Fall Fed Supernova Schedule
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
SBIR Accelerator Showcase
Curious what kind of companies use the SBIR Program to snag non-dilutive capital and work with the DoD? Find out during an hour of rapid, back-to-back pitches from companies that recently completed the Capital Factory SBIR Accelerator.
You'll get a peek at some interesting technology, be introduced to impressive founders, and walk away with a better idea of the resources available to help you break into this huge market. This session will be moderated to keep us moving and maximize value for attendees.
Innovation Expo
All day, both days of Fed Supernova in the ground floor Atrium -- This exclusive, trade-show style exhibit will feature dedicated tables from startups, technology corporations, universities, and others with something special to offer the ecosystem. Wanna get to know some key players in the Capital Factory ecosystem? Be sure to drop by!
Networking
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.
VIP Networking
Whether you are in person or virtual VIPS will have the chance to participate at random. (please see calendar invite & VIP emails for link!)
Why Fed Supernova? A Message from Texas University Leaders
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.
Fireside Chat: SECDEF Innovation Priorities
"Build Back Better" is President Biden’s three-part agenda to rescue, recover, and rebuild the economy. This agenda embraces a whole of government approach and the Department of Defense will play a significant role, not only in maintaining a strong national security, but as an economic enabler.
Join this session to learn how the Department of Defense will defend the United States guided by three priorities; defending the nation, taking care of people and succeeding through teamwork. Creating opportunities for new-to-government companies to take advantage of its resources will play a major part in the Department’s plans and during this conversation you will receive behind-the-scenes insights from leadership within the Office of the Secretary of Defense as they discuss administration and defense priorities.
AFWERX and SpaceWERX Overview
Established in 2017 by the Secretary of the Air Force, AFWERX connects innovators across government, industry, and academia to accelerate commercial technologies that can solve military problems. By harnessing the ingenuity of internal talent and creating novel programs to help small businesses, AFWERX is spearheading a new normal for military-civilian partnerships.
Join Col. Nathan Diller and Lt. Col. Rock McMillan to learn more about AFWERX and SpaceWERX, its Space Force affiliated arm, as well what these new approaches mean for the nation’s economy, for its defense, and for you.
Powering Our Future: Our Greatest Challenge and Greatest Opportunity
Jonathan Villasenor
US Army, Maneuver Chief, Maneuver, Aviation, Soldier, Lethality Robotics Division, FID, FCC, AFC
Need Energy? Yep, that's what we thought. Hear from DIU's newest portfolio, Advanced Energy & Materials, which is dedicated to tackling the DoD's growing energy needs. Capital Factory invites you to learn how industry is integrating advancements in energy and materials technology into DoD installations and distributed operations.
National Security Innovation Investment: Get Capabilities to Market Faster
Software gets the attention but hardware is still key. Join NSIC, NSIN and AWS for a discussion on how hardware startups uniquely benefit from government funding. Don't miss out on understanding how non-dilutive capital can actually surpass the value of private investment when driving national security innovation.
ASF Overview and Welcome Message
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.
ASF Keynote
Army Software Factory is bringing the big guns. Join ASF's keynote speaker for the scoop on defense software innovation.
Artificial Intelligence: Innovation at the Speed of Trust
Artificial intelligence pushes the limits of known possibility. Yet, AI creates unique challenges for public servants as much as philosophers. While countries like China push forward with AI in military applications, democracies like the U.S. are working to balance the game-changing capabilities that AI provides with public concerns about when, how, and why AI-enabled tools are used for the country’s defense.
U.S. leaders are taking these concerns seriously and working diligently to address them. Learn how DIU and others are helping apply the DoD's Ethical Principles for AI to accelerate the adoption of AI for national security while ensuring responsible, lawful use of this promising technology.
Emerging Commercial Markets
Agility Prime, the Air Force Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) program, is a giant leap forward in military thinking on new competitive markets. Through unprecedented commercial partnerships, we are leveling the playing field to support this emerging market in the U.S. But it will not be the last program of its type. Space debris remediation, quieter supersonic travel, and other frontier industries are just a few that are poised to be next.
Come hear more about the AFWERX Prime Division's mission and vision for identifying and accelerating dual-use technologies for commercial success and defense utility. We’ll share successes of the past year, detail the road to fielding an eVTOL capability by 2023, and explain how AFWERX is "franchising" the Agility Prime framework to accelerate and transition dual-use technology related to the space domain.
3D-printed Bases of the Future
We have the most sophisticated military in the world-- It’s technologically advanced, agile, and has the ability to deploy all over the world. But there are also challenges in backlogged housing and other construction projects, outdated infrastructure and budgetary constraints that limit how fast we can mobilize new and needed resources. Additive construction, namely 3D printing, has the ability to help solve a massive need across the DoD. We need infrastructure capabilities that help improve speed, reduce lifecycle costs and create buildings that are energy efficient and climate resilient.
