America’s Seed Fund Road Tour is a national outreach effort to connect innovators and entrepreneurs to non-dilutive, technology funding opportunities provided through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, known as “America’s Seed Fund”.
America's Seed Fund Road Tour plays an important role in encouraging participation in innovation and entrepreneurship by members of underrepresented groups while supporting the mission of the SBIR/STTR programs to support scientific excellence and technological innovation to build a strong national economy.
Federal Agency representatives participated in events in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota that brought together local and national innovation ecosystems to help attendees navigate over $4 billion in early-stage funding opportunities through America’s Seed Fund.
America's Seed Fund
2024 Road Tour: Great Lakes
July 15 - 19, 2024 | Complete
July 15 | East Lansing, Michigan
8:00 AM - 12:30 PM
July 17 | Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
8:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Who Will Be There
Nicole Allen
SETA Support Contractor
DoD - Army
Laura Appenzeller
Executive Director, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
FAST – Illinois
Shadi Azoum
NAVWAR SBIR/STTR Program Manager
DoD - Navy
Derris Banks
Regional Director, Midwest
USPTO
Eileen Chant
Outreach Program Manager
DOE
José Colucci-Ríos
General Business Specialist
NIST
Pat Dillon
President, MNSBIR, Inc.
FAST - Minnesota
Stephanie Fertig
Director, NIH Small Business Program
NIH
Colleen Gibney
SBIR Deputy Project Manager
DoD - DHA
Jacqueline Gray
SBIR Program Manager
NIST
Carissa Grosh
AFVentures Specific Topic Branch Chief
DoD - AFWERX
Keith Harris
Acting Director, Bioenergy Division
USDA
Wendy Hastings
FLC Chair and NCI Senior Technology Transfer Manager
NIH - HHS
Nicholas Hofacker
Acquisition Program Manager
DoD - AFWERX/Spacewerx
Jerry Hollister
Executive Consultant and Co-Owner / BBC Entrepreneurial Training and Consulting
FAST - Illinois
Gary Laier
Center Liaison, Armstrong Flight Research Center
NASA
Natasha Jensen-Matta
Vice President, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Development
FAST - Indiana
Molly Kocialski
Regional Director, Rocky Mountain
USPTO
Dusty Lang
DHS SBIR Director
DHS
Monica Meyer
DHA SBIR/STTR Senior Transition Analyst
DoD - DHA
Collin Rust
Specific Topic Program Manager
DoD - AFWERX
Mara Schindelholz
SBIR/STTR Program Director
NSF
Ben Schrag
SBIR/STTR Program Director and Policy Analyst
NSF
Lynn Schwenning
Assistant for Outreach
USPTO
Ruth Shuman
Program Director, I-Corps
NSF - I-Corps
Laura Skow
Presidential Management Fellow
NIH
Megan Sloane
NAVAIR SBIR/STTR Program Office - PEO(A) Process Lead
DoD - Navy
Robert Smith
National Program Leader, Animal Health & Veterinary Medicine
USDA
Todd Strother
Senior Technology Consultant
FAST – Wisconsin
Geri Aglipay
Regional Administrator, Minnesota
SBA
Martin Anderson
Deputy District Director, Indiana
SBA
Tammie Clendenning
Lead Economic Development Specialist, Wisconsin
SBA
Laketa Henderson
District Director, Michigan
SBA
Don (Mike) Jackson
Lead Outreach and Marketing Specialist, Minnesota
SBA
Levi Kinnard
Branch Manager, Illinois
SBA
Ben Marchionna
Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer, Michigan
SBA
Kathleen Sly
Representative of the National Ombudsman/Case Management Specialist
SBA
Michelle Andrade
Outreach Engagement Operations Specialist
SBA - SBIR
Claire Corbett
Outreach Engagement Operations Specialist
SBA - SBIR
Elden Hawkes, Jr.
Partnership and Innovation Specialist
SBA - SBIR
Nancy Kamei
Program Development Specialist
SBA - SBIR
