U.S. Air Force “Pitch Days” have been likened to the Air Force’s version of “Shark Tank” – as the event is focused on lowering the barrier to entry through accelerated, same-day contracting for entrepreneurs, technologists, small businesses, etc. – innovators who are intent on bringing cutting-edge ideas to the Air Force.
This year, the U.S. Air Force Armament Directorate’s third Pitch Day will be awarding $30M in funding to multiple small business innovators, with individual contracts valued at up to $1.8M each.
This event will feature the top small business innovators pitching the Directorate early-stage, ‘low-maturity’ ideas - focused on our Six Innovation Targets.
While these top small business innovators will be pitching our VIP Judges - there will be multiple tracks for in-person collaboration and networking, and digital engagement via our AirForceWeapons.com live stream.
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Deputy Program Executive Officer for Weapons Michael Sorial welcomes in-person and virtual attendees to Weapons Pitch Day 2022. This is the Armament Directorate's third "Pitch Day," an event synonymous with speed and agility as the Air Force moves quickly to contract emerging technologies.
Meet our Judging Panel that will evaluate selected small businesses pitching. Winners will be awarded individual contracts within the $30M allocation, valued at up to $1.8M each.
Col Christopher Buckley from Air Force Futures at Headquarters Air Force will talk about the attributes and capabilities of the future weapons needed to arm the Air Force the Nation Needs.
The Air Force needs a new mix of weapons to compete with and, if necessary, defeat adversaries in the future environment. These weapons will have to go beyond the attributes of range, speed, and lethality into places such as networked, collaborative, and autonomous.
The Air Force must design secure open systems architecture and modularity into these weapons to ensure rapid capability upgrades as fast as the tactical situation dictates, and we must do all of this it in cooperation with our Joint and Allied partners. Welcome to the end of the kill chain.
With a strategic view from the Pentagon, Dr. Yvette Weber will speak to evolving models that address more effective transition of technologies, to take the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense beyond "innovation theater" - evaluating the vision, targets, and challenges to increase and maximize private sector innovation and integration with the Air Force.
Lt Col Brian Baker addresses internal structural challenges from the perspective of the Pentagon. We will explore the Department of Defense's goal to bring in more private sector innovation to the military, the Air Force Future's reorganization, and ongoing structural optimizations needed to achieve this vision.
This panel is comprised of executives from the largest defense contractors, with representatives from the business unit and venture arms. We will examine the concept of increasing “landing pads": establishing more effective alliances with, and investment in, small business innovators. This panel will discuss the vision, tactics, and challenges to making this happen faster, and more efficiently from the perspectives of various leaders in the defense industry.
Exploring new models of acquisition, Dr. Emily Doucette and Major Jorge Ramirez will analyze the "challenge-based acquisition" model with examples from the recent Protovision challenge, and how its success will accelerate the Golden Horde program.
Notable U.S. Air Force leadership will highlight disruptive innovation across the Air Force ecosystem.
Air Force Research Laboratory Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will examine the Department of Defense's perspective on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) when applied to weapons innovation.
This will set up for the Collaboration Session focused on AI, which will explore ideas and challenges in break-out sessions - as various thought leaders break down specific weapons innovation scenarios.
This panel will analyze technology trends from private sector thought leaders (i.e., Industry). Together, we will survey current successes, benchmarks, and trends with executives from Amazon Web Services, and how they apply to weapons innovation for the U.S. Air Force with specific application to the Directorate's Innovation Targets.
This will set up for the Collaboration Session focused on AI, which will explore ideas and challenges in break-out sessions - as various thought leaders break down specific weapons innovation scenarios.
“Artificial intelligence is coming and it will be used in war. How it is used; however, is an open question.”
A Pentagon defense expert, former U.S. Army Ranger, author of the bestselling book, Army of None, and Vice President of Center for a New American Security - Paul Scharre explores next-generation warfare and high tech weapons systems. He will unpackage trends emerging out of the AI revolution, and the role between the human and the machine (and the evolving boundaries of machine teaming). As warfare is rapidly evolving in highly contested environments - Paul will discuss lessons from Ukraine, including the ongoing development of drone usage and specific applications to the U.S. Air Force.
Maj Jorge Ramirez will speak to the U.S. Armament Directorate Priorities as they relate to Artificial Intelligence.
This panel will explore the boundaries of trust and ethics in the evolution of autonomous weapons innovation.
Weapons Pitch Day is at the nexus of Artificial Intelligence and weapons, and given the state of world affairs - this topic is a top priority. Col Javorsek will lead this conversation with Paul Scharre and Dr. Emily Doucette.
This will set up for the Collaboration Session focused on AI. It will explore ideas and challenges in break-out sessions - as various thought leaders break down specific weapons innovation scenarios.
These in-person collaboration sessions are challenge-based breakout sessions between U.S. Air Force, Industry, and Academia leaders focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
Various thought leaders will break down specific weapons innovation scenarios, exploring ideas and solutions to specific challenges.
