Lunch Keynote

Nona Minnifield Cheeks leads the Innovative Partnerships Program Office (IPPO) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The primary goal of the IPPO is to identify technology opportunities that support NASA missions and to find broader applications of Goddard sponsored technology developments beyond NASA use. Under Nona’s direction, the IPPO works with individuals at NASA, industry, academia, and other government agencies regarding new technology applications and partnerships. Her staff is responsible for planning activities that emphasize technology transfer opportunities and successes.

Nona holds a B.S. Degree from the University of Maryland and a MBA from Loyola College of Maryland. She completed courses at the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business; Simmons Executive Education Program; and leadership and management programs at the Brookings Institution. She presented at the Innovation in the 21st Century Conference 2006 in Great Britain.  She presented and chaired sessions for the International Astronautical Congress in South Korea in 2009; India in 2007; Spain in 2006 and in Japan in 2005.

Nona received NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Award in 1995 and NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal in 2001.  She was selected as a 2008 Women of Color All-Stars by the National Women of Color (WOC) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).

Website: http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/about_ipp.shtm