Wayne Polatkan

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.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is the only Department of Defense organization focused exclusively on fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. military. We're a fast-moving team that contracts with commercial companies to help solve critical national security problems — together. 

Join us for an exciting and eye-opening day as we introduce you to DIU's mission and vision for pushing the edge of defense possibilities.

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.

NGA's satellites aren't just in space. Earlier this year, NGA introduced Moonshot Labs as a software development facility where tech startups, academics, and others from industry can collaborate while using geospatial data to innovate and grow. It’s just one part of the agency’s strategy to develop critical partnerships that are only limited by imagination and a willingness to create meaningful connections.

Join Phil Chudoba, NGA’s Associate Director for Capabilities, to learn more about what’s happening with Moonshot Labs, why this space aligns with NGA's mission imperatives, and how you can get involved in the unprecedented collaborative environment to come.

The novel ideas that drove the high-tech revolution — and that helped the United States build strength as a nation — were grounded in a close, mutually-beneficial relationship between the military and the commercial world. Today, those same partnerships are critical to protecting the intellectual property of American businesses and helping the country protect itself from foreign threats.

As the U.S. Air Force Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Maj. Gen. Cameron Holt is helping the service reinvigorate those partnerships at the strategic level by pushing the envelope of government acquisitions and building a culture of critical thinking among the Air Force contracting community. Find out what he’s doing and why he is optimistic about the path ahead.

Businesses — both big and small — play an important role in NGA's ability to monitor and analyze global hot spots and provide timely warnings to national decision-makers by reporting what it finds. Industry partnerships are a necessity for NGA to achieve its mission.

How can you accelerate through the NGA industry pipeline? That’s one of the reasons Rick Myllenbeck, an Apple alumnus and now Industry Engagement Advisor at NGA, shows up to work every day. Rick will brief you on the need-to-knows of working with NGA and share how he’s helping the agency connect with technical solution providers from across the country using a range of creative programs.

Economic uncertainty doesn’t stop innovation, but it has made it more difficult for early-stage companies to secure the funding they need to grow. In response, some startups and entrepreneurs are turning to investments from foreign rivals, especially China, creating potential security problems for their businesses and for the United States as a whole.

In this session, DIU will examine critical points of entry for bad actors seeking to exploit your companies. You'll learn how to identify “adversarial capital” and protect your company from investors with malicious intent as well as how to stay alert and take proactive measures to secure trusted capital.

With a $3B science and technology program — and an additional $3B in externally funded research and development — the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a pretty big deal. This scientific research organization is dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of new technologies across the entire United States Air Force as well as for U.S. space and cyberspace forces.

Since 1997, AFRL has been partnering with NASA, DARPA, universities, commercial organizations, and others to perform experiments that push the boundaries of what’s possible. Hear from AFRL Commander Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle as she shares what AFRL is up to these days and how you can be part of their mission.

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.

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.

Small business is a big priority for the federal government — including the Department of Defense. Not only is there economic value in helping U.S. startups and entrepreneurs succeed, but the DoD is working hard to up its technology game by diversifying its industrial base with new ideas, new technologies, and new partners. 

With nearly 50% of major DoD awards still concentrated within the same five companies, find out how NGA is doing its part to make it easier for small businesses to work with the government. Dale Rainey will brief you on how he ensures these companies — especially women- and minority-owned businesses — are provided an equitable opportunity for prime and subcontracting opportunities.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

Startups and entrepreneurs play an ever-increasing role in innovation and job creation — and in keeping the U.S. competitive amid globalization. That’s why the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was created in 1982 and why the government awards billions in non-dilutive funding through SBIR each year.

The funding is out there, but only if you know how to access it. In 2020, Capital Factory introduced a no-cost SBIR Accelerator to help companies crack the code and maximize their success when applying for SBIR topics. Come meet a few of the companies that found success in this program last year to learn more about their projects and their experiences with Capital Factory's SBIR Accelerator.

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!

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.

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!

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.  

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) provide additional capabilities on the battlefield to do things humans can't and help keep service members safe from harm. These devices have become invaluable to the U.S. military — which is why DIU developed the Blue UAS project. 

In this session, DIU staff and other experts from across the services will share details about the Blue UAS project and how they are using this project to build a robust, trusted UAS domestic industrial base amid cyber security and global supply chain challenges.

As the saying goes, “Software is eating the world.” It’s still largely true in the commercial market — and it’s true in national security as well. Highly complex software is now essential to many of the military’s systems and platforms. Coding has made its way to the front line.

The Army’s future operating environment will require that Soldiers can scope and implement software-based solutions on their own, without connectivity, and without outside support. This skill will help them act faster when things are going as planned — and respond faster when the unexpected happens. Join this inspiring session to learn how the Army is empowering Soldiers by building an organic software development capability within the force.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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. 

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.

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.  

The academic community and the Department of Defense may, at first, seem strange bedfellows. But with each facing the need to adapt and move forward in ways that support their own missions (as well as the greater good), collaboration could be the golden ticket. 

Join us for a conversation among university faculty and defense change-makers on the mutual benefits of an academia X DoD alliance. We’ll explore the future potential of this relationship as well as a few examples of how universities are finding value in national security projects while lending their thinking and research facilities to keep the nation safe.

Putting innovators, experts, and end-users in close contact produces results. That’s not news for the commercial market; it’s a model that industry has been refining for years. But it is a critical shift for the U.S. military — and a powerful business model that the Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) activated through its Cohort Program. 

In this session, companies that have participated in AAL cohorts will take the stage alongside Army leaders and PMs to talk about how the Cohort Program works, why it works, and what it will take to scale this novel approach to solution innovation across a million-person organization. Join us to find out how this model is driving culture change and collaborative solutions for the Army.

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

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.

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.  

U.S. companies are facing an unprecedented set of challenges — economic uncertainty, decline of critical markets and suppliers, global competition, loss of vital skills in the workforce, and more. In fact, there are 250+ areas where the country’s industrial base and supply chain face critical risks, and these challenges have a direct impact on our national security.

During this panel, you will have the chance to dive deeper into the threats facing the U.S. industrial base during global competition. Members of the Foreign Investment Tiger Team, CIFIUS, NCIS, the Office of Naval Research, OSD’s Trusted Capital Marketplace, and the Defense Investment Network will discuss how they are working to mitigate these threats with carrots and sticks.

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.

In 2018, the US Army launched the Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) as an innovation unit embedded within Army Futures Command. Its goal: Foster opportunities to work with untapped companies that could bring dual-use technology and novel ideas to Army modernization. 

Join this session to hear AAL's new director, COL Jay Wisham, discuss his observations of the defense innovation space, share what the team has achieved to date, and explain the organization's vision for the future as it works to make the Army a better business partner for small- and mid-sized companies.

“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.

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.

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.

Modernization is a hot topic across the government — and a central tenet of the National Defense Strategy. But it's not just about finding and applying the hottest new tech. It's also about changing how the government sources solutions from the commercial market to catch up with the speed of business and make the process less painful for everyone. 

Join Anne Laurent and other contracting experts from across the Army to understand the current status of government contracting, what's already changed, and what new changes are coming to make this vision of modernization a reality.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.