2023 NC SBIR Celebration Summit
Highlighting Success, Sharing Best Practices
September 21, 2023 | 2:00PM to 6:00PM | Hybrid
Complimentary Insights from Expert Panelists
WHAT: This complimentary, half-day series of panel presentations will feature SBIR grant winning companies sharing lessons learned; reverse pitch/advice from SBIR Program Managers at federal agencies; SBIR/STTR program overview and the real story on the odds of winning SBIR grants - all to benefit founders and companies in the SBIR non-dilutive funding space and beyond.
Where: In person (limited tickets) AND Virtual, via Zoom (registrants will receive Zoom link upon completing registration)
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PROGRAM BACKGROUND
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First Flight Venture Center, North Carolina’s premier science and technology incubator, is hosting a half-day celebration to highlight the achievements of NC companies in the non-dilutive funding arena through the US Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs - America’s largest seed fund.
First Flight has since 2018, implemented the SBA’s Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program and this 2023 SBIR Showcase is part of the FAST program designed to support a diverse portfolio of startups and small businesses across technology areas and markets to stimulate technological innovation. It will bring together members of the innovation ecosystem to focus on efforts to increase the number of competitive proposals and winning SBIR grants to advance the work of early stage, science-focused companies.
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PROGRAM PRESENTATIONS & PANELS
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PROGRAM
2:00 – 2:10 Welcome – Krista Covey, President, First Flight Venture Center and Sponsor/Supporter Acknowledgement of all FAST sponsors – Lydia Bjorklund, Programs Manager, First Flight Venture Center
2:10 – 3:00 Overview of SBIR Program – Eva Garland, CEO/President, Eva Garland Consulting
3:00 – 3:05 Wyrick Robbins (sponsor presentation - 5 minutes)
3:05 – 4:05 SBIR Program Directors Share Insights - How to Navigate SBIR Funding Opportunities
Moderator: Elden W. Hawkes, M.S., Partnership and Innovation Specialist, SBIR/STTR, Office of Investment and Innovation, U.S. Small Business Administration
Panelists:
Henry Ahn
Program Director, SBIR/STTR
Division of Translational Impacts (TI)
Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP)
National Science Foundation
Eileen Chant, PhD
Outreach Manager
Office of SBIR/STTR Programs
U.S. Department of Energy
Gynelle C. Steele
Deputy Program Executive, SBIR/STTR
Space Technology Mission Directorate
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
April Richards
Program Manager
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program
Environmental Protection Agency
Swamy Tripurani
Program Director
National Cancer Institute, SBIR Development Center
National Institutes of Health
4:05 – 4:10 BREAK
4:10 – 4:15 TBD – (sponsor presentation - 5 minutes)
4:15 – 5:00 Successful SBIR Grant Winners – Speaking from Experience
Moderator: Kelsey McLaughlin, Ph.D., Scientific Consultant, Grant Writing Specialist, Eva Garland Consulting
Panelists:
Mark Roberson, President, Goldfinch Sensor Technologies and Analytics LLC
Zehra Parlak, CEO, QATCH Technologies
Angel Turner, CTO, Cosmic Eats
TBD
Close – Krista Covey, President, First Flight Venture Center
5:00 – 6:00 Networking and Reception (drinks and light refreshments)
