As our supporters, ecosystem partners, and clients, we invite you to join us as we look back at our biggest accomplishments of 2024 and how we plan to build on them in 2025. In a year of many changes, three stood out as foundational to our plans for growth in 2025; our sixth FAST award, the creation of two new positions on the OK Catalyst team, and our investment in our ecosystem.
2024 was a year of big changes at OK Catalyst!
We helped 60 small businesses, through 15 SBIR Funding Labs, that brought over $7 million in SBIR/STTR funding to the state of Oklahoma.
We also bid farewell to I-Hub founding Executive Director Tom Wavering, celebrated Sarah Hamby as she stepped into the role of State Program Director for SBRA and FAST, welcomed a Statewide Outreach Manager, an NIH Funding Lab Manager, and so much more!
OCAST and SBA Awards
Like the small businesses we work with, we never take our success, our funding, or our community for granted. That’s why we were happy to learn that we will continue to be supported by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST). The funding OCAST provides is vital to the Small Business Research Assistance program and our continued support of Oklahoma small businesses working on the cutting edge of scientific and technological innovation. By connecting these businesses to SBIR/STTR funds we help take these innovations to national and global markets. OCAST doesn’t just provide funding, they provide a community of folks working to grow Oklahoma’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of the community of small business resources supported by OCAST and we look forward to continuing to work with our fellow OCAST awardees in 2025.
Currently, we are working with fellow OCAST awardees in Tulsa to establish in-person office hours with Tulsa-based entrepreneurs and we are delighted to celebrate the creation of the Oklahoma Commercialization Network [OCN] by i2E, uniting and building partnerships across Oklahoma.
Also, in 2024, we were overjoyed to learn that we will continue to be Oklahoma’s Federal & State Technology (FAST) partnership program awardee and service provider. This year’s award was a milestone for several reasons. This award guarantees continued SBIR/STTR resources to Oklahoma small businesses for several years. It’s also the first award received by our all-woman team, which remains an anomaly in the world of entrepreneurship (although Oklahoma is bucking this trend). We are also working with our ecosystem partners to support early-stage and pre-SBIR/STTR businesses.
As you know, OK Catalyst has been successful at bringing vital early-stage investment capital to Oklahoma small businesses over the years and 2024 was no exception. In 2025, we will continue this work, but we have reconceptualized our workflow from a traditional funnel, moving businesses towards SBIR/STTR funding, to a double-ended funnel moving businesses towards SBIR/STTR and then out to successful ecosystem partnerships. To do this, we’ve created two new staff positions you can learn more about below!
New Positions at OK Catalyst
One of the most exciting developments of 2024 was the hiring of Ruby Sharif-Sandel, MD, PhD, to spearhead our new NIH Funding Labs. Dr. Sharif-Sandel brings a wealth of knowledge in NIH as well as vast connections throughout the Oklahoma biotech world. There is no one better to launch our new NIH Funding Lab. The NIH Funding Lab is modeled after our successful DOD, DOE, NSF, and NASA Labs but Dr. Sharif-Sandel has adapted it to fit the specific requirements of the NIH and its many SBIR/STTR participating institutes. In 2025, we will continue to streamline access to NIH SBIR/STTR funding for Oklahoma biotech through increasing outreach and education on NIH funding opportunities to accelerate innovation and commercialization.
Another milestone was the creation of our Statewide Outreach Coordinator position filled by Jaime Hough, PhD. In addition to providing education about SBIR/STTR programs and OK Catalyst services, this position allows us to work with our ecosystem partners to identify gaps when it comes to funding. For example, after speaking to several of our ecosystem partners about unmet needs, Jaime hosted a series of workshops on grant-writing basics to help prepare early-stage companies and the entrepreneurial-curious folks in our community for seeking funding. In 2025, we look forward to working with the ecosystem on more educational and outreach programs that benefit small businesses throughout Oklahoma.
Ecosystem Investments
Over the course of 2024, we got to grow along with our ecosystem, engaging with legacy partners and newcomers. We partnered the Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker Air Force Base to share information about SBIR/STTR funds at Tinker Industry Day hosted by Rose State College. We had the privilege of sharing information about
OK Catalyst services in a workshop with the OKC Innovation District, with Cohort 4 of the Oklahoma Minority Founder Accelerator, gener8tor Lightning Rounds, and at the ICBS Show to name just a few. In 2025 we look forward to working with these valuable partners who continue to connect us to entrepreneurs on the cutting edge of their industry as we work to help them get funding.
While the raison d’être of OK Catalyst is connecting Oklahoma small businesses with SBIR/STTR funds, we also help researchers commercialize their innovation. To this end, we were pleased to work closely with our Norman campus counterparts on several initiatives in 2024. We hosted a Postdoc Lunch & Learn during National Postdoctoral Appreciation Week in September to share the many success stories about how postdocs have commercialized their research through the SBIR/STTR program and share how OK Catalyst can help postdocs looking for an alternative to a traditional academic career. We were also honored to present as part of the Gallogly College of Engineering’s Faculty Entrepreneurship Series programming.
Finally, near the end of 2024, we got approval to move forward with an innovative collaboration with OU’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity office. In 2025, we will be implementing this collaboration which allows SBIR/STTR awardees to hire OU student interns to help with their research and development. This partnership will give valuable experience to OU undergraduates and provide research support for Oklahoma SBIR/STTR awardees. Ultimately, we hope this partnership will create a mutually beneficial career pipeline for Oklahoma students and small businesses.
We owe these successes to the ecosystem partners who have allowed us to share about SBIR/STTR funds and OK Catalyst’s services as well as the entrepreneurs who trust us with their time and creativity to apply for funds. In 2025, we are excited to continue working with you to foster innovation in the great state of Oklahoma. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign up for the OK Catalyst newsletter to get up-to-date information about office hours happening around the state, networking events, open topics, and so much more!
Powered by OCAST & The SBA
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