Small Business + Air Force Research Lab FUSION Event

Description

If you are and entrepreneur, innovator, small business, scientist or researcher interested in collaborating with Federal Research Laboratories, come to the Doolittle Institute our first-ever Small Business and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Fusion event. This open-house-style, free event offers opportunities to learn about collaborating with the government, meet other researchers, and for researchers to network with local small businesses or entrepreneurs.
===================== Agenda =====================
**8:45 A.M. – Opening Remarks from Dr. David Lambert **9:00 A.M. – Innovation and Commercialization in AFRL with Ryan Helbach. Helbach, the Chief Intrapreneur at AFRL, will discuss Innovation and Commercialization opportunities within AFRL.
**10:30 A.M. – Northwest Florida Forward Region Brief on Entrepreneurial Accelerator & Incubator Efforts. Accelerators and Incubators are fancy words for players in the entrepreneurial landscape. Accelerators support early-stage, growth-driven companies through education, mentorship, and financing. Startups enter accelerators for a fixed-period of time, and as part of a cohort of companies. Incubators are organizations geared toward speeding up the growth and success of startup and early stage companies. They’re often a good path to capital from angel investors, state governments, economic-development coalitions and other investors.
**11:00 A.M. – Lunch on your own
**1:00 P.M. – SBIR/STRR Proposal Tips from Robert Foster with the University of West Florida. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) are government programs designed to encourage small businesses, entrepreneurs, and others to take advantage of the commercialization opportunities within Federal research, such as that taking place in AFRL. Foster will cover Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Northwest Florida plus How to Write Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposals.
**2:00 P.M. – Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) overview with invited speaker Ted Bejewski & DEFENSEWERX overview
**3:00 P.M. – Tech Warrior with David Shahady. Are you a small business or an entrepreneur with a physical prototype of a product you’d like to pitch to the military? Learn how SBIR and non-SBIR businesses can participate in Tech Warriror from David Shahady, a U.S. Air Force SBIR Program Manager.
**4:30 P.M. – Closing Remarks from DEFENSEWERX Executive Director Laurie Moncrieff

====================About the Doolittle Institute ====================
Through a Partnership Intermediary Agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate (AFRL/RW), the Doolittle Institute helps organizations, innovators, and entrepreneurs benefit from expansive basic and applied Department of Defense research. The Doolittle Institute acts a neutral facilitator and trusted counselor, connecting a national network of individuals, businesses, educators and government organizations to enable creative and integrated solutions. The Doolittle Institute is a member of the Defensewerx Family.