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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!

102 PAINSTORMING SESSION
Combining the best of Stanford University’s D-School, the Think Wrong system, and US Military doctrine, this session will lead a small group through topic selection, context mapping, problem identification, and operational approach planning in a classroom environment in order to empower mission space owners to innovate from within. Attendees should expect to propose topics to tackle and to actively work through a process to tackle it. Leaders should expect to get back “solutioneers” able to lead painstorming sessions at the unit level, both formally and informally, to drive innovation to the point of mission accomplishment. Sign up now!

HACKING FOR DEFENSE
We want to solve your toughest challenges during the fall 2021 semester of Hacking for Defense (H4D). This program is sponsored by the DoD's National Security Innovation Network. We will match your problem with the university best suited to work for you. Graduate student teams will spend 500 hours leveraging innovative techniques from the private sector to solve your complex and critical problems at no cost to you. Past solutions have addressed challenges ranging from a soldier family readiness app, to an F/A-18E Super Hornet (jet fighter) predictive maintenance model, and even a software/hardware test bed for nuclear detection systems. The deadline for challenge submissions is June 4, 2021.  Apply here: www.h4d.us/submit-a-problem  Background: www.h4d.us/

Air Force Innovation ARticles

  • Project Vanguard reinforces defense capabilities with investor capital

    WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFRL) — The United States is in a global competition for leadership in critical technologies. American capital markets – valued at more than $50 trillion according to Goldman Sachs – represent a strategic advantage in our ability to identify, develop and field

  • 20th EMS metals Airmen build mobile fabrication unit

    U.S. Airmen assigned to the 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft metals technology shop are dedicated to providing maintainers with the right parts and tools to ensure aircraft readiness at home station and abroad. However, deploying metal fabrication equipment poses challenges in terms of

  • One Airman’s Supra Coder journey

    The U.S. Space Force embraces a culture of creativity and actively promotes innovation. This is exemplified through programs like Supra Coder, which is available to all base personnel. U.S. Space Force Supra Coders create innovative software to enhance warfighter capabilities in a digital domain

  • AFWERX safeguards American interests through due diligence

    In defense innovation, rigorous scrutiny is not just an afterthought; it’s the law. AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, employs a thorough due diligence process at the core of its investment strategy for

  • SpaceWERX completes Innovate to Accelerate workshop

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - SpaceWERX completed the capstone event for its inaugural Innovate to Accelerate (I2A) program at the SpaceWERX hub at the BR-DGE, in El Segundo, California, April 25, 2024. I2A was a free 12-week intensive education program for SpaceWERX Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) Small

  • AFWERX Spark Crossflow event spurs innovation and collaboration

     SPOKANE, Wash.  — The AFWERX Spark team launched the first Crossflow event of the year, April 23-25, 2024. Crossflows offer the Department of the Air Force Innovation and Process Improvement ecosystem a chance to concentrate on development, collaboration and strategic alignment toward operational

  • AFIMSC tools deliver data-driven solutions across DAF

    The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s Innovation and Improvement Division is transforming the way Airmen do business by integrating cutting-edge data-prep and data-visualization tools across the Department of the Air Force.

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

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 class!

Sign Up here 

CONTACT US

Chief Innovation Officer
Maj. Christopher Valadez

Innovation Officer
Michael Martinez

Lead Engineer
Master Sgt. Matthew Sabo

NCOIC
Tech Sgt. Kory Bellardino

Comm Innovation Specialist
Staff Sgt. William Hartzel

Contact Us
Email: Elev8scott@gmail.com 
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?

Send us an email with the information below, and we'll take a look at your idea!"

  • Name 
  • Rank 
  • Mil email 
  • Phone number 
  • What is your idea?