Abstract:
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is, by some measures, the world’s largest purchaser of technology goods and services. The U.S. defense and intelligence communities have, however, traditionally been difficult markets for innovative technology startups to engage. The need to navigate the complex DoD acquisition process and obtain personnel and facility clearances serve as significant barriers to entry into the national security marketplace for many high-tech entrepreneurs. Emulating their counterparts in Silicon Valley, high-tech entrepreneurs typically avoid the national security contracting environment entirely, building software and hardware for business or consumers.

In response to demands for innovative technology, the defense and intelligence communities are beginning to work quickly to bring agile and flexible capabilities to the warfighter and intelligence operator. This seminar will discuss strategies for young innovative companies to successfully enter the defense and intelligence community marketplace and leverage this unique distribution channel to provide opportunities for early-stage technology funding and immediate legitimacy. As a case study, we will explore the strategies used to start and grow IvySys Technologies, LLC, an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solution provider, under increasing DoD budget constraints.

Bio:
Dr. James A. DeBardelaben founded IvySys Technologies, LLC in 2005 with the vision of creating an innovative technology solutions and services firm exclusively dedicated to solving the critical situational awareness problems of the defense, intelligence, and homeland security communities. Under his leadership as president, IvySys has become a leader in developing advanced software solutions for real-time intelligence data processing, exploitation, and dissemination for numerous defense and intelligence agencies.

Before founding IvySys, he was the program manager for Special Operations ISR programs at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). While at APL, Dr. DeBardelaben served as an expert consultant to the DARPA Advanced Technology Office and Naval Special Warfare Sea Eagle program. He also served as supervisor for Real-time Embedded Software and Tactical Distributed Systems and Networking in the APL National Security Technology Department.

As the APL project manager for the NAVSEA Silent Hammer Limited Objective Experiment (LOE), Dr. DeBardelaben led the Special Operations Land Products Team that developed unattended ground sensors; an unattended land mesh network for high data rate, long-range persistent communications; and custom software applications to enhance SOF situational awareness. In addition, Dr. DeBardelaben was the lead software engineer for the Special Operations unattended ground sensors and wireless network implemented in the NAVSEA Giant Shadow LOE.

Prior to his tenure at APL, Dr. DeBardelaben developed global sales and trading systems as an information technologist in the Distributed Systems Group at Morgan Stanley in New York City. Dr. DeBardelaben received a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an M.S.E in computer engineering from Princeton University, and a B.S. in electrical engineering with honors from Brown University. He has authored over twenty technical journal and conference papers in wireless networking, embedded DSP system design, and rapid system prototyping.