Chris Moran, who leads Lockheed Martin's venture arm, will delve into their $400M investment portfolio - highlighting many of their portfolio businesses focused on those that specialize in Artificial Intelligence. Chris will also explore Lockheed Martin's goals of transitioning technologies into their ecosystem.
The road ends here. It is the moment we have all been waiting for.
In July, our Judging Panel will announce the final businesses who are awarded contracts, valued at up to $1.8M each. Total value of contracts awarded will be $30M.
Maj Gen Scott Jobe and Deputy Program Executive Officer for Weapons Michael Sorial will give closing remarks, as we look ahead to our next time together.
JUDGE
Maj. Gen. R. Scott Jobe is the Director of Plans, Programs, and Requirements, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. He is responsible for planning and programming $60 billion annually for a force of more than 150,000 personnel and more than 2,000 aircraft, supporting 1 O unified commands and the North American Aerospace Defense Command. He is also responsible for functions relating to the Combat Air Forces' weapons systems acquisition, modernization, sustainment, and test involving more than 140 programs. Additionally, he directs a staff of 25 divisions and more than 700 personnel.
Maj. Gen. Jobe entered the Air Force after graduating from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville with a Bachelor of Science and earned his commission through ROTC in 1993. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels, and served within the Air Staff and U.S. Southern Command. Additionally, he led flying missions in operations Southern Watch, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, Freedom Sentinel and Resolute Support. Prior to his current position, he was the Director of Strategic Plans, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
Maj. Gen. Jobe is a Weapons School graduate and former instructor, and is a command pilot with more than 2,400 flying hours in the T-37 Tweet, T-38 Talon, HH-60 Pave Hawk and F-16 Fighting Falcon.
{Current as of August 2021)
JUDGE
Col. Sloan L. Hollis is Vice Commander of the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot AFB, N.D. As Vice Commander, he is responsible for the health and welfare of roughly 4,900 active duty members, 500 civilian employees, and 6,000 family members. He also assists with overseeing operations involving the wing's fleet of B-52 bombers to provide deterrence and long-range strike capability for combatant command operations worldwide.
Prior to assuming his current position, Colonel Hollis was a student at the United States Army War College, where he studied the strategic level of warfighting, national security policy, and the planning and execution of strategic and operational warfare.
Colonel Hollis received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1997. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Weapons School and is a command pilot with more than 5,500 flying hours in the T-37, T-53, B-1B, and B-52H. He has flown combat missions in operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
(Current as of 18 Aug 17)
JUDGE
Col Martin Salinas is the Chief Operating Officer forAFWERX, Air Force Research Laboratory,Austin, TX.
Col Salinas received his commission through theAir Force Reserve Officer Training Corpsprogram in 1999 from Texas A&M University,and completed undergraduate navigator training atRandolph AFB, Texas. His operational experiencesinclude duty as a B-52H Standardization andEvaluation Electronic Warfare (EW) Officer withthe 96 Bomb Squadron, Barksdale AFB, LA, andas an Undergraduate EW and Navigator traininginstructor with the 563 Flying Training Squadron,Air Education and Training Command (AETC)Randolph, AFB, Texas. Following this, ColonelSalinas was assigned to the Air Force PersonnelCenter as Chief of Bomber assignments wherehe managed 1200 personnel across multiplespecialties and lead the development ofstrategic manpower planning for B-52 and B-2bomber aircraft personnel. He has served asthe Secretary of the Air Force InternationalAffairs’ inaugural Italian Air Staff ExchangeOfficer, in Rome, Italy where Colonel Salinasworked closely with multiple levels ofpolitical and military stakeholders to include the Italian Ministry of Defense, the Italian Joint Staff, and TheU.S. Embassy. In returning to the United States, Colonel Salinas served as the 2d Operations GroupDeputy Commander, 2d Bomb Wing Inspector General, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, and then Director ofOperations for the F-35 U.S. Reprogramming Laboratory, Eglin AFB, Florida. Prior to his current positionhe was the Mission Design Team lead for AFWERX Agility Prime and a Test Director for the Air ForceOperational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), Detachment 2, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. As aTest Director he led test and operational context initiatives for experimental programs such as AgilityPrime’s electronic vertical take-off and landing aircraft portfolio, and Skyborg’s Autonomous AttritableAircraft experiment (AAAx).
Colonel Salinas has deployed to Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM, to Kabul, Afghanistan as the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Electronic Warfare Coordination Cell Chief of Plans and Operations, and to Africa as the Air Forces Africa Liaison Officer to Niger.
Colonel Salinas is a Senior Navigator with over 2000 hours in the B-52H, including over 600 combat.
JUDGE
Colonel Tony Meeks is the Commander and Director for the Munitions Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Leading the Munitions Directorate, he provides strategic and technical guidance to a staff of more than 800 military, civilian and contractors developing munitions and weapon effects delivery technologies. The Munitions Directorate leads the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting effects and weapon technologies for the Department of the Air Force. The activities of the Munitions Directorate include research on seekers, navigation and control, image processing, munitions integration, warheads, fuzing, explosives and technology assessment methodology. As a Space Force member, Col. Meeks will help implement the AFRL Commander's vision of "One Lab, Two Services," where the Air Force Research Lab supports both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force.
