Podcasts about Small Business Innovation Research

Are you managing or truly leading your team? What can military leadership teach us about running a successful business?In this episode of The Business Ownership Podcast I interviewed Dr. Anthony Simmons.  He is the founder and owner of Sixth Gear Consulting, LLC, which is a leadership performance consulting practice that instructs leaders on how to lead through bridging People and Technology. Dr. Anthony L. Simmons is a retired Navy Captain who served 28 years as a Surface Warfare Officer. His Navy experience includes four at-sea commands: a Patrol Coastal, two AEGIS Destroyers and a Destroyer Squadron. Ashore, he developed human resource strategies at the Bureau of Naval Personnel and the Pentagon on staffs of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chief of Naval Operations as a Strategic Planner and Resource Officer. Dr. Simmons has worked in the Maritime Defense Sector supporting Small Business Innovation Research for the Office of Naval Research. Additionally, he has done business development, program management, and test and systems engineering. He holds a doctorate degree in Strategic Leadership from Regent University, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School, a M.A. in Military Operational Art and Science from Air University, and a bachelor's degree in Robotics from Austin Peay State University. Dr. Simmons grew up in the rural, working-class town of Goodwater, AL where he graduated from Goodwater High School in 1985 as Valedictorian, was honored as an All-State Football Player, and earned a full football scholarship to Austin Peay. Dr. Simmons is a member of Austin Peay Governors Military Hall of Fame Class of 2023.Want to build a culture of trust and performance? Learn how. Check this out!Show Links: Dr. Anthony L. Simmons on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-simmons/Sixth Gear Consulting Website: https://sixthgearconsulting.com/Phone number: 901 219 9906Book a call with Michelle: https://go.appointmentcore.com/book/IcFD4cGJoin our Facebook group for business owners to get help or help other business owners!The Business Ownership Group - Secrets to Scaling: https://www.facebook.com/groups/businessownershipsecretstoscalingLooking to scale your business? Get free gifts here to help you on your way: https://www.awarenessstrategies.com/

As I delve into the intricacies of Project 2025, a sweeping initiative crafted by the Heritage Foundation, I am struck by the sheer breadth and ambition of its proposals. This 900-page blueprint, released in April 2022, is more than just a policy document; it is a vision for a radically restructured federal government, aligned closely with conservative ideals and tied intimately to the orbit of former President Donald Trump.At its core, Project 2025 aims to transform the executive branch, bringing it under tighter control of the president and reshaping various federal agencies to conform to conservative principles. The project's authors, many of whom are veterans of Trump's first administration or closely associated with his inner circle, have outlined a comprehensive agenda that touches nearly every aspect of American life.One of the most striking aspects of Project 2025 is its proposal to dismantle or significantly alter several key federal agencies. For instance, the Department of Education would be abolished, with its programs either transferred or terminated, in a bid to promote school choice and increase parental control over education[1][3][5]. The Department of Homeland Security would also be dismantled, reflecting a broader skepticism towards the administrative state and a desire to streamline government operations[1][3].The project also targets the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other independent agencies, seeking to bring them under more direct presidential control. This aligns with the "unitary executive theory," which advocates for placing the entire federal bureaucracy under the president's direct authority, eliminating civil service protections for thousands of government employees and replacing them with political appointees[3][4].In the realm of economic policy, Project 2025 proposes significant changes, including tax cuts and the abolition of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It also recommends shrinking the role of the National Labor Relations Board, which protects employees' rights to organize and fight unfair labor practices, and eliminating the Federal Trade Commission, a key enforcer of antitrust laws[1][4].The project's stance on environmental and climate policies is particularly contentious. It advocates for reducing environmental regulations to favor fossil fuels, repealing the Inflation Reduction Act, and closing offices focused on energy technology development and climate change within the Department of Energy. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, the Heritage Foundation's energy and climate director, suggests that the EPA should support the consumption of more natural gas, despite concerns from climatologists about the potential increase in methane leaks[1][2].Project 2025 also delves into the realm of science policy, prioritizing fundamental research over deployment and restricting academic and technology exchanges with countries labeled as adversaries, particularly China. The report proposes capping indirect research costs for universities and directing more R&D funding towards small businesses through programs like the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer initiatives[2].The implications of these proposals are far-reaching. For example, the plan to subject EPA research activities to closer oversight by political appointees, rather than scientists, raises concerns about the politicization of science. Mandy Gunasekara, who authored the EPA chapter and was the agency's chief of staff during the previous Trump administration, argues that EPA should not conduct science activities without clear congressional authorization, reflecting a distrust of independent scientific inquiry[2].In the area of social policy, Project 2025 is equally bold. It recommends eliminating the Head Start program, which serves over 833,000 children living in poverty, and phasing out programs like the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and income-driven repayment initiatives for student loans. The project also seeks to cut Medicare and Medicaid, and urges the government to explicitly reject abortion as healthcare, going so far as to propose using the Comstock Act to prosecute those who send and receive contraceptives and abortion pills[1][3][5].The connection between Project 2025 and the Trump campaign is a topic of significant debate. Despite Trump's public disavowal of the project, many of its authors and advisors have close ties to his administration. Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation, has described his organization's role as "institutionalizing Trumpism," and CNN has reported that at least 140 people who worked on Project 2025 previously worked in Trump's administration[1][5].Experts and critics alike have raised alarms about the potential impacts of these proposals. Darrell West of the Brookings Institution notes that the inconsistencies in the plan may be designed to attract funding from certain industries or donors who would benefit from the changes. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has labeled Project 2025 a "blueprint for autocratic takeover," highlighting its potential to erode democratic norms and undermine civil liberties[1][4][5].As we approach the potential implementation of these policies in January 2025, the stakes are high. The project's vision for a more centralized, conservative government raises fundamental questions about the future of American governance. Will the next administration adopt these sweeping reforms, or will they face significant resistance from Congress, the courts, and the public?In the words of Russell Vought, who is closely associated with Project 2025 and now serves as the policy director of the Republican National Committee platform committee, "he's very supportive of what we do," referring to Trump's backing of the project's efforts. This support, combined with the project's detailed blueprint and the network of aligned personnel ready to implement it, suggests that Project 2025 is more than just a theoretical exercise—it is a roadmap for a profound transformation of the U.S. government[1].As the nation prepares for this potential shift, one thing is clear: the next few months will be pivotal in determining whether Project 2025's vision becomes a reality, and what that reality might mean for the future of American democracy.

The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs have attracted billions in federal spending. Known as SBIR and SBTT, these signature Small Business Administration programs are also rife with fraud. For why and how to reduce it we turn to the director of forensic audits at the Government Accountability Office, Rebecca Shea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs have attracted billions in federal spending. Known as SBIR and SBTT, these signature Small Business Administration programs are also rife with fraud. For why and how to reduce it we turn to the director of forensic audits at the Government Accountability Office, Rebecca Shea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. Special Forces Command Small Business Innovation Research Program; it's unique among efforts around the government. Congress gave SOCOM a special authority back in 2021 to do business to business transitions through the Softworks organization. For more about how SOCOM is using this authority to meet service member needs more quickly, Federal News Network's Executive Editor Jason Miller spoke with Director of Science and Technology for Special Operations Forces, Lisa Sanders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US Air Force is partnering with Space Operations Command to integrate space-based capabilities into all of its warfighting operations to defend space assets from cyber attacks. The Republic of Indonesia has awarded a contract to BlackSky to establish a dedicated Earth imaging satellite network. Pale Blue has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research program grant from Japan to develop and demonstrate key technology for space debris mitigation, and more.  Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Sarah Kalmeta, also known as Sarah the Pivoter on getting involved in SpaceKind. You can connect with Sarah on LinkedIn and learn more about her work on her website. Selected Reading New Department of Air Force partnership brings cyber, space and information units closer- DefenseScoop BlackSky Wins Approximately $50 Million in Multi-Year Contracts for Gen-3 Capabilities and Services to Accelerate Sovereign Space Capabilities for Indonesian Ministry of Defense- Business Wire Pale Blue awarded up to USD 27M for MEXT's SBIR-3, to develop and operate propulsion systems critical to space debris mitigation NASA Launches New Climate Mission to Study Ocean, Atmosphere Ball Aerospace Ships Space Systems Command Operational Weather Satellite for Launch Kuva Space establishes U.S. arm in Fairfax, Virginia - SpaceNews January, 2024 Exolaunch Wins Public Tender of the European Space Agency for Launch and Deployment of the Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) SmallSpark Awarded Multi-Year Funding for Mission Planning and Design Automation Platform. China's commercial aerospace sector develops in an all-round way - CGTN Voyager Space and Palantir Join Forces to Advance National Security Capabilities in Commercial Space ESA - Capturing the ripples of spacetime: LISA gets go-ahead  T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Industrial Hemp Podcast is back after a short break. Episode one of Season Four is available now. The theme of this episode is Good News, because there seems to be a fair amount of it these days in the hemp space. One such piece of positivity comes to us from podcast guest Morgan Tweet, executive director of the Hemp Feed Coalition, a nonprofit organization working to gain federal approval for hemp grain as a commercial livestock feed. “The good news to share is we've completed a key milestone in the regulatory pathway for federal approval, specifically for hemp seed meal, as an ingredient for laying hens,” said Tweet. “This is a big deal,” she said. “We got the nod of approval from FDA CVM. They have made the recommendation for approval, to allow this as an ingredient. So it's a big deal. It's a long time coming.” On this episode, Tweet explains the process of introducing new ingredients into the commercial feed supply and how hemp presents some unique challenges to the feed control officials. She said there are still hoops to jump through but expects hemp seed meal to be granted approval as a feed for laying hens after a final vote by the Association of American Feed Control Officials this August. Continuing with theme of good news, hempcrete builder Cameron McIntosh shares the news on this episode that his company Americhanvre has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant. “We received a fully funded direct-to-phase-two award, worth $1.9 million, for research and for studying the Ereasy hempcrete system and methodology,” McIntosh said. “So that's about the best news I could give you.” The system is a spray-applied method of building with hempcrete, a faster and more efficient delivery system compared to the traditional cast-in-place method of building with hemp. “Building and construction are globally responsible for 30% of our carbon emissions,” McIntosh said. “I think (this grant) is an acknowledgment by, not only the U.S. Army, but the entire Department of Defense and even the entire federal government that they need to encourage and be interested in carbon sequestering, sustainable, renewable building technologies,” he said. We'll also hear some good news from Patrick Atagi, president and CEO of the National Industrial Hemp Council of America, about the work his organization is doing to get hemp on a level playing field with other commodity crops in the eyes of the USDA. And finally, Tennessee filmmakers Jordan Berger and Maxwell Duryea stop by the Lancaster Farming podcast studio in Ephrata to share some good news about their documentary about industrial hemp called One Plant. You can watch a trailer of the film at oneplant.film Listen here: Hemp Feed Coalition https://hempfeedcoalition.org/ Contact the Hemp Feed Coalition https://hempfeedcoalition.org/contact/ Americhanvre Cast Hemp https://americhanvre.com/ Sunflower Films: One Plant https://www.oneplant.film/ National Industrial Hemp Council https://nihcoa.com/ Thanks to our Sponsors! IND HEMP https://indhemp.com/ Mpactful Ventures https://www.mpactfulventures.org/ Forever Green, Makers of the KP-4 Hemp Cutter https://www.getforevergreen.com/

Dr. Anthony L. Simmons is a retired Navy Captain who served 28 years as a Surface Warfare Officer. His Navy experience includes four at-sea commands: a Patrol Coastal, two AEGIS Destroyers and a Destroyer Squadron. Ashore, he developed human resource strategies at the Bureau of Naval Personnel and the Pentagon on staffs of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chief of Naval Operations as a Strategic Planner and Resource Officer. Dr. Simmons has worked in the Maritime Defense Sector supporting Small Business Innovation Research for the Office of Naval Research. Additionally, he has done business development, program management, and test and systems engineering. He holds a doctorate degree in Strategic Leadership from Regent University, a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School, a M.A. in Military Operational Art and Science from Air University, and a bachelor's degree in Robotics from Austin Peay State University. Dr. Simmons grew up in the rural, working-class town of Goodwater, AL where he graduated from Goodwater High School in 1985 as Valedictorian, was honored as an All-State Football Player, and earned a full football scholarship to Austin Peay. Dr. Simmons is a member of Austin Peay Governors Military Hall of Fame Class of 2023. He is the founder and owner of Sixth Gear Consulting, LLC, which is a leadership performance consulting practice that instructs leaders on how to lead through bridging People and Technology. anthonysimmons@sixthgearconsulting.com Also, try Magic Mind at an amazing discount at www.magicmind.com/janbetterself and use code Magic Mind for up to 75% off a 3 month subscription or 20% off a one time purchase. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterself/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/betterself/support

Victor Udoewa works in the Office of Public Health Data Surveillance and Technology at the CDC. Previously, he worked at the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs at NASA, as well as at 18F and Google. We talk about his journey into design and leadership, the role of design in the civic space, radical participatory design, and orchestrating relationships in complex systems. Listen to learn about: >> Civic design and social impact design >> Radical participatory design and working with the people and communities you're serving >> The effect of relationships on systems >> The fallacy of problem solving Our Guest Victor Udoewa works in the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST) at the CDC. He previously served as CTO, CXO, and Service Design Lead of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs at NASA. He was the Director of Strategy at 18F, a civic consultancy for the federal government inside the federal government. He led the digital strategy practice and served as a designer and strategist on projects. Previously, as a Global Education Instructional Designer and Training Development Specialist at Google, he designed learning products and services for people in low-to-middle-income countries around the world. Show Highlights [01:07] Victor started out in aerospace engineering, building computer models. [03:44] How one summer in El Salvador working on composting latrines changed everything. [06:05] Wanting his work to make a positive difference. [06:22] Becoming a science and technology policy advisor for the government. [06:38] Moving to the UK and designing educational products and services focused around literacy. [06:57] Coming back to government work as a civic designer and innovator. [08:39] Civic design and designing for social impact. [09:19] Much of the work of the U.S. government is done by contractors. [10:11] Civic work has numerous challenges. You must be prepared for that struggle. [12:30] Victor talks about finding and working with good people. [15:02] Why Victor uses the term radical participatory design to describe what he does. [16:19] The three main characteristics of the projects Victor works on. [17:08] Why the choice of facilitator is so important. [17:48] Professional designers can underestimate the skills and expertise of the community they are working with. [18:57] The process Victor uses to help community members feel comfortable with leading and facilitating. [21:45] Shifting from problem- and need-based methodologies to asset- and place-based methodologies. [23:30] Victor talks about a community he's working with to create a socially-equitable and racially-just Parent-Teacher Association. [23:42] The Sustained Dialogue methodology. [26:53] The correlation between poverty and the absence of healthy relationships. [27:50] How Victor defines poverty. [28:56] A Miro Moment. [32:18] The effect of relationships on the design space and beyond. [36:41] Viewing school as a service. [40:16] Going beyond human needs. [42:17] How might we create environments that facilitate learning well? [44:39] Making a shift from student-centered to student-led. [45:29] Building innovation and flexibility into institutions. [47:24] “The end of solutions.” [49:44] Solving is not “one and done,” especially when working with complex systems. [52:50] Books and resources Victor recommends. [58:01] Dawan talks about Victor's article, Radical Participatory Design (link is below). Links Victor on LinkedIn Victor on the Federation of American Scientists Victor on ResearchGate Victor on the Service Design Network Control the Room: Victor Udoewa: Giving Up Power In Your Space Guest Lecture - Dr Victor Udoewa - Participatory Design: A Digital Literacy Case Study | UMD iSchool Relating Systems Thinking and Design Association for Community Design – Chicago conference Life Centered Design School Radical Participatory Design: Awareness of Participation, by Victor Udoewa   Book Recommendations Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples, by Linda Tuhiwai Smith Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods, by Shawn Wilson Thinking in Systems: A Primer, by Donella H. Meadows and Diana Wright The Non-Human Persona Guide: How to create and use personas for nature and invisible humans to respect their needs during design, by Damien Lutz My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, by Resmaa Menakem Designs for the Pluriverse: Radical Interdependence, Autonomy, and the Making of Worlds, by Arturo Escobar   Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Facilitation + Remote Teams + Miro with Shipra Kayan — DT101 E121 Collaboration + Facilitation + Workshops with Austin Govella — DT101 E83 Designing Facilitation: A System for Creating and Leading Exceptional Events // ALD 006 — DT101 E73    

