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Welcome!

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What can we do to help you?

  • 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. 

Elevate Office

Educate explore exploit


INTRO TO 3D PRINTING
Are you interested in 3D printing and looking for a practical and compact entry-level course, but don't feel like reading or searching for information? Then this course is well suited for you! In this workshop you will learn all the basics you need to know in order to operate a 3D printer and create your own 3D printed objects. Start now with this professional, descriptive and step-by-step 3D printing tutorial, made by Elevate’s Chief Maker!  Sign up now!

 

Air Force Innovation ARticles

  • Air Force gathers innovators for Tyndall rebuild

    Air Force leaders are leaving no stone unturned in their search for the best industry practices and innovations to consider in rebuilding Tyndall AFB, Florida, which was devastated by Hurricane Michael in October 2018.

  • Prepare, Prevent, Heal, Deploy

    MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – Innovation and technology are not new concepts, and the pace of their advancement continues to increase.

  • Rapid acquisition leads to rapid success for Air Force small business partner

    WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Rapid success in contracting has earned Air Force representatives an invite to the opening of the Nasdaq Stock Market July 3 in New York City.Air Force representatives received the invitation from an Air Force and AFWERX Small Business partner, Vita Inclinata

  • AMC leadership visits JBLM, drives home message of readiness, innovation

    Gen. Maryanne Miller, commander of Air Mobility Command, and Chief Master Sgt. Terrence Greene, AMC command chief, saw first-hand what makes Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, the global-reaching airlift power that it is during their visit here, June 24-27.Team McChord Airmen showcased their

  • Gunfighters use 1950s tech on F-35 for a huge win

    ‘Things aren’t made the way they used to be’ is a sentiment often tossed around when a new car or appliance breaks down. Even with all the new inventions and integrated technology there’s something to be said about the simplicity of an original design. Gunfighters at Mountain Home Air Force Base,

  • Air Traffic Controller receives Grit Award

    A Team Edwards member was recently given the Grit Award in recognition of the challenges he faced to make his innovative idea into a reality.Senior Airman Oscar Cantu, an Air Traffic Controller with the 412th Operations Support Squadron, innovation idea was a head-mounted display for air traffic

  • Accountability through technology

    The Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System, aka AFPAAS, is a notification system designed to inform Airmen and their families who are directly affected by major emergencies, such as hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes and evacuations due to these natural disasters or crisis

  • XLer of the week: 1st Lt. Brian Kruchkow

    First Lieutenant Brian Kruchkow, 434th Flying Training Squadron T-6A Texan II instructor pilot, was chosen by wing leadership to be the “XLer” of the week, for the week of June 17, 2019, at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.The “XLer” award, presented by Col. Todd Dyer, 47th Flying Training Wing vice

  • AFRL’s metals experts receive STAR Team Award

    WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – Four members from the Metals Branch at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, were designated as an Air Force Office of Scientific Research STAR Team for the years 2019-2021. AFOSR acknowledges researchers who have

Motivation

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 

Take a 3D printing class!

 

Newsletter

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CONTACT US

Chief Innovation Officer
(vacant) 

Deputy Chief Innovation Officer
Mike Martinez

SEL/Lead Engineer
Master Sgt. Matthew Sabo

Innovation Specialist
Staff Sgt. Brad Vickers

Contact Us
Email: 375amw.safb.elevate@us.af.mil
Phone: 618-256-4802

Where are we located?
The lab is located on the second floor of the Warmer Fitness Center.


Elevate is an Airmen-led innovation office focused on connecting our Airmen's problems to those in industry, academia or government. 
We work closely with AFWERX, the Secretary of the Air Force's innovation arm, and the main conduit for executing Small Business Innovation
Research, or 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. We create unique opportunities for external partners to work directly with military on interesting problems, which also allows for rapid fielding solutions. 

Have an idea?

Please send any innovative ideas or service requests to us via our intake form found at the below QR Code & link.