Colonel Meeks began his Air Force career as a graduate of Air Force ROTC at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla. His first assignment was Los Angeles AFB where his job was integrating space capabilities into operational combat plans and exercises. His second assignment was in Air Force Special Operations Command, continuing space integration, battle management, and command and control. After a stint teaching at Squadron Officer School, Col. Meeks transferred to the National Reconnaissance Office, working Special Programs and Legislative Affairs. Following a return to Maxwell AFB for Air Command and Staff College with a Political Affairs concentration, he worked counter-proliferation issues at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Col. Meeks worked a special program for the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence before being selected as a Materiel Leader at Los Angeles, conducting launch and sustainment for the Wideband Global SATCOM program. Selected for Senior Developmental Education, Col. Meeks returned to Maxwell where he was selected for the Air Force Chief of Staff's Blue Horizons program. Following graduation, Col. Meeks was picked to run the Air Force Center for Strategy and Technology at Air University. As part of the Defense Innovation Initiative, Col. Meeks combined the Center for Strategy and Technology with the Air Force Wargaming Institute into a new organization called Innovation Works at Air University. Col. Meeks was selected as a Senior Materiel Leader and served as the Deputy Director for the Space and Missile Systems Center's Remote Sensing Directorate. In 2018, Col. Meeks became the first-ever System Architect for SMC, responsible for systems of systems architecting for the entire space domain. In July 2019, Col, Meeks moved to Redstone Arsenal, Ala, as the Deputy Director for Acquisition for the Missile Defense Agency. Col. Meeks assumed command of AFRL's Munitions Directorate in July 2021.
(Current as of July 2021)
JUDGE
SPEAKER
Colonel Christopher Buckley serves as the Chief of Weapons Development and Requirements within Headquarters Air Force, Air Force Futures, at the Pentagon. He is responsible for developing future weapon concepts and oversees the development of requirements for all air delivered weapons in the Air Force.
Colonel Buckley is a native of New Castle, Pennsylvania. He entered the Air Force in 2000 though Officer Training School and completed Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training at Pensacola Naval Air Station. He has served as a B-52H Navigator, Radar Navigator (Bombardier), Instructor, and Evaluator including several wartime combat deployments to Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM. He is a graduate the United States Air Force Test Pilot School and has led numerous flight test programs including the high-risk X-51 hypersonic scramjet, the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, and served as the mission commander, test director and navigator on the ‘Speckled Trout’ a highly modified, unique airborne flight test laboratory.
Colonel Buckley has also served on several general staffs, to include Combatant Commands, deployed commands, and the Air Staff. He previously served as the Commander of the 412th Operations Support Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California. He is a Master Navigator with over 5,000 hours in more than 100 different military, civilian, experimental and foreign aircraft.
(Current as of Dec 2021)
SPEAKER
PANELIST
Dr. Yvette S. Weber, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Science, Technology and Engineering, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics), the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Weber is responsible for accelerating the Department of the Air Force technological advantage by enabling world class scientists and engineers to securely transition to cutting edge S&T and prototyping, and transform experimentation and engineering capabilities. She supports the Air Force Acquisition Executive by providing technical advice and counsel on major acquisition programs and rapid prototyping. She assists in the functional management of more than 16,000 military and civilian engineers. Dr. Weber advises the preparation of policy, guidance and advocacy for the Air Force's annual $2.9 billion science and technology program and $1 billion developmental prototyping and experimentation program. As part of this role, she assists in overseeing the Air Force's international science and technology outreach via various bi-lateral and multilateral engagement fora, including the NATO Science and Technology Organization and the NATO Air Force Armaments Group.
Dr. Weber was born in Astoria, New York. She entered civil service in 1992, prior to completing her Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Maryland. She has held various assignments in the Air Force Research Laboratory, Headquarters for Air Force Materiel Command, and at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. These assignments have spanned the spectrum of basic, applied, advanced technology research, development and test; systems engineering policy; engineering leadership and management; and system program management across a wide variety of Air Force weapon systems. Prior to assuming her current position, Dr. Weber served as the Air Force Deputy PEO, Weapons and Deputy Director, Armament Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
(Current as of August 2021)
SPEAKER
Mr. Sorial serves as the Air Force Deputy Program Executive Officer for Weapons, Armament Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The 1800+ person Armament Directorate executes a portfolio valued at more than $92B. The Directorate develops, fields, and sustains our combat forces’ highest priority precision weapons, including Hypersonics, AMRAAM, JASSM, JDAM, MOP, SDB, QF-16, legacy munitions, CAD/PAD and commodity buys. He assists the PEO in overseeing the Armament Directorate’s FMS program supporting 67 partner nations valued at $11.9B. He is also responsible for every aspect of directorate operations including personnel, budget, execution, performance and supportability.
