SBIR@Connect Spotlight:
Meet NAVWAR’s Program Offices
Command and Control | Multifunctional Information Distribution System
Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NAVWAR
Through a partnership with the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, NIWC Pac, SBIR@Connect hopes to promote economic growth in our region by fostering connections between government, industry, and academia.
Join us to meet two of the NAVWAR program offices that participate in the development of SBIR/STTR topics and learn what the Navy is working on, their capability gaps, and more!
Wednesday, June 30th, 2021
1pm – 2pm
This month’s workshop will spotlight two different Program Offices at the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NAVWAR.
The Command and Control Program Office, PMW 150’s mission is to develop, sustain and evolve C2 systems to the fleet encompassing Maritime C2, Tactical C2 (Data Links) and Defense C2 (CBRN) enabling the warfighter to succeed in all mission areas. The purpose of the Command and Control Experimentation (C2X) project is to provide a Research and Development environment to develop, integrate, test and evaluate emerging technologies supporting Command and Control (C2) requirements and integration with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems. Research areas include Prescriptive Analytics, Microservices, Service Mesh Architectures, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Battle Management Aids (BMA) tied together dynamically with a Service Mesh architecture. C2X provides the opportunity to Operationally Validate Performance (OVP), Key Attributes (KAs), and Critical Technical Parameters (CTPs), as applicable and to verify additional test objectives for each BMA.
The Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS), PMW/A 101’s mission is to rapidly develop, field, and support world-wide interoperable and secure Navy Integrated Fire Control (NIFC) tactical data links and adaptive networking capabilities to ensure sustained tactical data superiority for the Joint, Coalition, and International Warfighter. The vision of the Program is to be the premier global provider of decisive and interoperable NIFC tactical data link capabilities to the Joint, Coalition, and International Warfighter. The MIDS program focus areas include: Capability, Capacity, Interoperability and Security.
The objective of the workshop is for innovators to meet the Assistant Program Managers for Science & Technology (APM S&T) of two of the various program offices under the Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence and Space Systems, PEO C4I and Space Systems, to better understand the needs of the government, specifically NAVWAR.
This workshop will shine the light on the two Program Offices, with program announcements by Shadi Azoum.
Workshop Agenda:
Meet the Speakers
Shadi Azoum
NAVWAR SBIR/STTR Program Manager
Mr. Shadi Azoum is the current Program Manager for the NAVWAR Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), and Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) Program Management Offices. He has served in this position since June 2016. Prior to this position, Mr. Azoum led the Science and Technology (S&T) portfolio for PEO C4I, PMW 130 (Information Assurance and Cyber Security Program Office) as the Assistant Program Manager (APM) for Science and Technology (S&T) since May 2011. Mr. Azoum has Bachelor of Science (BS) in Computer Science and Master of Science (MS) in Information Security from Florida State University.
Carlos Alvarado
PMW/A 101, Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Technology Officer
Mr. Alvarado holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Technology Management from Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. He is a SPRDE Level III certified and a member of Navy and Army Defense Acquisition Corp since 1994.
Mr. Alvarado has 40 years of working experience in the area of C4ISR both in industry and DOD. During his DOD career, he worked 20 years at Army Ft. Monmouth Communications and Electronic Command (CECOM) addressing and resolving challenging issues in the area of Command and Control for several Army Systems. He worked as the Army MANTECH Electronic Commodity manager addressing significant production issues across Army systems and providing cost-effective solutions. In his last 6 years of Army career, he worked at the SPAWAR Combatant Command and Interoperability Program Office (CIPO) addressing critical interoperability issues on C4ISR Systems fielded to the Combatant Commands (COCOMs). In this position, Mr. Alvarado worked diligently with Services, DOD NII, PACOM and JFCOM for the resolution of several key interoperability issues that inhibited warfighter capabilities. He received several awards and commendations from Services and COCOMs for his efforts.
Currently, Mr. Alvarado is a NAVWAR 5.0 employee and works at the MIDS Program Office (PMA/PMW-101) as the Technology Officer. In this position, he is the senior technical lead for all Science and Technology (S&T) development efforts as well as integration, testing and validation of all S&T technologies efforts under MIDS PMO responsibility. He also facilitates technology integration and transition of S&T and SBIR solutions across Service platforms. Mr. Alvarado serves as an interface between the C4I & tactical networking technical communities; Naval aviation & surface communities; Navy, Air Force and Army tactical & airborne networking communities on matters dealing with airborne, ground and surface operational and networking tactical data links technologies gaps, challenges, issues and resolution.
Nick Gizzi
PMW 150 S&T Assistant Program Manager
Nick Gizzi is the Assistant Program Manager for Science and Technology (APM S&T) for the Navy PEO C4I, PMW 150 (Command and Control Program Office). Under this role, Mr. Gizzi is responsible for all new research and development supporting three divisions at PMW 150 to include Maritime C2, Tactical C2 and Support C2. Mr. Gizzi manages all S&T technologies for adherence to requirements within the Programs of Record, including initiatives that evolve new research technologies for application to Command and Control, serving as the liaison between PEO C4I S&T, Office of Naval Research, DARPA, Systems Commands, academia and other DoD Laboratories for PMW 150, providing technical direction and contracting for all Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) projects.
Nick Gizzi holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, and a Master’s Degree in Systems Engineering. Mr. Gizzi has 23 years of experience as a skilled senior-level systems engineer and program manager, and has been in his current position since 2007.
Gretel von Son
Connect SBIR/STTR Director
Gretel von Son is the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Director at Connect, a position created to support the SBIR/STTR Program by helping make connections between government, industry and academia, more accessible. Gretel previously supported the NAVWAR SBIR/STTR Program Office, and has experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. She has published work in Advanced Materials, ACS Nano and Nature Communications. Gretel has earned a Bachelor’s in Chemistry, and a Master’s in Business Administration.
SBIR@Connect is Connect’s new program to drive innovation through collaboration with government agencies.
In partnership with the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pac), SBIR@Connect hopes to promote economic growth in our region by fostering connections between government, industry, and academia.
The Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Program aims to bring non-dilutive funding to eligible companies to help address government research and development needs, while striving for innovation and the commercialization of products/efforts. Although there are multiple agencies that participate in the SBIR/STTR Program, the DoD makes up a large percentage of participation. SBIR@Connect’s partnership focuses on the Navy, specifically, the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, NAVWAR.
To boost interactions and promote collaboration — SBIR@Connect is developing a set of workshops introducing the various programs and opportunities to work with the Navy.
For more information, please visit the SBIR@Connect page.