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Florida
Deep Tech
Venture Summit

11 December 2025 | GuideWell Innovation Center | Lake Nona

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The Florida Deep Tech Venture Summit is a one-day, curated gathering of 150+ leaders exploring a new wave of engineering and scientific innovation building in Florida – driven by deep tech founders, fueled by venture and federal innovation capital, anchored by the state’s aerospace and defense talent, and accelerated by advances in AI, urgent national challenges, and rising investment in technologies critical to space, defense, and national security.

				
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Join Us In Conversation On

The Rise of Florida as a Deep Tech Hub

Frontier Technologies Shaping the Next Decade

Dual-Use Innovation

Capital Formation and Scaling in Deep Tech

Federal Innovation Capital

From Lab to Launch: Tech Transfer in Florida

Building the Florida Deep Tech Community

Register Now

Speakers

Michael Anderson

Cofounder and CEO
Seagate Space
St. Petersburg

Kyle Asman

Managing Partner
Backswing Ventures
Windermere

Greg Autry

Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy
UCF
Nominee NASA CFO
Orlando

Leslie Babich

Director
SOFWERX
Tampa

Daniel Betts

CEO
Blue Frontier
Miami

Peter Case

Grand Prairie, TX

Kristin Colacchio

Executive IT Business Manager
L3Harris Technologies
Melbourne

Christina Drake

Founder and CEO
Tadhana Technologies
Venture Partner
Phase Shift Venture
Orlando

Trisha Fish

 VP of A&D Strategy and Product Innovation
Rapta
Cocoa Beach

Sheena Fowler

CEO
Innovate Orlando
Orlando

Eric Froehlich

Brigadier General (retired) United States Air Force
Chief Growth Officer
Small Business Consulting Corporation
Melbourne

Clint Graumann

Cofounder and CEO
NUVIEW
Orlando

Nick Hackard

Director of Staff
SpaceWERX
Space Coast

Robert Harvey

President and Executive Director
Florida Opportunity Fund
West Plam Beach

Rhett Jeppson

Executive Director
JPMorgan Chase
Washington, DC

Curtis Larry

Founder and CEO
Hextronics
Miami

Diana Latour

Cofounder, CEO, and Chairman
X-lumin
Space Coast

Ron Lau

Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Capital Programs a
Space Florida
Space Coast

Gabriel Lavella

CEO
Canaery
Gainesville

Max Lemaitre

Founder and CEO
Mattrix Technologies
Gainesville

Rob Long

President and CEO
Space Florida
Space Coast

Kevin Lowdermilk

CEO
Vaya Space
Cocoa

Teresa Pace

Principal Technology Fellow
L3 Harris Technoloogies
Melbourne

Dennis R. Pape

Managing Partner
Phase Shift Ventures
Orlando / Space Coast

Ben Patz

Managing General Partner
DeepWork Capital
Orlando

Andrew Rush

Cofounder and CEO
Star Catcher
Jacksonville

Rob Sladen

Chairman and CEO
Zulu Pods
Coral Springs

Paul Sohl

CEO
Florida High Tech Corridor
Tampa/St. Pete to The Space Coast

Chris Stott

Founder, Chairman, and CEO
Lonestar Data Holdings
Saint Petersburg

Jackson Streeter

Director of Ventures
University of Florida
Partner
DeepWork Capital
Gainesville

Rhet Turnbull

Senior Solutions Architect
Leidos

Timothy Cartwright

Tamiami Angel Funds
Naples

John Vecchio

Partner
Mosley Ventures and
Venture Partner
Phase Shift Ventures
Melbourne

Agenda

8:00 AM

Registration Opens
Networking Continental Breakfast

9:00 AM

Welcome Remarks

Dennis R. Pape

Managing Partner
Phase Shift Ventures

Kyle Asman

Managing Partner
Backswing Ventures

9:10 AM

Keynote Address

Space Race 2.0 and Florida's Role in the New Space Economy

Greg Autry

Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy
University of Central Florida
Nominee NASA Chief Financial Officer