Mr. Sorial previously served as the Air Force Deputy Program Executive Officer for Tankers, Wright Patterson AFB, OH fromJuly 2017 to December 2019, where he assisted in planning and execution of all life cycle activities for the AF’s tanker fleet. Prior to his Deputy PEO Assignment, Mr Sorial was Chief, C-130 Hercules Division, PEO Mobility, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robbins AFB, GA where he was responsible for acquisition, modernization and sustainment of the more than 1200 Air Force and foreign C-130s around the world.
Mr. Sorial began his career with the Air Force in the Engineering Directorate, Armament Division at Eglin AFB FL in 1986 as an electronics and computer engineer. Among his technical accomplishments, he performed a complete weapon system code review as part of a red team on the AGM-130 and developed a government in-house capability to perform Independent Verification & Validation of Ada source code, he led a should cost team for the electronics section of the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile weapon system in early production in 1989.
From 1990 through 1999 Mr. Sorial was assigned to the Air-to-Air program office and worked on a variety of air superiority weapons. Mr. Sorial’s responsibilities grew from computer engineer to systems engineer, and finally, chief engineer of the system performance branch during his tenure. In 1999, Mr. Sorial served a short tour at the Pentagon as an Action Officer for the Program Executive Officer for Weapons, AFPEO/WP.
In 2000 he was assigned to the 46th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, where he worked on the initial development testing of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM). In 2002 he was assigned to the new start ACAT I Small Diameter Bomb program, first as the Test and Integration lead then within a year he was selected by the Program Executive Officer for weapons to serve as the Deputy Program Manager. In 2003, Mr. Sorial was promoted into the Engineering Directorate to manage the engineering, program management, and logistics workforce and in 2005 he completed a Master of Science in Management and Leadership.
Mr. Sorial was assigned Acting Director for the Area Attack Systems Group, Air-to-Ground Munitions System Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in 2005. He was responsible for planning, directing, and controlling the engineering and programmatic resources to enhance combat capability and readiness through development, acquisition, deployment, and sustainment of area attack weapons including the Sensor Fuzed Weapon (CBU-97, 105, 115) and the Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) (CBU-103, 104, 105). He had technical responsibility over 40 air combat support programs/efforts valued at $2.7B with 340 personnel.
In 2006, Mr. Sorial was promoted to Director of Engineering for the 329th Armament Systems Group. In that capacity, he was the senior technical advisor for range test and training programs and air base support. In 2007, he was selected to lead a new start program for common range test instrumentation for the Office of the Secretary of Defense initiative. In that capacity he led several source selections and pioneered new technology and affiliations between the test and training communities in the Air Force and in the Navy.
In 2012 Mr. Sorial was assigned as the Director of Acquisition Excellence. As the directorate leader, he was responsible for management of 250 program managers assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, served as head of the Acquisition Center of Excellence. He also led an ACAT 1 source selection for the Nuclear Weapon Enterprise with outstanding results. He was assigned to lead the Long Range Standoff-Weapon and prepared the initial acquisition strategy until the FY15 Presidents budget delayed program start by 3 years which led to his subsequent assignment to Air Mobility as chief, C-130 Airlift Division.
SPEAKER
PANELIST
COLLABORATOR
Paul Scharre is the Vice President and Director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security. He is the award winning author of Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War, which won the 2019 Colby Award and was named one of Bill Gates’ top five books of 2018.
Scharre previously worked in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) where he played a leading role in establishing policies on unmanned and autonomous systems and emerging weapons technologies. He led the DoD working group that drafted DoD Directive 3000.09, establishing the Department’s policies on autonomy in weapon systems. He also led DoD efforts to establish policies on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) programs and directed energy technologies. Scharre was involved in the drafting of policy guidance in the 2012 Defense Strategic Guidance, 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, and Secretary-level planning guidance. His most recent position was Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
Prior to joining OSD, Scharre served as a special operations reconnaissance team leader in the Army’s 3rd Ranger Battalion and completed multiple tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a graduate of the Army’s Airborne, Ranger, and Sniper Schools and Honor Graduate of the 75th Ranger Regiment’s Ranger Indoctrination Program.
Scharre has published articles in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, TIME, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Politico, and The National Interest, and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR, and the BBC. He has testified before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and has presented at the United Nations, NATO, the Pentagon, the CIA, and other national security venues. He holds a Ph.D. in War Studies from King’s College London and an M.A. in Political Economy and Public Policy and a B.S. in Physics, cum laude, from Washington University in St. Louis.
COLLABORATOR
PANEL CHAIR
Colonel Dan Javorsek is the Commander of Detachment 6, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and Director, F-35 U.S. Operational Test Team. AFOTEC’s Detachment 6 plans, conducts, and reports on realistic, objective, and impartial operational test and evaluation of fighter aircraft. The detachment evaluates the operational effectiveness, suitability, and mission capability of the A-10, F-15C/E/EX, F-16, F-22, and F-35, and reports results in support of major acquisition program milestone decisions and combatant command fielding decisions.
Prior to assuming his current role, Colonel Javorsek was a program manager in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office. His research and development programs were tied to the development of key technologies required to realize Mosaic Warfare and Joint All-Domain Command and Control with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) applied to combat systems. In a previous command role, he served as a squadron commander and director of a combined test force conducting high-priority next generation air dominance flight tests of a unique experimental aircraft.
