Get Your Manufacturing Unstuck
Wed, Dec 17
|Metro Region Innovation Hub
Whether you’re a first-time founder navigating hardware for the first time or a serial entrepreneur scaling your next breakthrough, this session will fundamentally change how you think about manufacturing innovation.
Time & Location
Dec 17, 2025, 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Metro Region Innovation Hub, 2130 SW 5th Ave, Portland, OR 97201, USA
About the event
Get Your Manufacturing Unstuck
Portland founders are building bold things—but manufacturing can be where big ideas hit real-world roadblocks. If you’ve ever thought, “There has to be a better way to solve this technical problem,” this session is for you.
What most entrepreneurs don’t realize is that the U.S. government operates over 350 world-class R&D labs—spending more than $150 billion every year—with cutting-edge equipment, testbeds, and researchers that are actively looking to collaborate with startups and small manufacturers. NASA. Department of Defense. National Labs. These resources aren’t just for giants—they’re for founders like you.
The challenge? Knowing which lab to engage, when to engage, and how to unlock access.
That’s where David McFeeters-Krone comes in. David runs a national program for the U.S. Department of Commerce that connects entrepreneurs directly to federal labs and advanced technology partners. He’s helped countless companies tap into capabilities they never thought were accessible.
Join this session to…