9:40 AM

Space Florida - Creating a Hub for Groundbreaking Industries and Opportunity

Rob Long

President and CEO
Space Florida

Ron Lau

Senior Vice President Corporate Development and Capital Programs Space Florida

10:00 AM

VC-backed Space Tech Founders Panel

Ron Lau, Moderator

Space Florida

Chris Stott

Lone Star Data Holdings

Clint Graumann

NUVIEW

Andrew Rush

Star Catcher

Kevin Lowdermilk

Vaya Space

Michael Anderson

Seagate Space

10:45 AM

Networking Coffee Break

11:05 AM

Venture Capital Panel

Timothy Cartwright, Moderator

Tamiami Angel Funds

Kyle Asman

Backswing Ventures

John Vecchio

Mosley Ventures
and
Phase Shift Ventures

Robert Harvey

Florida Opportunity Fund

Dennis R. Pape

Phase Shift Ventures

Ben Patz

DeepWork Capital

12:00 PM

Lunch Networking Break

1:00 PM

Keynote Address

Blue Frontier: Revolutionizing Air Conditioning and Energy Storage

Daniel Betts

Blue Frontier

1:30 PM

Federal Innovation Capital and Programs Panel

Eric Froehlich, Moderator

Brigadier General (retired) USAF
Small Business Consulting Corporation

Nick Hackard

SpaceWERX

Leslie Babich

SOFWERX

Paul Sohl

Florida High Tech Corridor

Jackson Streeter

UF Innovate

2:10 PM

VC-backed Deep Tech/Dual Use/Defense Tech Founders Panel

Christina Drake, Moderator

Tadhana Technologies

Rob Sladen

Zulu Pods

Trisha Fish

Rapta

Gabriel Lavella

Canaery

Curt Lary

Hextronics

Max Lemaitre

Mattrix Technologies

Diana LaTour

X-lumin

3:10 PM

Networking Coffee Break

3:30 PM

Aerospace and Defense Industry Panel

Sheena Fowler, Moderator

Innovate Orlando

Peter Case

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control

Teresa Pace

L3Harris Technologies

Kristin Colacchio

L3Harris Technologies

Rhet Turnbull

Leidos

4:00 PM

Fireside Keynote Address

The Capital Markets Role in Ensuring Our National Security: JPMorganChase’s $1.5 trillion Security and Resiliency Initiative aimed at strengthening the U.S. industrial base, critical infrastructure, and technological competitiveness

Rhett Jeppson

JPMorganChase

4:45 PM

Wrap-up and Closing Remarks

Dennis R. Pape

Phase Shift Ventures

Kyle Asman

Backswing Ventures

5:00 PM

Closing Reception

6:30 PM

Summit Closes - See You Next Year!

Tickets

Last Call

$ 299
  • On Sale 9 December
Register Now

GuideWell Innovation Center
6555 Sanger Road
Orlando, FL 32827

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Sponsors

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Community Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get to the Summit?

By car:Google Maps – GuideWell Innovation Center

By train: The Brightline Orlando Station, near Terminal C at the Orlando International Airport, is 6 miles from the venue:

https://www.gobrightline.com/train-stations/fl/orlando

By plane: The Orlando International Airport (Terminals A and B) is 7 miles from the venue: https://flymco.com

What hotels are near the Summit?

Hotels in Lake Nona: https://lakenona.com/community/hospitality/

What restaurants are near the Summit?

Restaurants in Lake Nona:https://lakenona.com/community/food-and-drink

Are there sponsorship opportunities?

Yes.  Please contact Pat Schneider: pat@conferencecollaborations.com

 
How do I contact the organizers?

Please contact Pat Schneider: pat@conferencecollaborations.com

What’s the ticket cancellation and refund policy?

Cancellations will be accepted until November 11, 2025. To receive a refund less a cancellation fee of 20%, you must submit a written notice of cancellation. Notification must be received no later than November 11, 2025 via email to pat@conferencecollaborations.com. After November 11, 2025, no refunds will be made. However, a substitution may be made.

Rhet Turnbull

Senior Solutions Architect
Leidos

Wallace “Rhet” Turnbull is a Senior Solution Architect for the Decision Advantage Solutions business area within the Leidos National Security Sector. With over 25 years of experience in military operations, aerospace engineering, program management, and defense systems, Rhet brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his role.

Before joining Leidos, Rhet had a distinguished career in the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force, where he held various leadership positions overseeing critical space and ground systems essential to national security. He began his military career in 1995 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Astronautical Engineering and went on to earn a Master of Engineering in Space Operations from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Timothy Cartwright

Chair
Tamiami Angel Funds
Cofounder and Partner
Fifth Avenue Family Office

Tim is the founder and chair of the Tamiami Family of Angel Funds, the first ever member managed Angel Funds in Southwest Florida. He has deep experience in private equity, venture capital, and early and seed stage investing.

Tim attended the University of Wisconsin graduating with a BS in Economics – Math Emphasis and earned an MBA in Finance and Accounting from Northwestern University (Kellogg Graduate School of Management). He is a Leadership Florida Class XXXV graduate and a regional advocate for new technologies and economic diversification.

Diana LaTour

Cofounder, CEO, and Chairman
X-lumin

Diana’s management and leadership experience include starting and building several new ventures. She has held the position of President & CEO for several high tech, healthcare and software-related companies. Her extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions comes through mergers and acquisitions of her own companies and assisting client companies in identifying and negotiating strategic acquisitions.

In addition to her role at X-lumin, she serves as a Partner for LFE Capital, a private equity firm providing growth capital for second stage companies in the health and wellness sector and a business consultant for LaTour and Associates.  She is a Board Member of Rollins College’s Crummer School of Business, Entrepreneurial Program in Winter Park, FL. 

Max Lemaitre

Founder and CEO
Mattrix Technologies

Max Lemaitre is a technology entrepreneur with expertise in solid-state physics and semiconductor fabrication.  After earning his bachelor’s in materials science and engineering from UIUC, he pursued a Ph.D. at the University of Florida, where he co-founded the national-award-winning startup Delta R Detection to commercialize a novel optical technique for trace explosive detection.  His doctoral research on source-gated transistors was foundational to a new class of optoelectronic devices, a breakthrough that directly led him to found Mattrix Technologies in 2018.  Today, his team at Mattrix is building America’s first trusted foundry for advanced displays and large-area hybrid electronics.

Kristin Colacchio

IT VP of Enterprise Services and Strategy
L3 Harris

Andrew Rush

Cofounder and CEO
Star Catcher

Andrew Rush, President & CEO of Star Catcher, is a seasoned space industry executive recognized for scaling pioneering ventures and driving transformational growth. He first rose to prominence as President & CEO of Made In Space, leading the company from its early startup phase into a profitable space technology leader. Under his leadership, Made In Space achieved historic milestones, including the first-ever manufacturing in space. He also oversaw the development of the first satellite capable of in-orbit manufacturing and assembly. In 2020, Andrew spearheaded the successful acquisition of Made In Space by Redwire Corporation.

Following the acquisition, he became President & COO of Redwire, where he guided strategic execution, investment planning, and expansion into civil, defense, and commercial space markets. During his tenure, Redwire played a critical role in enhancing the International Space Station’s power systems. 

John Vecchio

Partner
Mosley Ventures
and
Venture Partner
Phase Shift Ventures

Teresa Pace

Technology Principal Fellow
L3 Harris Technologies

Dr. Teresa Pace obtained her doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University. She has over 25 years of technical experience in sensors and systems engineering encompassing a wide variety of applications. Currently she is a Director at L-3 Integrated Sensor Systems Sector focusing on systems engineering and image and signal processing solutions for Advanced Programs. Previously she worked at ICAMR transitioning high tech sensor technology into real-world products. Previously, she was Director of Engineering for SenTech LLC, and a Chief Engineer for Lockheed Martin. She has also worked at the US Army’s Night Vision Lab as a Subject Matter Expert, Director of Image Processing for DRS Technologies, and was a Faculty Researcher for the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State. 

Nick Hackard

Director of Staff
SpaceWERX

Nick Hackard is the SpaceWERX Director of Staff. SpaceWERX is the US Space Force Innovation arm, executing Small Business Innovative Research, Small Business Technology Transfer, STRATFI and TACFI awards.

