AFCEA INNOVATION SHARK TANK Series
February 25, 2019

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AFCEA International is sponsoring a series of Innovation Shark Tank events where companies can pitch their capabilities to a panel of government and nongovernment technology experts. Topics can range from artificial intelligence to digital transformation to cybersecurity to any great idea. If you've nearly perfected an innovation or business process that would revolutionize technology procurement or you've thought about starting your own business, this is your chance to get advice from experts. Participating in the Innovation Shark Tank is a great way to hear from experienced entreprenuers and other business professionals as well as to gain visibility through the ongoing webcast on TV Worldwide. Each episode features six companies that each have five minutes to give their pitch.

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Innovation Shark Tank Judges - More Coming Soon
Sarah Djamshidi	Managing Partner, SpeedShift Ventures Ms. Djamshidi has over 18 years of successful experience providing fiscal, strategic, operations and M&A leadership to board members, business owners and executives of more than 200 companies on growth, merger and acquisitions and business succession plans. Ms. Djamshidi has worked with government contractors and hyper growth companies from various sectors such as: cybersecurity, biotech, chemical, nano-technology, supply chain and logistics, SaaS, IT services and solutions, data analytics, and visualization. Ms. Djamshidi is a frequent speaker at conferences and judge of numerous innovation challenges. Read more ...
Glenn Hernandez	CISO, OpEdge Solutions, LLC Glenn Hernandez is passionate about creating strategic partnerships to revolutionize organizational transformation with resilient technology and meet mission objectives. Hernandez is a senior consultant with OpEdge Solutions. He served more than 26 years in the U.S. Coast Guard and retired in July 2017. From 2013-2017, he was the Coast Guard’s Chief Information Security Officer. Hernandez co-authored the Coast Guard’s Cyber Strategy and led the Coast Guard’s first cyber crisis response based on the National Incident Management System framework. Read more...
Maria Horton	CISSP-ISSMP, Cloud Essentials, IAM Chief Executive Officer of EmeSec Cmdr. Maria C. Horton, USN (Ret.), is a recognized cybersecurity and compliance expert with hands on experience. She has presented information at conferences about cloud, FedRAMP, CUI, IoT and cybersecurity. She serves as a mentor to other small business start-ups providing real world feedback, encouragement and industry advice. Horton has published articles with Bloomberg News, SC magazine and the Huffington Post. In 2017, she joined Government Matters TV as a regular guest commentator addressing cyber, CUI and the due diligence implications for SMBs. Her company is one of 43 FedRAMP Third Party Assessment Organizations and holds four ISO certifications. EmeSec was awarded a Silver Stevie Award and a Gold Golden Bridge award for its #SimplifyCUIservices capability in 2017. While serving in the US. Navy, Horton was the CIO of the National Naval Medical Center, now known as the Walter Reed Military Complex. Read more...
Bill Jones	Senior Vice President of DSA's Integrated Solutions Group Mr. Jones manages a diverse portfolio of programs valued over $35M in support of Air Force, DISA, and COCOM programs. As a strategic thinker and leader, Bill works with DSA customers in building innovative solutions that improve performance in all critical mission areas of the information technology spectrum. Bill joined DSA in 1995 as a Lead Specialist Engineer and has held key positions to include Program Manager, Program Director, Senior Director, and Vice President & General Manager.  Coming from a military family, Bill was born in Germany and traveled the world prior to joining the U.S. Army in 1975. Bill’s service in the U.S. Army began as a Computer Operator for the Worldwide Military Command and Control System. He served for 20 years as a Communications and Electronics Officer where he held numerous tactical and strategic positions, both in the U.S and abroad. Bill commanded the 362nd Signal Company in Korea where he was responsible for directing, managing, leading, and coordinating daily operations for a 350-person organization and equipment valued over $200M. While assigned to the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Bill served as a Project Officer for more than $250 million in strategic government-owned and leased communications transmission systems. He drafted and managed the $100 million Pacific Consolidated Telecommunications Network (PCTN) acquisition and supported the implementation of a major Command and Control communications system - the Defense Message System (DMS). Bill was recognized by DISA as a key project officer and subject matter expert in Pacific Terrestrial Transmission issues. He has more than 40 years of experience in telecommunications, information technology, defense acquisition, and project management. Read more ...