Victor Udoewa works in the Office of Public Health Data Surveillance and Technology at the CDC. Previously, he worked at the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs at NASA, as well as at 18F and Google. We talk about his journey into design and leadership, the role of design in the civic space, radical participatory design, and orchestrating relationships in complex systems. Listen to learn about: >> Civic design and social impact design >> Radical participatory design and working with the people and communities you're serving >> The effect of relationships on systems >> The fallacy of problem solving Our Guest Victor Udoewa works in the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST) at the CDC. He previously served as CTO, CXO, and Service Design Lead of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs at NASA. He was the Director of Strategy at 18F, a civic consultancy for the federal government inside the federal government. He led the digital strategy practice and served as a designer and strategist on projects. Previously, as a Global Education Instructional Designer and Training Development Specialist at Google, he designed learning products and services for people in low-to-middle-income countries around the world. Show Highlights [01:07] Victor started out in aerospace engineering, building computer models. [03:44] How one summer in El Salvador working on composting latrines changed everything. [06:05] Wanting his work to make a positive difference. [06:22] Becoming a science and technology policy advisor for the government. [06:38] Moving to the UK and designing educational products and services focused around literacy. [06:57] Coming back to government work as a civic designer and innovator. [08:39] Civic design and designing for social impact. [09:19] Much of the work of the U.S. government is done by contractors. [10:11] Civic work has numerous challenges. You must be prepared for that struggle. [12:30] Victor talks about finding and working with good people. [15:02] Why Victor uses the term radical participatory design to describe what he does. [16:19] The three main characteristics of the projects Victor works on. [17:08] Why the choice of facilitator is so important. [17:48] Professional designers can underestimate the skills and expertise of the community they are working with. [18:57] The process Victor uses to help community members feel comfortable with leading and facilitating. [21:45] Shifting from problem- and need-based methodologies to asset- and place-based methodologies. [23:30] Victor talks about a community he's working with to create a socially-equitable and racially-just Parent-Teacher Association. [23:42] The Sustained Dialogue methodology. [26:53] The correlation between poverty and the absence of healthy relationships. [27:50] How Victor defines poverty. [28:56] A Miro Moment. [32:18] The effect of relationships on the design space and beyond. [36:41] Viewing school as a service. [40:16] Going beyond human needs. [42:17] How might we create environments that facilitate learning well? [44:39] Making a shift from student-centered to student-led. [45:29] Building innovation and flexibility into institutions. [47:24] “The end of solutions.” [49:44] Solving is not “one and done,” especially when working with complex systems. [52:50] Books and resources Victor recommends. [58:01] Dawan talks about Victor's article, Radical Participatory Design (link is below). Links Victor on LinkedIn Victor on the Federation of American Scientists Victor on ResearchGate Victor on the Service Design Network Control the Room: Victor Udoewa: Giving Up Power In Your Space Guest Lecture - Dr Victor Udoewa - Participatory Design: A Digital Literacy Case Study | UMD iSchool Relating Systems Thinking and Design Association for Community Design – Chicago conference Life Centered Design School Radical Participatory Design: Awareness of Participation, by Victor Udoewa   Book Recommendations Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples, by Linda Tuhiwai Smith Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods, by Shawn Wilson Thinking in Systems: A Primer, by Donella H. Meadows and Diana Wright The Non-Human Persona Guide: How to create and use personas for nature and invisible humans to respect their needs during design, by Damien Lutz My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies, by Resmaa Menakem Designs for the Pluriverse: Radical Interdependence, Autonomy, and the Making of Worlds, by Arturo Escobar   Other Design Thinking 101 Episodes You Might Like Facilitation + Remote Teams + Miro with Shipra Kayan — DT101 E121 Collaboration + Facilitation + Workshops with Austin Govella — DT101 E83 Designing Facilitation: A System for Creating and Leading Exceptional Events // ALD 006 — DT101 E73    

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Sunday, Jan. 14  West Virginia honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. TechConnect WV presents a virtual session beneficial to small businesses. And take a peek at some of the incredible small businesses the WV SBDC has worked with over the last year…on today's daily304. #1 – From MINORITY AFFAIRS – The Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday Commission invites the public to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15 at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex. The Ecumenical Service starts at 9:30 a.m., and light refreshments, a symbolic march, and the annual bell-ringing at the Capitol steps follow.  Dr. Elisha Lewis will provide the keynote address. Lewis, a Louisiana native residing in Charleston, is a professor in West Virginia State University's Education Department. Crowned Mrs. West Virginia American 2021, she advocates for underrepresented students and actively engages in community service projects and mentoring to support their college, career, and life success. Follow Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs on Facebook for more information. Read more: https://minorityaffairs.wv.gov/MLKCommission/MLK_EVENTS/Pages/default.aspx   #2 – From TECHCONNECT WV – TechConnect West Virginia presents a virtual session on Essentials of Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Commercialization Planning. The event takes place at noon Jan. 16, 2024. Commercialization and transition plans can be a key differentiator in the SBIR/STTR programs, so it is important to know what the agencies are looking for and how to go about developing a good strategy. This session will review the requirements and guide you through where to start, what to include, and how to best develop your small business.  Register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ELJNyVPsQ9eviQ77qlrEWA?fbclid=IwAR1n-RIgIk9uXLr6JhDkslJZAvPrLftD5zDk_cmWDxcLITo46mOmDa4fCCs#/registration   #3 – From WV COMMERCE – West Virginia loves small businesses! Become a client today meet one-on-one with West Virginia Small Business Development Center business coaches to receive confidential, no-cost technical assistance to help start and grow your business in West Virginia.  We help you identify your goals, develop valuable skills and acquire the necessary resources to make your business a success. Check out the video highlighting some incredible small businesses and owners across the state. Learn more at www.wvsbdc.com. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V-2xM8GVfw   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Saturday, Nov. 4 It's a day to celebrate business in #YesWV with progress on Weirton's new battery plant, a shooting facility in Ohio County, a groundbreaking for Alcon eyecare, and a major advancement for Northrop Grumman…and learn about programs to help your small business…on today's daily304. #1 – From MSN –  If you're driving through Weirton, you'll notice a lot of progress at the Form Energy site since its groundbreaking in May. The facility projects to generate 750 jobs by 2028. Founder and Chief Operating Officer Ted Wiley has been watching the progress with a close eye. “It gives me chills,” he said in August. “I drove through the Main Street in Weirton today, and I came up across the bridge and saw the factory come up and I see the future.” Vice President of the project Soufiane Halily says they've been working at a quick pace thanks to support from West Virginia and Weirton officials. “This time next year, we're going to be making batteries,”  Halily said. “There's going to be a bustling activity of people coming in and producing.” Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/form-energys-weirton-site-promises-growth-a-progress-report-on-the-fast-paced-construction/ar-AA1iUzAm   #2 – From WTRF-TV Wheeling –  Guntry, an indoor shooting facility, will open its second location at The Highlands in Ohio County, West Virginia. A state-of-the-art indoor shooting and training center, Guntry's mission is to provide a safe and welcoming atmosphere to anyone interested in shooting and personal protection – regardless of previous experience. The club will feature 25-yard lanes and 100-yard lanes. All shooting ranges will be climate-controlled and include industry-leading air handling and ventilation systems. There will also be a state-of-the-art, 340-degree interactive simulator, and an 80-person training room. A firearms pro shop will accommodate onsite gun storage and offer new, used and gun transfer sales, in addition to accessories and apparel. “Founded by seasoned law enforcement individuals, Guntry offers training and certification for members of law enforcement,” said Josh Jefferson, President of the Regional Economic Development Partnership. “We believe they will become the law enforcement training center for the entire region.” Read more: https://www.wtrf.com/ohio-county/indoor-shooting-facility-coming-to-the-highlands/   #3 – From THE HERALD-DISPATCH – Eye care manufacturer Alcon broke ground last week on an expansion of its medical device manufacturing facility at Greenbottom, near Lesage, in Cabell County. “We are adding about 70,000 square feet and the facility will be approximately 200,000 square feet,” said Jason Mangum, general manager of Alcon Huntington West Virginia. “We're also going through a renovation on the interior of approximately 50 to 60,000 square feet as well.” Mangum said the company will invest $70 million in its Huntington-area operation as it looks to consolidate with its other location eight miles away. Both operations employ around 500 associates and that level will be maintained following the consolidation. The new portion of the facility will manufacture intraocular lenses, which are artificial lenses used in cataract surgery procedures. Magnum said Alcon has a $65 million impact to the local community. Read more: https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/alcon-breaks-ground-on-70-million-expansion/article_93624772-1bde-5f87-962e-07c4bdfced2c.html   #4 – From NORTHROP GRUMMAN –  The ground is shifting around Benjie Staggs, and he's excited about it. Staggs is director of Advanced and Development Programs for Northrop Grumman at the sprawling Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in Rocket Center, West Virginia. Outside his office, work is underway on an ultramodern 113,000-square-foot complex that will transform the production of advanced defense and strike missiles. Northrop Grumman's new missile integration facility is a “factory of the future,” where key energetic components for sophisticated missiles are produced on-site and come together under one roof. “We've produced rocket motors and other components here for years, but they were shipped elsewhere for assembly into a complete missile,” said Staggs, a West Virginia native with more than 20 years of missile experience with Northrop Grumman. “This is a totally new operation for ABL.” Read more: https://www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/advanced-weapons/new-factory-to-launch-new-era-in-missile-production   #5 – From WV COMMERCE – Are you a small business owner in West Virginia struggling to bring your innovative ideas to life? The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs are here to help! Contact the West Virginia Small Business Development Center today to learn more about how SBIR and STTR can help your business thrive! Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=9DiVziOMUK4Vo_VP&v=v30JGAQr_7Y&feature=youtu.be   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

The Navy's Program Executive Office Digital (PEO-Digital) turned to the Small Business Innovation Research program for the first time to find, test and hopefully use innovative technologies to continually improve its processes.PEO-Digital has phase one and two SBIRs to leverage technologies and make improvements with the goal of making work better for sailors and employees.“That's one place where we're just getting more creative,” Justin Fanelli, the acting chief technology officer for the Department of the Navy and the technical director of PEO-Digital, told Federal News Network after an AFCEA NOVA panel. “We're looking at more mechanisms. We have something that's called Advanced Naval Technology Exercise so that we can do commercial solution offerings. We have both phase one and phase two [opportunities] going out.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Navy's Program Executive Office Digital (PEO-Digital) turned to the Small Business Innovation Research program for the first time to find, test and hopefully use innovative technologies to continually improve its processes. PEO-Digital has phase one and two SBIRs to leverage technologies and make improvements with the goal of making work better for sailors and employees. “That's one place where we're just getting more creative,” Justin Fanelli, the acting chief technology officer for the Department of the Navy and the technical director of PEO-Digital, told Federal News Network after an AFCEA NOVA panel. “We're looking at more mechanisms. We have something that's called Advanced Naval Technology Exercise so that we can do commercial solution offerings. We have both phase one and phase two [opportunities] going out.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The federal Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) has aided neophyte companies in a variety of domains. The EPA is among the agencies with an active SBIR program. But there's a nagging problem, according to the EPA's office of inspector general: conflicts of interest in SBIR contracts. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with IG Special Agent Nic Evans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The federal Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) has aided neophyte companies in a variety of domains. The EPA is among the agencies with an active SBIR program. But there's a nagging problem, according to the EPA's office of inspector general: conflicts of interest in SBIR contracts. For more, Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with IG Special Agent Nic Evans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Acquisition Regulation Council is out with a new proposed rule regarding small businesses. Specifically, it would align the FAR with the Small Business Administration, when it comes to Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer, together known as SBIR and STTR. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Hanes Boone procurement attorney Zach Prince. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation Council is out with a new proposed rule regarding small businesses. Specifically, it would align the FAR with the Small Business Administration, when it comes to Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer, together known as SBIR and STTR. For the details, Federal Drive host Tom Temin spoke with Hanes Boone procurement attorney Zach Prince. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Government Accountability Office decision illustrates the challenges small businesses face when moving a technology or solution they developed during the first two phases of a Small Business Innovation Research grant to production in phase three.WT Editor Nick Wakeman sits down with attorney Stephen Bacon to discuss what and how GAO made its ruling, plus what it means for small businesses looking to move their SBIR solutions to the next level.Phase one and two SBIR awards are common, but a phase three award is not guaranteed. The onus is on companies to educate and convince a potential government customer about their SBIR product and how it meets that agency's needs.

Did you know that the SBIR program can help your small business grow by solving particular problems defined by public sector organizations? On this episode, I am talking with Tracy Gregorio.  Tracy is the CEO of G2 Ops, which is an IT engineering and cybersecurity company serving the US Navy, the government, and commercial enterprises.  She has a wide range of experience with both the military and the private sector. Tracy shares how her variety of experience helps her as a company leader today.  She also provides tips on how small businesses can be successful working with large government agencies. During our discussion, Tracy explains the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and describes the three different phases of the program.  The SBIR program is intended to stimulate technological innovation in small businesses. Tracy also talks about how she and the team at G2 Ops has created and sustained a culture of innovation and creativity. I'm sure you will get some great ideas from Tracy that you can incorporate into your own business. “Our private sector experience dealing with revenue, ROI, and delivering value gives our company an advantage when working with government agencies.” – Tracy Gregorio Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - How to take advantage of the SBIR program - Tips for small businesses working with large government agencies - Creating a culture of innovation in your company - Tips for small businesses to scale quickly and handle big projects - Cultivating strong relationships with other businesses Connect with Tracy Gregorio: LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracygregorio/ Website:  https://g2-ops.com/ Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's latest book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.  Today is Tuesday, Feb. 7 TechConnectWV hosts a webinar for small companies seeking capital…a $1.75M grant will help Marshall set up a law enforcement forensic science training center…and Form Energy says its Weirton project will offer a big payoff for #YesWV…on today's daily304. #1 – From TECH CONNECT – TechConnectWV invites you to a webinar on the ABCs of SBIR/STTR. The government's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs make over $4 billion in high-risk, non-dilutive capital available to innovative small companies annually. If you are considering pursuing SBIR or STTR funding, the first step is to learn what it takes to be eligible and then determine which of the 11 participating agencies best fits your technology. The webinar, set for noon Feb.22, provides basic information to determine if this is a path you would like to seriously pursue and how to begin the process. Register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sL1xxx9HQg224sVl7OLKkg #2 – From MARSHALL – Marshall University's Institute for Cyber Security has received $1.75 million from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's Byrne Discretionary Grant Program to establish a Law Enforcement Training Center in Forensic Sciences In partnership with the West Virginia State Police Forensics Laboratory, Mountwest Community and Technical College and West Virginia Intelligence Fusion Center, Marshall will use the funds to build capacity at MU to address the needed training of state and local law enforcement officials in forensic science techniques. The grant extends through March of 2024. “Our law enforcement officers are rarely provided advanced training in solving computer crimes, even as the number of crimes involving technology like smartphones and computers is constantly rising,” said David Dampier, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences and director of the Institute for Cyber Security, “This grant gives us the opportunity to offer that training for free to law enforcement officers and help them be better prepared for solving these types of crimes.” Read more: https://www.marshall.edu/news/2023/01/31/marshall-receives-1-75-million-to-help-establish-law-enforcement-training-center-in-forensic-sciences/ #3 – From METRO NEWS – Form Energy's cutting-edge battery factory represents a major investment in West Virginia — and also a major investment by West Virginians. The $760 million initial phase on the site of the old Weirton steel mill in Hancock County is expected to produce 750 well-paying jobs. The iron-air battery manufacturing plant is financed by millions of dollars of private investments, but there are also millions of public dollars going toward the project. The West Virginia Economic Development Authority voted to allocate $75 million toward the purchase of land and the construction of buildings in Weirton. Another $215 million in allocations by the Legislature are also anticipated for the project. The deal means West Virginia will own the building and land, and Form Energy will lease it back. The property would transfer to Form no sooner than five years and only if the company employs 750 workers. The deal calls for workers making at least $63,000 a year in average salary. Form Energy expects to start construction of its Weirton factory in 2023 and begin manufacturing iron-air battery systems in 2024 for broad commercialization. Read more: https://wvmetronews.com/2023/01/31/form-energy-says-760-million-project-will-pay-off-for-west-virginia/ Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo. That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Host: Dr. Mary Goldberg, Co-Director of the IMPACT Center at the University of PittsburghGuest: Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt, Director of the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), an elite wheelchair racer, a Paralympic ambassador, public speaker, disability advocate, and former assistant professor at Vanderbilt University.Dr. Anjali Forber-Pratt | LinkedIn, ACL.gov News,  WebsiteIMPACT Center | Website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter Transcript | PDF Key Mentions- NIDILRR main webpage- NARIC- About NIDILRR video Adaptive sport/exercise RRTC- How to find adaptive sport/recreation: https://www.naric.com/?q=en/FAQ/where-can-i-find-accessible-recreational-activities- NIDILRR funded: https://www.rectech.org/- The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) AT3 and NARIC links on Assistive Tech- https://acl.gov/programs/assistive-technology/assistive-technology- AT3 Center State Assistive Technology Program Directory- https://www.naric.com/?q=en/content/assistive-technology-0- NIDILRR's Small Business Innovation Research program- Knowledge Translation Centers Program Info on pursuing NIDILRR funding- View NIDILRR funding opportunities at Grants.gov- View NIDILRR Funding Opportunities on ACL.gov   Tip: When the page is displayed in your browser, choose the "NIDILRR" category from the drop-down menu at the top of the page.

