Last week, the Accelerator wrapped up the first session of the #CASDA2 cohort! The Catalyst Accelerator team was pleased to engage with this dedicated group of companies and we eagerly await their return to Campus on April 16th when the second session of the cohort begins!
On the morning of the 25th, the companies were introduced to the Accelerator Navigators (formerly called “Sherpas”), a team dedicated to guiding the companies and providing resources throughout the program. The Accelerator team is excited to welcome Commercial Navigators from General Dynamics, Scout Space, Kratos, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Freedom Space, and Red Shred. The Government Navigators, Capt Hanson Finley and Raul Diaz, both come from dynamic Government backgrounds and bring a wealth of knowledge to the table.
Gregg Walsh, Regional Operations Manager at COLSA, is the Lead Navigator, serving as the the primary contact for all Navigators to answer questions, brainstorm solutions, offer advice, and assist with scheduling. Additionally, Ernest Campos, Account Executive Space Programs at American Systems, serves as the Cyber Navigator to assist all companies with their individual cyber issues by ensuring NIST compliances are met and identifying pathways and necessary resources to maintain cyber health.
Together, the Commercial and Government Navigators form a robust support system for the cohort companies as they navigate the complexities of government partnerships. Ernest Campos summarized his time with the cohort last week by saying, “#CASDA2 is an exciting cohort filled with many excellent companies developing much needed capabilities for our future in space. I was impressed by the level of energy each company has shown so soon within the program and am honored to help navigate them through the challenges of establishing a solid cybersecurity foundation for both their companies and their solutions.”
Throughout week two, nine subject matter experts donated their time to meet with and speak to the cohort companies. Rob Patterson, President at ONE Dev, and Patrick Kent, Operations Manager at ONE Dev, discussed the intricacies of DoD business development; Brian Perry, Senior Director of Business Development at Chickasaw Nation, briefed the cohort and shared best practices in Government contracting; and Ben Straughan and Stephanie Roy, Partners at Perkins Coie LLP, helped the cohort answer their legal questions.
On Wednesday, the group gathered after a day of activities at Shuga’s for a cohort dinner. It was an opportunity for the companies and the Accelerator team to share food, drinks, and get to know one another better. The Accelerator team has enjoyed witnessing the cohort companies forging new connections and looks forward to further collaboration in the months to come!
During the second half of the week, the cohort heard from several more dynamic presenters. Mike Martensen, Founder of Martensen IP, talked to the companies about IP Strategy; Kristi Bradford, Founder and Managing Director of Pragmatic Frontiers, walked the cohort through the current investor landscape; Fred Taylor, Vice President of Space and Cyber Applications at Viasat, briefed the Accelerator on the organization; and Aaron Ressler, Advanced Industries Partnership Liaison at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, gave the cohort companies an introduction to UCCS and the role the university plays within Catalyst Campus and the Accelerator program.
The cohort also had the privilege of meeting with Mo Kanwischer, President of Momentum Business Consulting, throughout the week. Mo spoke to the companies about their value propositions and compared features vs. benefits with the cohort members during their 1:1 sessions throughout the week.
Week two concluded with cohort demos on Thursday. The companies took turns presenting to each other, as well as to several Navigators. Everyone had the opportunity to briefly introduce their company and demo their tech, and receive valuable feedback from their fellow cohort members on how they can refine their pitches and presentations for future demos.
Thank you to each of the subject matter experts who donated their time to speak with the #CASDA2 cohort and answer their questions. With the first session wrapped up, the Accelerator team looks forward to April 16th when the companies will return for another week of programming!
