Lt. Col. Jennifer “JJ” Snow, Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Air Force/AFWERX
AFWERX is an Air Force initiative that thinks beyond just Air Force requirements. This innovative team can be found collaborating with various Defense Department and interagency, academic and industry partners to enable solutions across the full spectrum of government and military operations.
“We aren’t a big team, but we work hard to make a big impact for all of our customers,” said Lt. Col. Jennifer “JJ” Snow. “This is what gets me excited to get to work every day. I love seeing the positive effect our team is having for the nation!”
One such project is the Strategic Latency Group Report. A team of 40 experts from government, academia and industry provided expertise into what comes next and how to best train, equip and fight in technology influenced environments.
“The insights captured in this report will ensure our forces maintain their competitive edge,” Snow said.
She is also a strong proponent of the “werx” innovation models for government. What makes these initiatives unique is their ease of accessibility, their speed to solution, persistent end user involvement and the successful agile acquisitions models backing each endeavor.
“For the first time, the government can move at the speed of industry,” Snow said. “I’m really proud of all the positive feedback we’ve been receiving and the collaborative ecosystem growing around these hubs.”
Why Watch:
For 2020, Snow said innovation for the COVID-19 response is a priority. When the pandemic hit, her team stood up the AFWERX Unite and Fight initiative to rapidly identify technologies and solutions that can help front line responders today.
“We are passionate about making a difference, always smartly pushing the envelope to challenge the status quo, to do better for ourselves and others,” she said. “Even in crises we can see opportunities to move beyond just ‘surviving the virus’ towards building something amazing for the future. Today, we are working hard to do just that for the American people.”