Colonel Javorsek received his commission from Purdue University Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1999, where he was a distinguished graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering summa cum laude. He holds several science and engineering graduate degrees including a PhD in physics. He is a command pilot with more than 2,000 flying hours and is a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Class 07B. His prior operational and flight test assignments include service in the 523rd Fighter Squadron at Cannon AFB, NM; 445th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA; 416th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA; 411th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards AFB, CA; and tours as a director of operations and wing chief of safety.
SPEAKER
PANELIST
COLLABORATOR
Major Jorge Ramirez is an Acquisition Program Manager in the U.S. Air Force and currently stationed at Eglin AFB, Florida. In his current assignment he leads the redefinition of Air Force agile software development for embedded systems, is pushing the bounds of networked, collaborative and autonomous munitions, and is optimizing challenge-based acquisition for modular systems. He is also a critical enabler of the Armament Directorate’s outreach initiative to shepherd novel technologies and non-traditional industry partners into programs of record. His 14-year active duty career is underscored by the rapid delivery of multiple combat capabilities. Jorge is well versed in small satellite design and launch, capability delivery to Special Operations Forces, non-kinetic warfare, and advanced munition development. He has served on multiple deployments and long-term temporary duty across CENTCOM and INDOPACOM.Jorge is a graduate of Texas State University where he earned his commission in 2008 via the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).
SPEAKER
PANELIST
Emily A. Doucette serves as the Technical Advisor for the Weapon Dynamics, Guidance, Navigation, and Control Branch of the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate. Prior to this post, she has served the Munitions Directorate as the Multi-Domain Networked Weapons technical lead (2019-2020), Assistant to the Chief Scientist (2017-2019), and as a research engineer for the Weapon Dynamics and Control Sciences Branch (2012-2019). She earned a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Auburn University and is a recipient of the SMART Scholarship. Her research interests include estimation theory, human-machine teaming, decentralized task assignment, cooperative autonomous engagement, and risk-aware target tracking and interdiction. She leads a team of civilians, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate student researchers to support collaborative efforts across DoD, industry, academia, and international partnerships. She served on the AFRL Munitions Directorate Autonomy Steering Committee, is active in the Autonomy Community of Interest, and is the autonomy lead for Golden Horde, AFRL’s Vanguard Program.
PANELIST
Jason Reynolds is Vice President of Advanced Programs for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (MFC). He leads an organization dedicated to developing new technologies that will become the future franchise programs of MFC. With a diverse portfolio of programs in advanced hypersonics, directed energy, artificial intelligence, machine learning, classified initiatives and energy storage solutions, the Advanced Programs team anticipates the future, explores at the edges of science and solves complex technology problems every day.
Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Jason served 25 years of civilian service in the Federal Government. He most recently served as both the Director, Department of the Navy Special Access Central Office (DONSAPCO) and as the Director, Special Programs Division where he was responsible for the centralized supervision of resources, requirements and policy for all programs requiring enhanced security safeguards.
Additional duties included leading the program integration for the U.S. Navy and design management of aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and surface combatants. He is the recipient of the Superior Civilian Service Award, the Meritorious Civilian Service Award, several Special Act Awards, and several Awards of Merit for Group Achievement.
Jason received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and his master’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia. He is a graduate of the Department of Defense Executive Leadership Development Program and a former member of the Department of the Navy Acquisition Professional Community.
PANELIST
COLLABORATOR
Stephen J. Milano, DML is currently the Director of Air to Ground effects requirements and capabilities for the Air Power mission area at Raytheon Missiles and Defense. Presently executing programs include the Joint Strike Missile, StormBreaker® (GBU-53/B), Paveway®(GBU-49 etc), Griffin (AGM-176A&B), Maverick (AGM-65), and the Highspeed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM, AGM-88) in addition to all future direct attack requirements development for U.S. Air Force, Navy, and international customers.
Steve was most recently the Integration Executive for the Air & Missile Defense Systems product line Mergers and Acquisitions activities and Program Manager for strategic programs. Previously, Steve was a member of the Business Development leadership team for the Air & Missile Defense Systems product line. In this role he developed growth strategies, led congressional engagement, coordinated capture activities, and managed the opportunity pipeline. Before this he operated on the corporate business development team in Washington, DC. The U.S. Business Development team is responsible for Raytheon’s strategic relationship with U.S. military and civil government customers. He worked closely with Raytheon’s four businesses, Corporate Strategy, Government Relations and Raytheon International, Inc. (RII), to help develop strategic goals and objectives to propel growth in core and adjacent markets.
Prior to his assignment within corporate business development Stephen served as the program manager for Raytheon’s Kuwait Patriot Engineering Services portfolio. Steve managed programs and growth opportunities ranging from in-country technical assistance contracts and training to modification and installation activities. Prior to joining the Kuwait Patriot team Steve managed several teams that provided training, logistics, and systems engineering services to the Patriot community.