Nick is a former Naval Officer, serving 25 years as a S-3B Naval Flight Officer and an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer. He has experience in Naval Aviation, Space Systems, and Defense and Intelligence Community Acquisitions as an Officer, a Government Civilian, an Industry partner, and as SETA program support.

Nick’s previous space experience includes a Master of Science in Space Systems Engineering, two tours at the National Reconnaissance Office, and as the SpaceWERX Prime Branch Chief executing Orbital Prime and other Cohort Development Programs.

Peter Case

Strategic Investments Senior Manager
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control

Peter Case is the Strategic Investments Senior Manager for Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading the inorganic growth initiatives and all strategic assessments of potential M&A, Strategic Partnerships, and Business Ventures.

Previously, he was the President/ CFO of Hospital Couriers Corporation, a nationwide medical transportation and logistics provider for major hospital networks. He previously served as Controller of Maclean-Fogg GMBH, a German branch of a major US automotive part manufacturer for Ford.

He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Denver with a MBA in Finance.

Sean Fortener

Cofounder and COO/CRO
Seagate Space

Sean is the Cofounder and COO/CRO at Seagate Space. Sean brings experience from previous roles at Crowley and Crowley Maritime. Sean holds a 2015 – 2016 Master’s in Supply Chain Management and Logistics @ Michigan State University. Sean has a robust skill set that includes Petroleum, Chartering, Demurrage, Maritime Law, Jones Act and more.

Kevin Lowdermilk

CEO
Vaya Space

Kevin has over 30 years of executive leadership experience and currently serves as both the CEO and CFO of Vaya Space.  Prior to Vaya Space, he was the CEO of ISO Group, Inc. — a defense and aerospace supply chain company, he has also served as the CFO and then CEO of Exostar — a supply chain / cyber security company with a focus on the aerospace and defense sector, and he served as the Vice President of Finance for a multi-national aerospace division of Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC.

He earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Western Kentucky University and his MBA from Ball State University.

Robert Harvey

President and Executive Director
Florida Opportunity Fund

Robert Harvey is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in leadership roles across public and private sectors. Currently serving as President & Executive Director at Florida Opportunity Fund, he has a strong background in finance and legal domains, having held senior positions such as General Partner at Kensington Capital Fund LP and General Counsel at Enterprise Florida. His career spans over three decades, with significant contributions to investment and legal sectors.

Curt Lary

Founder and CEO
Hextronics

Curt is the founder and CEO of Hextronics, where he and his team are developing products for drone autonomy.

Curt has a BS in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Curtis was involved in many extra-curricular engineering projects/ventures at Georgia Tech, one of which was an automatic robot food delivery system that was deployed and operated at a restaurant within the university.  He was a finalist in Georgia Tech’s competitive 2020 InVenture Prize competition.

Hextronics systems are already deployed in over twenty countries, serving industries of construction, mining, agriculture, and first responders.

Rob Long

President and CEO
Space Florida

Robert Long serves as Space Florida’s president and CEO, leading the state’s aerospace finance and development authority to advance the aerospace industry and solidify the state as the premier global and interplanetary capital for aerospace commerce.‍

Long most recently served as the Commander for Space Launch Delta 30 and Western Launch and Test Range, Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Long received his BS degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington, a MS degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and a MS degree from the College of Naval Command and Staff, the School for Advanced Air and Space Studies and the Eisenhower School. He retired as a colonel from the United States Space Force in 2023.

John Stryjewski

Cofounder and CTO
X-lumin

John has over 30 years of experience designing, building, and deploying optical laser systems and solutions including: laser communication systems, LADAR systems, laser imaging systems, and laser weapons systems.

X-lumin, formed in early 2019, represents John’s second commercial venture. In 2012, John and a partner started Vision Engineering Solutions, a laser engineering services company.

John has a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. John joined the Nichols Research Corporation (NRC) as a Research Physicist, eventually rising to the position of Technical Fellow. Following the merger of NRC with Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), John was recognized as a Technical Fellow with CSC.

