Science & Technology (S&T) Forum in partnership with 

12:30 pm - Arrivals Networking

1:15 pm - Phil Williams, Dr. Brandon Conover [ Co-Chairs DANC S&T Forums]
               Tammy Everett [DANC Executive Director] 
                Welcome, Intros, DANC S&T's  2024 AI Collaborative Roundtable Series
                Theme: NC AI Survey Results are in, Data Decoded:
                "NC AI Landscape and Defense Opportunities"
                 Reference: *2019 DANC NC's Defense Asset Inventory Target Cluster Analysis
                   Six Clusters: Advanced Manufacturing,  Autonomous Systems, Human Performance (NC-COMP)
                    Data and Knowledge Management, Material, Power                         

1:30 pm - Michael Mullins [NC State IES] Director, Defense Industry Initiatives, DMCSP Ecosystem

1:45 pm - Dr. Lokendra Pal [NC State Professor of Sustainable Materials and Engineering] -
AI-Powered Operations, Waste, and Energy Reductions (AI-POWER)

2:00 pm -  Dr. Alyson Wilson [LAS/NSA - National Intelligence, NC State, Associate Vice Chancellor for National Security and Special Research Initiatives, Office of Research and Innovation

2:30 Kyle Snyder, Lyle Gravatt [Michael Best's Team has conducted a Deep Dive AI Survey: NC and USA]
        Kyle Snyder, Michael Best Consulting. AI & Autonomy 
        Lyle Gravatt, Michael Best & Fredriech LLP,  Partner  AI Patent Research, IP, Autonomous Systems

• Introduction, Goals, Defining AI
• Economy and Workforce Trends
  State-wide, with focus on Technology and Defense
  Automation and Labor Force Impacts
• Academic Foundation
  Education and Training
  R&D, Programs and Projects
  Federal and National Partnerships
• Regulatory Concerns
  Political Issues - Sustainability, Equity, Accessibility, Ethics, Privacy, Accountability, Security
  Incentives - Tax and Investment
  Government AI Use and Production of Data
  Legislation Overview
• Physical Infrastructure
  Data Pipelines (Data Centers, Cloud Computing, Transmission)
  Autonomous and IoT Networks
  Hardware Manufacturers
• Commercial Activity
  Core AI Developers
  Ancillary Industries (Cybersecurity, Energy Efficiency, IaaS, Analytics)
  Highlights from Commercial Industry Utilization
• Defense Opportunities
  Federal Grants and Awards
  NDAA24 and Other Initiatives
  Upcoming Roundtables  

4:00 pm - Networking

5:00 pm - Adjourn

 Data Decoded: Defense Opportunities in North Carolina's AI Landscape Kyle Snyder, Principal, Michael Best Consulting

Kyle leverages more than 25 years of experience in the autonomous systems, unmanned technology, and aerospace sectors to provide business strategy guidance, regulatory compliance, and industry insights to clients who are developing or implementing autonomous technology solutions.

Kyle has been a driving force in the burgeoning unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry for decades. He brings a wealth of experience in both technological innovation and business strategy, from his early engineering and research roles at NASA and Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems, to spearheading research and commercialization programs at several universities, to key private industry and trade organization management roles.

Before joining Michael Best Consulting to lead the Autonomous Insights advisory program, Kyle founded his own consulting firm, Flyabout Strategies, which served the aviation industry with a focus in unmanned systems. Kyle provided clients with strategic planning, analytics, development, integration, and technology transfer assistance.

During that time, Kyle also served as the Robotics Program Manager for Cherokee Nation Strategic Programs, where he managed a $10 million robotics integration program supporting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Kyle led the testing and evaluation of air, ground, and maritime robotics systems to transfer technologies from industry and research laboratories to DHS routine operations. He had responsibility for product evaluation, project management, industry engagement, resource acquisition, and operational user interfacing.

Kyle’s deep industry experience also includes his prior roles with NASA and Lockheed Martin, and time spent at the intelligent software maker now known as Veloxiti. There, Kyle worked as an artificial intelligence (AI) product manager designing products for advanced aviation programs at NASA, Boeing, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

He also has significant experience in university research and commercialization settings. Kyle served as the first Director of North Carolina State University’s NextGen Air Transportation Consortium (NGAT), where he worked to establish and grow what is now a nation-leading drone ecosystem in North Carolina. Kyle was also the inaugural Program Director for Middle Tennessee University’s UAS Program, and was the Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Technology Commercialization Manager at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

  ****

 Lyle Gravatt, Partner, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

Lyle focuses his practice in the area of intellectual property, government procurement and artificial intelligence. He provides end-to-end counsel to help clients identify, protect, and commercialize IP assets, working closely with clients in a cross-collaborative matter with the firm’s practice groups and consulting and lobbying arms to meet business goals. Lyle is also part of the Michael Best AI Center of Excellence, providing leading-edge guidance for clients developing or implementing AI policies or solutions. 

Lyle assists numerous clients with a broad range of intellectual property services, from protecting trademarks and patents to licensing, acquisitions, and due diligence, across a number of industries. With a background in patent analytics and providing competitive intelligence to businesses, Lyle ensures that intellectual property is best utilized to achieve a company’s goals. Working in collaboration with other Michael Best teams providing consulting, lobbying and other non-legal services, he assists clients through the government procurement process while addressing technical, regulatory, and operational challenges with a specific focus on the defense sector.