Before joining Raytheon Steve served in the U.S. Army for 8 years. During his service Steve led teams in the Northeast Information Operations Command (a precursor to the Cyber Warfare Command) and in the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.
Stephen received a Master of Science in Finance and a Master of Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is a Defense Acquisition University graduate with a certification in lifecycle management and also a graduate of the RTX Leadership Development Program. Milano is a certified Raytheon Program & Capture Manager, demonstrated master logistician, and also a Doctoral candidate.
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PANELIST
John Christopher “Chris” Moran is the Executive Director and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures; the venture capital investment arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the Corporation’s investments in small technology companies which support Lockheed Martin’s strategic business objectives.
Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Chris served in a variety of increasingly responsible positions at Applied Materials, Inc., Santa Clara, CA. He served most recently as the head of the Business Systems and Analytics group in the Applied Global Services Organization. Chris was with Applied for over 32 years. Prior to his most recent role, Chris was head of Corporate Strategy and General Manager of Applied Ventures LLC; the strategic investing arm of Applied Materials.
Chris is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he obtained both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering.
PANEL FACILITATOR
COLLABORATOR
Stephen Paul Rodriguez is the Managing Partner of One Defense, a next generation strategic advisory firm that leverages machine learning to identify advanced software and hardware commercial capabilities and accelerate their transition into the defense industrial base. He is also an investor at Refinery Ventures, an early-scale fund investing in dual-use technologies across the country.
Mr. Rodriguez began his career at Booz Allen Hamilton shortly before 9/11 supporting their National Security practice. In his capacity as an expert on game theoretic applications, he supported the United States Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security as a lead architect for the Thor’s Hammer, Schriever II/III and Cyber Storm wargames. He subsequently was a Vice President at a artificial intelligence company (Sentia Group) and served as Chief Marketing Officer for an international defense corporation (NCL Holdings).
Mr. Rodriguez serves as a Board Director or Board Advisor of ten venture-backed companies (Duco, Edgybees, HatchApps, HighSide, Titaniam, Uniken, Ursa Major Technologies, Vantage Robotics, WarOnTheRocks, and Zignal Labs). He is also Senior Advisor at the Atlantic Council and a Life Member at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Rodriguez received his B.B.A degree from Texas A&M University and an M.A. degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He is published in Foreign Policy, WarOnTheRocks, National Review, and RealClearDefense.
COLLABORATOR
Rob Nolen currently serves as the Chief Technologist and Lead Architect for US DoD at AWS. For the last five years, he’s supported cloud efforts with all DoD components, helping mission owners realize goals around digital transformation, DevSecOps, and tactical edge. He brings a 20-year career with broad commercial industry perspective and background, covering DevOps, infrastructure architecture, and security. His focus as DoD Chief Technologist is driving Amazon offerings to better help mission owners realize their goals with cloud technology.
COLLABORATOR
Sean Forester joined AWS in 2019 following 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a Data Systems Specialist, he was one of the first active duty Marines to attend an NRO-sponsored, 12-month data science certificate program at the Naval Postgraduate School.
As the AWS ProServe AI/ML Mission Lead, Sean curates bespoke, commercial solutions to accelerate execution of strategies set by the Department of Defense Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) and associated department Chief Data Officers (CDO). Sean has a demonstrated history of building cloud-enabled data science delivery teams, aligning executive stakeholders, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and accelerating AI/ML mission outcomes resulting in decision advantage and increased lethality of the warfighter.
Present work focuses on cloud-centric, end-to-end MLOps pipelines supporting the Defense Intelligence Enterprise for the Joint Force. Previous work includes managing a portfolio supporting Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) functions through training and deploying computer vision ML models, ML model harnesses, and ML model inference repositories in an AI training foundry tailored for the Services and SOCOM at the speed of mission.
Sean holds a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California
COLLABORATOR
Jerry Schlabach is a Raytheon Engineering Fellow who currently serves as a capture manager for Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Autonomy (AU) for Raytheon Missiles and Defense (RMD) in Tucson, Arizona. He is a retired Army Military Intelligence (MI) officer who has a Bachelor’s degree (Physics) from the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY and a Master’s degree (Computer Science and AI) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While in the Army, he co-authored the influential 1992 Army Field Manual (FM) 34-8, Combat Commander’s Handbook on Intelligence, the 1994 FM 34-2, Collection Management and Synchronization Planning, and the significantly overhauled 1994 FM 34-130, Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB). As an Army Systems Engineer and also as Chief of Experimentation at the Army MI Battle Command Battle Lab, he worked with Army Research Laboratory (ARL) for the development of the FOX Course of Action (COA) system that used a genetic algorithm and a fast combat resolution model to generate COAs to optimize commander’s intent, and also the CoRAVEN all-source intelligence fusion system using Bayesian Belief Networks. As a civilian Army scientist for the Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC), he developed the BBE system (Battlefield Terrain Reasoning and Analysis (BTRA) Battle Engine) to integrate advanced terrain reasoning algorithms into the FOX wargaming system. At Raytheon he specializes in extending the battlefield capabilities of the company’s substantial internal AI/ML-AU technologies, and also in the identification and integration of other companies’ AI/ML-AU high Technology Readiness Level (TRL) capabilities to support the natural evolution of traditional Raytheon missiles, weapons, drones, and UAVs. He is a co-chair for the ‘AI and Autonomy’ Working Group for the Military Operations Research Society, and was recently published (Q4, 2021) in the Military Operations Research Journal on one of his favorite topics, “Operations Research is Key to Fulfilling the Promise of Battlefield Artificial Intelligence.”
