Tom Dougherty

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.

Throughout human history, we’ve yearned to discover what lies beyond the horizon. The drive to explore our surroundings and understand the Earth is deeply ingrained in our DNA. At NGA, their mission is to answer those fundamental questions today — so they can help show the way to a better tomorrow.

Learn more about NGA’s goal to deliver world-class geospatial intelligence that provides a decisive advantage to policymakers, warfighters, intelligence professionals, and first responders in this session, presented by NGA Lead Innovation Outreach Officer, David Grover.

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.

The NGA Accelerator is a first-of-its-kind partnership with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and Capital Innovators designed to fund, mentor, and accelerate the growth of next-generation geospatial-intelligence technologies. The program is built for best-in-breed businesses that are developing novel dual-use technologies — products that have both commercial and military uses — and aims to increase the number of geospatial solutions available to NGA and its customers. 

Join Christine Woodard, NGA’s St. Louis Ecosystem Engagement Lead, to learn more about the NGA Accelerator program and what’s coming in the future. She will share details on the types of technologies that most interest NGA as well as exciting highlights of the momentum that’s building in the geospatial innovation ecosystem.

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.  

This is a MUST ATTEND. Get an update and briefing on the returns on investment on current STRATFIs of the Air Forces big collaborative opportunities. Learn more about the upcoming opportunities and how you can take advantage of these as well! You won't want to miss out on this one!

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.

The global air taxi passenger mobility market is forecasted to grow from ~$1.5B in 2025 to more than $150B by 2035. And electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) lies at the core of this burgeoning market. With promises of quieter operation, fewer maintenance requirements, and lower operational costs, VCs aren’t the only ones with enhanced interest in the eVTOL industry. The military is equally focused on the electric future of vertical lift. 

Join this diverse panel of speakers to learn more about the U.S. Air Force’s efforts to accelerate the eVTOL transition through dual-use development campaigns in central Texas. With a presentation followed by Q&A, you will discover the potential of this new technology to positively disrupt military operations and the urban mobility landscape alike.

By natural extension of its collaborative culture and inspired by the call to action underlying the 2030 S&T Strategy, the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/RI) has intensified its pursuit of new academic and industry partners with complementary capabilities to enable rapid performance cycles to meet the urgent demand for artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), cyber, quantum, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) solutions that enhance the United States’ national security and economic competitiveness. With support from all levels of local, regional, state, and federal government, AFRL/RI has, in parallel to advancing new partnerships, led the development of a state-of-the-art open innovation environment just “over the fence” to expand the Lab’s reach into academic, industry, and startup partners who have vastly extended the Lab’s own capabilities, leveraging diverse computing systems, chip fabrication facilities, novel university technologies, and other federal programs and venture capital investments.

This panel will explore the new Innovare Advancement Center in Rome, NY, it’s aggressive five year strategy to establish 100 new technical partners, 100 new entrepreneurial ventures, and elevate the community’s intellectual leadership in its core technical areas. The panelists represent various members of the Innovare community, to include AFRL and the Griffiss Institute and will discuss opportunities to engage in these critical National Defense areas.

Join us both days post Fed Supernova on the 8th Floor of Capital Factory for Happy Hour. 

Catch your breath from taking notes on all the opportunities for the future with Lt Col McMillan as he provides final comments after an exciting day of panels, networking, and discussions.

Jorge Manresa is VP for Federal/Defense Programs and Director for the Center of Defense Innovation at Capital Factory. On Day 2 of Fed Supernova, Jorge will reflect on the day prior and preview what's coming ahead for the sessions from the Army Track Presented by IBM, the Navy Track (curated by NavalX), and the NSIN Track Presented by Deloitte.

Don't miss what Jorge has to say. Want to learn more about what makes Jorge tick? See below:

The Federal Acquisition “Rosetta Stone”

Jorge is an accomplished 20-year mission-focused business leader having served as a U.S. Air Force - Contracting Officer. Jorge led foundational AFWERX business strategies and realized the USAF Chief of Staff’s call for innovation by influencing the revitalization of the U.S. Air Force - Small Business Innovation Research Program and other strategic innovation initiatives. Jorge now optimizes Capital Factory programs to help all portfolio companies, commercial partners and entrepreneurs organize, collaborate, and deliver innovative solutions to all state, federal & defense partners.

