POWERED BY SBA
2016 SBIR
New England Regional Summit @ MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
October 6, 2016- MIT Kresge Auditorium
The 2016 New England SBIR Conference is a CANNOT miss engagement opportunity for innovators, technologists, and
entrepreneurs. The event will convene technology companies, inventors, leaders and supporters of STEM entrepreneurship
and early stage funding decision makers to discuss the non-dilutive funding opportunities provided through the Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs and their impact in
directing U.S. technology pathways.
Special Pre-conference Session for Women in STEM - October 5, 2016- MIT Media Lab
Women SBIR Networking and Awareness Day: Fostering and encouraging the participation of women entrepreneurs,
technologists, scientists, and principal investigators as SBIR/STTR applicants and awardees is a key goal of the SBIR/
STTR program. This pre-day October 5th event has been designed to supplement the Oct 6th main conference to
deliver content and networking for practitioners as well as a policy discussion aimed to promote gender diversity in grantmaking. The day will include panelists who have moved technology from the lab to market; discussion of networking and
mentoring as idea and business development paths, SBIR as an element of a company funding strategy, and a conversation
of university administrators on the academy’s commitment to gender equality in science education and practice.
POWERED BY SBA
2016 SBIR
New England Regional Summit @ MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
Pre Conference | October 5
Women SBIR Networking and Awareness Day
8:30 – 9:00 AM
Registration and Morning Networking
9:00 – 9:30 AM
SBIR 101 – The Basics
John Williams / SBA-OII Director of Innovation & Technology /
9:30 – 10:30 AM
Recent Winners – If I Only Knew Then, What I Know Now
Speed talks and Q&A with women that have recently won SBIR awards
Moderator: Betty Royster / NIH /
ML Mackey / CEO of Beacon Interactive /
Nina Tandon / CEO of EpiBone /
Ayanna Howard / CEO of Zyrobotics /
10:30 – 10:45 AM
Morning Break
10:45 – 11:00 AM
MIT Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Prof. Fiona Murray / Assoc. Dean for Innovation & Co-Head, MIT Innovation Initiative /
11:00 – 12:00 PM
Leaving the SBIR Nest – How I Leveraged SBIR Funding
Hear from experienced women business owners who have used the SBIR program to propel their
businesses. They’ll discuss best practices for how they obtained follow on capital to grow the
business while avoiding obstacles and making course corrections.
Lead Conversationalist: Vinit Nijhawan / Co-Founder & Board Member Learn Launch /
Helen Grenier / Co-Founder of iRobot & CEO of Cyphyworks /
Gia Schneider / CEO of Natel Energy /
Reshma Shetty / CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks /
12:00 – 12:45 PM
Fishbowl bag lunch
12:15 – 4:30PM | Scheduled 1-on-1s between Agency Program Managers and Pre-Conference Women Attendees
--- an opportunity for direct one-on-one engagement with funding Federal decision makers helping identify
technology alignment with agency funding opportunities.
12:45 – 1:30 PM
How to Write a Winning Proposal – Perspective and Tips from SBIR Program Managers
Graciela Narcho / NSF /
Stephanie Fertig / Program Director at NIH /
Manny Oliver / Program Director at DOE /
Susan Nichols / Program Director at DARPA-DoD /
1:30 – 2:45 PM
Furthering the Role of Women as Leaders in High Tech Small Businesses
What are the issues that impact women working in or establishing a technology start up? How do
we address them?
Lead Conversationalist: Laurie Leshin / President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute /
Ayanna Howard / CEO of Zyrobotics /
Susan Hockfield / President of AAAS & Former President of MIT /
Benita Fortner / Director of Supplier Diversity at Raytheon /
2:45 – 3:00 PM
Afternoon Break
3:00 – 3:45 PM
Building Your Network - Role models, mentors, advisors, supporters and collaborators.
