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By 2030, unless the US pursues urgent change at significant scale it is likely it will face a superiorly equipped adversary.

Since World War II, the American public has come to expect its military to have the best of everything. The technological superiority that kept us 20 years ahead of our competitors, however, has rapidly diminished. In some cases, we are already behind. By 2030, unless we pursue "urgent change at significant scale," in the words of former Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis, it is likely the U.S. will face an adversary with superior weapons, superior equipment and superior capabilities.

The DoD has instantiated many innovation-oriented organizations and has started to change some of the ways it does business - changing the Small Business Innovation Research process, utilization of Other Transaction Authority, and leveraging Commercial Solutions Offering approaches, to name a few.

This paradigm shift has opened the door for companies offering solutions that have not traditionally been utilized by the DoD. Unfortunately, the procurement process can be daunting for those lacking experience in this space. This deterrent has deprived the DoD of opportunities to engage with many innovative, talented companies.

Please join us on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 to discuss these changes with a panel of innovation ecosystem representatives, subject matter experts, and fellow participants to learn about this shifting landscape and the opportunities it presents. This will be a great opportunity for those unfamiliar with the federal procurement process to learn and ask questions to our panel of experts.

Panelists:

James Rodman, CEO, Xsite

Scott Tait, Executive Director, SD Catalyst

Steve Lauver, Cofounder, AF Ventures

Jaden Risner, CEO, Family Proud

JD Davids, Smart Money

Sam Grey, Naval X Dep Director

Townsend Bourne. Government Contracts, Investigations & International Trade Partner, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP