Last week, the Catalyst Accelerator successfully wrapped up the first session of the #CASJS cohort! The team was thrilled to welcome this dedicated group of companies and looks forward to having them back on February 25th for the start of their second session.
The morning of February 3rd kicked off with insightful presentations from industry experts. Chad Clark, Partner, Financial Officer, and Patent Attorney at Martenson IP, shared valuable strategies on intellectual property (IP) management. Following this, Ernest Campos, Account Executive for Space Programs at American Systems and Catalyst Accelerator Cyber Navigator, provided important insights on cybersecurity compliance when working with the Department of Defense (DoD). The final presentation of the day was from T.I. Weintraub, CEO and President of Freedom Space Technologies and Catalyst Accelerator Commercial Navigator, who briefed the cohort on Freedom Space and his personal experiences in the industry.
After the presentations, companies had the opportunity to engage in one-on-one meetings with the speakers, diving deeper into their specific needs and challenges. The day concluded with a cohort dinner at Ivywild School, fostering stronger connections and collaboration among the companies.
On Tuesday morning, the companies discussed DoD business development with Rob Patterson, President of One Dev. Following that, the companies learned from Brian Perry, Senior Director Business Development, at Chickasaw Nation Industries (CNI) about CNI and best practices in government contracting! Wrapping up the day, Mo Kanwischer, President of Momentum Business Consulting, led an engaging discussion on value propositions, followed by one-on-one meetings where companies refined their messaging and continued conversations with the day’s presenters.
Wednesday brought another exciting lineup of presentations and discussions. Joseph Cheung and Josh Baptist from ArchLight 6 shared strategies on how companies can posture for cybersecurity, Special Agent Doug Kisby from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations National Security Detachment 817 provided insights into security considerations, and Mo Kanwischer returned to lead a session on Go-to-Market Strategies.
Following one-on-one sessions with presenters, the companies joined a lively Happy Hour—the first networking event of the cohort! They connected with approximately 50 industry and government professionals from the Colorado innovation ecosystem, building valuable relationships. Each company also had the opportunity to formally introduce themselves, sparking targeted discussions and potential collaborations.
Shae Thomas, Catalyst Accelerator Program Director, shared her thoughts on the first session of the #CASJS cohort by stating, “Between the relationships fostered between Space Force and Army over to the cohort we have assembled, I am absolutely thrilled with this Accelerator cohort. The first two weeks are always my favorite as we watch the companies start to collaborate with each other and start to understand the warfighter problem sets.”
Week two programming concluded with insightful Cohort Demos, where each company showcased its technology to the cohort. This session provided a valuable opportunity for companies to learn about each other’s innovations and explore potential collaborations beyond the Accelerator.
Thank you to each of the subject matter experts who donated their time to speak with the #CASJS cohort and answer their questions. The Catalyst Accelerator team is looking forward to the second session of programming with this incredible group of companies!