Attention innovators! Here’s your chance to get to know NavalX, the workforce "super-connector" for the U.S. Navy. Formally announced in February 2019, this organization focuses on lowering barriers to make it easier for companies to work with the Navy and arming them with a variety of tools so they can move boldly and quickly forward.

In this overview session, NavalX Director CAPT Ben Van Buskirk will share more about Naval Agility and explain how NavalX connects experts and solutions across an ecosystem of potential opportunities. From investment to experimentation to technology transfer, find out how NavalX is evolving the Navy's innovation landscape — and how you can get involved.  

Stay tuned for more information about the nuclear impact of the Navy's chief modernizer, Rear Adm. Lorin Selby, on Fed Supernova 2021.

A spotlight on Hacking for Defense and NSIN Starts alumni - Atomus - a cybersecurity company whose technology allows companies to securely share technical data packages with suppliers within their supply chain and other external third parties without worrying about their file being copied or stolen. Atomus has worked with US Marine Corps, US Air Force, and the Defense Innovation Unit along with small manufacturers within the aerospace and defense industrial base.  

Join us for a presentation on how the Department of Navy SBIR program is mobilizing to transition technology faster than ever before.

As winners of NSIN's Mad Hacks Fury Code, Distributed Spectrum developed a solution to detect cyber attacks in the radio spectrum in real-time by identifying enemy transmissions designed to disrupt vehicle operations and determining the threat they posed to the vehicle’s safety. They later went on to win NSIN's Vector pilot program, an intensive course for student teams interested in venture formation.

Hear this student-led team of innovators share more about the technology behind their solution as well as their experience collaborating to help solve this mission-critical problem.

While the U.S. military is all about national defense, national defense is about much more than battle. Humanitarian and diplomatic efforts are equally important to keeping the country safe. That’s why, when natural disasters threaten around the world, members of our military arrive by ship, plane, or helicopter to lend a hand. Whether helping prepare, cleaning up the aftermath, bringing supplies to remote areas, or aiding the sick and injured, service members play an important role in disaster relief.

Although we cannot control when a natural disaster hits, we can control our preparedness, response, and level of resiliency to lessen the damage left behind. Hear how the Global Center for Coordinated Response and Resiliency is helping to improve processes and pathways toward national disaster responses around the world.

Maintenance and sustainment are not glamorous concepts — at least, they didn’t used to be. Now, however, the military is incorporating Industry 5.0-style technology to make sure the systems used on the front line are safe, efficient, and optimized to guard taxpayer dollars and keep the men and women who need them safe. 

From mixed reality training to predictive maintenance to robotics, learn more about NESTT’s role in bringing innovative solutions to the Navy’s maintenance and sustainment challenges. Steve McKee will discuss how he and his team are connecting end users in Maintenance Depots across services to critical commercial technology through the SBIR program and beyond.

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.

The mission of the Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) is to develop, deliver and sustain operationally dominant combat systems for Sailors. How? And what's next? Join this session to learn just that and also how NESTT is adapting its model to take advantage of commercial capabilities.

Where do we go from here? Take the next step with us as we hear from key leaders how joint solutions activate the full potential of defense innovation possibilities.

Much like commercial industry, the U.S. military is increasing its use of unmanned and anonymous systems to perform tasks that humans can’t — or shouldn’t — do. Far beyond aerial drones, these mobile-guided vehicles also operate on land, in water, or in space to reduce costs, save lives, and advance our society into a safer, smarter future. 

That’s exactly why the U.S Navy and Marine Corps have prioritized unmanned systems as key enablers for their missions. This panel brings together stakeholders from across the Department of the Navy to articulate their current challenges, explain how the Navy is adapting to overcome them, and share how they are partnering with innovative companies to adopt new capabilities in this space.

Join us both days post Fed Supernova on the 8th Floor of Capital Factory for Happy Hour.