Jackson Streeter

Director of Ventures
University of Florida
Partner
DeepWork Capital

Dr. Streeter previously founded tmed tech startups PhotoThera and American Veterinary Laser and he was the CEO of Banyan Biomarkers. He also served as SVP of Corporate Development and Strategy at Quanterix (NASDAQ: QTRX) and as the CEO of the Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research. Dr. Streeter also served as an Officer in the U.S. Navy. He earned his B.S. degree in Biology from the University of Nevada Reno and his M.D. from the University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Paul Sohl

CEO
Florida High Tech Corridor

Sohl facilitates The Corridor’s portfolio of programs supporting research, marketing, workforce and entrepreneurship including its cornerstone Matching Grants Research Program; Cenfluence — the tech industry clustering initiative; STEM community outreach; and federal Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant facilitation. Sohl joined The Corridor in June 2020, following more than three decades of service in the U.S. Navy. Sohl holds a BS in aeronautical engineering from MIT and a MS in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford University.

Paul Sohl

CEO
Florida High Tech Corridor

Sohl facilitates The Corridor’s portfolio of programs supporting research, marketing, workforce and entrepreneurship including its cornerstone Matching Grants Research Program; Cenfluence — the tech industry clustering initiative; STEM community outreach; and federal Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant facilitation. Sohl joined The Corridor in June 2020, following more than three decades of service in the U.S. Navy. Sohl holds a BS in aeronautical engineering from MIT and a MS in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford University.

Ron Lau

Senior Vice President
Corporate Development & Capital Programs
Space Florida

Ron joined Space Florida in 2021 as the executive lead focused on growing access to new capital sources, managing Space Florida’s portfolio and further expanding the organization’s statewide reach. He has been involved with growing companies in emerging industries since 1995. His background includes executive and advisory roles in venture and private equity-backed technology companies. Ron holds a JD from Emory University’s School of Law and an MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School. He received a BS in Finance from the University of Connecticut.

Ron Lau

Senior Vice President
Corporate Development & Capital Programs
Space Florida

Ron joined Space Florida in 2021 as the executive lead focused on growing access to new capital sources, managing Space Florida’s portfolio and further expanding the organization’s statewide reach. He has been involved with growing companies in emerging industries since 1995. His background includes executive and advisory roles in venture and private equity-backed technology companies. Ron holds a JD from Emory University’s School of Law and an MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School. He received a BS in Finance from the University of Connecticut.

Ron Lau

Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Capital Programs
Space Florida

Ron joined Space Florida in 2021 as the executive lead focused on growing access to new capital sources, managing Space Florida’s portfolio and further expanding the organization’s statewide reach. He has been involved with growing companies in emerging industries since 1995. His background includes executive and advisory roles in venture and private equity-backed technology companies. Ron holds a JD from Emory University’s School of Law and an MBA from Emory’s Goizueta Business School. He received a BS in Finance from the University of Connecticut.

Trisha Fish

Vice President of Defense Strategy & Product Innovation

Trisha Fish is Vice President of Defense Strategy & Product Innovation at Rapta, a venture-backed AI startup transforming quality assurance and factory modernization for high-mix, high-value manufacturing. Prior to Rapta, Trisha spent over two decades in defense systems engineering and AI strategy roles at Lockheed Martin and Elbit America, specializing in EO/IR, multi-INT fusion, real-time tracking, and applied AI/ML. She holds a B.S. in Physics from SUNY Geneseo and an M.S. in Systems Engineering with a concentration in Data Analytics from the University of Virginia.

Dennis R. Pape

Founder and Managing Partner
Phase Shift Ventures

Dr. Dennis R. Pape is Founder and Managing Partner of Phase Shift Ventures, an early-stage deep tech investment firm and cofounder and CEO of SeedFundersOrlando, an angel group that is a part of the Seedfunders organization in Florida. He is also an Adjunct Professor at UCF where he teaches Technology Entrepreneurship.

He worked in optical information processing at both Texas Instruments in Dallas and Harris in Palm Bay.  He founded and scaled a VC-backed optical information processing firm, Photonic Systems, in Melbourne and served as Director of Optics and Photonics at VC-backed corporate technology commercialization firm Milcom Technologies in Maitland.

Dennis has an A. B. in Physics from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Duke University.