NIPOA-GRS Air Force Mentor-Protégé Program Workshop - HONOLULU

NIPOA-GRS Air Force Mentor-Protégé Program Workshop- HONOLULU

Please join us for our Summer Mentor-Protégé Program Workshop hosted by Nipoa Standard (Nipoa) and Global Resource Solutions, Inc. (GRS) on behalf of the Air Force Office of Small Business Programs, in collaboration with the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association (NHOA).

AUGUST 20, 2025 from 7:30am-3:00pm (Honolulu) at the ENTREPRENEURS SANDBOX - 643 ILALO STREET HONOLULU, HI 96813

Registration is open to all Small Business, Large Business, DoD Mentors, DoD Protégés, potential Mentor-Protégé participants, and invited Government and Academia Representatives.

Please complete the registration form as you would like it to appear on your name badge.

There are a limited number of seats, so please REGISTER as early as you can.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis!

The workshop will be Wednesday, AUGUST 20th 2025 from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM (Honolulu Time), with the first speaker going on at 9:00am.

The event will take place at the: ENTREPRENEURS SANDBOX - 643 ILALO STREET HONOLULU, HI 96813

Please contact: mpp@grsco.com for any questions.

The Agency: The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. The Air Force provides air support for land and naval forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. The Air Force Office of Small Business Programs (SAF/SB) actively supports the various small business programs that assist in meeting the Air Force's mission to fly, fight and win... in air, space and cyberspace. The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM).

The Hosts:

Nipoa Standard LLC (Nipoa) is owned by a Native Hawaiian Organization as defined in 13 CFR §124.3. Nipoa Group is a not-for-profit, whose mission is to improve the health of Hawaii’s people. Nipoa Standard is owned as a subsidiary that is certified 8(a) by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Federal law authorizes Nipoa 8(a) subsidiaries to receive large, sole source contracts from the Department of Defense. Nipoa’s large, sole source capability extends to our teaming partners. This mechanism allows the government to award a negotiated, non-protestable contract to its vendor of choice – typically our teaming partner – in as little as 30 days.

Founded in 2006, Global Resource Solutions, Inc. (GRS) is at the forefront of providing operational, strategic, and technical support and solutions throughout the Federal government. GRS maintains deep domain knowledge and strong past performance in the areas of Intelligence Analysis and Operations, Cybersecurity, Security Solutions, Information Technology, and Strategic Consulting. GRS is an Active Mentor in the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program.

​The Native Hawaiian Organizations Association (NHOA) is a trade association established to provide a unified voice for Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs). NHOs are non-profit organizations authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to participate in the 8(a) Business Development program. NHOs provide invaluable economic benefits to the State of Hawaii and the Native Hawaiian community by developing job opportunities, building the capacity of innovative industries, and supporting important social and economic programs.

The Program: The Department of Defense (DoD) Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) was established under Public Law 101-510, Section 831, and the National Defense Authorization Act of 1991. It is a statutorily mandated program under 10 USC 4902.

The purpose of the program is to provide incentives for major Department of Defense contractors to furnish small business concerns with assistance designed to-

(1) enhance the capabilities of small business concerns to perform as subcontractors and suppliers under Department of Defense contracts and other contracts and subcontracts; and

(2) increase the participation of such business concerns as subcontractors and suppliers under Department of Defense contracts, other Federal Government contracts, and commercial contracts.

Since 1991, DoD MPP has offered substantial assistance to small businesses. The DoD MPP assists small businesses (protégés) to successfully compete for prime contract and subcontract awards by partnering with typically large companies (mentors) under individual, project-based agreements.

For more information please visit the Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé Program Website: https://business.defense.gov/Programs/Mentor-Protege-Program/

Thank you for registering for the workshop. Please keep your tickets handy, either in the Eventbrite app or print them out and bring them with you.

SPEAKERS

Mr. David Sikora - United States Air Force Mentor-Protégé Program

Mr. David Sikora is the Acquisition Program Manager for the Air Force Mentor-Protégé Program. The mission of the Air Force Mentor Protégé program is to develop small businesses through technology transfer that results in small business sources of supply and services for Air Force prime contracts and subcontracts.

