Uplifting Businesses with Strategy and Customized Support | Kelly H. Carnes

TechVision21 team members also are deeply knowledge­able about the theories and models of innovation, and the history of science and technology policy, bringing a rare level of expertise.

Kelly has a long history of encouraging women to pursue STEM degrees as a stepping-stone to high-tech entrepre­neurship. As Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Tech­nology Policy, she created GetTech, an award-winning national public awareness and information campaign to encourage teens to pursue technology careers. She was also a Member of the Steering Committee for the Com­mission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering, and Technology, and led the Clin­ton Administration’s efforts to increase the representa­tion of women and minorities in the Nation’s technology workforce. TechVision21 also has helped the Air Force, Army, and Navy to understand their current and future STEM-workforce needs and enhance their efforts in sup­port of STEM education.

For Kelly, the inspiration to enhance women in all roles comes from her role model, Mary Good, a true ground breaker across her unmatched career in academia, industry, and govern­ment in a field dominated by men. One of the most renowned female scientists of her generation, she com­pleted her Ph.D. in inorganic chem­istry at 24 and began her first career in academia at Louisiana State Uni­versity, rising to Dean of the School of Engineering. She then moved to industry, eventually serving as Senior Vice President for Technology at Al­lied-Signal. Dr. Good was appointed by President Carter and President Reagan to serve on the National Sci­ence Board and she later became its Chair. President George H.W. Bush appointed her to serve on the presti­gious President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. President Clinton selected her to serve as Under Secretary of Com­merce for Technology, where Kelly, serving as Assistant Secretary, began her long and close collaboration with Mary. Kelly has been inspired to follow in Mary Good’s footsteps. She has worked to elevate technology policy to the highest levels of the U.S. government throughout her career. Kelly has not only become a national thought leader on innovation and competitiveness policy but has also positioned TechVision21 to be a consulting firm in a league of its own.

After working in government, Kelly realized there were many companies—from the smallest of start-ups to glob­al giants—that were not leveraging Federal government policies, programs, and funding to their fullest potential, and that playing a Sherpa role would help a wide range of clients advance exciting technologies that could increase their success while helping improve U.S. competitiveness, job creation, and economic growth. Kelly believes strongly in the philosophy of “doing well while doing good,” and values the contributions of TechVision21 and its cli­ents to U.S. economic growth and competitiveness. She also believes it is vitally important to contribute to poli­cy and program development to ensure that the United States can benefit from breakthrough technologies and that innova­tors can commercialize them.

One key pain point TechVision21 focuses on is “The Valley of Death.” Many high-tech start-ups and small business­es have promising technologies but cannot acquire the capital to sufficiently advance and demonstrate them to get the cost and performance data needed to attract com­mercial financing. Too often, these technologies fall into the “Valley of Death” and are never commercialized. The innovative companies that developed these promising technologies are stymied on the pathway to growth. Some Federal programs provide support to bridge this funding gap, and TechVision21 has helped many businesses seek that support.

TechVision21 develops a customized strategy for each cli­ent’s needs and provides key support for its implemen­tation—from two-page briefers, talking points, and data to concept papers, responses to Federal requests for information, and complex funding proposals. The compa­ny’s team brings a deep level of expertise and experience to this work, stays on top of new developments, and gath­ers intelligence—be it political, programmatic, or budget­ary—to help clients stay ahead of the curve and get out in front of potential opportunities.

When a producer in a rural area wanted to expand a small biofuels plant, and a rural utility wanted to install a geothermal system, they turned to Techvision21 for assistance. TechVision21 worked on proposals for Federal funding and both of these clients won $500,000 for their projects. At the higher end, TechVision21 worked with an industry consortium on a proposal that won a $60 million grant for a PV manufacturing development center. In another effort, TechVision21 helped a global company move a unique utility-scale renewable energy system off the back burner. “While we did help them win several multi-million dollar grants to advance the technology, we also helped secure the technology’s eligibility for Federal renewable energy production tax credits, and a government commitment to re-establish the regulatory framework for the technology,” says Kelly. “In the mid-range, we’ve helped clients win awards of several million dollars each, for example, to purchase and install specialized equipment in a university manufacturing research center, and to advance a new type of battery.”

Kelly is very enthusiastic about the opportunities that will arise in the next couple of years, and continues to advocate for a strategic, comprehensive approach to U.S. technology policy and decision-making. According to Kelly, the new Administration and Congress have big plans to expand programming and significantly boost Federal budgets in science, technology, and clean energy. “During our 20 years in business, TechVision21 has had the opportunity to work on many exciting projects, promoting and supporting many “new to the world” technologies with great potential to disrupt existing industries and benefit the U.S. economy. We look forward to the next 20 years.”