Yolanda Comedy / Executive Director of AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassadors Prog. /
Teresa Nelson / Professor at Simmons College & Member of NWBC /
Retsina Meyer / Senior Scientist of Resilience Therapeutics /
Jangela Shumskas / DoD Velociter Program /
3:45 – 4:45 PM
Small Group Discussion Sessions
(1) Policy changes that encourage more Women in Small Business Leadership roles
(2) Balancing work-life balance while being a CEO or Principle Investigator
(3) Finding Smart Partnerships
EVENING AGENDA | NETWORKING RECEPTION at VENTURE CAFE
4:45 – 7:30 PM Arrival, Keynotes and Networking
POWERED BY SBA
2016 SBIR
New England Regional Summit @ MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA
DAY 2 AGENDA | October 6
Full – Day Conference:
Conference focused on engaging leaders from the New England innovation ecosystem, potential SBIR/STTR applicants,
and SBIR/STTR Program Managers.
8:00 – 8:30 AM
Registration and Morning Networking
8:30 – 9:00 AM
Fireside Chat (Introductory Keynote)
Kathleen Kennedy / President of MIT Technology Review /
Fariborz Maseeh / Founder The Massiah Foundation and Picoco LLC /
Maria Zuber / Vice President of Research at MIT /
9:40 – 4:30PM | Scheduled 1on1s between Program Mangers and potential SBIR/STTR applicants
9:00 – 9:30 AM
SBIR: Seeding America’s Future Innovations
John Williams and program managers from NSF, NIH, DOD and DOE
9:30– 10:30 AM
Innovation X-Ignite
Hear from leading and inspiring entrepreneurial individuals in technology based research fields
and how the SBIR program played a role in their early success.
Moderator: G. Nagesh Rao / Chief Technologist at SBA-OII /
Adam Rein / Co-Founder of Altaeros Energies /
Gia Schneider / CEO of Natel Energy /
Greg Tudryn / Research Director at Ecovative Design /
Lisa Marceau / Director & VP at New England Research Institute /
10:30 – 10:45 AM
Morning Break
10:45 – 11:45 AM
Phase 0 to Phase III
How do I find local and federal resources that can help me from proposal submittal to product sales?
Jerry Bird / President of Mass Ventures /
Micaelah Morrill / Director of Manufacturing Initiative at Greentown Labs /
Ben Schrag / Program Director at NSF /
Marina Hatsopoulos / Co-Founder of Cynosure and ZCorp /
11:45 – 12:30 PM
Lunch and Networking
12:30 – 1:30 PM
Access to Capital & Surviving the Proverbial “Valley of Death”
Locating Viable Follow-On Funding for High-Tech Innovation Development
Lead Conversationalist: Mark Walsh / Chief of SBA Office of Investment & Innovation /
Vinit Nijhawan / Co-Founder & Board Member Learn Launch /
Julianne Zimmerman / Managing Director of Reinventure Capital /
Gaye Bok / Excel Medical Ventures /
1:30 – 4:30 PM
Concurrent Panel Sessions
Track One
IP Law 101
Moderator:
G. Nagesh Rao / SBA-OII /
Speakers:
Mindy Bickel / USPTO /
Edward Russavage / Wolf Greenfield /
Track Two
Submitting to a Contracting Agency - From
Finding the Right Topic to Winning a Phase II
Moderator:
Speakers:
When & How to go Global With your High Tech Submitting to a Granting Agency - From
Finding the Right Topic to Winning a Phase II
Startup
Moderator:
Jeffrey Blander / US State Department /
Speakers:
Sorin Grama / Promethean Power Systems /
Anne Healey / USAID Global Dev Lab /
Moderator:
Jennifer Shieh / NIH /
Speakers:
Chris O’Gwinn / DOE /
Ben Schrag / NSF /
Rachel Melnick / USDA /
How to Make the Pitch- Insight & Best Practices Technology and Agency Alignment – Which
Around Pitching your Business Plan
Agency is Right for You?
Moderator:David Shrier / MIT /
Speakers:
Heath Naquin / Venture Well /
Geoff Tuff- / Deloitte /
Moderator:
Speakers: