy. In order to achieve CSAF Action Order to Accelerate Change or Lose, we must think outside the box to realize the Art of the Possible results expected by our nation’s citizenry” Ronald began his Federal Service in Jan 2006 at Tinker AFB Oklahoma. He initially started as a Senior Avionics Technician for the 550th Commodities Maintenance Squadron after being Honorably Discharged from the Air Force in Dec 2004. He then transitioned to the Acquisition Career field through the Defense Career Internship Program. During this time, he received Level III Contracting and Level I Program Management Acquisition certifications. As a Contracting Officer and Supervisor he supported multiple contracting organizations to include Supply Chain, Maintenance Support, Contractor Logistics Support, and Propulsion Contracting organizations. Further, prior to his last assignment he served as the Alternative Competition Advocate and Acquisition Support Chief for the Contracting Directorate at Tinker AFB. Prior to his current position, Ronald was the Chief for the F100, TF33, and T56 Engine Supply Chain Contracting.

Steve Cyrus

Executive Director - FirePoint Innovations Center - Wichita State University

As executive director of FirePoint, Steve has grown its Army Aviation portfolio from $12 million in 2020 to just over $160 million by 2023. During that time he has more than doubled its Wichita, Kansas operations and launched a new center focused on prototyping, demonstrating, and evaluating dual use technologies in Huntsville, AL. Guided by Steve’s leadership and vision, FirePoint has expanded relationships with the core of the Army Aviation technology community and with the establishment of the Great Plains Mission Acceleration Center FirePoint has now broadened its reach across the entire DoD. Prior to FirePoint Steve spent more than 15 years of multidisciplinary experience in the aviation industry at Textron Aviation, leading many general aviation and special missions projects from concept to completion. During his Textron career he successfully led engineering, manufacturing, and program management teams in China, Japan, Mexico, Norway and the United States. He is an alumnus of LeTourneau University in Longview, TX where he obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an alumnus of Savannah College of Art and Design where he obtained a BA in Animation.

Stephen Paul Rodriguez

Managing Partner - One Defense

Stephen Paul Rodriguez is the Managing Partner of One Defense, a strategic advisory firm that leverages machine learning to identify advanced software and hardware commercial capabilities and accelerate their transition into the defense industrial base. He is also an investor at Refinery Ventures, an early-scale fund investing in dual-use technologies across the country. Mr. Rodriguez began his career at Booz Allen Hamilton shortly before 9/11 supporting their National Security practice. In his capacity as an expert on game theoretic applications, he supported the United States Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security as a lead architect for the Thor’s Hammer, Schriever II/III and Cyber Storm wargames. He subsequently was a Vice President at a artificial intelligence company (Sentia Group) and served as Chief Marketing Officer for an international defense corporation (NCL Holdings). Mr. Rodriguez serves as a Board Director or Board Advisor of ten venture-backed companies (Applied Intuition, Duco, Edgybees, Firestorm, Titaniam, Ursa Major Technologies, Vantage Robotics, WarOnTheRocks, ZeroMark, and Zignal Labs). He is a Special Advisor at America’s Frontier Fund, a Commission Director at the Atlantic Council and a Life Member at the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Rodriguez received his B.B.A degree from Texas A&M University and an M.A. degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He is published in Foreign Policy, WarOnTheRocks, National Review, and RealClearDefense.

Denise Ryser

Executive Director - Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition

Denise Ryser is a dynamic professional with a rich and diverse career spanning various sectors. She currently serves as the Executive Director at the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition (PNDC), a role she has held since July 2022, where she has been instrumental in driving the organization's mission forward for 1 year and 5 months. Prior to her current position, Denise held the role of Market Development Director at PNDC for three years, from September 2018 to July 2022. Her dedication and contributions have significantly impacted the organization's growth and development. Denise is no stranger to business development, having served as a Business Development Officer in the Greater Seattle Area from September 2018 to July 2022, accumulating an impressive 3 years and 11 months of experience. In addition to her work in the defense industry, Denise is also an entrepreneur, founding Pink Flamingo Creative Services in January of 2002, where she has been actively engaged for over 10 years. Denise's entrepreneurial spirit shines through her ownership of Pink Flamingo Promotions. Her career extends beyond the business realm, as she previously held the position of Membership Manager at the Association of Washington Business for 2 years and 7 months, from March 2016 to September 2018, contributing to the growth and success of the organization. Furthermore, her experience includes working with a lobbying firm to conduct grassroots campaigns for client objectives, successfully coordinating calling, writing, and emailing campaigns to influence Congressional members and local/state elected officials. She also contributed to the Craig Miller Campaign as a manager for two years, from 2010 to 2012, and demonstrated her ability to handle diverse responsibilities. Before her foray into the defense industry, Denise excelled as a Regional Sales Manager at Scholastic Book Fairs in the Pacific Northwest for five years and one month, from May 1992 to January of 2001. She played a pivotal role in breaking market share and revenue records in King County, Washington, and introduced a successful new Book Fair concept to the region. She was later promoted to Regional Sales Manager for the Pacific Northwest Region, where she hired, trained, and developed a sales team that consistently achieved new school acquisition goals while retaining a loyal customer base. Denise Ryser's career is marked by her strong leadership, entrepreneurship, and commitment to driving growth and success in the organizations she has been part of. Her impressive track record showcases her dedication to making a positive impact in various industries.