Mr. Sikora previously served as the Air Force Small Business Innovative Research / Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) and Technology Transfer Program Manager. and Mr. Sikora has a wealth of experience leveraging industry, academia, and private sector research. Before entering government service, He worked as a design/project engineer in the paper machine and environmental equipment industries.

Mr. Sikora received his bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology from the University of Dayton and his M.B.A. from Wright State University.

Ms. Ailie Souriolle - Director, PACAF Small Business Program, United States Air Force

Ms. Ailie Souriolle is the Director of the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) Small Business Programs. In this role, she is responsible for:

• Advocating for and supporting small businesses within the PACAF command.
• Promoting the use of small businesses in the defense industrial base.
• Ensuring small businesses can adapt to new security environments.
• Increasing competition in the U.S. economy by leveraging small businesses.
• Helping the nation avoid supply chain vulnerabilities with the help of small businesses.

Ms. Souriolle's role emphasizes the importance PACAF places on engaging with the small business community.

Ms. Mary Moriarty - President & Founder, Nipoa Standard LLC

Mary Moriarty is the founder of Nipoa’s first 8(a) subsidiary and President of Nipoa’s 8(a) subsidiary group. Mary is responsible for the daily operations of Nipoa’s for profit division. She began her career at Turner Construction, and later Hawaiian Dredging, as a construction manager and engineer. She has completed multi-phase projects for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation San Francisco regional office and the Transportation Security Administration at airports throughout Hawaii and the Pacific.

Mary holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona. She is Native Hawaiian and raised on the islands of Kauai and Oahu.

Mr. Charles Sills - President & CEO, American Defense Alliance

Charles F. Sills is a recognized authority on U.S. Government contracting, and an advocate for Small/Medium-sized Business access to Federal and Military acquisition opportunities, serving as the President & CEO of the American Defense Alliance – which hosts major Defense Requirements conferences across the country, connecting private sector innovators with the Pentagon, Military commands, and Congress to accelerate National Security solutions.

As a former Naval Intelligence Officer, he held positions at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Middle East Force, and NATO Supreme Allied Command/Atlantic; and subsequently worked in Lockheed Martin’s International Division managing strategic marketing and export licensing for defense systems as well as renewable energy technologies. His education includes an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and an A.B. from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs.

Mr. Gautam Mehndiratta - CEO, Infotek LLC

Gautam Mehndiratta is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Infotek LLC, a leading provider of technology solutions for project-based businesses. With over 25 years of experience in the tech industry, Gautam is widely recognized for his expertise in developing, implementing, and optimizing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, particularly within the government contracting and professional services sectors.

Before founding Infotek in 2005, Gautam served as a Senior Systems Engineer at Deltek, where he led numerous successful ERP implementations. Under his leadership, Infotek has grown into an award-winning consultancy, earning accolades such as Deltek’s GovCon Partner of the Year and MVP Award multiple times. His strategic vision and commitment to innovation have positioned Infotek as a trusted partner for over 600 implementations and 400 cloud migrations globally.

Gautam holds a Bachelor of Science in Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems, with a minor in Information Technology, from George Mason University. He is known not only for his technical acumen but also for his ability to align technology with business goals, helping organizations achieve measurable success.

Mr. Shehan Goonewardene - Director, DoD Mentor-Protégé Program, Global Resource Solutions, Inc.

Shehan Goonewardene is a strategic leader with over 15 years of extensive experience with the Department of Defense (DoD) Mentor-Protege Program (MPP). He has successfully led and managed multiple mentor-protege programs at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Activity (NGA), Defense Intelligence Activity (DIA) and the United States Air Force (USAF). Under Shehan’s leadership GRS has secured multiple Nunn-Perry Awards from the Department of Defense. Shehan previously held the position of Program Manager for the United States Navy (USN) Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). In this role his focus was providing program management support for the client and coordinating between team members and the 11 Major Commands. He was also the Project Coordinator for the Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). Shehan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside and a M.B.A. in Management and Leadership from the University of La Verne, College of Business and Public Management. He has also developed strong research and writing skills through coursework in contracts law by successfully completing one year of Juris Doctor studies at the University of La Verne College of Law.