Allison Williams

Don’t miss Capital Factory Founder & CEO Joshua Baer as he shares his reasons for creating this event, what it means for the innovation ecosystem in Texas and beyond, and what you can expect to experience during the next two days.

To help us kick off Fed Supernova, we’ve invited leaders from Texas’ premier universities to speak about their vision for Texas as the best state for defense innovation. As centers for national security research and development, Texas’ universities pave the way for innovators to drive critical defense solutions. How do academic institutions bridge the gap between industry and defense? More importantly -- which bridges can we begin to build now?

Joining Joshua Baer onstage are TAMU Chancellor, John Sharp, UT Dallas President, Dr. Richard Benson, and UTSA President, Dr. Taylor Eighmy, who will spotlight the power of Texas universities to align efforts and advance research toward the national interest.

End-user feedback is an essential part of product and software development for most companies. After all, no one knows how a tool actually performs (or should perform) better than the people who use it every day. That’s why DODx organizations are finding creative ways to bring service members directly into the military R&D process — partnering men and women in uniform with commercial innovators to solve tactical-level problems as a team.

Learn how AFWERX is driving these collaborations through its grassroots innovation program, Spark, by connecting Air Force and Space Force intrapreneurs with top problem-solvers from industry, academia, and government. With a decentralized global network, Spark is growing the Air Force’s culture of innovation while turning locally generated ideas and projects into real-world applications.

Army Software Factory (ASF) is where Soldiers become innovators. The Army's first Soldier-led software factory is where cutting-edge software solutions are developed FOR Soldiers, BY Soldiers. 

At Fed Supernova 2021, ASF will introduce you to the change-makers you need to meet in order advance our nation's capabilities and stay competitive. Join us for an overview of ASF at Fed Supernova and a welcome message from the organization's co-director.

Army Software Factory is bringing the big guns. Join ASF's keynote speaker for the scoop on defense software innovation.  

Building software is hard. Doing it in the DoD is even harder. How have the Army, Navy, and Air Force figured out how to deliver outcomes in their software development organizations? The answers will surprise you. Join this session to learn more!

Continuous Delivery (CD) is the ability to get software into production — or into the hands of users — safely, quickly, and in a sustainable way. This engineering approach is critical to driving outcomes in software development organizations and in making sure they deliver software solutions rather than just promises. 

Learn how adopting CD has allowed DoD software development organizations across the Air Force, Army, and beyond to deliver real outcomes rather than more innovation theater.

The DoD acquisition enterprise can be challenging to navigate. Software intensive efforts in the Air Force, Army, and Navy are leveraging commercial technologies and agile methodology to more rapidly deliver new capabilities to the warfighter. 

This panel will include speakers from the Air Force's Kessel Run, Army Software Factory, and Navy Black Pearl software practice for a discussion of how each approaches innovation and engagement with industry. Join us to gain insights into key focus areas and recommendations for successful collaboration between government and Industry.

Catch your breath, grab a coffee, and chat with changemakers. Get energized and inspired by the world-class professionals in the room and expand your network to the next level.