Drew Trojanowski

President & CEO - Southwest Mission Acceleration Center (MAC)

The Honorable Drew Trojanowski is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center (MAC). In this capacity, he is responsible for supporting mission-driven organizations and dual-use innovation to help solve the worlds most pressing challenges. Working to remove the barriers to entry and advance collaborations between entrepreneurs, industry, academic, venture and mission-driven national security partner networks in Arizona, nationwide, and worldwide. Prior to joining MAC, Trojanowski was the Assistant Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, for Arizona State University (ASU). He led the development of a robust national security innovation network within the Department of Defense and defense industry for the university. Before joing ASU, Trojanowski was a Presidentially Commissioned Officer on the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) and Special Assistant to the President (SAP). In these roles, he oversaw the departments of Defense, Veteran Affairs, Labor and NASA. During his tenure, Trojanowski was the policy lead on three executive orders and 56 regulations. Before joining the White House in 2018, he served two years as the Military Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator John McCain, Chairmen of the Senate Armed Services Committee. During Trojanowski’s tenure with Senator McCain, he oversaw Arizona defense priorities for the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and penned several successful pieces of legislation, including crafting and advancing the MISSION Act – a law that transforms the VA into a high-performing and integrated 21st century healthcare system. Trojanowski is a career public servant. He began as a scout/sniper in the U.S. Army, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan, serving our nation’s military for a decade. He was also an overseas combat advisor to foreign militaries in the realms of operations, tactics, intelligence and civil affairs. After transitioning to the Arizona National Guard, he developed long-range plans for the Joint Counter Narco-Terrorism Task Force, including budget and staffing requirements, as well as implemented statewide training programs and policies. Trojanowski holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry & Sustainability from Arizona State University, is a graduate of the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy, and was named 40 under 40 by the Phoenix Business Journal. Trojanowski lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife, Samantha, and two wonderful children, Dash and Charleston.

Kevin Miyashiro

CEO - Pacific Impact Zone

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Kathleen Gilpin

Director of Discovery & Engagement - APEX

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Arthur Shaffer

McDowell, Rice, Smith & Buchanan PC

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Jim West

Associate Director - Biotools Innovators Accelerator

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Kathleen Gilpin is the Director of Discovery & Engagement for APEX. In this role, she leads all outreach efforts to universities on a national scale and oversees the team charged with helping entrepreneurs through the SBIR/STTR process. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology, Master’s degree in National Security studies from Naval War College, Master’s degree in Ethics from Holy Apostles, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She is a protein biochemist by training and researched neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis during graduate school. She completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory where she studied Traumatic Brain Injury. Prior to APEX, she worked as a research scientist in the Warfighter Readiness Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory with an emphasis on increasing the performance of tactical operators. In addition to her scientific accomplishments, Kathleen served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy on active duty for 5 years and continues to serve in the reserves. She is a 5x board-selected Commanding Officer and currently serves as the Commanding Officer of an expeditionary, rapid port-opening unit supporting Military Sealift Command.

Arthur K. Shaffer oversees the firm’s intellectual property (IP) practice area. For more than 20 years, he has worked with clients on patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, trade dress, licensing agreements and other intangible assets. He also works with computer law issues including Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and Digital Millennial Copyright Act (DMCA) and litigation of these issues. Specifically, he works to obtain, protect and litigate intellectual property rights in connection with computer and software systems; mechanical devices and medical systems; and other innovative technologies within the public and private sectors. His clients range from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial and small business ventures. As a patent attorney and founder of Intellectual Property Center, Mr. Shaffer frequently speaks to local and national audiences in the areas of intellectual property law and the internet, providing guidance on its evolving legal landscape. Throughout his legal career, Mr. Shaffer has garnered significant experience in complex business transactions and litigation involving a variety of intellectual property concerns. A former physicist and controls engineer, Mr. Shaffer worked in cutting-edge technologies, utilizing computers and electrical systems in the largest and most challenging projects around the world. As a controls engineer, he worked on the control systems for the new Hong Kong airport. In his current, role, Mr. Shaffer works with both major corporations as well as individual entrepreneurs to protect their intellectual property rights. As an entrepreneur himself, Mr. Shaffer understands first-hand the many challenges faced by business owners. Partnering with his clients, he provides them with the resources they need to protect and grow their intellectual property.

