About Our Partner
Connect is a local non-profit that has been providing support to the San Diego Innovation ecosystem for over 35 years.
Connect elevates entrepreneurs by providing educational programming, mentorship, introductions, and access to capital. The organization helps innovative companies thrive so they can make a meaningful impact in the development of the San Diego region, with the goal to build a world-class
innovation economy.
Connect is part of the San Diego & Imperial Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, and offers most of its resources at no cost.
About the partnership
Connect is an integral part of the San Diego ecosystem which allowed us the unique opportunity to partner with them to provide outreach and assistance to the small business community interested in NIWC PAC and NAVWAR.
The SBIR@Connect program was created through this partnership with the aim to better service small businesses and innovators interested in participating or collaborating with the government, specifically the Navy’s Small Business Research Innovation and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Program.
Through a set of educational resources, the program hopes to demystify the SBIR/STTR program and interactions with the government to drive collaboration and serve as a super connector between government, industry and academia.
Meet Gretel
Connect SBIR/STTR Director
Gretel von Son is the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Director at Connect, a position created to support the SBIR/STTR Program by helping make connections between government, industry and academia more accessible. Gretel previously supported the NAVWAR SBIR/STTR Program Office, and has experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. She has published work in Advanced Materials, ACS Nano and Nature Communications. Gretel has earned a Bachelor’s in Chemistry, and a Master’s in Business Administration.