U.S. flag
        An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you knowGovernment Website**Official websites use .gov**
              
                              A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        Safely connect using HTTPS**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
              
              A **lock**
                (A locked padlock)
                or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.  
 Menu

      close
        
                            Enter Search Term
                Search
      Research & Development
      
                
  
          Research & Development


      
        Research & Development
    
    
              Advanced Sensing
      
    
              Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems
      
    
              Biotechnology
      
    
              Border Security
      
    
              Chemical, Biological and Explosive Defense R&D
      
    
              Communications and Cyber Resiliency
      
    
              Community and Infrastructure Resilience
      
    
              Counter Terrorist
      
    
              Cybersecurity/Information Analysis R&D
      
    
              Data, Modeling, and Simulation Sciences
      
    
              Digital Identity and Trust
      
    
              Earth Systems Sciences
      
    
              Emerging Computing Paradigms
      
    
              First Responder Capability
      
    
              Food and Agriculture Defense
      
    
              Novel Materials and Secure Manufacturing
      
    
              Physical Security and Critical Infrastructure Resilience
      
    
              Social Sciences
      
    
              Wildfire Technology
      
    
              Expertise
      
                
  
          Expertise


      
        Expertise
    
    
              National Laboratories
      
    
              Technology Centers
      
    
              Test and Evaluation
      
    
              Systems Engineering and Standards
      
    
              Technology Scouting
      
    
              Operations and Requirements Analysis
      
    
              Technology Clearinghouse
      
    
              Partnerships
      
                
  
          Partnerships


      
        Partnerships
    
    
              Federally Funded Research and Development Centers
      
    
              Industry Partnerships
      
    
              International Partnerships
      
    
              University Programs
      
    
              Work with S&T
      
                
  
          Work with S&T


      
        Work with S&T
    
    
              Funding and Partnership Opportunities
      
    
              DHS R&D Needs
      
    
              Innovation Funding Programs
      
    
              Engage with S&T
      
    
              Industry Partnerships Insights Outreach Webinar Series
      
    
              Technology Transfer and Commercialization Program
      
    
              SAFETY Act
      
    
              News & Events
      
                
  
          News & Events


      
        News & Events
    
    
              News
      
    
              Events
      
    
              Technologically Speaking Podcast
      
    
              Videos
      
    
              S&T Impact Series
      
    
              About S&T
      
                
  
          About S&T


      
        About S&T
    
    
              Leadership
      
    
              Organization
      
    
              Careers
      
    
              S&T in 2023: A Year in Review
      
    
              Impact 20: Celebrating 20 Years of Science and Technology
      
    
              Scientific Integrity Breadcrumb
Science and Technology Directorate
  News Room
  Honoring S&T Commitment to Women-Owned Businesses

     Honoring S&T’s Commitment to Women-Owned Businesses
Release Date: March 13, 2024
*Special Women’s History Month Guest blog from Megan Mahle, Director of the Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Office of Industry Partnerships (OIP)*

Image
              Portrait photo of Megan Mahle.*Megan Mahle*According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, women own over 12 million businesses and employ more than 10.1 million workers across the United States, with total sales surpassing $2 trillion. The impact of women-owned businesses on the economy and the research and development landscape cannot be understated. And here at S&T, we make every effort to join forces with these dedicated, forward-thinking innovators. I am honored to celebrate Women's History Month by highlighting a few remarkable advancements S&T’s women-owned business partners have made in recent years in designing and delivering technology solutions that address pressing homeland security challenges.

Image
              NAS-LIION co-owner Dr. Sharon Simmons (center, in red), was presented with the Judges Award at Converge 2023.She is joined here by (left to right) S&T Technology Transfer and Commercialization Branch representatives Ben Henry, Jenny Peters, and Branch Chief Kalpana Reddy.*NAS-LIION co-owner Dr. Sharon Simmons (center, in red), was presented with the Judges Award at Converge 2023. She is joined here by (left to right) S&T Technology Transfer and Commercialization Branch representatives Ben Henry, Jenny Peters, and Branch Chief Kalpana Reddy. Photo Credit: S&T.***NAS-LIION:** The 2023 S&T Homeland Security Startup Studio (HSSS) Converge winner, NAS-LIION co-owner Dr. Sharon Simmons accepted the Judges Award for the company’s battery leak detection technology, which uses a colorimetric indicator to detect electrolyte leakage from lithium-Ion batteries. Eight teams pitched their efforts to commercialize groundbreaking technologies sourced from U.S. laboratories and universities, and an expert panel of judges chose the woman- and minority-owned small business, as having the winning pitch. HSSS is an innovative program that pairs the next generation of entrepreneurs with federally funded cutting-edge technologies to help move them from lab to market. The 2023 HSSS cohort was our most diverse yet, with 30% of participating entrepreneurs identifying as women.

**Floodbase, PBC and FloodMapp:** As a result of its successful partnership with S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), women-owned startup company Floodbase, PBC, which specializes in designing real-time graphical maps of flooding, had its S&T-funded graphics utilized by three national media outlets to demonstrate areas of California flooding during the recent deluge. Their maps reached approximately 89.550 million people nationwide. A second female-owned company in the same space, FloodMapp, has also partnered with SVIP and FEMA to successfully reduce insurance premiums for the community of Norfolk, Virginia, by integrating FloodMapp’s real-time flood intelligence into the navigation app Waze to alert and redirect drivers around flood hazards in the area.

**Dignari:** DHS Prize Competitions crowdsource innovation and harness the creativity of the American public to find solutions to homeland security challenges. In 2021, Dignari was the grand prize winner of the Trusted User Interface for Digital Wallets Challenge for its solution that improves overall user experience for the management of digital wallet-based credentials. Since then, Dignari has gone on to work with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Transportation Security Administration and was recently awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreement to provide Identity, Credential, and Access Management Support Services to all of DHS. In 2023, Dignari was named to the Women Presidents Organization's annual listing of the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies.

**Design Interactive, Inc. (DI):** Funded through the DHS Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, DI developed a patented algorithm compatible with wrist-worn devices to provide real-time stress measurements to improve PTSD, stress, and anxiety therapy for veterans. The success of this venture led to additional funding, enabling DI to apply their core technology to other domains, including special operations, deception detection, federal law enforcement training, and firefighter training. In 2020, DI received a Tibbetts Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, an award that recognizes companies that exemplify the very best in SBIR/STTR achievements.

At S&T, we are proud to recognize and support the innovative spirit and ingenuity of female entrepreneurs who are leading the charge in developing groundbreaking solutions to our toughest homeland security threats. OIP remains committed to engaging with underrepresented groups, businesses, and communities—including our continued support of women-owned businesses—to aid in their ability to achieve even greater success in the years to come.

Happy Women's History Month!
      
      
  
    
    TopicsScience and TechnologyKeywordsScience and Technology
              Small Business
              Women

    Last Updated: 03/13/2024
  
Was this page helpful?
  Yes
NoThis page was not helpful because the content
  has too little information
has too much information
is confusing
is out-of-date

   


Return to top

           Research & Development
      
    
                  Expertise
      
    
                  Partnerships
      
    
                  Work with S&T
      
    
                  News & Events
      
    
                  About S&T
                            
        Science and Technology
      
    https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology
                  An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityAbout DHS
                              Accessibility
                              Budget and Performance
                              DHS Components
                              FOIA Requests
                              No FEAR Act Data
                              Privacy Policy
                              Site Links
                              Office of Inspector General
                              The White House
                              USA.gov

                        Looking for U.S. government information and services?
                Visit USA.gov