Kevin Miyashiro is the CEO for Pacific Impact Zone, a Public Benefit Corporation that operates the Mission Acceleration Center Indo Pacific as part of the Mission Acceleration Center National Network. Mr. Miyashiro founded TeraSys Technologies in 2007 to develop advanced spectrum management and compatibility solutions for the military’s electronic warfare platforms. TeraSys captured and leveraged SBIR phase I, II, and II.5 to grow a portfolio of commercial and MIL grade RF products for platforms such as CREW, MCV, and JTRS. TeraSys Technologies was acquired by QuinStar Technology in 2019. Mr. Miyashiro’s prior career roles include serving as a private equity buy-side acquisition division executive, a venture-capital funded commercial startup engineer, and a senior program manager at Boeing. He received an MSEE from UCLA and a BSEE from the University of Hawaii. Mr. Miyashiro is a senior member of IEEE and served on the executive committee for the 2007 and 2017 International Microwave Symposiums.

Jim is an engineer turned entrepreneur, with a masters in Biomedical Engineering Product Development (2011) and a masters in Entrepreneurship (2009), he blends the business with the technical. Jim worked in the life sciences and medical devices helping to bring new products to market including a cancer laser ablation device, electrosurgical tooling and robotic sterilization. In addition Jim got one of the first mobile medical devices cleared by the FDA using an iPhone as a stethoscope. A 3 time founder, Jim's most recent company was Clara Biotech where Jim served as cofounder and CEO. The company was spun out from the University of Kansas in 2018, and was acquired by Innovaprep in the Summer of 2023. Clara Biotech's goal was to provide tools and materials to enable the next generation of liquid biopsy diagnostics and safe, targeted drug delivery. Today Jim advises small businesses in all aspects of growth, fundraising and development and is now serving as the Associate Director of the Biotools Innovators Accelerator. It's the first ever accelerator focused on life science research tools, helping to improve human health by accelerating the growth of life science tools and diagnostics companies.

OnRamp Hub

Vincent Haworth

Director of Capital Access Center - Kansas SBDC

Vincent began his KSBDC career in July 2020 starting up the Capital Access Center, which is one of only three such existing speciality centers within the ASBDC footprint. Before arriving at KSBDC , Vincent has been a banking professional for over 24 years specializing in commercial lending. Before starting a banking career, Haworth owned and operated a talent acquisition and music management company for thirteen years. Vincent is a lifelong Kansan and has been married for 26 years with a Junior daughter who is the featured twirler at Pittsburg State University. When the Kansas SBDC contacted Vincent Haworth in March 2020 in the middle of the pandemic with an idea of creating a Capital Center he jumped at the opportunity. Having been a volunteer and subject matter expert for the KSBDC for eight years it was an incredible opportunity to assist clients through the financial waters. Vince likes to say “Bankers working for the client, not the Bank”. Obtaining capital is often the most difficult hurdle for small businesses and realizing he could make a difference he signed on July 1st, 2020. Taking the idea, Vincent came up with the overall concept and developed all forms, job flows, trainings, and overall strategy for the Capital Center. Within a couple of months the center was conducting financial training with the Kansas SBDC advisors and community partners. Vincent’s experience with banking has been a big asset for the KSBDC advisors. Banking often has it’s own set of language and having Vincent there to translate dialogue and specific financial requests has been a vital asset. Even simple situations such as finding the right bank and lender for a client often led to dead ends when a capital request came to a KSBDC advisor. Instituting an “Ask a Banker” forum has been a popular social media channel for the KSBDC and their clients. The entire state of Kansas SBDC has been active with referrals to Vince in efforts to obtain financing. Vince in turn, has given back to the regional centers by referring over 160 new clients to the centers. Marketing efforts were in full swing by the fall of 2020 with a emphasis on educating key community leaders about the concept and services of the Cpaital Center. With help from the KSBDC marketing team, a website was created, www.capitalaccesscenter.com along with electronic brochures that outline services. The Capital Center launched in late 2020 and has been instrumental to the Kansas SBDC’s efforts to meet the needs of Kansas small businesses struggling with capital infusion. The Capital Center offers expert financial guidance and capital acquisition consultation services for Kansas SBDC clients. The Capital Center has assisted more than 80 clients with almost $70 million in funding since inception and has conducted over 190 financial trainings and presentations. The Capital Center typically services 62 clients with an average of $28 million in funding requests monthly. Over half of this pipeline involves women and minority owned businesses! Seeing a need in western Kansas for more financial support, Vincent worked with the Kansas Lead Center to bring on another capital specialist specifically to handle clients west of Salina, KS. Alan Eichelberger is a former bank President with over 40 years of financial expertise! The Capital Center has focused on building referral relationships with Kansas community partners to advance the mission of the KSBDC. The CAC has received overwhelming support and has been asked to attend numerous monthly meetings as a featured partner with these organizations. There are many examples of loans that would not have been funded since the CAC was founded and impossible to cover in this write up.

