The Catalyst Accelerator concluded the third session of the #CASDA2 cohort last week. The companies had the chance to hear from and meet with engaging speakers from Government and Industry and participate in one of the biggest events of the program, Community Day!
Week 10 sessions kicked off with Corey Reis, a Navigator for the #CASDA2 cohort, who briefed the companies on Lockheed Martin and shared his extensive career experience. Next, Mo Kanwischer, President of Momentum Business Consulting, talked with the cohort companies, sharing her immense expertise. As always, her insights were invaluable and greatly appreciated by all participants. Additionally, Cord Waymire, Josh Waymire, and Matthew West from Fulcrum Wealth Consulting of Raymond James discussed exit strategies and intangible assets with the companies.
On Tuesday, the cohort listened to a series of presentations, starting with Melissa Ortiz, Tech Transfer and Transition Officer from Air Force Research Labs, who discussed the intricacies of tech transfer and CRADAs. Then, Eric Ingram, Chief Strategy Officer, and Scott Nelson, Chief Operating Officer from Scout Space, provided insights into Scout Space and offered some best practices for engaging with the Government as a small business. Colin “Bus” Bettis, Director of Outreach for the Commercial Systems Programs Office at the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), spoke about opportunities for commercial companies and pathways to working with the NRO. Following that, Abigail Steen, Project Manager of STTRs/SBIRs and Platform One at Catalyst Campus, explained how companies can partner with CCTI as a Research Institute on STTRs. The day concluded with the Accelerator cohort gathering for dinner at Ivywild School in downtown Colorado Springs. With the #CASDA2 cohort quickly coming to a close, these dinners invaluable!
Wednesday was an exciting day, starting with a briefing of the Joint Commercial Operations Cell (JCO), led by Maj Carl Poole. The JCO’s mission is to equip the space defense enterprise with timely and accurate identification, analysis, and warnings of potential counterspace activity. This is achieved by leveraging industry and allied capabilities at the non-classified level, ensuring maximum distribution and collaboration to support operational and strategic objectives. The briefing was highly informative, offering the companies detailed insights into the organization and ways to get involved.
After the JCO tour, the seven companies took part in the Community Day event! The morning started with a Rapid-Fire Resource Panel, connecting the cohort with the following key organizations: Culture to Cash, Air Force CyberWorx, AngelSolves, Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, Federated, and GovIRG. In the afternoon, the companies enjoyed panels focused on Space Domain Awareness and Space Innovation. The event wrapped up with a happy hour, allowing attendees and cohort companies to network further. The Accelerator team was thrilled to host approximately 60-70 attendees from the Colorado Springs aerospace and defense communities as well as subject matter experts from other diverse industries. A big thank you to the organizations involved in the Rapid-Fire Resource Panel, the SDA and Space Innovation panelists, and to every attendee who contributed to the event’s success! Special thanks to Delta Solutions and Strategies and 5Star Bank for sponsoring this year’s Community Day!
To conclude the week, Steve Case, Senior Consultant at the National Space Defense Center (NSDC), spent time briefing the companies on the NSDC. He also held individual meetings with each company to answer questions and offer feedback.
Richard Singh, Chief Sales Officer at Quasar Satellite Technologies, one of the seven companies in the #CASDA2 cohort, shared his thoughts on the program, “In addition to the great insights this week, especially the panel sessions, catching up with my fellow cohorts and seeing how they have all progressed, has been incredibly rewarding.”
Thank you to each of the 13 subject matter experts who generously donated their time to speak with the #CASDA2 cohort and answer their questions! The support of our community is essential to our Accelerator’s success.
We’re looking forward to the companies returning for the final on-week as we get ready for Demo Day! The Demo Day video will be released on June 10th on our website and social media pages. The Accelerator team invites all readers to the live portion of Demo Day which will be on June 13th, 4-7pm MT, at the Catalyst Campus. Interested parties can register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/space-domain-awareness-demo-day-tickets-912195951647?aff=oddtdtcreator.