This week's episode covers an ASBCA decision about retention of employee time cards, a DOD OIG Report about cost reimbursement contracting, and the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Extension Act of 2022, and is hosted by Peter Eyre and Yuan Zhou. Crowell & Moring's "Fastest 5 Minutes" is a biweekly podcast that provides a brief summary of significant government contracts legal and regulatory developments that no government contracts lawyer or executive should be without.

(8/30/22) - In today's Federal Newscast: Service members and their families have a new option when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations. The clock is ticking on the Small Business Innovation Research program. And no test for you...as the free gifts to your mailbox come to an end.

In about 30 days, one of the longest running and most successful small business programs will expire. The House will have 14 days in September with votes scheduled to reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program when it returns to Washington, D.C. after Labor Day. Meanwhile, the Senate reconvenes on Sept. 6 and doesn't spell out how many days it plans to be in D.C. and voting on bills. To be sure, the fate of the SBIR program hangs in the balance of what Congress can do by Sept. 30.

Megan Mahle walks us through how she invests in American innovation from the lens of Department of Homeland Security. Through programs like the Small Business Innovation Research grant and the Silicon Valley Innovation Program, DHS enables startups to build new technologies that are useful both for security and commercial purposes. Check out the Homeland Security Startup Studio CONVERGE event at: https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/hsss-22-converge Guest bio: Megan Mahle is the Director of Industry Partnerships at DHS S&T. The role of the Industry Partnerships Division is to lead the formation and sustainment of internal and external partnerships across research and development (R&D) communities. These efforts will enable joint R&D and result in stronger connections with developer and user communities. Industry Partnerships is responsible for innovation mechanisms, such as Small Business Innovation Research, Silicon Valley Innovation Program, Prize Authority, and Broad Agency Announcements, and Post-R&D activities associated with technology transfer and commercialization. Ms. Mahle has been at S&T since February 2008 serving in several positions, including as the S&T Cyber Security Division (CSD) Business Operations Manager, CSD Program Manager for the Law Enforcement Support portfolio, including the anonymous networks and currencies, cybersecurity forensics and insider threat projects, and program support contractor for the Command, Control and Interoperability Division. Ms. Mahle holds a bachelor's degree from Mary Washington College and a master's degree from Catholic University. About the podcast: How Tech Becomes Law is a weekly public interest tech podcast about technology, public policy, and career advice. We are your co-hosts, Jinyan Zang and Dhruv Gupta. Each episode uncovers insights from leaders in government, business, journalism, and academia to highlight how technology can be built in the public interest. Interviewees discuss how technology can move society forward, what role they play in shaping this, and how students and young professionals can impact the path forward. We are supported by the Public Interest Tech Lab. Listen to us on your podcast platform of choice. You can find us online at howtechbecomeslaw.org and on social media channels @techbecomeslaw.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Dr Arun Seraphin discusses his 20+ years as a Professional Staff Member on the staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. He describes differences between the US Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the way Congress thinks about and evaluates national security emerging tech. Arun shares he communicates as a “connector” between emerging technology thought leaders in industry and academia and Congressional leaders. Finally, he describes NDIA's Emerging Technologies Institute and how he continues connecting people and technology. Resources: NDIA Emerging Technologies Institute  Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-98 Guest Bio:  Dr. Arun Seraphin is the Deputy Director of Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI) at National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). Before joining the ETI team, a Professional Staff Member on the staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. His areas of responsibility include acquisition policy, Pentagon management issues, Department of Defense's science and technology programs, information technology systems, technology transition issues, defense laboratories, Small Business Innovation Research program, manufacturing programs, and test and evaluation programs. As such he assists Senators in their oversight of DOD policies and programs, including in the authorization of budgets, civilian nominations, legislative initiatives, and hearings. He rejoined the committee staff in 2014, after previously serving there between 2001 and 2010. In 2009, he was named one of ten Defense “Staffers to Know” by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper. From 2010 to 2014, Dr. Seraphin served as the Principal Assistant Director for National Security and International Affairs at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). During this time, he both led (in an Acting capacity) and served as the deputy director of the OSTP National Security and International Affairs division. His areas of responsibility included developing and implementing White House initiatives and policies in areas including defense research and engineering; weapons of mass destruction; defense manufacturing and industrial base; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; cybersecurity; and promoting innovation in government research and engineering organizations. He also led interagency groups on small business programs and on improving the quality of the Federal STEM workforce. He was on detail to OSTP from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he was the Special Assistant for Policy Initiatives to the Director of DARPA. Dr. Seraphin has also worked on the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science's Subcommittee on Research as a professional staff member. He began his work in Congress in the Office of Senator Joseph Lieberman as the 1999-2000 Materials Research Society – Optical Society of America Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. In these positions, he covered both civilian and defense research and development programs. Between 1996 and 2000, Dr. Seraphin worked in the Science and Technology Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses, where his research included work on defense technology transition, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), export controls, technology forecasting, and international research cooperation. His work included detailed technical analyses supporting the DARPA MEMS program, the Army Science and Technology Master Plan, and the Military Critical Technologies Program. In 1996, Dr. Seraphin earned a Ph.D. in Electronic Materials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he performed research on silicon nanotechnology. His research focused on the development of novel silicon nanostructures and tailoring their optical properties. He also holds bachelor's degrees in Political Science with a concentration in American Government and Engineering Science with a concentration in Materials Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Episode 322: Pat Dillon Demystifies Federal Funding Available to Start-ups and Existing Businesses, Part II Pat Dillon and her team, work with a diverse portfolio of over 100 start-ups and existing small businesses each year as they transform their high-risk, high-impact technologies into marketable products and services. Small businesses learn how to apply for and secure funding through SBA's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Accelerator (SBIR/STTR) programs, coaching and navigating across 11 federal agencies. We discuss what grant projects are funded, who is getting funding, and SBIR/STTR annual road trips you can participate in. Plus, five vital questions to answer, whether you need more funding or not.Pat is working with legislation to make annual funding for these programs permanent ($2.5B to $4B/year). She has +40-years of program success. Our government has awarded more than $50B to start-ups and existing businesses nationwide since 1982. Pat says, “Over 400 Minnesota companies who employ under 500 people have received $880M in funding.” Qualcomm, a leading wireless technology company, would not be where they are without Small Business Innovation Research early-stage government funding. You will hear Mom and Pop shops getting funding too.Pat describes her long-term relationships with small business leaders like this. “Each relationship is like Hotel California. Once you enter, you can't leave,” she chuckles heartily. Her passion and enthusiasm for Minnesota small businesses are evident as her appetite for novel ideas increases. They are always on the hunt for new innovations.Pat is the founder and director of Minnesota's Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer Accelerator - known as Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator. She is a treasured innovator in Minnesota's science and technology, investment, and commercialization arena. Thank you, Pat, for your U.S. Navy career and commitment to serving innovative small businesses. DOWNLOADNEXT STEP: Challenge yourself and do the Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring (C.A.L.M.) Activities, below. Podcast Sponsor Redefine how you lead and redesign your business. Dual innovation with mentoring works! Strategies to Grow Your Business Meaningful Conversations Evolve How You Lead Get Support, Insight, Accountability SUBSCRIBE NOW         HIRE A MENTOR Episode Resources America's Seed Fund Funding OpportunitySBIR Road Tour – Seeding America's Future InnovationsSBA Office of Innovation and Technology Leadership | SBIR.govSBIR/STTR 11 Participating Agencies  1st Podcast Conversation with Pat Dillon Pat Dillon Demystifies Federal Funding Available to Start-ups and Existing Businesses, Part I | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Conscious Attentive Leadership Mentoring After listening, do these three C.A.L.M. Activities: Take this risk or do this adventurous task: Check into the 2022 SBIR Road Tour to Seed America's Future Innovations.  Learn about the 40-year history of the SBA Office of Innovation and Technology and SBIR/STTR programming.  Apply Self-Compassion: Before a big meeting, try an expansive pose. Sit up straight and be present by telling yourself: “I am powerful, bold, and authentic in accepting this challenge. I can communicate clearly, lead this meeting constructively, and say what is connected to my heart. I can hear what I need and what this group needs. We will reach our desired outcomes.”  Welcome Appreciation: “I appreciate Pat's 40 years of service in the U.S. Navy and her 30+ years of service in building Minnesota's science and technology, investment, and commercialization arenas. I am grateful for her passion for working with innovators and facilitating their ability to get funding. I appreciate Pat and appreciate her openness and wisdom.” Your Turn. Start with, “I appreciate what I heard from today's Guest Mentor, Pat Dillon.

Episode 321: Pat Dillon Demystifies Federal Funding Available to Start-ups and Existing Businesses, Part I Early-stage businesses and growing an existing business require capital infusions at different stages of its growth. Hunting for money goes something like this once a somewhat final draft of our business plans is written. We reprioritize our monies and check with friends and family to check what financial resources might be available. We talk with bankers and look for loan opportunities, potential financial investment angels, and venture capital options. Credit card maximums are re-evaluated. We stretch our financial resources as far as possible and hunt for other resources to get our new products and services into the marketplace. Government resources are also available. Did you know $100B per year is invested in contracts and grants for research and development of new technologies? To demystify our government funding ecosystem, I turned to a 30+ year treasured innovator in Minnesota's science and technology, investment, and commercialization arena, Pat Dillon. Pat Dillon shares one of the largest sources of early-stage capital for technology commercialization in the United States that our tax dollars fund. It is known as America's Seed Fund. Each state has grants and other funding resources that support a diverse portfolio of early-stage and existing businesses. A capital ecosystem you want to make sure you know about, no matter what industry or creative type of business you are in. There are many ways to get grant monies to support your work. Pat Dillon, MBA, is the founder and director of Minnesota's Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer Accelerator - known as Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator. Each state has SBIR/STTR programs. We are focusing on Minnesota's SBIR/STTR Accelerator programs because, obviously, I am here, but once you know the funding history and how these programs work, you can check them out in the state where your business is registered. Pat has 30+ years of demonstrated knowledge, experience, and relationships that allow hundreds of businesses to apply and win funding.  Since 1994, she has facilitated $250M in SBIR/STTR Accelerator funding, resulting in additional investments, patents, jobs, mergers and acquisitions, and new products and services for global markets. She works with 100 start-ups and existing businesses per year as they transform their high-risk, high-impact technologies into marketable products and services. SBA_SBIR_Overview Other meaningful aspects of our conversation include: Two prior Guest Mentors have participated in the SBIR/STTR Accelerator programs and have won awards. Allison Hubel, Ph.D., CSO, BlueCube Bio Founder, and Karen Dodson, President The Inspiration Ecosystem: How Compassion, Curiosity, and Coaching Led to An Award-Winning Start-up | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Expanding BlueCube Bio's Ecosystem | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Co-Founders of HabitAware: Aneela Idnani (Kumar) and Sameer Kumar Becoming HabitAware | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Becoming HabitAware Leading with Self-Love | WeMentor Mondays with Nancy PODCAST Pat's two operating values. Servant Leadership and what it means to Pat. Pat is a retired United States Navy Commander who served 40 years with one 10-month tour in Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. (Thank you for your service!) We discuss her Intelligence Officer role and insights into the 2021 collapse of the Afghanistan government, which is now run by Taliban leaders. The process of how federal funding gets into states' hands, in particular, Minnesota companies. The history of Congress' support and nine years of non-support of MN Project Innovation; and the history of the Small Business Innovation Research and the Small Business Technology Transfer Accelerator programs (SBIR/STTR) from the 1990s to now.

In today's Federal Newscast, the Small Business Administration is looking to showcase entrepreneurs developing technology in key industries in part through federal funding.

Today, we'll meet a local user experience designer who recently got awarded a contract to support space and satellite controllers. We'll find out about the Small Business Innovation Research program that enables local companies to participate in events like Space Pitch Day.

Jeannine Herron, Ph.D. is a research neuropsychologist. After ten years of dyslexia research at University of California at San Francisco, she became founder/CEO of Talking Fingers. She was the Principal Investigator on five Small Business Innovation Research grants from the National Institute of Child Health (NICHD) to develop and do research with early literacy software, in collaboration with Joe Torgesen, Carol Connor, Linnea Ehri, Patricia Mathes, Margie Gillis, and others whose mentorship enriched her research and her life. She is the author of several books, including  Making Speech Visible: How Constructing Words Can Help Children Organize their Brains for Skillful Reading.Additional Resources: Talking Fingers (Includes more about Jeannine Herron as well as information about Talking Shapes;  Read, Write and Type;  and Wordy Qwerty). Books by Jeannine Herron: Neuropsychology of Left-Handedness  Voyage of the Aquarius Our Big Blue Schoolhouse Making Speech Visible: How Constructing Words Can Help Children Organize Their Brains for Skillful Reading Jeannine's Picks: The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Steven Greenblatt   The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, and Civilization by Martin Puchner   Norman Geschwind Marianne Diamond Writing Road to Reading by Ramalda Spalding  Select Publications by Jeannine Herron: Torgesen, J.K., Wagner, R.K., Rashotte, C.A., Herron, J. and Lindamood, P; Computer-assisted instruction to prevent early reading difficulties in students at-risk for dyslexia: Outcomes from two instructional approaches.  Annals of Dyslexia, vol 60, p 40-46, 2009. Galin, D., Raz, J., Fein, G., Johnstone, J., Herron, J., and Yingling C.D., EEG spectra in dyslexic and normal readers during oral and silent reading. Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol. 82:87-101, 1992. Galin, D., Herron, J., Fein, G., Johnstone, J., and Yingling C.D., EEG measures of hem. spec. in dyslexic and normal reading children. Brain and Language 35:241-253, 1988. Fein, G., Galin, D., Yingling C.D., Johnstone, J., Davenport, L., & Herron, J., EEG spectra in dyslexic and control boys during resting conditions. EEG Clin. Neuro. 63:87-97, 1986. Brown, B., Haegerstrom-Portnoy, G., Herron, J., Galin, D., Yingling, C.D., and Marcus, M., Static postural stability is normal in dyslexic children. J. Learning Dis. 18:31-34, 1985. Johnstone, J., Galin, D., Fein, G., Yingling C.D., Herron, J., and Marcus, M., Regional brain activity in dyslexic and control children during reading tasks: Visual probe event-related potentials. Brain and Language 21:233-254, 1984. Fein, G., Galin, D., Yingling C.D., Johnstone, J., and Herron, J., EEG in dyslexia. In C. Susskind (Ed.) Interdisciplinary Studies, Report 83-1, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, pp. 86-92, 1983. Brown, B., Haegerstrom-Portnoy, G., Adams, A.J., Yingling, C.D., Galin, D., Herron, J., and Marcus, M., Predictive eye movements do not discriminate between dyslexic and control children. Neuropsychologia, 21: 121-128, 1983. Brown, B., Haegerstrom-Portnoy, G., Yingling, C.D., Herron, J., Galin, D., and Marcus, M., Dyslexic children have normal vestibular responses to rotation. Arch. Neurology, 40: 370-373, 1983. Galin, D., Ornstein, R., Herron, J., and Johnstone, J. Sex and handedness differences in EEG measures of hemispheric specialization. Brain and Language 16, 19-55, 1982. Herron, J. Integrating Electrophysiology into Research in Learning Disabilities. International Neuropsychological Society, Atlanta, February, 1981. Ornstein, R., Johnstone, J., Herron, J., and Swencionis, C. Differential right hemisphere engagement in visuospatial tasks. Neuropsychologia, Vol. 18 pp. 49 to 64. 1980. Herron, J. Two Hands, Two Brains, Two Sexes. Chapter in Neuropsychology of Left-Handedness, Academic Press, 180.

Today's Story: Augmented Reality for Deployments

Welcome to The Food Science Addict Podcast, some episodes might be for subscribers only (1.99£ per month). If you want to listen to those ones, just subscribe NOW and enjoy the full list of episodes:

“The government decided to help small businesses try to bridge The Valley of Death where it's too early for investors to get in.” In today's 1:37 episode of The Radio Free Enterprise Minute, retired angel investor Roger London helps define SBIR, the U.S. Federal government's Small Business Innovation Research program. Watch, listen to, download, or search our entire conversation, “Getting to VC Funding Through an SBIR” on Radio Free Enterprise: https://radiofreeenterprise.com/getting-to-vc-funding-through-an-sbir-roger-london/

The National Institutes of Health funds what it calls extramural research in a wide variety of fields. Our guest has for many years worked to ensure that small enterprises got their share of the grants. Now she's the recipient of a Tibbets Award from the Small Business Administration for advancing the Small Business Technology Transfer and Small Business Innovation Research programs. For more, the director of the Office of Clinical Policy and Programs at the FDA., Dr. Jodi Black, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

In conducting procurements on behalf of other agencies, the General Services Administration's Assisted Acquisition Service often turns to small business, specifically the Small Business Innovation Research program to get new technology into the government. For his work in this area, my next guest won a prize known as a Tibbets Award from the Small Business Administration. Rodney Couick is director of assisted acquisition services for GSA's great lakes region,

It takes a lot of commercial suppliers to keep Naval aviation going. Creative use of companies can enhance both the mission and the vendors. Senior technology program manager at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Tony Brescia, has won a coveted prize from the Small Business Administration known as a Tibbetts Awards for his work in support of the Small Business Innovation Research, and the Small Business Technology Transfer programs. He joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss his work.