Nicole D. Pottroff

Equity Partner with Koprince McCall Pottroff, LLC

Nicole D. Pottroff is an equity partner with Koprince McCall Pottroff LLC. Nicole’s practice focuses exclusively on federal government contract law. She helps clients understand and comply with the complex regulatory provisions unique to federal contracting, including the FAR, DFARS, and SBA small business, 8(a) Program, WOSB/EDWOSB, SDVOSB/VOSB, and HUBZone regulations, among others. Nicole also assists clients by drafting, reviewing, and negotiating joint venture agreements, mentor-protégé agreements, teaming agreements, subcontracts, social disadvantage narratives, and other critical documents. On the litigation side, Nicole has also played a key role in numerous GAO bid protests, SBA size and status protests, appeals before the SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals, and matters before the Boards of Contract Appeals. Nicole graduated from the University of Kansas and the Washburn University School of Law. A lover of animals and all-things outdoors, Nicole lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with her husband and sons. Nicole covers government contracting legal topics regularly on SmallGovCon.

Elisa Waldman

VP of Workforce Development & Continuing Education - Johnson County Community College

Elisa brings her past experiences as an attorney, retail store owner, small business consultant, and grant administrator to her current position as Vice President of Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Johnson County Community College. Elisa and her colleagues in Continuing Education deliver dynamic opportunities to enhance career development and deepen personal enrichment to approximately 17,000 students annually. Elisa is passionate about offering innovative solutions to support the local and regional workforce and community. Elisa opened her small business with the assistance of the Kansas Small Business Development Center at JCCC. Upon selling her art studio in 2005, Elisa joined the Kansas SBDC as a Consultant; she became the Regional Director of the Kansas SBDC in 2015. Prior to joining the Kansas SDBC, Elisa practiced law in the Kansas City area and in Chicago, focusing on real estate litigation. In addition to her role in Continuing Education, Elisa has served as an Adjunct Instructor for over 12 years, teaching at DePaul University Law School in Chicago and JCCC. Currently, she teaches Business Law and Legal Analysis & Writing at JCCC. Elisa earned her bachelor’s degree (cum laude) in Social Theory from Harvard University and her J.D. from George Washington University. When Elisa is not working, she enjoys traveling far and wide with her husband and their two teenage sons. If not traveling, you will likely find Elisa reading historical or contemporary fiction.

Jeff Tucker

Executive Director - Technology Development Institute (TDI)

Jeff Tucker currently serves as the Executive Director of the K-State Technology Development Institute (TDI), a unit within K-State’s College of Engineering that provides product design/engineering, manufacturing development and new venture services to entrepreneurs and startup/existing companies throughout Kansas and beyond. Prior to his current role, he has held positions of Associate Director, Operations Manager, and Project Field Engineer within TDI and has provided innovation and technology project and strategy consulting services to companies, communities and regions for the past 30+ years. Mr. Tucker is an industrial engineering graduate of Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS) and holds a Masters in Manufacturing Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA). Prior to TDI, Jeff served in several manufacturing and engineering positions of increasing responsibility within Westinghouse Commercial and Defense Electronics in Baltimore, MD, and Pittsburgh, PA.

Laurie S. Moncrieff

Director of Strategic Initiatives - Koucar Management & Kouza Capital

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Jeff Shackelford

President & CEO - Enterprise Center

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

John Addessi

Business Advisor - Kansas SBDC

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Thomas Papadatos

Venture Investment Manager - Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV)

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Moderator

Thomas is a Venture Investment Manager for Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV), a business unit of NetWork Kansas that supports innovative high-growth entrepreneurs. EGV works with other entrepreneurial support partners to provide connections and access to business building resources and capital. EGV manages the GROWKS Equity programs which is deploying $27M through three capital programs working with angel investors and venture capital groups to fund scalable, high-growth companies in Kansas. Thomas’s duties include portfolio management, due diligence, and collaboration efforts across the state to build upon the growing ecosystem to help drive success for Kansas companies. Thomas graduated from Wichita State University with a BA in Finance and Management Information Systems.

