Accelerating Defense Innovation Monthly Meetup

"Accelerating Defense Innovation" is a monthly meetup group dedicated to helping connect academia, traditional defense contractors, and small businesses win business in the national security sector.

We do that by getting together to discuss specific challenges the government faces and discover ways existing commercial technology can be repurposed to solve real world problems. We're about surfacing real ideas and creating teams of companies that could become solutions in the next 18-36 months.

Each month, we'll bring in a program manager from somewhere in government who will present on a problem they're trying to solve. Our group will engage in a facilitated, collaborative discussion to suggest technologies and approaches to solve the problem.

Here's how we think everyone wins:

Government -- Exposure to new ideas and technologies they perhaps haven't considered.
Traditional Defense Contractors -- Also get exposed to new technologies and potential teaming partners.
Academia -- Find new ways to apply basic science and increase familiarity with operational challenges your research can help solve.
Small Businesses -- Find new partners, create new use cases, discover new pathways to funding

Three Ground Rules:

1. Talk about ways to solve problems and features of unique technologies, not your company. Everyone wants to hear what great thing you're building and form an organic relationship. No one wants a sales pitch. People will figure out what company you work for if you contribute a good idea.
2. Solving complex problems only happens through collaboration. Let's come with an open mind and work to solve problems together rather than try to pretend our idea is a one-stop-shop for a solution. (Again, save the sales pitches for later.)
3. New to government business? Awesome! If you need help understanding how to do business with the government, see a moderator and they'll get you connected to resources. We'll hit the highlights of "how to do business with the government" in our meetings but we'll try to stay problem-solution focused.

Thank you to Capital Factory for sponsoring Accelerating Defense Innovation. Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas. They meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to their first investors, employees, mentors, and customers. To sign up for a Capital Factory membership, click here.