Cars that can talk to traffic signs. It’s not science fiction, it’s a company. Dr. Enes Karaaslan is a civil engineering scientist and the co-founder of Connected Wise, a 2020 Cade Prize Finalist. The Orlando start-up is developing technology that connects autonomous vehicles to safety infrastructure, especially in rural areas. Initial data shows that such devices can prevent thousands of accidents per year and save many lives. TRANSCRIPT: Intro: 0:01 Inventors and their inventions. Welcome to Radio Cade the podcast from the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville, Florida, the museum is named after James Robert Cade, who invented Gatorade in 1965. My name is Richard Miles. We’ll introduce you to inventors and the things that motivate them, we’ll learn about their personal stories, how their inventions work and how their ideas get from the laboratory to the marketplace. Richard Miles: 0:38 Cars that can talk to traffic signs. It’s not science fiction, it’s a company . Welcome to Radio Cade, I’m your host Richard Miles. Today, I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Enes Karaaslan a civil engineering scientists and the co-founder of Connected Wise an Orlando startup . That is developing technology that connects autonomous vehicles with traffic signs. The company was also a 2020 Cade Prize finalist. Welcome to Radio Cade Enes. Enes Karaaslan: 1:01 Thank you very much, Richard beautiful introduction. Richard Miles: 1:04 So let’s start by defining terms. I think probably most of our listeners are pretty familiar with the notion of driverless cars and network vehicles, but just so we’re sure. What do you mean when you say connected and autonomous vehicle? Enes Karaaslan: 1:17 Absolutely. We hear a lot about self-driving cars. There are a lot of companies who are actually commercializing marketing very well. The self-driving technology, but more accurate term will be, I guess, for autonomous vehicles. The objective is to give some automated features to the vehicle, to provide safety of the drivers initially. And hopefully in the future, maybe we can replace the driver. There are five levels of automation. What we see currently in the traffic Tesla is one of the pioneer companies and marketing the self-driving. We actually define those vehicles as level two, level three automation. When we reached a level five, we don’t need driver on the driver’s seat. There are companies who are testing, even doing pilot projects in certain areas in California. In the other States, we have a company who’s doing autonomous shuttles in Florida as well. One of the important technologies that will support these vehicles is the connectivity connected vehicle technology, simply aims to provide communication between vehicles and between the vehicle and the traffic infrastructure. They call these technologies V2, I and V2V if it is communicating with the pedestrian, they name it B2X. Now we have a more broader term, which is connected and autonomous vehicle. We would like to provide some connectivity and some autonomous functionality is in the vehicle. So that’s how we define it. We are solving a unique problem about these connected and autonomous vehicles. Richard Miles: 2:58 So just so clear on this Enes, an autonomous vehicle that is not connected is something that has, you know, I’ve , I’ve noticed recently when I have a rental car, there are these features now where for instance, on the cruise control function, I can set a certain trailing distance, right? When it’ll break automatically, as it gets to a certain distance that I can define from the car ahead of me it’s features like that. Right? But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s talking to the other cards, it’s onboard computer that is performing some of the functions that I would perform, right. And then a connected cars , as you said, more like Tesla, where the car is actually communicating with other cars. In addition to maybe performing some of its functions. Enes Karaaslan: 3:36 I would distinguish vehicle communication from the vehicle automation vehicle automation will give you a features like changing a lane automatically, or stopping at a stop sign or understanding the traffic light color and acting accordingly. The vehicle of communication is a supporting technology that will make a lot of the things easy for autonomous vehicles, such as recognizing a traffic light can be difficult at times. So the traffic light can send a message as real time signal about the status of the traffic light. So before the vehicle arrives to an intersection, it can actually understand what color is going to be when the vehicle reaches that intersection. So the ultimate goal is simply to remove all the traffic control devices that is designed for human drivers that will give us maybe a smooth operation in an intersection. We may not even have to stop in the future. This is the ultimate goal. There are a lot of safety benefits that disconnect vehicle communication can actually provide . They estimate that just intersection crashes, that one single safety application can prevent more than a thousand lives per year. Just one single safety application in an intersection can save a lot of lives. It has enormous benefits for the traffic congestion and the associated costs . So this technology can save us about $170 billion per year, just from the total congestion time. Richard Miles: 5:11 That’s a big number. And that was a very important clarification. At least for me, that you made in terms of autonomous versus connected in that these autonomous vehicles are getting more and more sophisticated with their AI so they can recognize a stop sign, or they can recognize a stop light , but they’re not actually talking to it . The connected is one level further where the computer on your car is literally talking to the piece of infrastructure and communicating valuable information. It’s not just depending on a recognition algorithm, right? Enes Karaaslan: 5:39 We are trying to simply provide as much redundancy as possible to those vehicles. There will be times in a work zone area where there’s going to be detour and in this detour, or it will be very difficult to navigate safely because the lane lines disappear. Sometimes maybe a flagger is simply rotting the traffic. So in complicated scenarios, the vehicular communication can be very helpful. We can send real-time signals, wireless signals to those vehicles about what they are supposed to do and how they should act in a traffic situation like this. Richard Miles: 6:15 So Enes let’s talk specifics of your company and what you’re developing. And I think that would be useful for listeners to understand that a lot of this depends on infrastructure investments by a given city or municipality. And from what I understand, there’s a big difference. Now there’s a big gap between the smart infrastructure that you’ve seen urban areas versus rural areas. So could you give us sort of an idea how big is that gap? And then what sort of timeline are we looking at to catch up a small town in Ohio versus large city like LA or Washington DC in terms of the infrastructure to support smart technologies or connected technologies. Enes Karaaslan: 6:51 This is a very good question. This is the actual problem we are hoping to solve this vehicle communication technology that I just explained uses wireless signals, and it requires fiber optic infrastructure. And a lot of the times, especially in the rural areas, we don’t have any of those. So bringing this technology to the areas, we actually will need the most because rural areas experienced higher traffic fatalities than the urban, our countries roads are actually 97% in the rural. So we have large rural areas that we want to bring safety. The main problem is going to be very expensive and not practical to deploy this technology in these areas. So we approached the U.S. Department of Transportation with this idea of using traffic science. We told them we could use simply these science , smart science to allow communication from the infrastructure to the vehicle. And we can help support the existing communication and as well as we can help autonomous vehicles in traveling in the rural later, the U.S. DOT, liked this idea very much. And they awarded us Small Business Innovation Research award , and we’ve been putting effort for the last three years, doing a lot of outside testing in the challenging climates , challenging conditions, sometimes different speeds. So we reached to a point that we can reliably use a smart sign like ours. They look like colorful cue QR codes, but they are designed specifically for this purpose. It doesn’t require any wireless communication. It simply sends a message and information that we need to send through the vision-based communication. There is a camera inside the vehicle. It recognizes the sign and decodes this message. Richard Miles: 8:44 Let me see if I understand this correctly. I saw a demo video or one of your devices, and this looks like something like, like a very large transponder that people are used to putting in their car for like ETolls and stuff like that. Does it visually recognize, say a code on a, say a stop sign or any other traffic sign. And is that how it works or is there an active signal that is being sent out? Enes Karaaslan: 9:09 It’s a visual identify a visual code that is linking to a message. When this visual code is identified as an encrypted code, only the device can understand what it means. So a third party cannot alter the message, but we decided to make also a device that is not just giving this capability, communicating between the sign and the vehicle, but also give the driver some of the advanced driver assistance features. So when you put this device on your windshield, it’s not just going to recognize those signs, but it will also give you a lot of the features you will see in Tesla. It will recognize the traffic signs and act accordingly. If your vehicle support automation, you can optionally use those automation features too . So your vehicle will stop when there is a red light detected. So we give all those features on top of we provide this vehicle of communication between the smart sign and the device. So U.S. DOT need was the actually, how can we move this connected vehicle technology to rural areas, but we also needed to consider some commercial aspects of it. How can we market this device to the current drivers? So we thought if this device could also give some advanced driver features, the drivers will definitely benefit from it. We are aware that it’s going to take some years until we deploy these signs to the locations where the DOT is going to need until that time our customers will be able to use those devices to benefit from some of the emerging technology features. Richard Miles: 10:50 I’m guessing though, that the device requires some sort of software interface for the vehicle itself, right? So is that relatively easy to do? Is it something like an Apple play feature where you just plug it in or communicates wirelessly and then it takes the information that it’s getting from say a sign. And what does it do with that information? Would the car, for instance, automatically slow down as it’s approaching a stop sign? Or is that how it works? Enes Karaaslan: 11:11 Yes. If your vehicle supports some automation, usually 2016 and about models have that capability, then it can simply send the vehicles control system, a signal, a message about a traffic situation. But if your vehicle doesn’t support any of it, it will simply warn the driver. We are the visual audio warning. So it’s going to tell you and navigate you on this complicated work zone. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Florida, but we have a big construction project going on I-4. And when I try to use my Google maps, it always fails. The road is changing constantly. So if we could put one of these signs are for the, these devices will simply relay the correct information about the road construction and the navigation system in that screen, you will see will guide you on the accurate route. We also made a lot of useful applications, scenarios, not just in the rural areas, but also in the urban areas. We were demonstrating in this automated vehicles summit in Florida, it was in Miami downtime . One of the applications was a garage parking application for handicap people, transportation challenge people. We simply put up one of our signs in front of this garage, very big garage. And it was even very difficult for us to find a handicap parking. So as soon as the sign is recognized, the device simply navigates the driver to the closest handicap parking area. We do a similar application for electric vehicles. Sometimes it’s difficult to find a charging station. So it navigates the driver to the closest charging station in the garage. One of the good application for urban areas was a lot of the times the navigation apps fail to give you the accurate route because those high rise buildings, block the GPS signal. However, the smart signs can actually be helpful in machine vision mapping. What it is doing is when the sign is recognized, it can navigate you on the accurate rod, even though you don’t have any GPS signal. Richard Miles: 13:20 I see. And one of the things I like about doing this podcast is I think I understand the technology. Then I talk to the inventor and then I really understand it cause I didn’t focus or I didn’t get the fact that this differs from say, Google maps or GPS function in that one, depending on GPS, obviously. But two , those are maps that might be out of date the next day after they’re uploaded or you get your new software. Whereas the Connected Wise devices, depending on either recognition or current stimuli, I mean it’s information, it’s their current at the moment, right? It’s never out of date really, right? Because it’s reading what’s in front of it in a sense. Enes Karaaslan: 13:54 Yes, there is a dynamic condition like work zones. And if there’s a road closure, simply the construction company puts up one of our smart signs and relaying the updated road chemistry message to these devices. So then your vehicle sees the sign. It will learn the accurate route and it can navigate safely on the detour. And it can understand the situation about that road closure. There was even one interesting application with demonstrated for the urban area to Google maps was actually routing the traffic and telling the driver to make a left in this intersection, but there was a no left turn sign there. So the route was an updated of course, about this traffic situation. What we did was stood up one of our signs and we rather the traffic on the accurate route by giving the updated roads, government tree and the traffic condition in that area. So we are trying to build something that traffic operators can actually help these connected automated vehicles and let them navigate safely in the challenging traffic conditions or in dynamic scenarios like work zones. It’s building communication between the traffic infrastructure and the drivers. Richard Miles: 15:04 I see. So really the most advantageous in situations that you have to depend on real-time information, because there’s been some change like a work zone, as you said, or for some reason the GPS driven database might be out of date or there’s no other infrastructure to support smart technology. Enes Karaaslan: 15:20 And also this message we are sending is not just a smart sign is not simply saying what type of sign is going to be. It’s saying a lot more than a normal traffic sign can say. So it’s not saying just no left turn. It’s actually giving the whole road geometric data of that intersection, which is very valuable for autonomous vehicle because intersection situation, the current sensors on the autonomous vehicle can be challenged sometimes to understand the road geometric history is happening there. A LIDAR may not see the other side of the road in a lot of situations. So if he could send the road geometric data, to autonomous vehicle via a visual input, that will be very helpful for those vehicles and help them localize their position in terms of a non road geometry data, right? So we are doing different products, different market for different market segments. We have different products feel about autonomous vehicle. We are simply aiming to sell a software solution since your vehicle will be accurate with all those sensors we need. So your camera will be available, et cetera. It will be as simple as a software solution. Then the vehicles subscribes to that software, it can start recognizing those signs. If you have a conventional way called that is not a be any sensor, any camera, then we simply sell these devices. They are very affordable. They cost under 500 bucks and it gives you a lot of automated vehicle features. It uses state of the art, artificial intelligence models. What we achieved is really great. We were able to put all those complicated competitions in a very small affordable device. And so that’s what we are hoping to achieve in this project we have in the company. Richard Miles: 17:07 So Enes, as I always like to hear about the kind of the aha moment from inventors or founders. So tell me a little bit about how, when and where did you, and I don’t know if you have co-founders, but did you come up with this idea? Was it just sort of a flash of inspiration or did it slowly dawn on you as a iterative process? Enes Karaaslan: 17:24 So the idea of using signs to send a message has been around for a decade. The challenge was they tried matrixx barcode kind of system, similar to QR codes. There were big companies who attempted to use these kinds of technologies. The problem with the QR code base technology was sometimes they are designed for laser scanners. And if you want to use a camera, it’s not going to be working as robustly as we hope , even with ourselves is very common QR code applications in our mobile phones. But when it comes to a traffic environment, there are so many challenges, dark time, nighttime condition , bright sunlight. A lot of the times only a small portion of the sign is visible to the camera. But in the QR code based systems, when you cover a small portion of the message of the barcode, the whole message is running . We put a lot of thoughts to solve this challenge. We need to use the power of image recognition because this barcode systems are simply encoding decoding methodology. If you simply trying to understand the black and white areas, and if the sign is partially covered or not visible, then it won’t happen. This is a real common application in the internet forums. You will see when you sign up in a forum website, you will see a default avatar in terms of shapes. They call it identity cons . They are automated . They generated images unique to your IP address. So that was our aha moment. Okay. This is a unique image generated automatically. And it’s this thing to a V IP address every user on the internet. So we decided to generate unique images for sign messages. Every time we put up a sign, it’s very distinct and the other sign we built , they are not a barcode system, but they are actually unique images that is simply a visual identifier for a message. So this gave us so much capability in terms of even 90% of the sign is not visible. It can still safely distinguish the sign from the other signs and activate the correct message. Now, we were able to use conveyor affordable camera system to operate safely and high vehicle speeds, or even in challenging elimination condition. When the sign is not very visible, even when a tree branch is covering the sign or snow is covering the sign, it can still pick up the message robot slate . So that was our a home moment . I was, I guess, cruising on a forum website and realized that, okay, this is an automatically generated that I could actually use to solve this problem. And U.S. DOT really liked this idea. It was very different, very unique than other ideas. That main focus on to our QR code, bar code kind of systems. Richard Miles: 20:25 Right? That’s fascinating, but I’m sure you’ve discovered that great ideas don’t sell themselves. So tell me a bit about where you are in terms of a company you form Connected Wise. Tell us when you did that. And then where are you in terms of the development of your technology in terms of funding or employees or path to market, what does that look like for you? Enes Karaaslan: 20:45 We started the company in 2018. When we received the grant from the Department of Transportation, we were a very small team of three to five people all founding members for PhD graduates from my University in Orlando, the University of Central Florida. We did an extra ordinary performance. We did a lot of testing outside, we’re using our own vehicles. So we did a prototype that was ready for demonstration. After phase one U.S. DOT really like our performance decided to award a phase two award, which was a major grant for us. We of course grew our team. And now we have 12 people in the team and two big offices trying to commercialize the technology. Now we made a lot of progress in the technology side, but making the technology ready for a commercial product takes a lot of time. You have to think of a lot of marketing commercialization. You have to think of advertising. And our go to market strategy took some time for us to figure out who our initial customers are going to be. The majority consumer. We decided to first target the city and counties started from Florida’s rural counties and our simply approach to that. Um , for pilot projects, we asked if you could put up these signs and deploy some of our devices in the vehicles and do a pilot project and see how much safety benefit we can bring to the county vehicles. And in the continuation of this pilot project, we can distribute some of these devices to the volunteer residents of the County and measure a broader scale benefits of the technology. So we have done a lot of communications with Florida county here, they are transportation departments. We are hoping to start a pilot project in Florida and very soon. So those are our initial customers. However, in the future , we are going to be targeting fleet customers who have a fleet of vehicles that we can simply provide advanced driver assistance futures . By that time, we are hopefully going to build some science in several locations in Florida. And these fleets also can benefit from this vehicle communication futures as well. But the main goal will be for fleet customers, helping them to collect data from their roadway . Sometimes for road infrastructure operators, our devices can collect a lot of data from the roadway about the work zones or the traffic congestions , et cetera, even the asphalt condition in the late maturity , we are hoping to target automakers who will agree to integrate the technology natively in the advanced driver assistance technology, we’ll be able to support our system and it can recognize our signs in the future. Hopefully this is a multi-faceted market. So in the other side of the business, we are to license the sign technology to the sign manufacturers because they are also interested in connected vehicle applications. And there are billions of signs in the world and the placing those signs is a huge market for the sign manufacturers. So that’s the other phase of the market. We are hoping to target. We are aiming to make $50 million by the year 2025 selling around 50,000 devices. So that’s our objective in the near future. Richard Miles: 24:15 So it’s a very interesting point. You mentioned earlier about data and data collection. I didn’t understand how valuable that is until my daughter who an actuary for a major insurance company explained to me that getting really high quality data, especially in automobiles is of enormous value in particular to insurance companies who are very, very interested in all of those details. So I didn’t realize just to have valuable that is, and it’s in terms of investment. Now you mentioned the Department of Transportation a nd that grant, are you also raising money from private investors? Or how does that work? Enes Karaaslan: 24:45 So we are now seeking seed stage funding that will be in the form of matching contribution. U.S. DOT Is hopefully going to award another round of funding for commercialization efforts solely, and its seed stage funding will be simply matching that contribution from the government. It’s going to be a safe investment for the investors saying that you’re only going to invest if the government is interested in the technology and decides to invest for commercialization right then by the end of 2022, we are hoping to raise series a around funding. Richard Miles: 25:20 So that’s a pretty rapid timeline. It sounds like you’re well on your way. And it’s one final question. I always like to hear about the personal background of inventors and entrepreneurs. Tell us, what were you like as a kid? Were you one of those kids on the playground that made the rest of us feel stupid because you were building suspension, bridges out of twigs and the rest of us were just playing with our toys, or what point did you want to be an engineer or what was the path to your current career when you were a kid? Enes Karaaslan: 25:43 So I always known that I would be an engineer even when I was a child. So I guess that’s something I was very sure about. I was always creative building things was always hands-on, but my major is civil engineers , but I always wanted to be a computer engineers . However, if you’re an engineer, you do a lot of the things. You can be a great computer scientist. It doesn’t matter which engineering discipline you are in. We are all using the same tools, same knowledge in our fields. What I was good at, how I both, I was good at knowing a lot of things, rather than being best at one engineering discipline. My uniqueness was I was able to connect different things with each other. Computer science expect with a civil engineering practice. And even in this case, it was an IP address future to a transportation application. So that was something I was good at. It’s sometimes a PhD students. They usually have this hardship and explaining complicated things to the public. And I believe I was better at compared to my peers explaining the complicated concepts in a simpler rehearse to my colleagues or to my friends. So I have been always an entrepreneurial person than fans in my class. I started company when I was still a student. So I finished got my doctorate degree, but my talent I guess, was to be able to connect different things that are in different disciplines. Richard Miles: 27:10 Enes, telling me, does this run in the family were either of your parents, engineers, or business people or any of your siblings? Enes Karaaslan: 27:16 My father is a great engineer. I guess I got it from him because he was an electronics engineer, but people expect them to do even a good job in changing electrical system in household, but it’s not his expertise. But what he was good at is even though something is not his expertise, he still think that is his responsibility to be good at things that public will expect from it. So he was able to fix any electronic equipment in the house. He was able to build his own furniture. He was able to do a lot of the things by himself. And that’s something that I admired , I guess I wanted to be in the same way. I was a civil engineer, but I never said a climbing job is not my expertise, even though public think that it could be associated to my field. Richard Miles: 28:04 Right. Enes Karaaslan: 28:04 But I try to learn as much as possible from different things. And I guess what is unique is sometimes is if you connect in a different field, something you’re good at to another field that you’re also good at, you can achieve a really great thing by communicating these two, right? And a lot of the emissions in science happen in that way, when you get different disciplines together. Richard Miles: 28:27 Right? That’s something we’d talk about all the time at the Cade Museum is how invention is really making connections between a fact over in this field with a factor in that field or an insight, and a lot of different inventors have a lot of different interests and they connect a field that they know to another one. And one final question. I usually ask this earlier, where did you grow up? Enes Karaaslan: 28:46 I grew up in Turkey. I moved to United States to study my PhD six years ago. I had been here before, during my undergrad education as an exchange student. And I guess during this exchange semester, I made a lot of good friends who later visited me back in Turkey. So that was, I guess, helpful to my decision of coming back here to continue my education. I also admire the competition here in the higher education, millions of people from so many different countries competing something greater. So that really attracted me. And I really enjoyed that competition here . Richard Miles: 29:22 Well, I have to say you probably couldn’t have picked a better city than Orlando. I’m not from Orlando, but I’ve been there quite a bit. And in terms of cities there’s growing that is developing, that is trying out new things. Orlando certainly has a lot going in that direction. Enes Karaaslan: 29:35 For entrepreneurs is growing really fast, especially Florida is trying to become an autonomous vehicle hub. Richard Miles: 29:42 You couldn’t be in a better location and it’s thank you very much for joining us today and Radio Cade, fascinating discussion and your company’s doing well. You’re doing well and wish you the best of luck. Enes Karaaslan: 29:50 Thank you very much. I really enjoyed this podcast. Richard Miles: 29:53 Great. Thanks for coming on. Outro: 29:55 Radio Cade is produced by the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention located in Gainesville Florida. Richard Miles is the podcast host and Ellie Thom coordinates inventor interviews, podcasts are recorded at Heartwood Soundstage and edited and mixed by Bob McPeak . The Radio Cade theme song was produced and performed by Tracy Collins and features violinist Jacob Lawson.

