P.R.O.P.E.L.
Small Business & Entrepreneur Summit
October 28–29

Dr. Greg Bacon has 25+ years of experience in software engineering, artificial intelligence, and machine learning that span Department of Defense and NASA contracting, a university research center, and commercial industry. He was cofounder of Omicron Research Corporation, now an OASYS, INC. subsidiary. Greg holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science (CS) and is an adjunct instructor with the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) CS Department. He is an instrument rated commercial pilot and Certificated Flight Instructor. Greg is a graduate of the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science (ASMS) in Mobile.

Katie Faatz is a Small Business Liaison Officer on the Strategic Sourcing & Partnership (SSP) team at The Boeing Company. She is the Key Initiatives Program Manager for the SSP team and leads the Mentor Protégé Program as well as SBIR/STTR and HBCU/MSI initiatives. She also worked in procurement, supporting the technical services team for several years before becoming an SBLO.
Prior to joining The Boeing Company, Katie worked for the University of Alabama Huntsville Small Business Development Center. She worked on business development projects with multiple small businesses and facilitated and coordinated events, including a Fall Matchmaker with the Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Before her time at UAH, she worked in various positions in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Katie holds an MBA from the University of Alabama Huntsville, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Business. She has volunteered with several military spouse groups throughout her career. She is married to a USAF veteran and has one daughter. In her free time, she enjoys travel, spending time with her family and dogs, and reading – preferably on a beach!

COL (Ret) Will Johnson is the Palantir Lead for the Huntsville market with responsibility for current programs supporting Army Materiel Command and other Army and DoD customers around the globe.  A highly decorated veteran, Will led Soldiers in numerous units over a 30-year Army career, including commands in combat with the 3d Infantry Division in Iraq and 101^st Airborne Division in Afghanistan and is an inductee into the Madison County Hall of Heroes.

Prior to joining Accenture Federal Services, Ambrosia, “Ambro” spent 20+ years in the FBI. She is also a leadership coach, wife to Justin and mother to Pax and Esthero.

Mrs. Michele K. Platt is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of AVNIK Defense Solutions, Incorporated, a Woman Owned Small Business headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, with additional personnel in Patuxent River, Maryland.

Mrs. Platt has over 30 years of experience in defense engineering and military aviation maintenance. She began as an engineer at a sensor OEM prime contractor before joining the Apache Program Office, where she led the first effort to install a flight data recorder on a rotary-wing platform in the 1990s. This work established the foundation for Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) and put operational data in the hands of warfighters.

In the early 2000s, Mrs. Platt developed Army Aviation’s Condition Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+) program, which became the technical foundation for AVNIK’s research and development work. After 20 years as an engineer and logistician with the Apache Program Office, she founded AVNIK Defense Solutions in 2006.

Mrs. Platt recently led AVNIK for two (2) Navy Phase Two Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) projects as the principal investigator, where AVNIK is using intelligent systems, predictive analytics, correlation, and optimization techniques to increase readiness for NAVAIR weapons systems.

She develops partnerships with industry, government, and academia for improved prognostic systems in DoD, Energy, and Space sectors while directing AVNIK’s technical operations.

Mrs. Platt earned her Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Central Florida in 1984 and her MBA from Florida Institute of Technology in 1990. She has published work on CBM+ fleet implementation, fatigue life management, utilization of prognostics data by operational units, and CBM key enablers for army attack helicopters. AVNIK provides engineering services and R&D to DoD customers including the US Army Future Vertical Lift program and NAVAIR.

Michele is married to Don Platt and the mother of Nikita, an Auburn alumnus (War Eagle!). The name “AVNIK” is a combination of “Aviation” and their son “Nikita”.

Angela is the CEO and founder of Riverstone Solutions, Inc. (RSI), a cybersecurity and engineering firm headquartered in Huntsville, AL. RSI is a woman owned small business, HUBZone company and an MDA Protégé, serving the MDA, USAF, Army, NASA and commercial cybersecurity clients. Angela leverages her authentic experience in balancing a family and career in every engagement as a founder, leader, volunteer, and longtime advocate for women in technology and STEM programs. She is also the founder of the Jefferson Street Innovation Center in downtown Huntsville and CyberReach.Org, a 501c3 non-profit organization.

Dave Truitt has been with NASA for over five years. For the last year, Dave has worked as the SBIR/STTR Center Liaison to Marshall Space Flight Center. In addition to coordinating SBIR/STTR activities with MSFC stakeholders, Dave is a member of the Solicitation and Requirements Development team and the Review and Selection team in the SBIR/STTR program office. Prior to joining the SBIR program, Dave worked in Center Operations, managing facilities construction projects across Marshall Space Flight Center.

Chase Wortman, the Founder, President, and CEO of Outpost Technologies, Inc., has led the company since its inception in 2017, transforming it into a leading provider of vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing solutions for the Defense and Space industries. With experience gained from government and other industry leaders, Chase has driven Outpost’s growth, emphasizing innovation and uncompromising quality standards throughout program lifecycles. Possessing bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University and drawing on his background as a Mechanical Engineer, Chase brings expertise in engineering management, systems engineering, and manufacturing, ensuring tailored solutions that consistently exceed customer expectations.

Beyond his corporate role, Chase fosters a supportive work environment that prioritizes work-life balance and employee well-being. Known for his compassion and approachability, he leads by example, demonstrating a commitment to both professional excellence and personal fulfillment. Outside of work, Chase enjoys family time on his farm, indulging in hobbies like golf and cooking, and passionately supporting Auburn sports. Chase also currently holds positions on the Auburn Mechanical Engineering External Advisory Board and the Auburn Engineering Young Alumni Council. Through his multifaceted leadership, Chase not only drives Outpost’s success but also cultivates a culture of care and achievement within the organization.