PANELIST
Roman Mueller is an Executive Director and Principal of RTX Ventures, Raytheon Technologies’ corporate venture capital division. In his current role, Roman is responsible for leading investments in and partnerships with small, innovative companies.
Prior to his current role, Roman spent five years in Raytheon Technologies Corporate Strategy & Development group in positions of increasing responsibility. While in Corporate Strategy & Development, Roman had the opportunity to support and lead many of the transformational activities that occurred during his time there, including the acquisition of Rockwell Collins, the spin-offs of Carrier and Otis and the merger between United Technologies and Raytheon.
Prior to joining Raytheon Technologies, Roman spent time in the Investment Banking division of Wells Fargo where he advised Industrial clients on M&A and capital raising activities.
Roman earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs at the George Washington University and an MBA from Georgetown University.
CO─ANCHOR
C. Kinsley “TRIGGER” Jordan is the Founder of The Winning Network, serving organizations and leaders to discover, design, and articulate their REAL inherent value: turning their “Power into Profit”. Kinsley has not only served clientel in the Venture Capital, Startup, and Entrepreneurial world internationally, but has served in the United States Air Force as a Major and Air Force Intel/Surv/Recon E-3G AWACS and T-6 Instructor Pilot and an Executive Innovation Strategist to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. During his service, Kinsley’s experience has spanned from leading Combat Missions over multiple deployments, to leading the Wing Innovation Spark Cell at Vance Air Force Base - driving research, development, and acquisition of solutions and technologies needed for the most challenging problems facing Airmen, to leading Innovation Connectivity across the Air Force.
He has helped train more than 80+ innovation organizations across the Air Force, worked directly with 16 different SBIR awarded organizations in their Phase 1/2/3/TACFI efforts, forged $15M in revolutionary training resources and processes into Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT), AETC and the Air Force, and helped to establish the Air Force Spark Accelerator – a accelerator helping to create a transition pathway for the brightest of AF Innovation solutions – which is now underway with its 3rd cohort of Fellows.
Most recently, Kinsley Jordan was selected to be a co-founding member of Project Morpheus: the Strategic Incubation and Innovation Cell for the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Morpheus’s focus is on Connecting and Communicating across the AF Innovation Ecosystem, helping Innovation efforts Transition to sustainability, and valueing AF Human Capital and Capability. Additionally, Kinsley was selected as a Defense Ventures Fellow, where he partnered closely with Venture Capital Firms, working to help develop dual use technologies within their portfolio efforts. This experience rapidly translated to outside of his military service, where Kinsley has made a significant impact with VC’s and Startups across the United States to expand the immediate future market of civilian UAV/UAS and manned EVTOL.
Whether acting as the Founder of The Winning Network or as a Exec. Innovation Strategist for Air Force, Kinsley Jordan has been a Champion of these ideals through his hosting of The Legacy Podcast, The Winning in the Morning Show, and the DisruptiveAF Podcast. Holding a Bachelors of Business Management from the US Air Force Academy, and finishing a Masters of Business Leadership from Regent University, this Winner is the 2019 AETC Gen. Larry O. Spencer Innovation Award, and the 2019 19th Air Force Field Grade Officer of the Year brings his infectious excitement and experience to every opportunity and event he is a part of!
COLLABORATOR
Dr. Scott Papson is a Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services specializing in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Prior to joining AWS, Scott was a lead engineer at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. Scott brings a passion for applied machine learning techniques that realize tangible benefits.
COLLABORATOR
Principal Business Development Manager, AWS
Nick leads AWS’s U.S. Federal Government business for AWS Marketplace where he helps governments customers realize the potential for third-party software technology to drive digital transformation and fulfill on their missions. For almost 20 years, Nick has passionately focused on increasing mission outcomes through the adoption and integration of leading technologies. Prior to joining AWS, Nick worked for In-Q-Tel, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that accelerates the development and delivery of venture-backed startup company technologies to U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community agencies.
Prior to In-Q-Tel, Nick spent 10 years as a U.S. Army officer completing combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He received the Legion of Merit and two Bronze Star medals during his service. While in service, Nick served as Arlington National Cemetery’s Chief Information Officer from 2010 to 2013, Miller led an information technology transformation that was publicly commended by the secretary of the Army as well as several U.S. senators. Through his efforts, the award-winning mobile application ANC Explorer was launched. Nick holds a Master of Science in Finance from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University. Nick resides in Cary, North Carolina with his wife and two young daughters.
