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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.