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.

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.

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

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.

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.

The U.S. Navy has set its sights on renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels — and not just because it’s good for the planet. Power sources that can be replenished naturally offer game-changing possibilities for military operations. By generating power from renewable energy resources, the Navy can reduce its dependence on an increasingly fragile supply chain while also reducing its carbon footprint.

Doing that requires partnership with the commercial industry, which is generally ahead of the military on the next generation of renewables. Find out how the Navy piloted a different business model to address energy resilience challenges through public-private partnerships and what collaboration opportunities it has planned as part of its Asia-Pacific Technology & Education program.

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.