As the Director of SBIR Programs at TEDCO, Julia leads efforts to support early-stage technology and life science companies by helping them secure federal seed funding through Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. She actively engages with a broad portfolio of client companies and entrepreneurs, guiding them through the process of crafting and submitting proposals, securing grants, and successfully transitioning innovative technologies into practical applications. Julia oversees key initiatives, such as the SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab, the state’s SBIR/STTR Match and Technical Assistance programs, and TEDCO’s Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) programs.
Julia is a seasoned research and development expert with over 20 years of experience in cutting-edge fields, including Cyber Security, Wireless Networking, AI/ML, and Big Data Intelligence. Her expertise spans from securing competitive government research grants to leading agile, cross-functional teams in developing and transitioning technologies from concept to deployment. She has served as the principal investigator and technical lead on numerous successful R&D projects funded by various government agencies such as the Army, Air Force, Navy, DHS, and DOE with a proven track record.
In addition to her deep expertise in securing competitive government research grants, Julia has a strong product development and technology transition background. In her previous role as the Senior Director of the Network and Cyber Security Division at BlueHalo, she led an R&D team of over fifty research scientists and engineers. By adopting agile methodologies, she spearheaded the development of multiple product pipelines, turning innovative research concepts into deployable technologies. Julia is also deeply committed to fostering innovation, regularly consulting with and advising several startup companies in the Washington D.C. area.