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Florida
Deep Tech
Venture Summit

11 December 2025 | GuideWell Innovation Center | Lake Nona

Cohosted by

The Florida Deep Tech Venture Summit is a one-day, curated gathering of 200+ 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.

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

Confirmed Speakers

Kyle Asman

Managing Partner
Backswing Ventures
Windermere

Greg Autry

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

Daniel Betts

Cofounder, CEO, and Board Member
Blue Frontier
Pompano Beach

Peter Case

Strategic Investments Senior Manager
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control
Grand Prairie

Kristin Colacchio

IT VP of Enterprise Services and Strategy
L3Harris Technologies
Melbourne

Kadi Findling

Vice President
Stoney Lonesome Group
Tampa

Trisha Fish

VP of Strategy and Digital Transformation
Rapta
Portland / Cocoa Beach

Sean Fortener

Cofounder and COO/CRO
Seagate Space
St. Petersburg

Clint Graumann

Founder and CEO
NUVIEW
Orlando

Nick Hackard

Director of Staff
SpaceWERX
Space Coast

Robert Harvey

President and Executive Director
Florida Opportunity Fund
West Palm Beach

Curt Larry

Founder and CEO
Hextronics
Miami

Diana LaTour

Cofounder, CEO, and Chairman
X-lumin
Merritt Island

Ron Lau

Senior Vice President
Corporate Development and Capital Programs
Space Florida
Exploration Park

Gabriel Lavella

Founder and CEO
Canaery
Gainesville

Max Lemaitre

Founder and CEO
Mattrix Technologies
Gainesville

Rob Long

President and CEO
Space Florida
Exploration Park

Kevin Lowdermilk

CEO
Vaya Space
Cocoa

Teresa Pace

Technology Principal Fellow
L3Harris Technologies
Melbourne

Dennis R. Pape

Managing Partner
Phase Shift Ventures
Orlando

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, Chair, and CEO
Lonestar Data Holdings
St. Petersburg

Jackson Streeter

Director of Ventures
University of Florida
Partner
DeepWork Capital
Gainesville

John Vecchio

Partner
Mosley Ventures and
Venture Partner
Phase Shift Ventures
Melbourne

TBA

SOFWERX
Tampa

Agenda (Preliminary)

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

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

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 Startups

Ron Lau, Moderator

Senior Vice President
Corporate Development and Capital Programs
Space Florida

Chris Stott

Lone Star Data Holdings

Clint Graumann

NUVIEW

Andrew Rush

Star Catcher

Kevin Lowdermilk

Vaya Space

Sean Fortner

Seagate Space

10:45 AM

Networking Coffee Break

11:15 AM

Venture Capital

Moderator TBA

Kyle Asman

Backswing Ventures

Kadi Findling

Stony Lonesome Group

Robert Harvey

Florida Opportunity Fund

Dennis R. Pape

Phase Shift Ventures

Ben Patz

DeepWork Capital

John Vecchio

Mosley Ventures
and
Phase Shift Ventures

12:00 PM

Networking Lunch Break

1:00 PM

Blue Frontier: Revolutionizing Air Conditioning and Energy Storage

Daniel Betts

Blue Frontier

1:30 PM

Federal Innovation Capital and Programs

Moderator TBA

TBA

Nick Hackard

SpaceWERX

TBA

SOFWERX

2:00 PM

VC-backed Deep Tech/Dual Use/Defense Tech Startups

Moderator TBA

TBA

Rob Sladen

Zulu Pods

Trisha Fish

Rapta

Gabriel Lavella

Canaery

Curt Lary

Hextronics

Max Lemaitre

Mattrix Technologies

Diana LaTour

X-lumin

2:45 PM

Networking Coffee Break

3:15 PM

Aerospace and Defense

Moderator TBA

TBA

Peter Case

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control

Teresa Pace

L3 Harris Technologies

Kristin Collachio

L3 Harris Technologies

3:45 PM

Commercializing Florida University Technology

Jackson Streeter

UF Innovate

Paul Sohl

Florida High Tech Corridor

4:00 PM

TBA

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

GuideWell Innovation Center
6555 Sanger Road
Orlando, FL 32827

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Sponsors

Supporters

Community Partners

Frequently Asked Questions

Kyle Asman

Managing Partner
Backswing Ventures

Kyle founded Backswing in 2020 and has since launched three funds focused in the defense and national security space, generating significant returns for investors. Before Backswing, he co-founded BX3 Capital and worked at several major investment banks. He’s a graduate of Arcadia University and an avid golfer and skier.

Greg Autry

Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy
UCF
Nominee NASA CFO

Dr. Greg Autry is the Associate Provost for Space Commercialization and Strategy. He leads the college’s efforts to deliver Executive and MBA programs in Space Commercialization while helping the university craft and implement a roadmap for its space efforts.

