FedTech celebrated Global Entrepreneurship Week for the first time this year. Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is a massive campaign to celebrate and empower entrepreneurs in every country and community around the world – especially those individuals who face structural barriers or may have never considered the idea of launching their own startup. Each November, 10 million people take part in tens of thousands of activities, competitions, and events that inspire them to act and provide them with the knowledge, experience, and connections they need to succeed. While GEW only takes place one week each year, the connections made are long-lasting. The campaign serves as an opportunity to collaborate and engage with organizations and individuals to celebrate and spotlight entrepreneurs, expose people to the path of entrepreneurship, help them get started and facilitate access to capital and the resources they need to succeed.
During the week, FedTech hosted three events to reach or celebrate entrepreneurs. On November 16th, the DOE Emerging Tech Studio Venture Summit took place virtually as the culmination of the startup studio program. The event featured opening remarks by Dr. Njema Frazier from the National Nuclear Security Administration and Dr. Vanessa Chan from the Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions and pitches from six startups. Novae Metals was named the winner by judges.
Also, on November 16th, FedTech Senior Analyst, Robert Wines, presented to Marymount University faculty and students on “How to Participate in a Federal Startup Studio,” with emphasis on the upcoming Homeland Security Startup Studio, which is now accepting applications and registrations for the launch event taking on December 1st.
FedTech wrapped up on November 18th with the kick-off for the Northrop Grumman Technology Accelerator. FedTech is collaborating with Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems to launch a technology accelerator program providing eight companies with opportunities to participate in mentorship, education, and strategic exposure with Northrop Grumman. We kicked off the accelerator with an informational session open to the public to highlight key elements of the accelerator and answer questions from those interested. The recording of the event can be found here.