Biobased Industry Outlook Conference
August 29-30, 2005
Iowa State University - Ames, IA
Randy W. Dipner
Randy W. Dipner currently serves as a consultant to PBC, Inc., a company that specializes in SBIR proposals. He has nearly 30 years experience in technology development and management. After four years in the US Air Force, Mr. Dipner spent 15 years with two aerospace defense companies and then founded his own company, Meeting the Challenge (MTC). He held the position of President until 2002 when he turned over day-to-day operations of the company while retaining the position of Senior Advisor.
MTC was formed to transfer technology from the aerospace defense environment to uses in support of people with disabilities. The company successfully used the SBIR program for seed research and development funding. MTC competed for and won 13 Phase I and Phase II SBIRs from the US Department of Education and HHS, as well as other research and development grants from the National Science Foundation.
Dipner wrote his first SBIR proposal in 1980 to the National Science Foundation Pilot Program. Since that time, he has participated in the development of over 350 SBIR Phase I and Phase II proposals and delivered nearly 100 SBIR workshops and conference sessions for small businesses across the country. He has served as a peer reviewer for the SBIR and other research and development programs for the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation.
In 1981 Dipner was recognized by the Johns Hopkins 1st National Search for Computer Applications to Aid People with Disabilities for his invention of a desk top Braille production system. From 1994 through 1999, he sat on two Federal Advisory Committees to establish accessibility standards for electronic and information technology and facilities. One of these received the "Hammer Award" for effective government/commercial collaboration from Vice President Gore. From 1994 to 1996 Dipner served as the Vice President of the Association for Computing Machinery.
He currently sits on the Advisory Boards for the Colorado Institute for Technology Transfer and Implementation and TheatreWorks at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Dipner received degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science from the Ohio State University.