John Addessi is a Business Advisor, adjunct instructor and Certified Global Business Professional with the Kansas Small Business Development Center at Johnson County Community College. John teaches seminars and consults on topics such as financing, business plans, marketing, international trade, e-commerce and more. Prior to joining the Kansas SBDC at JCCC, John was a consultant with the Kansas SBDC at Washburn University. John spent 15 years in management in the public and private sectors. He supervised the Language Learning Center at the University of Rhode Island and was sales manager for central Kansas with CellularONE. He received his bachelor’s degree in Russian and his MBA in general management from the University of Rhode Island. John has owned his own e-commerce sites and is familiar with the challenges facing small businesses in a competitive market.

Laurie is now serving as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Koucar Management and Kouza Capital. For the previous few she worked with NASA HQ and the Office of Naval Research on programs designed to help better connect small businesses to the DOD and transition technology. From 2016-202 she served as the Executive Director of DEFENSEWERX overseeing two locations in Florida; one in Las Vegas, Nevada; a facility in Montgomery, Alabama; one in Vicksburg, Mississippi; an office in Flint, Michigan; and a facility in Augusta, Georgia. These locations are funded by Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, USSOCOM at MacDill Air Force Base, the Secretary of the Air Force, Air University, Army Corp.,the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Army. Laurie received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Packaging Engineering from Michigan State University in 1982. She held various business development and executive level positions with several Fortune 500 companies. Laurie joined her father’s company, Schmald Tool & Die, as Sales Manager in 1995. She purchased the business in 1997. In 2007 Laurie established Adaptive Manufacturing Solutions LLC; a vertically integrated collaborative of Michigan based companies. In 2011 she established ReSET, Restructuring Skills thru Education & Technology, and the Manufacturing Innovation Technology Institute (MITI). ReSET worked with students and educational institutions from K-12, Community Colleges, and Universities to provide hands on experiential learning in a fully operating facility focusing on advanced manufacturing, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Jeff Shackelford is the President & CEO of the Enterprise Center located in Johnson County. The ECJC is a 27 year-old organization that has had an economic impact of over $3B for our region by supporting and funding early-stage, high-growth potential companies. ECJC is home to the Women’s Business Center, Mid-America Angels Network, Growth Mentoring Service, Equipped-4-Equity program, Fountain Innovation Fund and Kansas Entrepreneurs Policy network. Prior to joining the Enterprise Center in July, 2019, Jeff was executive director of Digital Sandbox KC, a proof-of-concept center designed to help move early-stage entrepreneurs from concept-to-commercialization. Since launching in 2013, the program has funded development projects for over 200 local, early-stage start-ups and has assisted in securing over $100M in equity investment for 90 Sandbox companies. These companies have created over 1,000 new Kansas City region jobs. Mr. Shackelford has a unique and diverse professional background with a rare combination of Fortune 100 enterprise experience coupled with entrepreneurial, start-up and early stage ventures that includes a successful track record in capital fund-raising of over $500M. Mr. Shackelford holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Kansas.

Tricia Bergman

Associate Vice Chancellor for Economic Development - Office of Research - Kansas University

Tricia Bergman engages with industry and government partners, exploring research and collaborations that help address challenges and opportunities.

Pierre Harter

Associate VP for Industry & Defense Programs, Research Operations + Director of Research & Development at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) - Wichita State University

Pierre Harter is the Associate Vice President for Industry and Defense Programs, Research Operations at Wichita State University (WSU) and Director of Research and Development at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at WSU. In these roles, Pierre oversees R&D programs, identifies opportunities for new programs and develops growth strategies. Prior to joining WSU, Pierre was Executive Director of Advanced Manufacturing Strategy for Spirit AeroSystems with previous executive roles in program management and R&D. Prior to Spirit, he was an Engineering Director at Bombardier Learjet. Earlier in his career, he worked in Denver Colorado as a consultant in the aerospace industry, was a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Designated Engineering Representative (DER), and held a variety of engineering and executive leadership positions at Adam Aircraft Industries developing and certifying general aviation aircraft. Pierre received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in in Aerospace Engineering at WSU, and his MBA from Newman University

Wesley Streeter

Associate VP of Operations - Economic Development & Community Engagement - Pittsburg State University

Wesley Streeter is currently serving as Associate VP of Operations in the Economic Development and Community Engagement Division at Pittsburg State University. Wes received his Bachelor of Science in Plastics Engineering Technology from Pittsburg State University. After working in industry, he received his Master of Science in Technology Education and a Post-Masters Certification in Administration, both from Pittsburg State University. Wes worked in k-12 education for 16+ years. Some of the subjects/courses he has taught include introduction to technology, woodworking, construction, engineering and design, and entrepreneurial classes. Wes has also directed academically talented programs in a variety of disciplines and grade levels. Prior to coming to PSU, Wes served for six years as a junior high and high school principal. Wes is married to his wife Brooklyn and has two daughters, Addilyn and Audrina.

