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Vinny Schaper
Senior Advisor

Mr. Schaper returned to SMI in January 2009 as a Senior Advisor after serving two years as the director of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) at the Department of Homeland Security.

Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Schaper served as an advisor to SMI, helping to secure Phase III funding for DoD SBIR small businesses and assisted in planning for small businesses technology transitions. He acquired professional experience in science, engineering, and program management during his 45-year career, which he initiated in the utilities industry. Mr. Schaper later gained extensive technical expertise as a research technician, engineer, and program manager in various Navy laboratories. Notable achievements during his 24 years with the Navy include:

• Served as Deputy Program Manager for the Navy’s IR&D Program,

• Technology Transfer Manager for Naval Air Systems Command,

• Small Business Advocate for the Office of Naval Research and

• Navy Small Business Innovation Research Program Manager. In this capacity, he transformed the Navy SBIR program from a laboratory centric program to one that addresses the needs and requirements of the Navy.

Mr. Schaper holds a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and a M.S in Physical Metallurgical from New York University. In addition to coursework in Engineering Administration at George Washington University, he has a patent for one-sided welding for ships structures.

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