Before joining UCF, Dr. Autry was the Director and Clinical Professor of Space Leadership, Policy and Business at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. He serves as the Vice President for Space Development at the National Space Society and Chairs the Business Case sub-committee for NASA’s In Space Production Applications program (InSPA) which sends manufacturing experiments to the International Space Station.

Daniel Betts

Cofounder, CEO, and Board Member
Blue Frontier

Daniel has worked in energy technology and advanced energy systems space since 1997. This work has spanned R&D, product development, consulting, and executive management of various startups. Prior to Blue Frontier, Dr. Betts was the CEO and CTO of Be Power Tech, an advanced air conditioning and distributed power company, and President of EnerFuel, an Ener1 subsidiary developing next-gen batteries and fuel cells for vehicles and stationary applications. He has also been an engineering and business strategy consultant to several large companies and organizations working in the Cleantech space. Dr. Betts has a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and thermal sciences and an MBA from the University of Florida. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the George Washington University.

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.

Kristin Colacchio

IT VP of Enterprise Services and Strategy
L3 Harris

Kadi Findling

Vice President
Stoney Lonesome Group

Kadi Findling is a former professional athlete turned entrepreneur, investor, and venture capitalist. She is the founder of myCoffeePass and co-founder of a second venture, bringing firsthand experience to the challenges and triumphs of building companies. Now Vice President at Stony Lonesome Group, a mission-driven VC firm investing in dual-use and defense technologies based in Tampa.  Kadi leads investor relations and due diligence across emerging dual-use sectors like AI, Deeptech, Cybersecurity, Robotics, and Healthtech. She’s passionate about empowering founders, streamlining access to capital, and fostering innovation at the intersection of tech and national security.

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.

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.

Clint Graumann

Founder and CEO
NUVIEW

Clint is the Founder and CEO of NUVIEW, a frontier technology company building the world’s first commercial space-based LiDAR constellation. His work sits at the intersection of space systems engineering, Earth intelligence, and SaaS, with applications spanning defense, energy, climate, and infrastructure.

He brings a background in scaling complex technologies into operational platforms, combining technical depth with business execution. Under his leadership, NUVIEW has forged partnerships with governments, enterprises, and research institutions worldwide to deliver high-resolution 3D data that will redefine how humanity maps, manages, and understands the planet.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

Gabriel Lavella

Founder and CEO
Canaery

Gabriel Lavella, PhD, currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Canaery since January 2020. Prior to this role, Gabriel Lavella was involved with Alpha in an ideation capacity from February to November 2019. Between April 2015 and February 2019, Gabriel Lavella contributed to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as a Scientific and Engineering Advisor. Gabriel Lavella’s earlier experience includes working as a Senior Consultant at Exponent from July 2012 to April 2015 and pursuing graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley from January 2008 to June 2012, culminating in a PhD.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

 

Ben Patz

Managing General Partner
DeepWork Capital

Ben currently serves on the board of multiple companies and the UCF Research Foundation. Prior to founding DeepWork Capital, Ben was the founder and CEO of Coleman Technologies. He grew sales to $250M and exited in 2009 to Presidio (Nasdaq: PSDO before $2B acquisition by PE industry), where he was the COO through 2013 leading operations and M&A.  Ben was the principal investigator on a number of SBIR grants addressing the application of Fuzzy Logic and Neural Networks to control systems. Ben holds an MS in electrical engineering from the UCF and a BSEE from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He was awarded Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award for Florida in 2002 and UCF’s Professional Achievement Award in 2006 and 2016.

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. 

Rob Sladen

Chairman and CEO
Zulu Pods

Prior to Zulu Pods, Rob established a 14 year career at Pratt & Whitney as a mechanical systems engineer and subsequently program manager, responsible for new product development, cost reduction strategy, and customer management on engine programs for the U.S. Military.  Inclusive of this time, Rob was the Mechanical Systems lead for the AETP program, the 6th gen fighter engine that Pratt & Whitney developed, in competition with GE. Rob holds a BS in mechanical engineering and MBA in finance from the University of Connecticut.

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.

Chris Stott

Founder, Chair, and CEO
Lonestar Data Holdings

Chris Stott is the Founder, Chair, and CEO of Lonestar Data Holdings Inc., the Lunar information, technology, and communications company sending the first in a series of data centers to the Moon for Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) and Edge Processing. A lifelong entrepreneur, Chris is also the Founder and Non-Executive Chair of ManSat, the world’s largest commercial provider of satellite spectrum and has served as an executive with both Lockheed Martin in space operations, and Boeing in the Delta launch vehicle program.

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.

John Vecchio

Partner
Mosley Ventures
and
Venture Partner
Phase Shift Ventures

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.

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.

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.