NASA recently awarded 17 small companies more than $14 million to keep developing promising new technologies. They're already shown promising results in the first round of funding. With the latest on NASA's and Small Business Technology Transfer and Small Business Innovation Research programs, Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the acting program executive Gynelle Steele.

Christie Canaria, the Small Business Innovation Research program director at the National Cancer Institute and a finalist for the Women in Technology leadership award, said her role in helping small business successful navigate the Small Business Innovation Research program depends bring an assortment of ideas to the table.

The European Union takes an active interest in Bitcoin and blockchain, with multiple initiatives to study, encourage and, potentially, to regulate the sector. At the heart of this work is the European Commission’s Digital Innovation and Blockchain Unit, whose head is Pēteris Zilgalvis, a political scientist and lawyer and, quite recently, a visiting fellow at St Antony’s College, Oxford where he wrote about fintech and blockchain.Pēteris is keen to stress that the Commission is not intent on regulating unless there is a clear reason to do so. The overall approach, he says, is that “first of all, we don't rush in”. The subject of Bitcoin and blockchain have been followed by officials within the European Commission for at least seven years, so “if it was ever true that 'if it moves, the European Commission regulates it', it hasn't.”So, “while ...we support investment and infrastructure, for instance, in artificial intelligence, blockchain, IOT, 5G, we're not going to have a regulation on blockchain - the same way we don't have a regulation on transistors or on servers or on other items of technology.” The focus will be at a higher level, in the applications working on blockchain, such as tokenization products. But again, the emphasis will be on waiting to be sure of what, if anything, is needed. In relation to smart contracts, for instance, “the question is still very open. Does anything need to be said about it legally? But we're asking, especially in the cases of small cross-border use across the 27 countries of the EU for instance, if there are problems that perhaps need to be addressed to ensure you don't have to have a different type of smart contract or a different registration in many different jurisdictions.”A more pro-active EU approach is seen in the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure, an initiative through which the EU member states are setting up their own blockchain network with “nodes at the country level, probably ministry level, eventually municipality and regional level. So hundreds and maybe even thousands of nodes.” With more than 30 nodes in the network initially, the project will be in deployment this year, starting with projects in a number of areas of interest to public service providers: “regtech, ...diploma certification and also self sovereign identity and audit document authentication and publication.”Another approach involves money from the European Investment Fund to back blockchain startups. This part of the fund is now worth 100m Euros, but will rise to 400m soon. It’s already backing Helios, a decentralised platform for building social media apps, for instance. Pēteris stresses that it won’t be him or other EU officials deciding which startups to support. Rather, the money “goes out to venture capitalists who make the choices with no interference from us”. He draws parallels with SBIR in the United States, the Small Business Innovation Research programme which has been funding research and development in small companies in the States since 1982. Being blockchain-agnostic, the EU is not able to back BSV specifically, of course. But what about, at least, the idea that a single blockchain, in principle, would deliver the best results for the ecosystem as a whole? “I think almost everyone agrees, whichever analysis you read, that there will be less blockchains than there are now or less blockchain pr

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Equity funding is just one source of funding for your startup. There are many others such as grants. Grants are typically provided by government organizations to spur research and make a small contribution to the business. Commonly used grants include SBIR, Small Business Innovation Research, which provides phase 1, 2, and 3 grants that add up to $1M. You can search for grants at . Grant funding is mostly one-time offerings and need not be paid back. They are non-dilutive which means they don’t take any space on the cap table. Use grants to cover costs that customers will not. For example, customers will not pay for basic research but only for finished products. Grants often come with rules on how it can be spent.   Be careful in spending too much time with grants. I once worked with a company that had raised over $4M from grants over a five-year period. The team became experts at writing grant proposals but no one could sell, market, or do much of anything for a customer because for five years they focused on writing and winning government grants.   Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.Let’s go startup something today.-----For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Some time ago, I read an article by Deltek regarding Government Contracting Industry Study.  I will put a link to the article in the description for you to refer too. Now as a disclaimer, Deltek is not sponsoring this video nor am I affiliated with them.  Frankly, I enjoy reading their articles.   They put out a lot of great articles on the government contracting industry.  If you have not subscribed to them, you may want to consider doing so.  Although this article is almost a year old, I believe that the report is still spot-on for the government contracting industry.  Especially, after the downturn in the economy.  Nothing this year is going to be business as usual.  I believe that the Government will have a ton of solicitations that they want to post but will not have time to do so.  As a result, this year is going to be an off year for government contractors.  We can see this in the chart which I will put up on screen.   Government contract spending has been reduced for the last three months.  As you can see the last three months the number of contracts award is down significantly compared to the same months in 2019.  I expect this to continue for the rest of this fiscal year.  Even though the states are slowly lifting the restrictions, the government does not have the manpower to get six months of solicitations out on the street, proposals reviewed, and contract awards made.  Especially, when everyone knows that the Government spends most of their contracting dollars in the last quarter of the fiscal year which is July through September.  Now let’s get into the article because it does have useful information for government contractors.   In the report, Deltek has identified essential trends, challenges, and benchmarks.    The first Trend is Increased Growth and Competition for businesses   Government contracting has always been a great way for businesses to increase their market share.  We can expect that trend to continue at least for the couple of years.  Now in the Deltek report it states that the procurement spending will continue to grow and is an excellent opportunity for businesses.  Specifically, if they utilize profit-maximizing strategies.  I believe that you will see an increase in businesses entering the government marketplace due to the economy.  It will take a few years for the economy to turn around.  With thousands of businesses seeking ways to stay afloat, you can bet that they will turn to government contracting.  We saw this in 2008 and 2009 when the last recession hit.  As a result, there will be more competition than ever before competing against fewer contracts.  That means that in order to be successful a company needs to have a great strategy in place.    The Second Trend is Businesses will Seek New Customers & Agencies.   As competition increases, and less opportunities available to bid on, companies must seek new agencies and customers.  This is truer today than it was just a year ago.  Government Contractors seeking new customers will be exposed to new and unfamiliar contracting vehicles.  These new vehicles will make it difficult to identify when the government will be releasing new contracts.  Especially, if these small businesses are wanting to find the best teaming partner in order to capitalize on these contracts.  Remember that your strategy is going to influence the contracts that you go after.   There are three things that businesses must do to be successful besides finding the right strategy. Research New Agencies – get familiar with the mission of the agency.  How can you help that agency meet its mission requirements?  Can you reduce costs?  Can you perform the work faster due to technological advances? Perform a SWOT analysis not only on your business but also the top competitors. remember that these competitors already have relationships with these agencies.  Your differentiators are more important now than ever. Research the spending patterns for the new Agencies you want to do business with. Become familiar with the contracting vehicles they use.      The Third Trend is finding Qualified Talent and Retaining Top Performers   Before the downturn in the economy, it was challenging to find, hire, and retain high performing talent.  Now it may or may not be the same depending on the industry in which your business operates. Open employee positions have been a challenge to many small businesses.  This might be a good opportunity to find those high performing employees to fill those key positions.  You need to be able to adapt to current conditions.  For instance, teleworking is something that is not going away and will be used by more and more businesses.  It will be the new norm.  So, make sure you have the resources in place in order to allow for teleworking.  Teleworking can be a nightmare for a small business.  How to you protect your assets?  How do you ensure that employees are productive?  How do you manage employee’s workflow?  How do you improve the employee experience with new technology, continuous performance management and top of the line career development programs? These are things that must be addressed now not later.    The fourth Trend is Cybersecurity Concerns   Unfortunately, Cybersecurity is not going away anytime soon.  We can expect to see an increase in malicious software, and hackers.  This means that businesses need to be consistently updating their systems   Businesses seeking DoD Contracts will need to ensure that their IT systems can meet the new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).  Meeting the new CMMC will be more complicated for those businesses who have transferred their business functions to the cloud.  Some companies report a 37% increase in cybersecurity incidents compared to the year before.  Government contractors are being introduced to new compliance standards, increasing costs, and regulatory burdens.      Compliance cost for Contracting Purchasing System Review (CPSR) Audits are rising.   As more CPSR audits are taking place, this is putting a high cost on the government contractors.  Many contractors are stating that it is moderately or more costly to meet the compliance requirements. With increased costs, we can expect to see increased pricing on contracts.  We all know that the government prefers to buy at the lowest cost possible.  There must be a balance between the government requirements and the costs that must be absorbed by businesses.  Sooner or later these costs are going to result in higher costs to the government.   Summary   It will be interesting to see which companies continue to perform government contracts in the future.  The compliance requirements may be too costly for many small businesses forcing them to go to other agencies or even move into the commercial marketplace.  Ultimately, giving up on government contracting. These costs are not only limited to government contracts but grants also.  Many small businesses get a start in the Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer programs which are funded through grants.  These programs also are experiencing the same regulatory burdens as the contracting side.    The increased regulations almost always have a negative impact on business.  They result in increased costs which must be passed on to the consumer.  The result is higher prices.  As DoD gets ready to implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification while also increasing audits due to the Contracting System Purchasing Review, it will have an impact on some businesses.  Yes, the businesses that it will impact will be micro businesses.  However, any business that is forced out of a market not due to a competitive nature but due to increased compliance requirements is not right.  There must be a balance.  I find this especially interesting since five years ago the push was to reduce government burdens yet here we see the government increasing regulations.  We all know that this is a cost to do government contracting.  But for many businesses wanting to get into government contracting it can be difficult to overcome.    I have seen many businesses that haphazardly make the decision to go into government contracting.  What do I mean by haphazardly?  Well, they don’t have a strategy.  They have not performed any research for the industry that they are in.  They have not performed a SWOT analysis on the competition and basically, they have not performed their due diligence.   Ten years ago, you could go into government contracting without a plan.  That is not the case today.  More than ever you need to have a strategy in place.    

Spaceflight news— China’s big Long March 5B (Chang Zheng 5B) flight— — The flight (spaceflightnow.com)— — The capsule landing (spaceflightnow.com)— — Flexible Inflatable Cargo Re-entry Vehicle (spaceflightnow.com)— — The unguided first-stage reentry (spaceflightnow.com)Short & Sweet— Next big step completed for Martian rover. (spaceflightnow.com)— SN4 takes a step towards flight (twitter.com/elonmusk) (twitter.com/elonmusk) (twitter.com/elonmusk)Questions, comments, corrections— Email conversations about Artemis HLS with Andrew and EspenInterview--Dan Hegel, Director of Advanced Development, Blue Canyon Technologies— List of BCT’s Small Business Innovation Research contracts (sbir.gov)— bluecanyontech.com— instagram.com/bluecanyontech— twitter.com/bluecanyontechThis week in SF history— 15 May 1987. The failed launch of Polyus-Skif. (airspacemag.com) (astronautix.com) (youtube.com)— Next week in 2000: No stones thrown

Geoff Orazem, managing partner at Eastern Foundry, joins host John Gilroy on this week's Federal Tech Talk to discuss how the Small Business Innovation Research initiative compares with other vehicles, and the three levels for SBIR participation.

