Time & Location

Program Session & Speakers

8:15am-9:15am

Official Welcome & Opening
Welcome by Joseph Hennessey, National Science Foundation; Ivory Fisher, Department of Defense; Maurice Swinton, Small Business Administration.

9:30am-12Noon

Participating Federal Agencies will have 25-minute presentation slots to provide general information on Phase I or Phases II & III. Multiple tracks will be offered, and a summary of basic Agency information will be provided in advance to allow all attendees to identify which Agency presentations they should attend.

12Noon-1:30pm

SBIR Conference Luncheon

1:30pm-5:30pm

Agency Presentations Continue

5:30pm-7:00pm

Networking Reception
Join everyone in the Networking Room for refreshments and conversation. Meet the Agency SBIR Program Managers and other Exhibitors.

Time & Location

Track #1                  Program Sessions & Speakers                  Track #2

8:30am-9:45am

Proposal Primer
Agencies are tremendously diverse in their programs, solicitations and reviewers. There are no guaranteed winning strategies, but there are things you can do to improve your chances. Speakers will review keys to writing winning proposals and take a look at proposal evaluators' "do's and don'ts."

Session Presenters:
Mark Henry, PBC Inc.
Oliver Murphy, Lynntech, Inc.

How to Do Business with Fortune 500 Companies
An introduction to the new corporate climate. What major corporations are looking for from small businesses; what you need to know to position yourself to work with them; go for the "win-win!"

Session Presenters:
Rich Hendel, Boeing
Panel Member from Raytheon.

9:45am-11:15am

Extended Networking Break

• Use this time to visit the Exhibits and One-on-One Tables in the Networking Room
• Presentation area: Check your attendee materials and posters for scheduled bonus talks

Track #1                  Program Sessions & Speakers                  Track #2

11:15am-12:30pm

Intellectual Property
Find out from the experts what you need to look out forwhat options you havewhat works and what doesn't where I.P. issues are concerned.

Marketing Strategies That Work
Hear from a panel of companies who have successfully marketed their products. These business owners, along with marketing professionals, will share their best practices for small businesses. Learn how to make the most of your marketing efforts to truly impact your business. Bring your marketing materials and ideas for review and critique by the panel.

12:30pm-1:30pm

Networking Lunch

• Looking to meet folks interested in your technology area? Some tables will have technology topic signs.
• Need some time to visit with folks you've already met? Grab a chair anywhere.
• This is your time to network with other attendees!

Track #1                  Program Sessions & Speakers                  Track #2

1:30pm-2:45pm

Business Commercialization Strategy & Financial Planning
How do you start, finance and build a small high-tech business? Get important information to help you get off to a good start.

Session Presenter:
Jenny Servo, Dawnbreaker®

The California Technology Investment Partnership (CALTIP)….Because It Takes More Than R&D to Build a Business
There is capital available to California companies which have received Federal R&D funding, and it is targeted at commercialization, not basic research. Learn how your company can qualify for up to $250,000 in State matching grants, which can be used for market research, intellectual property protection and building your business while you complete your federally funded R&D.

Session Presenters:
Tyler Orion, San Diego Regional Technology Alliance
Sharon Stagg, Bay Area Regional Technology Alliance
Rohit Shukla, LARTA
Victor Hwang, LARTA.

2:45pm-4:15pm

Extended Networking Break

• Use this time to visit the Exhibits and One-on-One Tables in the Networking Room
• Presentation area: Check your attendee materials and posters for scheduled bonus talks

Track #1                  Program Sessions & Speakers                  Track #2

4:15pm-5:30pm

Managing Government Grants & Contracts
What you need to know when working with the Government. What to look for….what to look out for…How to maximize the positive and minimize the rest. Discussions will include Federal Acquisition Regulations, negotiations, pricing and audits.

Session Presenters:
David Metzger, Holland & Knight LLP
Kathleen Shino, National Institutes of Health

Evolution of a Technology Company: Orchestrating Phase III
Part One: Market-based business planning
One of a series of three sessions examines the first critical milestone of successful technology commercialization, market-based business planning. A panel will discuss typical ways to quantify the business opportunity (its market, its technology, its revenue and its feasibility) and the not-so-typical strategies that work. You will be introduced to the NASA Alliance for Small Business Opportunity (NASBO), a new NASA initiative for SBIR awardees. NASBO offers resources and support for evolving technology into products. This session demonstrates how the right business planning sets the stage for the next critical milestone covered in Part Two, Selecting the Funding Strategy, Thursday, March 14 at 8:30 a.m.

