Aligning Defense, Industry, and
Additive Manufacturing for Real-World Impact.
Speakers
Rob Graziano - Sr. Director of DoD & Government programs at Colibirum Additive (GE)
Describe the team member here. Write a brief description of their role and responsibilities, or a short bio with a background summary.
Andy Gardner - Chief Executive Officer - CRUX Defense
Offers AMPO’s additive sustainment insights, supporting agenda depth and helping attendees understand real DoD technical workflows and challenges.
John Boyer - Chief Executive Officer at KVG
Supports operational planning, logistics, and partner alignment for the VCOE event, reinforcing KVG’s role in coordinated event execution.
Tristan Thomas - Managing Director of MeND Sourcing Solutions
Supports the DLA by sourcing, packaging, and delivering critical parts to the WARFIGHTER. Through specialized software and service solutions, his team bridges the gap between DoD buyers and U.S. suppliers, strengthening the Defense Industrial Base.
Madison Jones - Director of Additive At Scale
Leads Additive at Scale’s engineering and scale-up efforts, supporting clients across diverse industries with end-to-end additive manufacturing solutions. Madison drives commercialization acceleration within the VCOE by bridging engineering rigor with scalable manufacturing execution.
Aaron Williamson - Managing Partner of CornerstonePMP
Aaron is an aerospace engineer with experience managing COE's in airworthiness, MIL standards, and ITAR. He holds a Project Management Professional certification and specializes in strategic planning and driving complex technical initiatives to completion.
MEETING AGENDA
Wednesday, February 18th, 2026
08:30 AM - 03:30 PM
Location: TBD in San Antonio, TX
Attendees
The VCOE brings together manufacturers, mission-support partners, and defense stakeholders to accelerate the delivery of trusted, executable manufacturing solutions for the DoD. Attendees will see how aligned workflows and real-world execution reduce risk, shorten lead times, and strengthen readiness across the defense industrial base.
08:30 AM - 09:00 AM - Welcome Breakfast & Networking
-
Light breakfast and informal networking to connect attendees.
-
Distribution of name badges, packets, and agenda materials.
-
Early engagement opportunity with GE, DoD, and industry reps.
-
Sets a collaborative tone ahead of structured programming.
9:00–9:15 AM — Welcome, Introductions & Mission for the Day
-
Frame the purpose: why the VCOE exists and why regional manufacturing matters.
-
Outline objectives and expected takeaways for attendees.
-
Establish the “call to action” and alignment with warfighter readiness.
-
Provide a clear overview of the schedule and flow of the day.
Rob Graziano
Sr. Director of DoD & Government Programs at Colibrium Additive (GE)
9:15–10:00 AM — “Scaling AM Sustainment for DoW Enterprise”
-
Define why specific parts are strategically valuable to pursue.
-
Explain how to identify the right candidates for procurement and AM workflows.
-
Introduce the criteria used to downselect viable parts for sustainment impact.
-
Connect manufacturing opportunities to real readiness and supply chain gaps.
Madison Jones
Director of Additive At Scale
10:00–10:45 AM — Digital Workflow: TDP to Part Workflow
-
Walk through how technical data moves from requirement → engineering → manufacturing.
-
Highlight common TDP, CAD/CAM, and documentation challenges and how to solve them.
-
Explain the digital thread needed for speed, repeatability, and compliance.
-
Demonstrate how accurate workflow reduces rework, error, and schedule risk.
Aaron Williamson
Managing Partner of CornerstonePMP
10:45–11:00 AM — Coffee & Networking Break
-
Create space for cross-agency and cross-industry relationship building.
-
Allow attendees to ask follow-up questions in smaller conversations.
-
Provide transition time before the government contracting block.
-
Reset and prepare attendees for Tristan’s deep-dive sessions.
11:00–11:45 AM — “How to Work with the DLA: RFQ → Award → Shipment → Payment”
-
Demonstrate how to locate and evaluate RFQs that match a manufacturer’s capability.
-
Break down packaging, TDP review, and administrative compliance requirements.
-
Walk through invoicing (PIEE) and the full award-to-payment lifecycle.
-
Share common pitfalls and how to become a reliable, repeat-award supplier.
Tristan Thomas
Managing Director of MeND Sourcing Solutions
11:45 AM–12:30 PM — Breakout Session - Blind Part Exercise
-
Teams solve military sustainment challenges using additive manufacturing as a solution.
-
Groups analyze provided problems or define credible future defense supply issues.
-
Teams develop practical AM solutions addressing readiness, certification, and logistics.
-
Groups present solutions highlighting additive manufacturing’s role in mission resilience.
Team Excercise
(Groups of 5)
12:30–1:15 PM — Lunch Break
-
Informal cross-functional networking to deepen relationships.
-
Opportunity for attendees to ask clarifying questions with speakers.
-
Allows GE, DoD, KVG, and manufacturers to align expectations.
-
Provides a mental reset before the warfighter-perspective keynote.
1:15–2:15 PM — “Why the WARFIGHTER Depends on You”
-
Present real cases where supply shortages delayed or grounded aircraft.
-
Explain the operational impact of part failures, delays, and inspection issues.
-
Connect manufacturing quality and timeliness directly to readiness rates.
-
Reinforce the human impact: the warfighter relying on industry precision.
-
Live Q&A Followup
Advanced Manufacturing Program Office Rapid Sustainment Office
Micheal Roquemore
2:15–3:00 PM — “From Research to Readiness: Academia’s Role in Deployable Additive Manufacturing VCOE”
-
Bridges applied research with real-world warfighter requirements
-
Supports qualification, testing, and validation of AM processes and materials
-
Develops workforce pipelines aligned to DoW sustainment and readiness needs
-
Enables faster transition from innovation to deployable manufacturing capability
TBD
3:00–3:30 PM — Closing Remarks & Next Steps
-
Reinforce key lessons and the strategic value of participation in the VCOE.
-
Issue a direct call to action for manufacturers to supply parts and expertise.
-
Provide clarity on support pathways: engineering, manufacturing, and contracting assistance.
-
Open final Q&A and define how ongoing communication and follow-up will occur.
Chief Executive Officer of KVG
John Boyer
3:30 PM — End of Day / Final Close-Out
-
Thank all attendees, partners, and speakers for participating.
-
Reinforce that today marks the start of the VCOE collaboration.
-
Direct attendees to follow-up materials and next-step actions.
-
Encourage continued engagement to support the warfighter and the industrial base.
Tickets
35 days to the eventFeb 18, 2026, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PMTBD, San Antonio, TX, USAFor Those Serious About Advanced Manufacturing