Breaking Down SBIR & STTR Programs with Kristina Botelho

This week, Bonnie is joined by Kristina Botelho, an esteemed contracting and agreements officer for the Air Force, to discuss the ins and outs of SBIR and STTR programs. With nearly 15 years as a contracting officer, Kristina has become a trailblazing figure known for challenging norms and injecting fresh perspectives into contracting approaches. Kristina dives into the challenges of scaling solutions, flipping the script on sole-source contracts, and the underutilization of the SBIR STTR program—a key asset for streamlined capability delivery. Tune in to learn how to enable creative thinking in the contracting community and ask tough questions that pave the best path for startups, contracting officers, and warfighters alike.

TIMESTAMPS:

(1:20) Who is Kristina Botelho?

(5:55) The gap in experience among contracting officers

(10:18) How to embrace risk in the contracting space

(13:45) You can bomb Phase I and II SBIRs

(20:46) Maximizing DoD resources

(23:58) Viability of dual-use tech startups

(31:46) Taking advantage of Air Force innovation

LINKS:

Follow Kristina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-botelho/

Follow Bonnie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-evangelista-520747231/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds AI: https://www.tradewindai.com/