Time & Location

Program Session & Speakers

Track #1                  Program Sessions & Speakers                  Track #2

8:30am-9:45am

Inside the Evaluation Process
Ever wonder how SBIR proposals are evaluated? Do all agencies use the same criteria? Agency representatives will give you an overview of what they are looking for….what is important to ensure your proposal is selected. This session is interactivebring your questions!

Session Presenters:
Sonny Kreitman, Consultant
Agency Representatives from:
Army
Air Force
Department of Education
NASA
National Institutes of Health
National Science Foundation

Evolution of a Technology Company: Orchestrating Phase III
Part Two: Selecting the Funding Strategy
The second in a series of three sessions addresses the too often over looked business-planning-to-marketing-the-opportunity transition milestone, selecting the funding strategy. Numerous capital formation and financial options exist, each with a different target group of potential investors. A panel of high tech investors will examine key options and the differing motivations of each. The panel will demonstrate how winning strategies are not conceived in isolation. They are the product of careful consideration of several issues including intellectual property protection, marketing capacity, and ownership terms. This session will also showcase the real world experience of a CEO and the reality of being prepared to evolve the funding strategy mid-stream to capitalize on opportunities when circumstances change. This three-part series concludes with a "Live" Investor Forum in the following session.

9:45am-10:45am

Networking BreakLast Chance!

• Use this time to visit the Exhibits and One-on-One Tables in the Networking Room

10:45am-12Noon

I Didn't Know That! Resources Available to Small Businesses!
Looking for expertise, facilities and technical help? Advanced Technology Program (ATP) at NIST, can provide a mechanism for to extend its technological reach beyond your current grasp. DTIC, Defense Technical Information Center, can help you build your proposal and market your capabilities. The research and development laboratory members in the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC), can provide ideas, testing facilities and possibly even cooperative agreements to help move your business forward.

Here is your opportunity to learn more about how these programs that can help YOU!

Evolution of a Technology Company: Orchestrating Phase III
Part Three: "Live" Investor Forum
The third in a series of three sessions is a "live" presentation by the CEOs of two start-up companies that are actively seeking capital to a panel of professional equity providers including venture capitalists and corporate investors. This session is a real world preview of the investment community's motivations, focus, and responses. It demonstrates the balance that must be struck between marketing, technology, management and financial issues. It also highlights the important nuance of linking the investment strategy with the company's business stage. This is a lively give and take session.

Time & Location

Program Session & Speakers

12:30pm-5:00pm

Workshop #1: Phase II Proposal Preparation
Pre-registration required; additional fees apply.
Presented by: Gail & Jim Greenwood, Greenwood Consulting, Inc. (Sponsored in part by Sandia National Laboratory).

• A light working lunch will be provided with this workshop to maximize the time available.

1:00pm-5:00pm

Workshop #2: Phase III CommercializationBusiness Beyond the Laboratory
Pre-registration required; additional fees apply.
Presented by: Richard L. Lucas, PhD

1:00pm-5:00pm

Workshop #3: Intellectual PropertyFederal Laboratories and Small Businesses
Presented by the Far West Region of the Federal Laboratory Consortium.

Thomas L. Kundert
Director of Intellectual Property Law
Air Force Materiel Command Law Office

Lawrence J. Udell
Executive Director
Intellectual Property International, Ltd.

Working with Federal agencies and laboratories can be different than working with corporations. This workshop will focus on the laws, policies and provisions concerning intellectual property in SBIR-STTR agreements. The respective rights of the contractor and the Government in inventions, patents, copyrights, and technical data will be analyzed and explained in a straight forward manner. Examples and information will be provided on what the contractor can and should do to protect valuable intellectual property developed under SBIR-STTR agreements. Specific topics and mechanisms covered will include treatment of background intellectual property, SBIR Data Rights, subcontracting under SBIR-STTR agreements, provisional patent applications, licensing, and protecting trade secrets with non disclosure agreements.

Materials Fee: $35 Advance registration is required for this workshop.

1:00pm-5:00pm

Workshop #4: Designing Business to be Successful
Pre-registration required; additional fees apply.
Presented by Russ Farmer, PBC, Inc.