Ira Pastor, ideaXme life sciences ambassador, interviews Dr. Todd Haim, Chief of the Office of Small Business Research at National Institute on Aging. Ira Pastor Comments: On several recent shows we’ve been discussing some of the novel, alternative funding pools that have been emerging in and around the biotechnology space, specifically related to some un-met medical needs that we have been focusing on in relation to the show, particularly on the age-tech and longevity biotech fronts. We have had guests join us from the $125 Million Healthy Ageing Challenge program of UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) and the $30 Million Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine. We’ve also talked to folks at the XPrize Foundation specifically related to their upcoming inducement prize contest for therapeutics for the diseases of aging. Small Business Innovation: Today we are going to head into the federal innovation research and development arena and into some of the novel public / private sector partnership opportunities that exist between small businesses and / or nonprofit research institutions, and the U.S. government. The Small Business Innovation Research (or SBIR) program, is a United States government program, coordinated by the Small Business Administration (SBA), intended to help certain small businesses conduct research and development, where funding takes the form of contracts or grants, and recipient projects must have the potential for commercialization and must meet specific U.S. government R&D needs. The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program, is a parallel program to the SBIR program, but differs from SBIR in that places a greater emphasis on the potential for commercial success, and it requires that universities, federal laboratories, or nonprofit research centers, team with businesses to get products into the marketplace. Approximately $2.5 billion is awarded through these programs each year. Dr. Todd Haim I’m honored to be joined by Dr. Todd Haim, who is Chief of the Office of Small Business Research at National Institute on Aging (NIA), which is a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), which leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. Dr. Haim oversees the development and evolution of this office with the goal of improving both the quantity and quality of the SBIR/STTR applications. Prior to this role, Dr. Haim was Program Director at the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) SBIR Development Center, where he evaluated and managed SBIR & STTR grants and contracts focused on the development of novel cancer therapeutics, preventative agents, and drug discovery technologies. Prior to starting in the SBIR Development Center, he was a Research Associate and Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Academy of Sciences. Previously, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Pfizer in which he actively led Pfizer’s research efforts in a collaboration with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis that illustrated a mechanism for altered cardiac contractility due to excess fatty acids. Dr. Haim graduated from Albert Einstein College of Medicine with a PhD in Biomedical Research, specialising in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, and obtained a certificate in Technology Commercialization from John Hopkins’ Carey Business School. He has received several prestigious awards and honors including the 2014 NCI Leadership Development Award, a 2014 and 2017 NIH Director’s Award and the NJ Governor’s Award for Volunteerism in the Field of Health. On this show we will hear about: Dr. Haim's background, how he developed an interest in biomedical sciences, physiology and cellular biophysics, and aging. A general overview of the NIA and it's functions within the U.S. National Institutes of Health. An overview of the NIA SBIR /STTR system. Technological areas of specific interest to the NIA program and to Dr. Haim himself. Credits: Ira Pastor interview video, text, and audio. Follow Ira Pastor on Twitter: @IraSamuelPastor If you liked this interview, be sure to check out our interview about the Healthy Longevity Global Grand Challenge! Follow ideaXme on Twitter: @ideaxm On Instagram: @ideaxme Find ideaXme across the internet including on iTunes, SoundCloud, Radio Public, TuneIn Radio, I Heart Radio, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. ideaXme is a global podcast, creator series and mentor programme. Our mission: Move the human story forward!™ ideaXme Ltd.

In this episode of The Wired Educator Podcast, I had the pleasure and honor to interview Dr. Louisa Moats. She pioneered the science of reading and is the leading authority on the planet on how to teach students to read. It was not only my honor and pleasure to interview her, I was able to connect Louisa with three of our educators, Stephanie Kieffer, Amy Quillen, Morgan Siefke, and our primary principal, Kendra VanDoren, to learn about Louisa's work and how we can improve literacy at our district. Our teachers got to ask Louisa questions! Our teachers and principal are part of the interview. Amazing. Dr. Moats has been a teacher, psychologist, researcher, graduate school faculty member, and author of many influential scientific journal articles, books, and policy papers on the topics of reading, spelling, language, and teacher preparation. After a first job as a neuropsychology technician, she became a teacher of students with learning and reading difficulties, earning her Master's degree at Peabody College of Vanderbilt. Later, after realizing how little she understood about teaching reading, she earned a doctorate in Reading and Human Development from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Moats spent the next fifteen years in private practice as a licensed psychologist in Vermont, specializing in evaluation and consultation with individuals of all ages and walks of life who experienced reading, writing, and language difficulties. At that time, she trained psychology interns in the Dartmouth Medical School Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Moats spent one year as resident expert for the California Reading Initiative; four years as site director of the NICHD Early Interventions Project in Washington, DC; and ten years as research advisor and consultant with Sopris Learning, obtaining two Small Business Innovation Research grants from the NICHD. Dr. Moats is most well known for her research and writing about the need for improvements in teacher education. Her more recent publications have focused on helping teachers understand the language basis for reading and writing. They include LETRS Professional Development (Voyager Sopris), LANGUAGE! Live blended literacy intervention (Voyager Sopris), and Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers (Brookes Publishing), as well as a series of articles and books for the International Dyslexia Association. Mentioned in the end roll:  LaVonna Roth  from episode 149, Ignite Your Shine, would like to invite you to join her on a webinar where she will be sharing the Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid as a New Consultant! Two are scheduled for this Wednesday, noon and 8 PM Eastern. If you cannot attend Live, register here and a replay will be sent your way. Of course, Live is WAY more fun for all involved! Join her on any of the webinars to learn more! She's super excited to share her mistakes and successes with you. Are you in? Register here and see you soon! Sign-up for Kelly's newsletter here. Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. If you'd like to learn more about Kelly or invite him to your school or conference to speak please send him an email. • Listen to Kelly's other podcast, The Future Focused Podcast and subscribe. • Subscribe to The Wired Educator Podcast with over 150 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Visit Kelly's website at www.KellyCroy.com. • Looking for a dynamic speaker for your school's opening day? • Consider Kelly Croy at www.KellyCroy.com • Order Kelly's book, Along Came a Leader for a school book study or your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

Research and technology create immense value for the world through the results of their hard work. Important innovation and discovery are done in labs around the world, but there is another equally important landscape for businesses and startups who are working in innovative technologies, and that is the connection between people.  Dr. Christie Canaria is a Program Director in the Small Business Innovation Research (or SBIR) Development Center at the National Cancer Institute. She provides programmatic support to small businesses applying to the SBIR and STTR programs and has areas of expertise in biological imaging, biosensors, and nanotechnology.  Dr. Canaria was an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, and she began science policy work in Washington DC in 2013. Previously, Christie managed an optical microscopy facility at DOE Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as an imaging expert and neurobiologist. She was also a coordinator and imaging expert at the Caltech biological imaging center.  Dr. Canaria earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. Prior to that, Dr. Carnaria earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego. What You’ll Hear On This Episode of When Science Speaks [00:41] Mark introduces his guest, Dr. Christie Canaria [03:05] How Dr. Christie came to be Program Director [06:12] Communicating scientific ideas to the public [08:11] The SBIR programs are the engine for innovation [11:12] Dr. Canaria’s programs provide funding in the form of grants and federal contracts to small businesses that have innovative projects with high commercial potential [13:33] How Dr. Canaria and her program choose the companies they work with [17:04] There is a lot of value in the program [19:09] What the future holds for the program [21:32] Dr. Canaria could not have predicted her career path Connect with Dr. Christie Canaria I-Corps at NIH FAQ for I-Corps at NIH LinkedIn for Dr. Christie Canaria AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) The engine of innovation Innovation is a major factor in the development of small businesses. That innovation involves risk, however, and not all entrepreneurs and business owners are ready to take put their hard-earned company on the line. Being a startup company is always difficult, and having a business that is trying to innovate with cutting edge technologies is no different.  The SBIR Programs that Dr. Christie Canaria are a part of are what they like to call America’s Seed Fund. They provide early-stage funding for biotech companies, many of whom are startups. Companies like this can be started in a lab and are looking for traction and money to get off the ground. The National Cancer Institute, which is a part of the NIH, funds many of these small businesses that are working on the next generation of technologies in the field of cancer research. The value in connections Part of the process for going through the SBIR program is interviewing 100 people. That can seem like a lot of work, but there is incredible value for companies to gain in going through that process. That process inherently leads to a sharing of ideas that can lead to “aha” moments. Perhaps one the entrepreneurs will end up applying their technology to a different disease than they were initially studying, leading to a breakthrough that would not have otherwise happened. It is a networking process that can be fruitful for the businesses as well as their research. In one example that Dr. Canaria gives in this episode, she worked a team that had interviewed over 160 people during the eight-week program. Their network was naturally expanded through those efforts, and about a year after the program it paid off. Because of the connections made during I-Corps, they were able to connect with another party that became a multi-million dollar strategic partner and investor. Learn more about Dr. Christie Canaria on this week’s episode of When Science Speaks. Connect With Mark and When Science Speaks http://WhenScienceSpeaks.com https://bayerstrategic.com/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayerStrategic On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bayer-Strategic-Consulting-206102993131329 On YouTube: http://bit.ly/BSConTV On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdanielbayer/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bayerstrategic/ On Medium: https://medium.com/@markbayer17 Subscribe to When Science Speaks on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher

The cancer institute's director of small business research sees the importance small business bring to cancer innovation at the agency. He discusses how his path from NASA brought him to his role in bringing the next generation of technology to cancer research.   For more podcasts: https://www.governmentciomedia.com/govcast   *The businesses and technologies mentioned during this episode received SBIR funding from the National Cancer Institute and are not endorsements or advertisements.

In this episode I talk to Errol Arkilic about different systems involved in turning research into companies. Errol has been helping research make the jump from the lab to the market for more than fifteen years: he was a program manager at the National Science Foundation or NSF, Small Business Innovation Research or SBIR program, where he awarded grants to hundreds of companies commercializing research. He started the NSF Innovation Corps, a program that gives researchers the tools they need to make the transition to running a successful business. Currently he is a partner at M34 capital where he focuses exclusively on projects that are being spun out of labs. Seeing the often rocky tech transition from so many sides has given him a nuanced view of the whole system. Key Takeaways While there are some best practices around commercializing research, like business model canvases, many pieces like assembling a team and finding complementary technologies are still completely bespoke. The commercial value of research is a tricky thing. Some is valuable, but not quite valuable enough to form an organization around. Other research could be incredibly valuable if the world were in a slightly different state. Different approaches are needed in each situation. The mental model of MIST vs TIMS - market in search of technology and technology in search of market. Links M34 Capital The SBIR Program Business Model Canvases Errol on How the NSF Works Pasteur's Quadrant NSF Innovation Corps Topics What is the pathway to commercialization How do you have an iterative process when people don't know what they want What do the best researchers do to pull out core problems to work on? How do you address the tension of people wanting to apply their hammers? What are examples of people who have applied very specific technologies? How do you assemble a team around a technology? How do you systemitize assembling teams? How do you systemitize finding technologies that can plug a technological hole? What do you think about patents? Patents, trade screts, Technology that isn't venture fundable Valuable ideas that aren't valuable enough to pursue Systemitizing finding whether value could be harvested Where is the role of SBIRs in today's world SBIR decision making process Lengendary SBIR successes Push vs. Pull out of lab How do you find MIST projects Are there labs in unintuitive programs Next steps outside of local ecosystems? Does any new innovation need a champion? What should people be thinking about that they're not? TISM vs MIST

Jay LeBoeuf created Real Industry when he was guest lecturing and realized that his students did not really see what jobs and careers were out there in music in technology. After four years of growth, Real Industry now brings together 40 colleges and universities, mentors from around music and technology, and brands and sponsors to mission-driven challenges that change lives. Guest: Jay LeBoeuf, Founder and Executive Director, Real Industry Jay LeBoeuf is an executive, entrepreneur, and educator in the music and creative technology industries. Jay is the Executive Director of Real Industry, a nonprofit that educates, empowers, and inspires university students to thrive in industry. Real Industry is supported by a network of hundreds of industry mentors, leading companies, generous donors, and forward-thinking universities. As an entrepreneur, Jay founded Imagine Research, a music technology and artificial intelligence startup that built a search engine for sound. In 2012, iZotope acquired Imagine Research and Jay joined the iZotope executive team leading research & development, technology strategy, and intellectual property. Prior to creating Imagine Research, Jay was an engineer and researcher in the Advanced Technology Group at Avid Technology. There he led research that expanded the power of Pro Tools, the industry standard for digital audio workstations. Jay has been recognized as a Bloomberg Businessweek Innovator and awarded $1.1M in Small Business Innovation Research grants by the U.S. National Science Foundation. As an educator, Jay is a lecturer on media technology and business at Stanford University, University of Michigan, and Carnegie Mellon University. He leads the Stanford | Warner Music Group leadership initiative. As entrepreneur, Jay advises digital media startups including LANDR, SUBPAC, Humtap, and Kadenze. Site: Real Industry Facebook Page: Real Industry YouTube LinkedIn Twitter: @Real_Industry

Episode 296: ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings Videocast and PodCast for week ending Dec 23, 2018 features ANT Technologies’ Aaron Gorka, who podcasts his inaugural episode of Next Generation Innovation: Meet Four Emerging Leaders. Also, we have Cybersecurity expert Kevin Smith, CTO of Tridium; DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funding update; Brad White, President, SES Consulting provides expert testimony to Canadian House of Commons; and New Deal for Buildings to host 2019 AHR EXPO BAS Cybersecurity Breakfast Meeting. Kevin Smith, CTO of Tridium, talks Cyber-threat Trends and Cyber-security Awareness! Harden Your Smart Building Against Cyber Threats. Niagara Framework — Your Head Start on the Journey to Cybersecurity. There are now more devices that connect to building control systems than the last generation of building engineers could have ever imagined — more consumer- and occupant-owned mobile devices, more enterprise software systems, and more IP-enabled edge devices. Now, you can connect more things together to build a great occupant experience. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Announces $20 Million Available for Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Announces $20 Million Available for Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer. As part of this week’s funding opportunity (FOA) announcement from the Energy Department’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Office for approximately $37 million, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) expects to fund more than 100 new projects, totaling approximately $20 million. Brad White, P.Eng, MASc, President, SES Consulting Inc. Provides Expert Testimony to Canadian House of Commons that a Revolution in Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings is Achievable. SES Consulting Inc., ControlTrends Awards Young Gun Emeritus, had the unique opportunity to provide expert witness testimony to the House of Commons, Canada’s Standing Committee on Natural Resources. Click here to view full session. The New Deal for Buildings to Host AHR EXPO Breakfast Meeting to Advance BAS Cybersecurity. The New Deal for Buildings is hosting a Cybersecurity Summit at the AHR Expo 19 in Atlanta GWCC (Room B310) on Tuesday, January 15, 2019. The Summit will bring together industry thought leaders to review the current status of cybersecurity in the BAS industry. Episode 3 Next Generation Innovation: Meet Four Emerging Leaders. Ant Technologies’ Aaron Gorka takes over as the host of The Next Generation Innovation Podcast. Through interviews and conversations with the smart building and HVAC young guns (younger superstars) in our industry, Aaron will get unique perspectives and insights from these emerging leaders. The post Episode 296: ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings Videocast and PodCast for Week Ending Dec 23, 2018 appeared first on ControlTrends.

We learn new skills through repetition.When we repeat actions with the intention of getting better, we call this practice.It works, but it's laborious, and without guidance can lead to bad habits, poor technique, and - most often - failure. That means lower confidence, lower performance, and self-limiting beliefs.As learning professionals we can improve the effectiveness of this process by providing the right knowledge and structure, and then through coaching as skills are practised, reflected upon, and new mental models developed.The problem now is that it's not realistic to scale this level of support for a whole organisation.   Douglas Seifert, PhD is the founder and CEO of Syandus He founded Syandus 15 years ago to create a new way to learn. By combining cognitive science with game technologies, Dr. Seifert focuses on providing scalable ways to solve issues related to knowledge retention and skill acquisition. Dr. Seifert served as Principal Investigator on 8 Small Business Innovation Research awards from the National Science Foundation; this research fueled the development of the virtual immersive learning technology on which the Syandus platform is built. Syandus is now used to create customized modules for medicine, sales, leadership, and employee performance. To find out more about how Syandus works, see this link for the Syandus sales training promotional video (scroll down for the video).  

On this episode, we talk to Robert Brooke, director of federal funding programs at the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology, about the federal government's Small Business Innovative Research program. Brooke explains how SBIR is designed to fund startups that are creating new and untested technologies, while letting the company retain commercialization rights.

The Navy wants to bring more small businesses into the fold to help foster research and innovation. The Small Business Innovation Research program assists businesses by streamlining the process to develop, test and implement technologies for use by warfighters. Robert Smith, director of SBIR, discussed this on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin at the 2018 Sea Air Space Expo in National Harbor, Maryland.

