This episode is Part II on podcast host Amber Pecoraro’s Startup Innovation Fellowship experience. Maj. Gen. Cameron Holt, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, takes the mic and interviews Amber on her fellowship experience.

The Startup Innovation Fellowship program is run by the National Security Innovation Network and provides military and civilian employees with 4-15 years of experience an opportunity to embed with a startup company for 6 weeks. Amber was matched with startup Decisive Point in Washington D.C., which works with other startup companies to help them get emerging technologies into the government space. Her focus area was to better understand the challenges startups face in doing business with the government. This conversation focuses on those challenges and opportunities to address them. Amber also encourages the workforce to have more experiential interactions with industry.

Acronyms:

PCO – Procurement Contracting Officer

AFRL – Air Force Research Laboratory

AFLCMC – Air Force Life Cycle Management Center

EWI – Education with Industry

Links:

1. AFWERX Panel Discussion: https://youtu.be/Yv0x3dwxxxA

2. Defense Entrepreneurs Forum: https://defenseentrepreneurs.org/

3. Procurement Technical Assistance Program: https://www.dla.mil/SmallBusiness/PTAP/

4. DoD Small Business Programs: https://business.defense.gov/

5. Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer: https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/topic/current

6. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Solicitations: https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us/companies/cso-solution-brief

7. Federal Business Opportunities: https://www.fbo.gov/

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