CO─ANCHOR
Tesa is the Founder & CEO of Accomplices, the Executive Producer of Weapons Pitch Day 2022 - serving as the lead visionary for this year’s Weapon Pitch Day content programming. Accomplices has been a direct contractor for the U.S. Air Force Armament Directorate since 2020, and is the creator of AirForceWeapons.com and its digital ecosystem.
Known for her tenacity and determination, Tesa is an energetic catalyst that has been a driving force and visionary for hundreds of strategic initiatives for 15+ years – including launches of creative, digital, and integrated marketing and media campaigns; high-profile partnerships; and experiential, influencer, content, and virtual / live event productions.
With her track record of taking raw ideas through multiple stages of growth, she has consistently been a key leader to strategize and spearhead top-tier digital media, marketing, and content campaigns; architect and direct digital and experiential creative; manage soup-to-nuts live events and video productions; lead business development expansion; structure strategic partnerships and alliances; accelerate revenue and growth targets with sales teams; and serve as a public-facing, operational backbone to Fortune 1000 clientele, media and entertainment companies, start-ups, and SMBs.
Before starting Accomplices in 2012, Tesa’s career started as a business development executive accelerating the growth of three venture-capitalist-funded and angel-funded, content-tech startups in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (two of which were later acquired).
These hybrid video-content-technology startups were a part of the “Web 2.0” digital boom that marked the genesis of live (online / mobile) video streaming, and the influencer and content boom (circa 2007-2011). Her clientele and portfolio span a broad range of globally-recognized talent, as well as Fortune 1000 consumer brands, agencies, media, TV, radio, music labels, live venues, hospitality, residential and commercial properties, festivals – including but not limited to ABC Entertainment, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Armani Exchange, U.S. Air Force Armament Directorate, Beam Suntory, Belvedere Vodka, Caesars Entertainment, CBS Media, Clear Channel, Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Disney, Doritos, ESPN, FDA, Fox Corporation, Extra TV, Interpublic Group’s FCB, Live Nation, Microsoft Store, Moët Hennessy, Mountain Dew, MGM Resorts, NBC’s World of Dance, Pepsi, Red Bull, Seal, Sony Music, TMZ, Time Warner Cable, Universal Music, Viacom (MTV, VH1), Virgin Mobile, Warner Music, World Trade Center (Silverstein Properties).
This background was the foundation in which Tesa built Accomplices’ 5 pillars - that integrates strategic consulting, digitalization, multi-platform content, events, and partnerships. And it was this foundation that architected the strategy that led to the AirForceWeapons.com integrated digital, event, and content ecosystem.
Tesa was also featured on a Think Tank panel with Tyra Banks & Silicon Valley leaders.
COLLABORATOR
Gentry Lane is the CEO & Founder of ANOVA Intelligence, a venture-backed cyber national security software company that serves American critical infrastructure companies. She holds a DoD-appointed position to the NATO Science & Technology Organization tech panel on the cyber defense of military systems. She is a Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, and is a Visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School.
Ms. Lane is a senior software executive and statistician. She worked with Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s computational security department to develop and commercialize groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of computational anomaly detection and memory forensics. Ms. Lane is a frequent speaker on cyber national security, an internationally recognized subject matter expert on cyberconflict strategy, and she advises members of Congress, NATO and U.S. defense and intelligence leaders. A scholar of military strategy, she believes deterrence in the cyber domain is essential for the preservation of liberal democracies and free-market economies everywhere.
A staunch STEMinist, Ms. Lane mentors young women interested in technology with national security applications and is a board advisor to deep tech startups. She is bilingual (English & French).
innovators announced in July
This could be you, small business innovators, entrepreneurs, and technologists! In July, we will meet the final 20+ businesses who will pitch their ideas to our Judging Panel for same-day awarded contracts within the $30M allocation. These individual contract awards, valued at up to $1.8M each, give small businesses the opportunity to continue developing their tech ideas for future integration with Armament Directorate munitions and program priorities.
“Artificial intelligence is coming and it will be used in war. How it is used; however, is an open question.”
author of Army of None
"Paul Scharre has presented at the United Nations, NATO, the Pentagon, the CIA, and other national security venues."
"He is the award-winning author of Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War, which won the 2019 Colby Award and was named one of Bill Gates' top five books of 2018."
The Armament Directorate has a passion to partner with new innovators – all to accelerate change and drive synergies with the Air Force, increase weapons and digital innovation, and acquire new and futuristic technologies for America’s warfighter.
Hypersonics Pitch Day 2019
weapons pitch day 2021
The inaugural Hypersonics Pitch Day was a successful collaboration between the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Armament Systems Development Division, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Arnold Engineering Development Complex, awarding $7M in Small Business Innovation (SBIR) Phase II contracts in record time. This efficient manner of contracting paved the way for Weapons Pitch Day 18 months later.
Livestreamed on AirForceWeapons.com, Weapons Pitch Day 2021 nearly tripled the amount of contracting dollars, awarding $16M in same-day contracts.
“Awarding same-day contracts allows immediate collaboration between the units seeking the technology and the small businesses to get capabilities to the warfighter faster.”
- PEO Brig. Gen. Heath A. Collins
Read more about the Road to Weapons Pitch Day here.
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