Fed Supernova Kickoff & Welcome Remarks

Ms. Mica Dolan is the President and Chief Operating Officer for ATI. She is responsible for developing company-wide best practices, as well as implementing and leading business operations and establishing policies to promote ATI’s mission and vision. Prior to this role, Ms. Dolan served as Senior Vice President of Contracts and Procurement. In that role, she was responsible for negotiating and overseeing ATI’s multi-billion dollar contract portfolio. She was a key contributor to the startup of a number of consortia, including formation, contract negotiation and execution, operating procedure development and implementation, member training, and working hand in hand with the government throughout the execution of consortia based Other Transaction Agreements. Ms. Dolan has an M.B.A from The Citadel and a B.S. in Finance and Management from the University of South Carolina. She is a Certified Professional Contracts Manager and is also a Riley Institute Diversity Fellow.

Joshua Baer is a Founder & CEO at Capital Factory.

Joseph Kopser: Bridging Defense, Space & Innovation Veteran | Technologist | Policy Strategist | Builder Special Advisor to the Center for Defense Innovation, Capital Factory Joseph Kopser is a combat-tested Army veteran, West point-trained engineer, and serial entrepreneur who has spent the last 30 years operating at the front lines of defense innovation, national security, and technology commercialization. At Sustainment, he chairs the board of a company rethinking American manufacturing as a dynamic, digitally connected supply chain—critical infrastructure for both our warfighters and industrial base. He’s also helping scale SWIFT (Space Workforce Incubator for Texas), training the next generation of hands-on rocket scientists to meet the real-world needs of the defense and space sectors. As Special Advisor to the Center for Defense Innovation at Capital Factory, Joseph connects startups with mission-driven investors, federal partners, and opportunities across the dual-use tech ecosystem. Previously, he served as Special Assistant to the Army Chief of Staff and co-founded NSTXL, a platform built to accelerate defense acquisition by working with innovators rather than around them. He scaled RideScout (acquired by Mercedes-Benz) and now advises frontier tech firms through Moonshots Capital, SpaceFund, and Capital Factory. His work builds bridges, between agencies and startups, industry and academia, defense and the commercial sector. Whether it’s policy, workforce development, or dual-use technology, Joseph is known for rolling up his sleeves and getting the right people around the table to solve hard problems. Recognized as a White House Champion of Change and a U.S. DOT Data Innovation Award winner, his focus areas include: * Defense & Space: Liquid propulsion, logistics tech, rugged AI compute, and microelectronics. * Dual-Use Commercialization: Working with VCs and founders to move solutions from prototype to program of record. * Policy & Workforce: Partnering with UT-Austin and training leaders through his book Catalyst: Leadership & Strategy in a Changing World. Joseph brings energy, candor, and real-world perspective to every room he enters, whether he’s advising a general, moderating a panel, or helping an early-stage startup find product-market fit inside the DoD.