Come hear from representatives from the Texas Military Department, the Defense Innovation Unit and private construction technology startup, ICON, on how 3D printing can help improve speed, energy efficiency and affordability concerns and introduce innovative solutions into the military community.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Innovation Expo
All day, both days of Fed Supernova in the ground floor Atrium -- This exclusive, trade-show style exhibit will feature dedicated tables from startups, technology corporations, universities, and others with something special to offer the ecosystem. Wanna get to know some key players in the Capital Factory ecosystem? Be sure to drop by!
NSIN Overview and Welcome Message
At the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), community is our core strength. Our team builds networks among innovators who generate new solutions to giant problems. By combining problem-solvers from different kinds of communities, NSIN creates powerful and unexpected effects in the service of national security. The question is: Where do YOU fit in?
Find out from Matt Merighi, NSIN’s Acting Director of Operations, as he explains the work of bringing together defense, academic, and entrepreneurial innovators to solve national security problems in new ways. He’ll share more about NSIN’s programs as well as how you can engage with their mission, vision, and scope during Fed Supernova.
Army Futures Command Welcome and Overview
LTG Thomas Todd is Army Futures Command's chief innovation officer. He will share more about the work his team performs behind the scenes, its focus areas for the future, and how Army Futures Command sees the partnership between the Army and industry evolving to help both sides reach their goals.
Naval Agility: Responding to the Changing Environment
Stay tuned for more information about the nuclear impact of the Navy's chief modernizer, Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, on Fed Supernova 2021.
Opportunity Knocks: A Snapshot of Army Technology Priorities
Modular open system architectures. Shared data repositories. Computer vision. These aren't just Silicon Valley concerns. The U.S. Army uses many of the same technologies as the commercial market and has many of the same needs — from wearables to robotics, electric vehicles to mixed reality, and beyond.
In this session, technologists and leaders from across the Army will come together to offer a snapshot of their top-priority technology areas and announce opportunities for companies that may have never worked with the government to get involved.
Culture Change in the Department: Engaging Non-traditional Problem Solvers Through Collaboration
“Innovation” is just change by another name. While change can be difficult, it’s also essential to progress. And those necessary changes are often realized through a shift in perspective or by adopting lessons learned from a parallel field. The DoD has acknowledged that. Now, it’s time to put that understanding into practice.
By creating spaces for students and service members to work together, NSIN is driving critical collisions and intellectual diversity into the DoD. Join us to learn how NSIN's Collaboration Portfolio connects the right people from across DoD, academia, venture, and beyond to better understand problems and discover new solutions — together.
Lightning Talk: Tech Bridge Overview
Curious about what the NavalX Tech Bridges are? We've got just the session for you! The NavalX Tech Bridges are a connected network that enhances collaboration between Naval Labs, industry, academia, and other military branches. Join the Tech Bridges Director at NavalX for an overview of how to utilize the Tech Bridges ecosystems and tap into opportunities.
Ask Me Anything
We're bringing a special flavor to this month's AAL Ask Me Anything, in honor of Fed Supernova!
The AAL Corporate Ventures team has invited a group of Army Program Managers (PMs) to join us and answer your questions in real-time. Maybe you want to know how they buy. Maybe you're trying to figure out how to get noticed. Maybe you need to untangle the confusing web of acquisition bureaucracy. Whatever it is, join us for this special AMA to hear it straight from the people who know best.
And, if you want to learn more about AAL and how we do what we do, we'll be ready and waiting to take on those questions as well. No holds barred. No silly questions. No nonsense. That's why we're here.
X-Force Fellowship Presentations
The X-Force Fellowship program is an opportunity for technologists and entrepreneurs to serve their country by solving real-world national security problems in collaboration with the U.S. military.
Join this session to hear four talented X-Force Fellowship teams present the solutions that they developed for DoD customers — and learn more about the program that made it possible.
Tech for Tomorrow’s Battlefield: How Concepts of the Future Drive Investments Today
Tien Pham
U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, Chief Scientist, Senior Science Technical Manager for CISD
The U.S. is home to some of the most groundbreaking technology ever created — technology that has changed the world. GPS. Lithium batteries. The iPhone. These are all commonplace today, but they were once the major innovations of their time. And all of these innovations can trace their roots back to the U.S. military. That’s because, for decades, the military was out in front with research and development, from WWII to the Apollo missions and beyond.
In this session, BG Stephanie Ahern will lead an informative and entertaining discussion with Army scientists, futurists, and commercial experts to explain how concepts about the future of battle influence where the Army invests today. Join us to learn more about the Army's technology roadmap and how companies with relevant solutions can become partners for the future.
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