  ****

AI-POWERED OPERATIONS, WASTE, AND ENERGY REDUCTIONS (AI-POWER)

Lyle Gravatt, Partner, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP Dr. Lokendra Pal, NCSU Professor of Sustainable Materials and Engineering

Dr. Lokendra Pal is the E. J. Woody Rice Professor and University Faculty Scholar of Sustainable Biomaterials/Paper Science and Engineering in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at NC State University. Pal has over 23 years of global experience in research and technological advancement of bio-based materials and professional experience managing and collaborating with industrial partners worldwide.

Before joining NC State University, he spent 9 years working with Hewlett-Packard Company. He has 70 peer reviewed publications and is a co-inventor of 48 patents, a testament to his innovative contributions to the field.  Dr. Pal earned his Ph.D. in Paper and Imaging Science and Engineering from Western Michigan University. In 2021, he was honored as an NC State Faculty Scholar, recognizing his outstanding contributions to research, excellence in teaching, student mentorship, and leadership within professional societies.

Furthermore, he is a co-founder of the Tissue Pack Innovation Lab (TPIL). At NC State University, Dr. Pal leads a significant initiative focused on decarbonizing the waste and forest products industry sectors, with support from the Department of Energy, APPTI (The Alliance for Pulp & Paper Industry), USDA, and many other industrial partners. He also serves as the director of NC State's Paper Pilot Plant-Smart Manufacturing Innovation Center, which is supported by the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII). 

Dr. Pal actively engages in professional service to various organizations, including TAPPI and ACS. He is the chair of North Carolina ACS Local Chapter and Vic-Chair of CPSE division of TAPPI. In recognition of his exceptional service to the industry and the Association, he was honored as a TAPPI Fellow in 2021. Additionally, he received the University Outstanding Teacher Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2022.

Pal Research Group is focused on sustainable materials research and advanced manufacturing innovation, leveraging green and sustainable chemistry, engineering, and artificial intelligence/machine learning to deliver cutting-edge solutions in hygiene, smart packaging, barrier coatings, digital printing, and flexible electronics/3D printable materials and products that not only benefit society but also have a positive impact on the environment.

 

**********

Michael Mullins
Director, Defense Initiatives
NCSU Industry Expansion Solutions

https://www.ies.ncsu.edu/staff/michael-mullins/

Michael Mullins is the Director of Defense Industry Initiatives and the Industry Expansion Solutions (IES) military segment regional manager, serving state-wide military clients.

Michael is a former Marine and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who spent most of his career at Fort Bragg. He has extensive experience executing and managing Department of Defense training contracts in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. During the execution of these training programs, Michael worked closely with the Department of State, various foreign ministries, non-governmental organizations, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Additionally, he served as an assistant professor of military science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University. Michael has a comprehensive understanding of the processes and procedures North Carolina businesses face in the acquisition and execution of U.S. government contracts. In Fayetteville, he served as an international program manager with General Dynamics Information Technology, a global project manager with American Systems Corporation, and an operations officer with a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB). Michael has a B.S. in political science and an M.S. in international relations. He is also a U.S. Army Command and General Staff College graduate.

 

**************

Phil Williams
Phil Williams LLC
Member/Volunteer
DANC S&T, Chair 

https://LinkToPhil.com

Phil Williams is recognized by public and private sectors as a “Go To” for cultivating strategic alliances and building high performing teams missioned to design, build, and deploy gap closing high value disruptive solutions.  His 45 plus years of hands-on experience includes founding and funding multiple tech start-ups, seven patents, industry awards, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and financial turn-arounds. Phil holds BSME (NCSU), DoD Top Secret clearance, Agile, PMP among other certifications.

Phil’s passion for innovation, research, development, test and evaluation, and building collaborative teams- produced multiple disruptive platforms acquired by his Automotive, Defense, Aerospace, and Communications Electronics Design and Manufacturing Clients (Centers of Excellence), accelerating their NextGen products/solutions earlier into markets, retaining market leadership.

Phil Williams LLC (https://LinkToPhil.com) scope of work targets gaps/needs aligned to DoD Priorities, C5ISR, Low Latency, Novel Sensor/s snd emplacement,  Human Perception Systems, Sensor/raw data veracity, edge compute, Low SWaP-C, EW, Cyber.  As a PI, Phil secured multiple Collaborative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) focused on reducing military vehicle mishaps (Rollovers) – reduce loss of life/injuries, operating buttoned-up, navigating terrain obstacles in Degraded Environments (Night/Fog/etc.). 

Phil is a long term “member-volunteer” roles include The Defense Alliance of NC (DANC https://defensealliancenc.org ). 
* In 2010, as a Board Member, founded / Chairs DANC’s first committee, “Science & Technology” and has organized and facilitated over 145 DANC S&T Forums across NC, each designed to attract - build trust among participants, spark collaborative teams, create jobs, and close technology gaps.
* Additionally, Phil is a member/volunteer for the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s (AFCEA) Fort Liberty, NC, VP Corporate Affairs.

** Phil’s efforts and mentoring have resulted in North Carolina teams receiving over $2.7 Billion in combined contract awards and VC capital, creating 100s of jobs in North Carolina

Phil Is a native of Concord, NC lives in Cary NC.