Ms. Candace Wright, is the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Manager within the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Her office provides government funding opportunities that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/ Research and Development (R/R&D) with the potential for commercialization and transition into DoD major weapon systems Ms. Wright has served over thirteen years within MDA as an acquisition professional, managing cost, schedule, and performance, for several major weapon system program offices to include serving as the Acquisition Lead for the Homeland Defense Radar- Guam and for the multi-billion dollar Ground-Based Missile Defense System (GMD) Next Generation Interceptor (NGI). Ms. Wright also served as the Executive Officer to the MDA Executive Director in which she supported Agency Senior Leaders with day-to-day mission planning and execution of the Missile Defense System in support of the warfighter. Prior to her current role, Ms. Wright served as the Division Lead for Program Baseline Support where she successfully led in the coordination, synchronization, standards, policies, and processes of the Missile Defense Baselines. In addition, her organization executed program planning, analysis, execution of Director’s Reviews, and MDA Baseline Change Management Processes.

Ms. Wright holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Data Analytics from Auburn University. She is Scrum Master Certified and DAWIA Certified in Program Management.

ShaVonne Cammack is the Founder and Managing Partner of Councill Consulting Group LLC and a faculty member at Alabama A&M University. She leads IT modernization and culturally affirming service design for HBCUs and mission-driven organizations, pairing strategic vision with human-centered innovation. A certified expert in IT Service Management, cybersecurity, and Lean Six Sigma, she helps institutions modernize legacy systems, strengthen operations, and elevate the student experience. Cammack is a passionate advocate for educational equity and the advancement of Black women entrepreneurs, translating AI and emerging technologies into practical tools that scale impact and expand access. At AAMU and across the HBCU ecosystem, she works at the intersection of technology, culture, and community—equipping leaders with inclusive, future-ready services and guiding founders through digital transformation with confidence.

Nelson’s investment activities focus on information and infrastructure technologies, enterprise and Internet software, database-related applications, and other emerging software and hardware technologies. He has led a broad range of Kinetic investments including Cardlytics (NASDAQ: CDLX), LogicBlox-Predictix (acquired by Infor), Tower Cloud (acquired by Uniti; NASDAQ: UNIT), BroadWare (acquired by Cisco; NASDAQ: CSCO), VerticalOne (acquired by SONE; NASDAQ: SONE), FoodBuy (acquired by Compass Group; LSE: CPG.L), Instant Financial, Navistone, OPTii Solutions, Kobiton, and ProctorFree.

Prior to joining Kinetic Ventures, Nelson was a management consultant with McKinsey & Company and a Development Manager with Oracle. He received his BS in Electrical Engineering (summa cum laude) from Virginia Tech, his MS in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School.

Member Board of Trustees – The University of Alabama System, Founding Chair – HSV AI Taskforce

Jennifer Kwan Mandelbaum is a Partner at Halogen Ventures, bringing over 15 years of experience in the investments space and supporting consumer innovation. At Halogen, she serves as board observer of two consumer-related companies and supports women-led companies across technology, healthcare, and fintech that are transforming industries and shaping a more inclusive future.

A native of Greene County, Alabama, Dr. Ed Pearson III serves as Associate Dean for Student Success for the College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical Sciences (CETPS) and as an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Program at Alabama A&M University. Dr. Pearson earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Alabama A&M University and his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University. He is the director of the Cybersecurity Outreach, Research, and Education (CORE) Laboratory at AAMU, where his research focuses on the intersection of cybersecurity and human-computer interaction, with an emphasis on social engineering and phishing attacks. Dr. Pearson is a founding member of the HBCU Data Science Consortium, where he holds the role of Executive President, helping to foster collaboration, education, and innovation across historically Black colleges and universities.

Dr. Timothy Mantz is Dean of the College of Business and Public Affairs at Alabama A&M University, where he leads programs serving nearly one-third of the student population and recently launched the university’s new Venture Hub Entrepreneurship Center. With more than two decades of leadership in higher education and business, Dr. Mantz has taken two companies public, turned around two others, and advised numerous startups at universities across the country. He has forged partnerships with Fortune 500 firms, defense organizations, and regional industry leaders to embed real-world innovation into academic and entrepreneurial programs. A scholar with multiple “Best in Journal” awards, Dr. Mantz is also Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Business Research. His work bridges academia, industry, and community, preparing the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders to drive sustainable growth and economic development.

Dr. Lyndell J. Parris is Director of the Venture Hub Entrepreneurship & Innovation Center at Alabama A&M University and a visionary entrepreneur, educator, and innovation strategist. Holding a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, she blends research-driven insights on leadership and growth with lived entrepreneurial experience. She has secured competitive grants, built scalable revenue models, and launched Juggernaut Week, a multi-day festival of innovation and entrepreneurship. Drawing on more than two decades in the consumer-packaged goods industry, she equips founders with practical frameworks for building resilient, tech-enabled businesses. At AAMU, Dr. Parris is developing a first-of-its-kind 5,800-sq-ft hub and forging partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, philanthropies, and state initiatives to deliver programming in STEM, tech innovation, and entrepreneurship—including the responsible use of AI—preparing students and community members to launch and scale inclusive ventures that drive regional economic development.