“It’s all about the potential.” Anna Brady-Estevez, Ph.D., Maybe you have a great idea or new app you developed that you're itching to bring to life. Maybe you have a friend who does… Or, maybe you’re an entrepreneur who is running out of funds and fears not being able to continue. If this rings a bell, listen up. This podcast provides vital information about a federal grant program you can apply for. There’s no guarantee you’ll be approved, but you certainly won’t get it if you do not apply. It’s called the Small Business Innovation Research – or SBIR – grants (or STTRs). About half a dozen federal agencies offer them, all with different criteria. The SBIR program we’re talking about today is from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has an open agenda, focused on the potential of the technology to make a big positive societal impact if it succeeds. So, grab your laptop or pen and paper – however you take notes – and listen to Anna Brady-Estevez of the National Science Foundation’s SBIR program tell Green Connections Radio host Joan Michelson what you need to know to apply: What the NSF SBIR funds. What “societal impact” and potential for commercialization mean for the NSF SBIR program. Examples of energy technologies they have funded – though all technologies can apply. How teams can drive innovative thinking that enhances the potential for success. Why communication skills matter – as an entrepreneur, an employee, an executive, or in any role. To learn more about Anna Brady-Estevez and the NSF SBIR program, and about Green Connections Radio, go to www.greenconnectionsradio.com. Thanks for subscribing on iTunes or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review! Also, ask to join our Private Facebook Group and share your insights! Join our mailing list to stay up to date on the top podcasts! Email us: info@greenconnectionsradio.com or reach us on Twitter @joanmichelson        Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vanderbilt University Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos interviews Jerry Wilmink, founder and CEO of WiseWear Corporation, on the fourth episode of The Zeppos Report podcast. A Vanderbilt biomedical engineering alumnus (bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D.) and self-described “mad scientist,” Wilmink also has experience as an inventor, startup business consultant for venture capital firms and program manager for the Department of Defense’s $2 billion Small Business Innovation Research program. The chancellor sat down with Wilmink while the engineer-turned-entrepreneur was on campus to deliver the School of Engineering’s Chambers Family Entrepreneurship Lecture. In the podcast, Wilmink discusses with the chancellor his journey from engineer to entrepreneur, the deeply personal reason he launched his company and the successes and pitfalls he encountered along the way. He also explains the marriage of technology and fashion behind WiseWear’s flagship line of “smart” luxury jewelry that comes with distress messaging, mobile notifications and detailed health and wellness activity tracking. The Zeppos Report features Vanderbilt faculty, students, staff and alumni as well as other engaging individuals on topics that range from politics to pop culture. New episodes of The Zeppos Report will be posted regularly during the academic year. The podcast is available on SoundCloud, YouTube, Google Play, iTunes and The Zeppos Report website. For a transcript of this podcast, please go to this URL: https://s3.amazonaws.com/vu-wp0/wp-content/uploads/sites/79/2017/10/24185253/Zeppos_Report_4_Jerry_Wilmink_2017_04_04.docx The podcast is available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube and The Zeppos Report website.

