U.S. Department of Energy: Unique Opportunities for Makers

Jetta Wong is the Director of the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Department is one of the largest supporters of technology transfer in the federal government. Before joining DOE, Jetta worked for the United States House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Bill Farris is the Associate Laboratory Director responsible for the Innovation, Partnering, and Outreach Directorate at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Bill directs NREL’s efforts to accelerate commercialization and the transfer of laboratory technologies to the marketplace. He also oversees all licensing, sponsored research agreements and enterprise development.

Howard Grimes is the Director for Innovation in Industry Partnerships at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies and the Idaho National Laboratory. He is responsible for developing collaborations and partnerships to move innovative clean energy technologies out of the laboratory environment and into our society where they have impact.

Duncan McBranch is the Chief Technology Officer for Los Alamos. He brings to this role a strong track record as an R&D leader in materials chemistry and nanotechnology, an entrepreneur in biotechnology, a business development leader in growing new partnerships and programs, and as a senior leader managing a large and diverse technical R&D enterprise.

Elsie Quaite-Randall, Chief Technology Transfer Officer for Berkeley Lab’s Innovation and Partnerships Office, is a recognized expert in developing new, effective models for moving technologies from the lab to the marketplace, where they can benefit the public.

Gary Spanner is the Manager of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Economic Development Office. Gary's role is to apply PNNL's technological resources to help boost the economy of the nation and the region. Gary serves as the first point of contact for small businesses that wish to collaborate with PNNL through a variety of mechanisms.