Stephanie Willis

Business Advisor - Kansas SBDC

As a consultant for the Kansas Small Business Development Center at JCCC, Stephanie Willis uses her expertise as a seasoned sales, marketing and management leader to assist business owners. She has the unique ability to merge her corporate career as VP Sales and Marketing with her experience of purchasing, running and selling two of her own businesses. She brings broad industry experience as well as insight into hiring, compensating and motivating employees. Having spent time on corporate boards and executive committees, she also fully understands the budgeting and financial influences within an organization. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Kansas and an MBA from Rockhurst University. She is also a NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional.

Moderator

Bijo Mathew is the visionary Founding Director of the Technology Commercialization Center at the South-West Texas Border Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Lead Network, located at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). As a seasoned scientific program director, innovative researcher, and Principal Investigator (PI), Mr. Mathew brings a wealth of expertise to his role. With over 20 years of experience in academia, basic and applied R&D, strategy and business development, technology commercialization, innovation, and public-private partnerships, Mr. Mathew is the driving force behind developing regional strategies and providing executive direction to enhance innovation. At the SBDC Technology Commercialization Center, Mr. Mathew oversees programs that provide access to groundbreaking, high-impact, and high-risk funding for applied and translational research opportunities. In collaboration with regional SBDC partners and universities, Mr. Mathew offers technical assistance to increase awareness about proof of concept and early-stage funding opportunities to advance the commercialization of technological and scientific innovations, discoveries, and technology transfer opportunities. Mr. Mathew’s expertise in acquiring Federal (SBIR & STTR), Corporate & State grant funding for applied interdisciplinary research and development is unparalleled. He has a demonstrated track record of success in the multidisciplinary applications of material science and engineering in subject areas of nanotechnology, photocatalysis, metamaterials, nanomaterials, surfactant applications, high surface area materials, polymer nanocomposites, carbon nanotubes (SWNT & MWNT), nanowires, energy storage materials, synthetic biology, medical diagnostics, and biomedical projects. Mr. Mathew received his MBA and Master of Science in Chemical, Biological & Material Science Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. As the Principal Investigator (PI) to the Small Business Administration (SBA) Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program award to support R&D and Small Business Innovation across the State of Texas, Mr. Mathew is committed to the development of the region and its growth potential. His corporate executive roles have included V.P. of Strategy & Business Development and Executive Director of Innovation and Public-Private Partnerships. As the Technology Commercialization Center’s Founding Director, Mr. Mathew leads the charge to advance regional innovation and entrepreneurship. His dedication and expertise make him an invaluable member of the UTSA community and the perfect person to lead the charge in developing the region’s potential for growth and development.

Jessica Ervin is the Technology Innovation Director for the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center Network. She began her career with the SBDC in 2015 as a part time general business advisor and transitioned to full time the in 2016. In her current role she assists clients with technology commercialization, contracting with the Department of Defense and other federal agencies, SBIR/STTR proposals, and strategic planning. Jessica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in business with a minor in education from Texas A&M-Commerce. Continuing her professional development, she has earned certifications in Export and Trade Counseling, Technology Commercialization, Advanced Facilitator Training, Credit Counseling, and GrowthWheel. Prior to joining Oklahoma SBDC, Jessica was involved in marketing, public relations, retail merchandising, and nonprofit management. She has a background in production, competition, and event promotion within the bucking stock industry. Jessica enjoys reading and spending time with her children. She is active in her community, church, and her local school district.

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Chris Pennington

Questable + Tech Innovation & Business Advisor - Kansas SBDC

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Bijo Mathew

Founding Director - South-West Texas Border SBDC Technology Commercialization Center

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

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Jessica Ervin

Technology Innovation Director - Oklahoma SBDC

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Alan Badgley

Director of Encountering Innovation - NIMA - Pittsburg State University

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Chris Pennington is a Business Advisor for the Kansas SBDC, specializing in Tech Transfers/Commercialization at Pittsburg State University, and is the owner of a tech startup. The startup, Questable, is an application geared towards recruitment and retention activities of cadets in officer training programs as well as higher education organizations. Prior to joining the Kansas SBDC, Chris, was a client of the Kansas SBDC and attended Encountering Innovation. Chris earned his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington and has over 20 years of experience in working with several of the top brands/companies in the Midwest/US.