No one really knows what Donald Trump plans to do as US Commander in Chief, but the United States' most influential war mongers have a plan. In this episode, hear the highlights from a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing - a hearing that was kept off of C-SPAN and had no one in attendance - and get some insight into the advice our next President will be given to direct our nation at war. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Hearing Highlighted in this Episode Emerging U.S. Defense Challenges and Worldwide Threats, Senate Armed Services Committee, December 6, 2016 Witnesses Robert Kagan Served in the State Department in the Reagan administration Co-founder of the Project for a New American Century, a think tank that laid out a plan for the United States to use our massive military to force a global order centered around American control. Served on the 25 member State Department Foreign Affairs Policy Board under Hillary Clinton & John Kerry. Current: Senior Fellow, Project on International Order and Strategy, The Brookings Institution Current: Board of Directors for the Foreign Policy Initiative Family: "First Family of Military Interventionists” Married to Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State, European & Eurasian Affairs in the Obama administration Father: Donald Kagan, Yale professor and co-chairman of the Project for a New American Century report outlining the global dominance plan Brother: Frederick Kagan, military historian & author, member of the American Enterprise Institute and Project for a New American Century. Was co-architect of the surge (with General Keane) Sister in law: Kimberly Kagan, President at the Institute for the Study of War General Jack Keane Chairman, Institute for the Study of War Former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army during the key Bush years, 1999-2003. Board of Directors at General Dynamics Shawn Brimley Executive Vice President and Director of Studies, the Center for a New American Century National Security Council from Feb 2011-October 2012 Research Associate at CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) from April 2005-Feb 2007 Columnist at War on the Rocks Council on Foreign Relations member *Clip transcripts below Sound Clip Sources YouTube: Julian Assange tells RT that the Russian government was not the source of Clinton campaign emails, posted November 5, 2016. YouTube: Julian Assange on Dutch television program Nieuwsuur to talk about the danger to their sources and the murder of Seth Rich, posted August 9, 2016. Local News Story: 27-Year-Old DNC Staffer Seth Rich Shot, Killed in Northwest DC by Pat Collins and Andrea Swalec, NBC Washington DC, July 11, 2016. Additional Reading Book: The Pentagon's New Map by Thomas P.M. Barnett, May 2005. Article: Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House by Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima, and Greg Miller, December 9, 2016. Article: Army accelerates Active Protection Systems technology by Kris Osborn, Defense Systems, October 13, 2016. Press Release: Artis announces Army APS contract award, Business Wire (Berkshire Hathaway), September 28, 2016. Article: Seth Rich: Inside the Killing of the DNC Staffer by Jeff Stein, Newsweek, August 20, 2106. Twitter: Wikileaks offers $20,000 reward for information about Seth Rich's murder Article: Debbie Wasserman Shultz to Resign D.N.C. Post by Jonathan Martin and Alan Rappeport, New York Times, July 24, 2016. Article: Wasserman Shultz immediately joins Clinton campaign after resignation by Victor Morton, The Washington Times, July 24, 2016. Article: Army Pushes Missile Defense For Tanks: MAPS by Sydney Freedberg, Breaking Defense, April 25, 2016. Article: How Hillary Clinton Became a Hawk by Mark Landler, New York Times, April 21, 2016. Email: John Podesta & Staff email his username & password, Wikileaks document, February 9, 2015 Blog post: Iron Curtain: Active Protective System (APS), by the editors of RicardCYoung.com, May 30, 2013. Miscellaneous Sources Webpage: Federal Spending: Where Does the Money Go Recommended Podcast Episodes CD108: Regime Change CD102: The World Trade Organization: COOL? CD093: Our Future in War Jen's appearance on The Sea Hawkers Podcast, November 16, 2016. Hearing Clip Transcipts {18:30} Chairman John McCain: Our next president will take office as the U.S. confronts the most diverse and complex array of global security challenges since the end of the Second World War. Great power competition, once thought a casualty of the end of history, has returned as Russia and China have each challenged the rules-based order that is the foundation of our security and prosperity. Rogue states like North Korea and Iran are undermining regional stability while developing advanced military capabilities that threaten the United States and our allies. Radical Islamist terrorism continues to pose a challenging threat to our security at home and our interests abroad, and the chaos that has spread across the Middle East, and on which our terrorist enemies thrive, has torn apart nations; destroyed families; killed hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children; and sent millions more running for their lives. But today—today—President Obama will deliver a speech in Florida, touting his counter-terrorism successes. I’m not making that up. Ugh. Yet, even a glimpse at the chaos enveloping the Middle East and spreading throughout the world reveals the delusion and sophistry of this president and his failed policies. In short, when our next president is inaugurated, just six weeks from now, he will look out on a world on fire and have several consequential strategic choices to make: how to address Russian or Chinese aggression, how to confront threats from North Korean, whether to alter our relationship with Iran, how to improve and quicken our campaign against ISIL, how to counter the instability radiating from Syria, how to ensure a victory in the war in Afghanistan, and I could go on, not to mention the overwhelming challenge of cybersecurity. Our next president will not have the benefit of time and cautious deliberation to set a new strategic course for the nation; that work begins with a series of decisions that will present themselves immediately on day one. That’s why it’s so important to get these things right from the outset. As we ponder these strategic questions, we must also consider our military posture around the world. We must decide the appropriate military presence in Europe and reverse reductions made by the Obama administration under the assumption that Russia was a partner. We also need a fresh look at further steps to enhance U.S. presence in the Asia-Pacific region. We need to uphold our commitments to allies and partners, including by finally providing lethal assistance to Ukraine and standing by the opposition in Syria. We need to push back against the spread of Iranian malign influence in the Middle East. This starts in Iraq where the eventual liberation of Mosul will intensify the sectarian struggle for power and identity. We need to finally give our troops in Afghanistan what they need to succeed—permanent and flexible authorities to engage the enemy and troop levels based on security conditions on the ground. Here at home we need to return to a strategy-based defense budget. Our next president would need more than $100 billion over and above the Budget Control Act caps just to execute our current defense strategy, which is insufficient since it predates Russian invasion of Ukraine and ISIL’s rampage across Syria and Iraq. This will require our next president to negotiate a broad bipartisan agreement on the budget that brings an end to the dangerous and misguided Budget Control Act. {30:50} General Jack Keane: I’m delighted to be here with Dr. Kagan, a good friend, and let me just say something about Dr. Kagan here and his family. His father, himself, his wife, his brother, and his sister-in-law all made— Sen. John McCain?: All have exceeded—Keane: —a great contribution to this country, believe me. {35:45} Gen. Jack Keane: The reality is we need more combat brigades. The reality is we need more ships. The reality is we need more aircraft. It’s indisputable. {37:20} Gen. Jack Keane: The United States has not fielded a single active protection system on a tank yet or any other combat vehic— But your committee has mandated they do it, and you put some money in there for them to do it. Now, listen, if you don’t know what active protection system is, let me take you through it for a second. You put sensors on a vehicle that track an incoming round to the vehicle, and as the round is about to hit the vehicle, you actually have a kill system on the vehicle that kills the round before it hits. Brilliant technology. Where do we get all of that from? Private sector. It has to do with microchip technology and incredible software programs. Out there on a private sector, smart guys, small-business guys, got it; DARPA had a program over ten years ago to look at this; technology’s proven, and the United States military ground forces still haven’t put it on anything. What’s wrong with that? It has nothing to do with money. It doesn’t have anything to do with the White House. It doesn’t have anything to do with Congress. It doesn’t have anything to do with OSD. You know what it is? It’s the damn bureaucracy inside the Army. They push back on new technology because they want to design it themselves because you give them money to do it. These are the laboratories and the tech bases. It’s the acquisition bureaucracy that stalls this. When I was vice chief of staff for the Army, I had no idea about all of that, and it took me a year or two to figure out what I was really dealing with—bureaucrats and technocrats that were stalling the advance of a great army. That’s out there, and you’ve got to bore into that with this committee. The military and Defense Department needs help to break down that bureaucracy. {43:20} Gen. Jack Keane: Let me just say something about the DOD business side of the House. Certainly, we are the best fighting force in the world; we are first rate at that. But we’re absolutely third rate at running the business-like functions of DOD because we’re not good at it; we don’t know enough to be good at it. We’re managing huge real estate portfolios. We’re managing huge lodging capabilities. We’re one of the biggest motel owners in the United States. We’re managing the largest healthcare enterprise in the world. The amount of maintenance that we’re doing from a pistol to an aircraft carrier is staggering. Those are all business functions. Business functions. They’re all non-core functions. And we’re also managing new product design and new product development, using business terms, and we don’t do well at this, and there’s a ton of money involved in it. We’ve got to get after that money, and we’ve got to do better at it. And I think we should bring in, as a number-two guy in the Department of Defense, a CEO from a Fortune 500 company in the last five years that’s done a major turnaround of a large organization. We need business people to help us do this. We need a CFO, not a comptroller, in DOD. That CFO has the background that’s necessary to look at business practices in the DOD, where cost-basis analysis and performance, internal-controlled auditing, rigorous financial reviews, cost efficiency, and dealing with waste, those are the kinds of things we need—desperately need them because the money is there. You want to do so much more—some of that money is sitting right there in the budget. {46:55} Gen. Jack Keane: ISIS is the most successful terrorist organization that’s ever been put together. We’re making progress against them in Iraq, to be sure. We do not have an effective strategy to defeat them in Syria, because we don’t have an effective ground force. And we have no strategy to deal with the spread of ISIS to thirty-five other countries. I’m not suggesting for a minute that we’re involved in all of that, but I think we can tangibly help the people who are. {47:35} Gen. Jack Keane: In Iraq, we will retake Mosul. How long will depend on how much ISIS wants to resist; they didn’t resist in Fallujah and Ramadi that much. But after we take Mosul, if we have sectarian strife in Mosul, where we do not have unity of governance and unity of security, then that is going to contaminate the political unity and the country as a whole, which is so desperately needed. And that is a major issue for us. The major geopolitical issue for the United States and Iraq is political unity with their government and diminishing Iran’s strategic influence on Iraq. That is what we should be working on. {48:52} Gen. Jack Keane: The Syrian civil war, a major human catastrophe, to be sure, is a tractable problem, I think as any of us have had to deal with. The reality is we squandered the opportunities to change the momentum against the regime—I won’t list them all, and you’re aware of it—but right in front of us, I still believe we could put safe zones in there to safe guard some of those humans up near the Jordanian and Turkish border and that de facto would be a no-fly zone. I think it would also aid the Syrian moderates and likely attract some others to that movement. {49:49} Gen. Jack Keane: Afghanistan—let me just say, the war is not winnable under the current policy. We cannot win. And that’s the reality of it. We’ve got sanctuaries in Pakistan. No insurgency’s ever been defeated with sanctuaries outside the conflict area. Pakistani-Afghan national security forces do not have the enablers they need to be able to overcome the Taliban, who have resurged. {55:55} Robert Kagan: I want to talk about a subject that we don’t like to talk about in polite company, and it’s called world order. We naturally focus on threats to the homeland and our borders, and we talk about terrorism, as we must, as something that is obviously of utmost importance, has to be a top priority to protect the homeland. But as we look across the whole panoply of threats that we face in the world, I worry that it’s too easy to lose sight of what, to my mind, represent the greatest threats that we face over the medium- and long term and possibly even sooner than we may think, and that is the threat posed by the two great powers in the international system, the two great revisionist powers international system—Russia and China, because what they threaten is something that is in a way more profound, which is this world order that the United States created after the end of World War II—a global security order, a global economic order, and a global political order. This is not something the United States did as a favor to the rest of the world. It’s not something we did out of an act of generosity, although on historical terms it was a rather remarkable act of generosity. It was done based on what Americans learned in the first half of the twentieth century, which was that if there was not a power—whether it was Britain or, as it turned out, it had to be the United States—willing and able to maintain this kind of decent world order, you did not have some smooth ride into something else. What you had was catastrophe. What you had was the rise of aggressive powers, the rise of hostile powers that were hostile to liberal values. We saw it. We all know what happened with two world wars in the first half of the twentieth century and what those who were present at the creation, so to speak, after World War II wanted to create was an international system that would not permit those kinds of horrors to be repeated, and because the understanding was that while Americans believed very deeply in the 1920s and ’30s that they could be immune from whatever horrors happened out there in the world that it didn’t matter to them who ran Europe or who ran Asia or who did what to whom as long as we were safe, they discovered that that was not true and that ultimately the collapse of world order would come back and strike the United States in fundamental ways. And so Americans decided to take on an unusual and burdensome role of maintaining world order because the United States was the only power in the world that could do it, and the critical element of maintaining that world order was to maintain peace and stability in the two big cockpits of conflict that had destroyed the world and had produced repeated conflicts from the late nineteenth century onward, and that was Europe and Asia. The United States accomplished something that no other power had been able to accomplish before. It essentially put a cork in two areas that had been known for the constant warfare, put an end to an endless cycle of war between France and Germany, between Japan and China; and that was the stable world order that was created after World War II, that America gradually thrived in, that produced the greatest era of great-power peace that has been known in history, the greatest period of prosperity, the greatest period of the spread of democracy. {1:01:24} Robert Kagan We especially cannot take our eye off what I believe is ultimately the main game, which is managing these two revisionist powers and understanding what they seek. We cannot be under any illusions about Russia and China. We will find areas of cooperation with them—they both partake and benefit from and, in some case, sort of feed off of the liberal world order the United States has created—but let us never imagine that they are content with this order, that they do not seek fundamentally eventually upend this order, especially on the security side, to create a situation which they think ought to be the natural situation which is they being hegemonic in their own region. China has a historical memory of being hegemonic, dominant in its region. Russia has a historical memory, which Putin has expressed on numerous occasions, of restoring its empire, which stretched right into the heart of Central Europe. As far as they are concerned, the order that the United States has created is unfair, disadvantageous to them, temporary, and ought to be overturned. And I can only say that in the process of overturning that the history teaches that overturning does not occur peacefully. And so it should be our task both to prevent them from overturning it and to prevent them in a way that does not produce another catastrophic war. {1:04:00} Robert Kagan: It’s unfortunate that after these eight years in which this signal has been sent that during this political campaign, the president-elect comments during the campaign as well as those of his surrogates have only reinforced the impression that the United States is out of the world-order business—comments about whether the United States really should support NATO allies; comments about Estonia being in the suburbs of St. Petersburg; complaints about the need to defend Japan and is that an equitable thing; the fact that both candidates came out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is really, in my eyes, a strategic deal more than a trade deal, designed to pull the United States and its Asian partners together. All the elements of this campaign have only sent even greater shockwaves throughout the world about what the United States stands for. So, in a certain sense, yes, the next administration has a big hole to dig out of; it also has to dig out of a hole, to some extent, of its own making. And so we need to see, in the early stages, in the very early stages, I would say, a clear repudiation of all that rhetoric; some clear signs that this new administration understands the importance not only of reassuring allies but a willingness to bolster our commitment to those allies, because after all, the challenge from the revisionist powers is increasing; therefore it’s not enough to say we’re committed to the defensive allies; we have to show that our capacities are increasing along with those of the increasing threat which, of course, gets to the defense budget, which I don’t have to talk to this committee about. {1:22:00} Robert Kagan: I’m very dubious that unless you actually increase the top line that you’re going to get what you need, because I just think, you know, you can only squeeze so far and be as brilliant as you can be. Brilliant is never going to be your answer, so I think the answer is there’s going to have to be more spending, and, you know, I’m not a budget expert at large either, but I would say we have to do whatever we need to do. We have to—if we need to raise taxes or we need to have some package that does that, if we need to find other ways of, you know, dealing problems like entitlement spending to do it, we have to do it. I mean, I lived through the Reagan years. There were increases in defense budget, which were offset by political bargains of one kind or another that required increases in domestic spending which led to increased defense budgets. We survived the—I mean, in overall deficits. We survived the deficits and won the Cold War. So I would say we are going to have to, as a nation, take this seriously enough to pay for it. {1:46:45} Senator Angus King: So selection of leaders is a crucial element, looking for innovative and willingness to move. Let me— Gen. Jack Keane: You’ve got to force the R&D effort, and you’ve got to talk to civilian—you’ve got to talk to defense industry on a regular basis because the defense industry is spending their time thinking about your function. They’re all also spending research dollars on it. You have to have regular communication with them. Let them know where you’re trying to go, bring them into it to help contribute to it, drive your own people to work with them as well. We can accelerate this process rather dramatically. King: And I would suggest that we have to. {1:50:00} Senator Joni Ernst: I would like to get your thoughts on ISIS in Southeast Asia because I do think it’s something that we haven’t spent a lot of time focusing on—we’re not talking about it nearly enough—and Islamic extremist groups in Southeast Asia, like the Abu Sayyaf group, they are all coming together under the flag of ISIS, and it’s a bit concerning. {1:52:20} Shawn Brimley: One of the tangible second-order benefits that we get from forward deploying our troops and capabilities overseas is we have that daily connectivity, and we have that daily deterrent prowess in places around the region. One of the debates that you see and hear inside the Pentagon, or one of the debates that we had inside the Pentagon as pertains to, say, the Marines in Darwin, for instance, is, you know, you start to break apart these larger entities, like a Marine Air-Ground Task Force, for instance, and you start to put a company here in Southern Philippines and put a task force of some kind in Australia. And there’s a tradeoff between doing that, which gives you that kind of daily interaction with local communities, the ability to do a counter-terrorism operations, for instance. But there is some risk that it becomes more difficult to quickly bring those capabilities back together for a larger threat, responding to a larger threat. And that’s the balance that DOD, particularly OSD, has to grapple with every day. {1:53:50} Senator Joni Ernst: General Keane, could you talk a little bit more about militarily what we could be doing in that region and the use of forces? * General Jack Keane*: Yeah, absolutely. And ISIS has expanded into 35 countries, and we don’t really have a strategy to deal with any of that. We’re focused on the territory that they took, certainly in Iraq and Syria, and I’m not saying that’s not appropriate—that should be a priority—but commensurate with that priority, we should be addressing these other areas as well. And a lot of the identification with ISIS is aspirational but they also have affiliates in these countries—this is one of them—and with an affiliate, they actually sign a document together to abide by certain ISIS principles and rules. And in some cases they direct, some cases they provide aid, but in most cases there’s no direction, and that’s largely the case here. But I believe what the United States can do with its allies is, you know, we’ve been at war with organizations like this now for 15 years, and our reservoir of knowledge and capability here is pretty significant, and it far exceeds anybody else in the world, but we have allies that are participating with us. There’s much we can do with them in sharing intelligence and helping them with training and also helping them with technology—not expensive technology, but things that can truly make a difference with those troops, and I don’t think we necessarily have to be directly involved in fighting these forces ourselves, but aiding and supporting these forces and having a strategy to do that— {1:57:55} Senator Jeanne Shaheen: You also talked about taking retaliatory action against Russia for what they’re doing. What kinds of efforts would you suggest we look at in terms of trying to retaliate or respond to what Russia’s doing in the United States? Robert Kagan: Well, I’m sure there’re people better equipped to answer that question than I am, but I would, you know, publish the Swiss bank accounts of all the oligarchs around. I mean, there are all kinds of things that you could do that would cause— Shaheen: Yeah, keep, keep saying a few— Kagan: Well, I mean— Shaheen: A few more of those because I think those are helpful. Kagan: You know, you could talk about all the ways in which you could reveal stuff about the way Putin has manipulated his own elections. I mean, there’s all kinds of stuff out there, which, if you were of a mind to do it, you could do that would be embarrassing of one kind or another. I mean, these people have money stashed all over the world. They have dachas, they have villas, etc. This is a kind of a Mafia organization where part of the game is everybody holding together. There are ways to create divisions and difficulties. I mean, I’m sure, as I say, there are people who could, if you put them to the task—and for all I know they have been put to the task—you could come up with a whole list of things. And, by the way, I wouldn’t make an announcement of it; they would understand what had happened. But until we do something like that, it’s just open season for them to do this, and so I think we need to treat this like any other weapons system that’s being deployed, because they are treating it like a weapons system. {2:00:32} Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: One of the things, General Keane, that you pointed out is that there is a predilection to try and kill some of the innovative programs so that the Pentagon can actually do those themselves. We had this experience with the Small Business Innovation Research program as we’re going into this NDAA because the initial effort was to try and increase the amount of money that DOD is making available to small businesses to do innovation, and I think we’ve heard from a number of panelists previously that this is one of the best research programs that still exists within—for small businesses to produce innovation that’s used by the Department of Defense. So, is this the kind of initiative that you’re talking about that there may be, for whatever reason, efforts to try and keep it from putting more money into that small-business effort to produce innovation?* Gen. Jack Keane*: I certainly encourage that. You know, the active protection system that I was talking about and that when DARPA made a call to the people to come forward and they knew that this would be an advanced technology that could actually change warfare, the contractor that the United States Army has gone to is a small-business contractor. So here’s this small-business contractor, conceptualized this capability themselves, and it will revolutionize combat warfare as we go forward. They also have technology, interesting enough, and they’ve brought military leaders out to see it, they can stop a bullet. In other words, a 50-caliber bullet, they can kill a bullet. And it’s all because of everything—all of this is available in the private sector. Microchip technology, as I mentioned, and unbelievable software apply to that technology. Well, that’s revolutionary technology that I just mentioned to you. It changes warfare. And so that is something we should be investing in. We should put money behind this. I have no affiliation with this organization—let’s get that straight. {2:05:27} Senator Mike Lee: For several decades, Congress, quite regrettably in my opinion, has deliberately abdicated many of its constitutional responsibilities, and it’s just sort of handed it over to the executive branch, being willing to take a backseat role—a backseat role, at best—in determining America’s role around the world and how we’re going to combat threats that face us. The result ends up being a foreign policy that is made primarily within the executive-branch bureaucracy and Washington-insider circles, informed, as they tend to be, by the interests and the aspirations of the so-called international community. This is a circle that increasingly becomes untethered from any clear lines of accountability, connecting policy, policy makers, and the American people. For instance, the U.S. military is currently operating in the Middle East under a very broad, I believe irresponsibly broad, interpretation of a 15-year-old authorization for the use of military force, using it as justification to engage in a pretty-broad range of actions, from intervening in two separate civil wars to propping up a failing Afghan government. Meanwhile, the executive branch seems increasingly inclined to choose and identify and engage threats through covert actions, and that further helps the executive branch to avoid the scrutiny that would be available if stronger Congressional oversight existed, and they avoid that kind of scrutiny and public accountability. This may be convenient for members of Congress who want nothing more than to just have someone else to blame for decisions that turn out to be unpopular or unsuccessful, but it’s an affront to the Constitution. And it’s more than that; it’s more than just an affront to a 229-year-old document—it’s an affront to the system of representative government that we have dedicated ourselves to as Americans, and I think it’s an insult to the American people who are losing patience with a foreign policy that they feel increasingly and very justifiably disconnected from, notwithstanding the fact that they’re still asked from time to time to send their sons and daughters into harm’s way to defend it. So as we discuss these emerging threats to our national security, I’d encourage this committee and all of my colleagues to prioritize the threat that will inevitably come to us if we continue to preserve this status quo and to exclude the American people and their elected representatives, in many cases ourselves, from the process. So I have a question for our panelists. One of the focuses of this committee has been on the readiness crisis within the military, brought about by the conflicts we’re facing in the Middle East and by a reduction in the amount of money that the Pentagon has access to. The easy answer to this is often, well, let’s just increase spending. That’s not to say that that’s not necessary now or in other circumstances in particular, but setting aside that, that is one approach that people often come up with. But another option that I think has to be considered, and perhaps ought to be considered first, is to reexamine the tasks and the priorities that we’re giving to our military leaders and to ask whether these purposes that we’re seeking readiness for are truly in the interest of the American people, those we’re representing, those who are paying the bill for this, and those who are asked to send their sons and daughters into harm’s way. * Sen. John McCain: Senator’s time has expired. *Lee: So,-- McCain: Senator’s time has expired. Lee: Could I just ask a one-sentence question, Mr. Chairman, to— McCain: Yes, but I would appreciate courtesy to the other members that have—make one long opening statement, it does not leave time for questions. Senator’s recognized for question. Lee: Okay. Do you believe that the Congress, the White House, and the executive branch agencies have done an adequate job in reaching consensus on what the American people’s interests are and on calibrating the military and diplomatic means to appropriate ends? {2:10:43} Robert Kagan: I don’t accept this dichotomy that you posited between what the Congress and the President do and what the American people want. I mean, when I think of some of the—first of all, historically, the executive has always had tremendous influence on foreign policy—whatever the Constitution may say, although the Constitution did give the executive tremendous power to make foreign policy. If you go back to Jefferson, the willingness to deploy force without Congressional approval, you can go all the way through 200 years of history, I’m not sure it’s substantially different, but in any case, that’s been the general prejudice. The Founders wanted energy in the executive and particularly in the conduct of foreign policy. That was the lesson of the Revolutionary War. That’s why they created a Constitution which particularly gave power to the executive. But also, I just don’t believe that the American people are constantly having things foisted on them that they didn’t approve of. So one of the most controversial things that’s happened, obviously, in recent decade that people talk about all the time is the Iraq war, which was voted on; debated at length in Congress; 72 to 28, I think was the vote, or something like that. The American people, public opinion, was in favor of it, just as the American people was in favor of World War I, the Spanish-American War later. These wars turn out to be bad or badly handled, the American people decide that it was a terrible idea, and then people start saying, well, who did this? And the American people want to find somebody to blame for doing these things; they don’t want to take responsibility for their own decisions. I don’t believe we have a fundamentally undemocratic way of making foreign-policy decisions; I think it’s complicated, I think mistakes are made. Foreign policy’s all about failure. People don’t want to acknowledge that failure is the norm in foreign policy, and then they want to blame people for failure. But I think the American people are participants in this process. {2:22:26} Senator Lindsay Graham: We’re talking about important things to an empty room. Just look. Just look. So, Iran with a nuke. Number one—I’m going to ask, like, 45 questions in five minutes. Give brief answers if you can. If you can’t, don’t say a word. Do you believe that the Iranians in the past have been trying to develop a nuclear weapon, not a nuclear power plant, for peaceful purposes? Shawn Brimley: Yes. Gen. Jack Keane: Nuclear weapon, yes. Graham: All right, three for three. Do you believe that’s their long-term goal, in spite of what they say is to have a nuclear weapon? Keane: Yes. Brimley: [nods] Robert Kagan: [thumbs up] Graham: Okay. Do you believe that’d be one of the most destabilizing things in the world? Brimley: Yes. Graham: Do you believe the Arabs will get one of their own? Brimley: Yes. Kagan: [nods] Graham: Do you believe the Iranians might actually use the weapon if they’d gotten one, the Ayatollah? Brimley: [nods] Keane: Well, I think that—before I answer that, I think there’s just as great a chance that the Arabs would use their weapon as a first right to take it away. Graham: Okay, then, so, we don’t know—well, let’s have— Bob, you shook your head. If you’re Israel, what bet would you make? Kagan: [speaks, but mic is not on] Graham: Okay, but what if he wants to die and he doesn’t mind taking you with him? What does he want? Does he want to destroy Israel, or is he just giddy? Kagan: [speaks, but mic is not on] Graham: When the Ayatollah says he wants to wipe Israel out, so it’s just all talk? Kagan: I don’t know if it’s all talk, and I don’t blame people for being nervous. We lived under—the United States, we all lived under the shadow of a possible nuclear war for 50 years. Graham: Yeah, but, you know, on their worst day the Russians didn’t have a religious doctrine that wanted to destroy everybody. Do you believe he’s a religious Nazi at his heart, or you don’t know? And the answer may be you don’t know. Kagan: I believe that he clearly is the—believes in a fanatical religion, but— Graham: Here’s what I believe. Kagan: I’m not—okay, go. Graham: Okay, I believe that you ought to take him seriously, based on their behavior. Number one— Keane: I think we should take him seriously. Whether they’re religious fanatics or not, I don’t think is that relevant. Clearly, their geopolitical goals to dominate the Middle East strategically, to destroy the state of Israel, and to drive the United States out of the Middle East, they’ve talked about it every single year— Graham: Well, do you think that’s their goal?Keane: Yes. Graham: Okay, so do you- Keane: Of course it’s their goal. And not only is it their goal, but they’re succeeding at it. Graham: Do you think we should deny them that goal. Graham: Good. North Korea—why are they trying to build an ICBM? Are they trying to send a North Korean in space? What are they trying to do? Brimley: They’re trying to threaten us. Kagan: To put a nuclear weapon on it— Graham: Do you believe it should be the policy of the United States Congress and the next president to deny them that capability? Brimley: I believe so. Graham: Would you support an authorization to use military force that would stop the ability of the North Koreans to develop a missile that could reach the United States? Do you think Congress would be wise to do that? Brimley: I think Congress should debate it. I remember distinctly the op-ed that Secretary William Perry and Ashton Carter— Graham: I’m going to introduce one. Would you vote for it if you were here? Kagan: Only if Congress was willing to do what was necessary to a followup—Graham: Well, do you think Congress should be willing to authorize any president, regardless of party, to stop North Korea from developing a missile that can hit the homeland? Kagan: Only if Congress is willing to follow up with what might be required, depending on North Korea’s response. Graham: Well, what might be required is to stop their nuclear program through military force; that’s why you would authorize it. Kagan: No, but I’m saying that if I’m—the answer is yes, but then you also have to be willing, if North Korea launched—Graham: Would you advise me— Kagan: —that you’d have to be willing to— Sen. John McCain: You have to let the witness. Graham: Yeah, but he’s not giving an answer, so here’s the question. Kagan: Oh, I thought I— Graham: Do you support Congress—everybody’s talking about Congress sitting on the sidelines. I think a North Korean missile program is designed to threaten the homeland; I don’t think they’re going to send somebody in space. So if I’m willing, along with some other colleagues, to give the president the authority—he doesn’t have to use it—but we’re all on board for using military force to stop this program from maturing, does that make sense to you, given the threats we face? Keane: I don’t believe that North Korea is going to build an ICBM, weaponize it, and shoot it at the United States. Graham: Okay, then, you wouldn’t need the authorization to use military force. Keane: Right. And the reason for that is— Graham: That’s fine. Keane: The reason—Senator, the reason they have nuclear weapons is one reason: to preserve their regime. They know when you have nuclear weapons we’re not going to conduct an invasion of North Korea. South Korea’s not going to do it; we’re not going to do it. Graham: Why are they trying to build ICBM? Keane: They want to weaponize it. Graham: And do what with it? Keane: I don’t bel— Kagan: Preserve their regime. Graham: Okay, all right. So, you would be okay with letting them build a missile? Kagan: No, but— Graham: Would you, General Keane? Keane: They’re already building a missile. Graham: Well, would you be willing to stop them? Keane: I would stop them from using it, yes. Graham: Okay. Keane: I’m not going to stop them from— Graham: Assad—final question. Do all of you agree that leaving Assad in power is a serious mistake? Brimley: Yes. Keane: Yes, absolutely. Graham: Finally, do you believe four percent of GDP should be the goal that Congress seeks because it’s been the historical average of what we spend on defense since World War II?Kagan: Pretty close. Graham: Thanks. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations

A conversation with Zachary Burkland, Business Manager with the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) office.

Biztechinsider Hosted by Will Mapp, III, The Sync

First we'll cover some local science and tech stories, then we'll speak with Keoki Fraser, Vice Principal at Mokapu Elementary, about the upcoming Windward District Science Fair. Then Harrison Rue joins us to tell us about Urban HNL. Finally, we'll learn how two programs aid tech companies that conduct early stage research. How does the Small Business Innovation Research grant and R&D tax credit help these companies compete?

Small Business Innovation Research Program Grant