Subject Matter Experts

Mr. Raines is an experienced commercialization executive with a primary focus on early stage technology marketing, sales, business development and fundraising. Tim has worked in Technology Transfer with universities and incubators from the US, Ukraine, Mexico, India, Hungary, Columbia, Korea, and more. He also serves private innovators and R&D labs in the US, securing SBIR/STTR grants and moving the technologies through the commercialization process. Tim has also served as a DoE SBIR Principal Investigator and is a grant review panelist for the NSF SBIR program and the DoD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). Tim has also worked with SBIR applicants and awardees for NASA, DOE, NIH, Army, Navy, Air Force, DARPA, USSOCOM, DHS, NOAA, and USDA. Technical/industry focus areas include space, renewable energy, quantum sciences, electro-optics, directed energy, neuroscience devices, medical radiation, medical optics, smart and connected health, and many more. He is adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at Ringling College of Art + Design.

Steve works with leaders who recognize that sales are the constraint to their company’s growth, and help them understand why and what to do to drive profitable, sustainable revenue. Steve began developing his training and communications skills as a second grade teacher in Summit County, Colorado. An entrepreneur at heart, Steve left teaching to start his own business, and since then, has spent over 34 years as a business owner and in the corporate arena: in industrial relations, operations, quality management, mergers and acquisitions, training, marketing, sales and sales management. Coaching CEO’s and Sales Managers is what he enjoys doing the most.

Karri Palmetier is a partner at Palmetier Law, which was founded to help small and medium-sized businesses navigate the maze of government contracting regulations. Karri brings more than two decades of experience in government contracting and aerospace and defense industries. She started her career as a U.S. Air Force judge advocate where she supported major defense programs, base operational contracting, and international and joint war operations. Karri gained additional breadth working in a major D.C. law firm on a variety of government contracting matters. Karri then joined the in-house legal department at United Launch Alliance where she supported multiple issues across the company, including major government and commercial contracts, business system compliance, Freedom of Information Act, subcontract administration, and major litigation. Before establishing her own practice, Karri acted as the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for Special Aerospace Services, a certified 8(a) woman-owned small business. She uses her unique and diverse background to advise companies on all aspects of government contracting, including translating and simplify the byzantine laws of the world of government contracts.