Alan Badgley is known for his enthusiasm in fostering innovation and advancing technology commercialization. As the founder and Director of the respected Encountering Innovation Conference, now celebrating its seventh year of success, Alan has become a persistent force in the realm of attracting innovators with technological advancement and economic development. His ongoing tech commercialization program at Pittsburg State University's Economic Development Community Engagement is a testament to his unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Alan's work is distinguished by his close collaboration with DoD Combatant Command Tech Scouts, where he leverages a wealth of experience accumulated over sixteen years in Small Business Development Centers. Combining these two, Alan has cultivated a network that attracts and nurtures technology innovators, expanding the horizons of his team's reach and impact. He insists on ensuring others that it’s the strong inner circle team that has made this endeavor possible. Rooted in a background in the electric utility business, Alan's foundational education in electrical distribution equips him with a unique perspective on the technical aspects of the innovations he encounters daily. Yet, the special focus on strategic planning during his pursuit of an MBA in Finance and Marketing sets him apart and infuses his approach for ongoing success that fosters innovation. Meanwhile, whether Alan is creating a birthday card, sketching, or playing his guitar on his (now infamous) screened-in back porch, he escapes the challenges of innovation for a moment. Here, he gains a special point of view that refreshes his perspective on the world and fuels his passion for innovation. As he listens to acoustic guitar melodies playing old hymns in the background and watches the leaves transform into autumn colors, he is thankful for the profound connection between the beauty of nature and the drive to bring small businesses and tech scouts together for the creation of innovative solutions that will ensure a safer tomorrow. Alan’s obsession is not just about a shared vision of a brighter, more innovative future; it’s about connecting people and ideas, fostering an ecosystem of working together. With his unique blend of experience, education, and networking, he dreams of continuing to navigate the challenging, ever-evolving landscape of technological innovation and small business development. After all, it’s either chaotic or dynamic, right?!?

Moderator

Nate Allen

IT & AI Consultant - Blue Pail

Nate is an IT consultant currently focused on helping organizations integrate generative AI into their products and processes. He uses his broad background in engineering, entertainment and education to help companies modernize their products and create lasting value. These include bespoke data visualizations for the Kaufman foundation, Ruby on Rails SaaS applications, an Xbox video game, customized WordPress plugins and themes, and most recently helping to bring Ada’s AI chatbot to call centers with a voice implementation. He's also taught career changing adults at the at the Turing School in Denver.

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Chris Kovac

Marketing AI Consultant - Kovac.ai

Since 1996, Chris's passion has been at the intersection of marketing and technology. He's worked with some of the most well-known brands in the world to develop digital marketing strategies and implement online campaigns. Past clients include: Hallmark, Sprint, Microsoft, 3M, Hilti and many others. Today, his focus is developing AI-driven Marketing Solutions that increase marketing velocity, create business efficiencies and produce a significant ROI. Earlier this year, Chris was a judge/mentor for The Blox, a competition TV show described as 'Shark Tank meets Top Chef.'

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Keon Muldrow

Subcenter Director - Apex Accelerator - Johnson County Community College

As the Subcenter Director, Keon Muldrow's primary focus within the Apex Accelerator at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) is the expansion of businesses capable of participating in government contracts. He is dedicated to assisting both large and small businesses in their pursuit and successful execution of contracts with the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and government prime contractors. This is achieved through the provision of high-quality workshops, seminars, and advisory services on a variety of topics. Prior to his tenure at the Apex Accelerator, Keon embarked on his career in the Active-duty United States Army, where he received numerous awards and deployed to Afghanistan in service to his nation. Upon transitioning from Active Duty, he joined the Kansas City Veterans Medical Center, where he was responsible for procuring medical supplies for our nation's heroes through the Government's Purchase Card Program. During his time there, he earned certifications in Lean Six Sigma as a Greenbelt and became a Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC) holder as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR). Subsequently, Keon assumed the role of Contracting Specialist for the Department of Veterans Affairs, where he obtained his Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC-C) in contracting and secured multiple federal contracts with a cumulative value amounting to millions of dollars. His extensive nine-year tenure in the government sector encompassed various roles in procurement, logistics, and military relations. Beyond his professional endeavors, Keon takes pleasure in enjoying moments of laughter with his wife and nurturing his 6 children.

