The SBIR program offers a golden opportunity for Nevada's innovative small businesses to transform groundbreaking ideas into marketable products. In this comprehensive talk, Mr. McCanney will focus on the Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR/STTR program, providing attendees with insights into its application processes, eligibility criteria, and best practices for crafting compelling proposals. This session is designed to empower entrepreneurs with the tools and knowledge to successfully leverage DoD resources and bring their ideas to market.

About the Speaker

John McCanney

John McCanney is the Director for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Transitions Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Technologies (OTST) Program. He oversees technology transition acceleration within the Department of Defense (DoD) SBIR/STTR program, placing emphasis on innovative commercial and dual-use capabilities. He ensures Components develop and transition technologies efficiently and at scale, with a focus on rapidly transitioning Warfighter-priority critical capabilities that align with the national defense strategy.

Mr. McCanney previously served as AFWERX’s Chief of the Innovation Contracting Branch. He worked with the DAF Specific Topic team and mission-partner contracting offices to rapidly execute a $400M annual portfolio, accelerated selection-to-award timing, and streamlined DAF contracting processes. Previously, he was the AFWERX Open Topic SBIR/STTR Contracting Sprints Lead and spearheaded execution of over 5K contracts totaling more than $2B. He also served on the Air Force COVID-19 Task Force, leading DAF’s rapid execution of $300M+ critical technologies. While at AFWERX, he received the Armed Forces Civilian Service Medal and the Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition Innovation in Contracting award.