Keynote Speaker: Ms. Candace Wright

SBIR/STTR Program Manager, Advanced Capability Office

Ms. Candace Wright, is the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Manager within the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Her office provides government funding opportunities that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/ Research and Development (R/R&D) with the potential for commercialization and transition into DoD major weapon systems.

Ms. Wright has served over fourteen years within MDA as an acquisition professional, managing cost, schedule, and performance, for several major weapon system program offices to include serving as the Acquisition Lead for the Homeland Defense Radar- Guam and for the multi-billion dollar Ground-Based Missile Defense System (GMD) Next Generation Interceptor (NGI).

Ms. Wright also served as the Executive Officer to the MDA Executive Director in which she supported Agency Senior Leaders with day-to-day mission planning and execution of the Missile Defense System in support of the warfighter.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Wright served as the Division Lead for Program Baseline Support where she successfully led in the coordination, synchronization, standards, policies, and processes of the Missile Defense Baselines. In addition, her organization executed program planning, analysis, execution of Director’s Reviews, and MDA Baseline Change Management Processes.

Ms. Wright holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Data Analytics from Auburn University. She is a Certified Scrum Master and holds the Department of Defense Advanced Certification in Program Management.

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