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Dr. Tim Dawsey

Executive Director - National Institute for Materials Advancement (NIMA)

Dr. Dawsey received his PhD in polymer chemistry from the University of Southern Mississippi and has more than 40 years industrial experience in polymers and plastics, from research in new materials, to development of processing advancements, and identification of emerging business opportunities. After serving as dean of the College of Technology at Pittsburg State University, he assumed his role as PSU’s Executive Director for the Advancement of Science and Technology. As part of this position, he leads efforts at the National Institute for Materials Advancement (NIMA). Under Dr. Dawsey’s leadership, NIMA is partnering with materials producers, manufacturers, and leading research institutes to provide solutions to challenges in current materials usages, as well as discovering new opportunities where materials may provide relief to daily obstacles in manufacturing growth.

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Dave Nestic

Director of Technology Commercialization - APEX

Dave has over 25 years’ experience with technology company formation, incubation and development and technology economic development. He has held marketing, sales and business development positions in diverse technology fields such as DNA probe technology, medical electronics, engineering and manufacturing automation, molecular biology, IoT communications and more. In addition, Dave held the position of Entrepreneur-In-Residence for Advanced Energy for a venture development organization. Mr. Nestic also gained valuable insight into government research funding as Director of an SBIR assistance center for the State of Ohio and as Director of Business Development and New Technology Initiatives for a defense and industrial R&D and manufacturing firm. As part of this engagement Dave assisted in the development and management of the company’s SBIR and government R&D proposal efforts which gained the company awards from NIH, DARPA and the Air Force and spawned the creation of a new bio-sensor technology division for the firm.

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

Andy Myers

Technology Transfer Lead - Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) - Honeywell

Andy Myers is the Technology Transfer Lead at the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) operated by Honeywell. In this role, Myers supports scientists and engineers through the invention disclosure and patenting process, works to commercialize or transfer appropriate technologies outside the Department of Energy, and coordinates efforts between the federal space and industrial/academic partners. He has experience in academic research administration and was a PI at a small business that participated in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) federal program. KCNSC is one of eight sites that comprise the National Nuclear Security Agency. Our primary focus is manufacturing, and we develop advanced solutions for complex national security issues – from prototype simulations to production to quality testing. Along with safeguarding the country’s nuclear weapons, the Honeywell team is charged with leading other missions for the Department of Energy in areas of global security and supply chain management.

Joseph Haack is the Information Analysis Centers (IAC-FA) Field Science and Technology Advisor to USSOCCOM. n this position, he is a key asset to USSOCOM for discovering and delivering superior warfighting capabilities by providing comprehensive scientific/ technical research and analysis by helping researchers, engineers, scientists, warfighters and program managers solve the most challenging technical problems. The Defense Information Technology Center, DoD IACs provide technology discovery capabilities and an efficient mechanism to acquire affordable, improved defense capabilities that mitigate adversarial threats. The DoD IACs serve the Warfighter by bringing the “think tank” to the Battlespace, and build communities of interest in areas of critical importance to the DoD, including defensive systems, cyber operations, weapon systems, homeland defense and resilient energy. He also directly supports all of the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC's) worldwide and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Joseph L. Haack Information Analysis Centers (IAC) Field Science and Technology Advisor U.S. Special Operations Command, USSOCOM MacDill AFB, FL Prior to his current position Mr. Haack served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel, retiring after serving 25 years. His duties as an Infantry, Armor and SOF-Civil Affairs Officer included Command and Staff positions advising commanders and leading Soldiers during peacetime and in combat. He capped his career as the Civil Military Operations Officer for US CENTRAL COMMAND, CCJ5 Plans Directorate, where he gained a detailed understanding of Joint Planning and Integrations for U.S. and Coalition Forces for conventional and special operations. He earned his BS from Western Michigan University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and numerous Army schools for conventional and special operations. His awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service and Army Commendation/Achievement Medals, Humanitarian Service Medal, UN Mission Medal (MINURSO), NATO Service Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, the National Defense Service Medal and others. He was awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge (88 jumps), the Air Assault Badge and the German Parachutist Badge. Mr. Haack has a love for history, earning the George S. Patton award for Military History, and the Order of St. George (Bronze) from the U.S. Army Armor Association. He has traveled or been assigned to 33 countries worldwide in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to include training, combat (Iraq) and humanitarian operations/ disaster response (HADR) & Peacekeeping (PKO) deployments to Bosnia, Rwanda, Morocco, Western Sahara, Haiti, and Jordan. This diversity of cultural training, planning, deployments and mission support in combat and HADR/PKO missions gives him unique insight for theater requirements and interoperability between services, government agencies and with coalition/partner nations in peacetime and conflict.

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