Fueling Innovation by Encouraging Creativity 
Elevate is an Airmen-led innovation office focused on connecting our Airmen's problems to those in industry, academia or government.  At Elevate we also work closely with AFWERX, the Secretary of the Air Force's innovation arm and the main conduit for executing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds for the Air Force. Elevate is a grassroots innovation program whose mission is to bring tomorrow’s tools to the warfighter today while inspiring a bottom‐up culture of innovation. Our cell creates unique opportunities for external partners to work directly with military on interesting problems & allows for rapid fielding solutions. 

• In-House:  Assist and collaborate with your Airmen to identify a problem set (generate problem statement) & develop solutions in-house 
   
• Collaborative Research:  Connect Airmen with AFWERX, DoD, or consultant to further develop/accelerate project to solutions. 
   
• Knowledge Exchange:  Furnish your Airmen with academic opportunities for individual or organizational learning 
   
• SIF Management:  Provide guidance to squadrons to meet CSAF intent and assist with squadron innovation funds supporting projects 
   
• SBIR Collaboration:  Partnering with AFWERX to pair up your pain points with startups who can provide the solutions 

Maker & Collaboration Space 

• The hub is an idea incubator where Airmen can meet to ideate on problem sets, develop hypotheses, experiment, test and generate solutions.  
   
• With a variety of 3D printers, VR equipment, Raspberry Pis, etc. Airmen could design, develop, program, or test proof of concepts. 
   
• The hub will support, but not limited to, individual projects, special guest events, and wing innovation competitions. 
   
• Wing Leadership Pitches: Airmen will have the opportunity to pitch their individual innovation projects directly to wing leadership during special events. 
   
• Open to all organizations on base, the hub extends open collaboration to industry, other DoD agencies, academia, and the community. 
   
• Working with AFWERX, Airmen can collaborate with AF experts in the field of innovation. 

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

TED Radio Hour: Failure Is An Option

Difference Between Innovation and Invention

Why Innovation is Crucial to Your Organization

What Really Makes Something Innovative?

How Leaders Inspire Innovation

Leader's inspiration

"...We have to think about the technology and the innovation that we need 10 to 15 to 20 years from now. We have to start thinking about it and start building it right now." - CMSAF Kaleth O. Wright 

"Innovative Airmen find better ways of doing the mission... Their intrapreneurship makes us more lethal, more efficient — they must be supported by leaders who not only remove unnecessary barriers to success, but who also lift up and champion their ideas... And because we’ve shown them we believe in their ideas, I want them to keep swinging until we find the answer." - Gen David L. Goldfein 

"Innovation doesn’t happen by accident. It is fueled from a spirit of experimentation and driven by Airmen with the best training, the right tools, and a workplace environment that promotes innovation. The threat and environmental challenges presented by our adversaries require that we aggressively investigate mission-focused ideas involving machine learning, artificial intelligence, autonomy, big data analytics... AMC will make bold investments in innovation that increase readiness and posture AMC forces to remain effective in a fast-paced and challenging future." - Gen Maryanne  Miller 

“We are at the beginning of a big culture shift in the government. We woke up and said we are not the only funder or inventor of new technology anymore…we are a partner with those who do.” – Dr. Will Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics