Ronald Stubblefield has had a diverse career, transitioning from physics and engineering to law and economic development. His experience includes launching agencies, supporting small businesses, and leading incubator programs. Now, as Senior Program Manager at the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) and Parallax Advanced Research, he leverages his background to foster growth in Ohio’s aerospace and defense sectors, focusing on advanced air mobility.
Ronald Stubblefield: Q&A Session
Q:You have had quite an interesting career thus far. Can you tell me more about it?
A: Certainly! By education, I am a physicist who made a career transition to become an industrial engineer, and then subsequently an attorney. I transitioned to economic development professionally because it allowed me to build off the skill sets acquired through my education and make an impact by driving economic growth in American cities. This led me to engage with several organizations in a range of work roles including launching economic development agencies in Maryland, supporting small businesses in New York City, running incubation and accelerator programs in Baltimore City, serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence for JumpStart in Cleveland, becoming Chief of Staff and Corporate Counsel at a US Treasury Community Development Financial Institution in Oakland, serving as an executive in the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office, and responsibilities as a grant reviewer for the National Science Foundation, NASA, and US Department of Commerce. Now, at Parallax Advanced Research/Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI), I am using these experiences to advise companies and develop economic development program strategy and strategic partnerships to help grow the aerospace and defense industry in Ohio, with a focus on advanced air mobility (AAM).
Q: What about your work do you find most exciting?
A: AAM is an emerging industry. Being able to work with local and national partners to create and implement innovative economic development growth strategies that can benefit the state’s small business owners in an inclusive way is exciting.
Q: What is a career accomplishment of which you are most proud?
A: Being able to leverage $3M into $50M of economic development impact for my hometown of Baltimore City, MD is my proudest career accomplishment to date. This was achieved through engaging with community stakeholders, which guided an (economic) impact investment strategy. That said, if certain future efforts at OAI pan out over the next couple of months to develop a successor program to the Center for Advanced Air Mobility Initiative (CAMMI), that will change my answer.
Q: What can you tell us about the work you are currently performing?
A: The work I am currently performing falls into several buckets. In the area of Small Business and Entrepreneurial Support I am providing SBIR/STTR (Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer) technical and business advisory assistance to small business owners through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Federal and State Technology Partnership and similar types of assistance to small, advanced manufacturing business owners through the SBA Growth Accelerator Funding Challenge (GAFC) Program. This support ranges from grant writing advisement, one-on-one coaching, and educational webinars with federal agency representatives. I am supporting small business owners pursuing opportunities in the AAM space via the Economic Development Administration (EDA)-funded Center for Advanced Air Mobility Initiative (CAAMI) led by OAI. Through the Ohio Third Frontier’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider Program for Northern Ohio and Dayton regions, I am able to provide business advising services to entrepreneurs. I am working with Cuyahoga County, The Urban League of Greater Cleveland, the Women’s Business Center at the Economic and Community Development Institute, and The Presidents’ Council, to develop a new program focused on helping more underserved small businesses enter the aerospace and defense supply chain.
In the area of workforce development and technology commercialization for NASA, I am working with partners from the Ohio State University to train students on technology commercialization while developing commercialization plans for NASA Technologies. I am also working with regional collaborators to develop a Talent Hub Program to help address aerospace workforce and prime age underemployment challenges in Northeastern Ohio.
In terms of program development efforts, partnerships established with the US Patent and Trademark Office and Northern Ohio Entrepreneurial Service Providers allow us to build training programs to support underserved small business owners by improving their understanding and helping them to position themselves to leverage their intellectual property. I am also involved with AUVSI and other strategic partners to develop a successor effort to the Economic Development Administration funded Center for Advanced Air Mobility Effort that is focused on accelerating commercialization of UAS technologies and addressing critical gaps in domestic component manufacturing.
In AAM advocacy and partnership development, collaborating with key local, state and national partners to advocate on behalf of emerging industries has been a rewarding experience. One example was developing supplemental testimony to support AUVSI’s AAM workforce and manufacturing advocacy which was submitted before the House of Representatives.
Q: From your perspective, what are some of the benefits of the services and support that you provide to small businesses?
A: The benefits of the services and support that we provide to small businesses is varied.
We assist small business owners in navigating governmental opportunities that can be a challenge. Parallax/OAI serves as trusted advisors to help small business owners understand, evaluate, apply, and then successfully execute on these opportunities.
Going after governmental opportunities as a small business owner often requires strategic teaming. This is because the government often looks at proof of performance to determine if a small business is qualified to get an award. Strategic teaming helps small business owners strengthen their qualifications to help overcome this barrier. Parallax/OAI helps with identifying and securing partner teams.
Small business owners need capital and workforce support. Parallax/OAI is strategically positioned to help small business owners identify non-dilutive capital opportunities, evaluate if debt vs equity is better for them, and connect them to funders.
Finally, many small business owners in the tech space often believe they need to build their technologies from scratch. They are often unaware of licensing opportunities with the Federal Government that would allow them to commercialize Federal intellectual property (IP). Parallax/OAI educates and help companies evaluate these technologies to determine if this IP is right for a small business owner.
Get in Touch with Ron
Ronald Stubblefield and The Tech-Based Economic Development Team offer a variety of services and support opportunities to help small business grow. If you require assistance in any of the areas mentioned above, contact us today.
- Ronald Stubblefield, Senior Program Manager, Tech-Based Economic Development: Contact
- Anthony Gillespie, Director of Tech-Based Economic Development: Contact
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About Parallax Advanced Research & The Ohio Aerospace Institute
Parallax Advanced Research is a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit research institute that tackles global challenges through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, addresses critical global issues, and develops groundbreaking ideas with its partners. With offices in Ohio and Virginia, Parallax aims to deliver new solutions and speed them to market. In 2023, Parallax and the Ohio Aerospace Institute formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements in Ohio and for the nation. The Ohio Aerospace Institute plays a pivotal role in advancing the aerospace industry in Ohio and the nation by fostering collaborations between universities, aerospace industries, and government organizations, and managing aerospace research, education, and workforce development projects. More information on both organizations can be found at Parallax and OAI websites.