Connecting Ideas
ABOUT US
Discover Your Path to Winning Non-Diluted Federal Funds with OppsSpot, LLC!
Unlock unparalleled opportunities for start-ups and small technology companies seeking to commercialize their innovations through strategic partnering, Government contracting, and grants. At OppsSpot, we specialize in guiding ventures through the SBIR/STTR program and providing essential Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) services.
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Our track record speaks for itself – we've facilitated the acquisition of tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for countless companies. Let OppsSpot be your trusted ally in navigating the complex landscape of grant writing, proposal management, and securing Government contracts.
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As a proud SBA Certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), OppsSpot is committed to excellence and diversity. Partner with us and harness the power of our expertise to propel your business to new heights.
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Don't miss out on your chance to access non-diluted federal funds. Contact OppsSpot today and let us help you achieve your funding goals!
THE OPPSSPOT TEAM
Get to Know Us
Sonia Vohnout
Founder & President
Sonia has held executive management and senior technical positions and has also co-founded several companies. She has over 30 years of experience in systems engineering, quality systems, business development and program management. Her expertise in the SBIR/STTR program and consulting services to assist small business with this and other government funding vehicles have helped start-ups and small businesses raise tens of millions of dollars of federal funding.
Sonia has a B.S and M.S in Systems Engineering from the University of Arizona.
Min-Yi Shih
Sr. Business Consultant and Strategist
Min-Yi is a multi-faceted technologist and an experienced business executive with a background in Physics. Min-Yi has been serving in top executive roles including CTO and COO in the R&D, defense, and communication equipment industry. He is devoted to helping startups and small businesses to accelerate their growth. Min-Yi has a successful track record in obtaining SBIR and BAA funds from DoD, NASA, DOE, DHS, NSF, and NIH. He is very active in various technical professional organizations. Min-Yi possesses 17 U.S. patents and numerous awards. Currently, he is an angel investor and an advisor to multiple startups and academic programs.
Min-Yi earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, he also attained his EMBA from UCLA Anderson.
Phyllis Hoffschwelle
Sr. Business Consultant
Phyllis is a well-respected business leader and an expert in competitive market research assessment, technology assessments, and business strategies, particularly in working directly with startups. She has worked for various global technology companies such as Compaq Computers Corporation (HP) and Xerox Corporation, as well as a startups, and her own consulting businesses. She has managed diversified and global teams, consolidate and streamline projects and programs, and provide effective competitive market analysis/research, innovation/technology assessments, implementations, and processes.
Phyllis has a Doctorate in Global Business, Leadership and Technology and an MBA from Walden University.
Elizabeth (Beth) Kujan
Business Consultant and Sr. Technical Writer
Beth is a classically trained scientist with experience in a wide range of industries. Her entrepreneurial experience was with a company rendering polymeric surfaces superhydrophobic. More importantly, Beth has an impressive success rate with SBIR/STTR applications. She has 10 years of experience as a technical/grant writer bringing in funds from Dept of Homeland Security, US Air Force, National Science Foundation, NY State Energy Research & Development Authority, etc.
Beth earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Cornell University and her B.S., also in Materials Science and Engineering, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Abanob (Abe) Masoud
Sr. Business Consultant
With over 10 years of experience in the aerospace and defense sector, Abe brings a wealth of knowledge focused on the government customer. He is a driven and multifaceted business, product and strategy manager with a record of new business development and growth. Throughout his development career, Abe has leveraged his technical knowledge and expertise as the building blocks to establish meaningful customer relationships and the identification of new business opportunities. He has extensive experience in working with the government customer and ensuring the creation of competitive bids and compliant execution of programs.
Abe holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Robert Mucci
Sr. Business Consultant
Robert Mucci is a 1973 graduate of the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science concentration in Natural Resources. He received a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah in 1983. He was the first Small Business Development Center Business Analyst in Arizona to be certified as
a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) by the National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators. Mr. Mucci has worked in the public and private sector at a variety of positions including working as a Public Utilities Economist for the Department of Energy and working for the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Utah. He has owned businesses with his wife and formally worked for SSA Marine Terminals, a Fortune 400 company.
Mr. Mucci has been a Business Counselor and Analyst with Apex Accelerators (formerly the Arizona Procurement Technical Assistance Center) for over 7 years covering Southern Arizona. He is considered a subject matter expert for Small Business Innovative Research grants for Apex in Arizona. He has assisted clients with Federal procurement questions, bid preparation, SBIR and STTR applications with a past history of success in clients receiving Phase I and II awards.
Adrian Mack
Sr. Technical Writer and Market Researcher
Adrian J. Mack is a business developer, strategist, business operator, and transdisciplinary academic with a background in social impact. He regularly publishes and speaks about his research. He has experience in both the public and private sectors, including the Department of Defense, tech startups, and Amazon. Adrian serves in advisory roles for different startups and community organizations, such as NASA's Astrophysics Division's Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Council.
Adrian has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia, Master of Arts from Duke University, Master of Arts from Liberty University, Ph.D. from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology.
Karen Klein
Project Manager and Sr. Technical Writer
Karen is a business analyst, project manager and technical writer with over 30 years of experience working in executive management and as a consultant with private, public, and non-profit organizations. She specializes in primary and secondary research and has experience across a variety of industries including advanced manufacturing, transportation and pharmaceutical. She loves digging up juicy nuggets of information that help clients formulate their marketing strategy.
Karen earned a MS in Information Science and BA in Journalism, both from The Pennsylvania State University.
Katherine (Katie) Bliss
Sr. Technical Writer and Market Researcher
Katie is an experienced research scientist, biotechnology entrepreneur, and a grant/technical writer. She learned market analysis and grant writing in the Mentored Launch program at the University of Arizona Center for Innovation (UACI) while she operated an innovative biotech startup in the pharmaceutical and diagnostic space. Katie now assists companies in writing and submitting SBIR/STTR grants, ensuring proposals are competitive and compliant with funding solicitation requirements.
Katie has a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the University of Arizona, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Alex Alvarez
Business Consultant - Medical Devices and Biomedical
Alex is a writer, engineer, and soon-to-be physician, completing his medical training now at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. His Ph.D. work focused on a novel ultrasound-based electrical mapping technique called acoustoelectric imaging. Additionally, Alex has experience in writing and winning grant proposals. Alex finds great passion in crafting proposals and tailoring novel medical device projects to clinically relevant applications. In his spare time, he likes to ride bicycles into the Sonoran Desert, cook Puerto Rican food, and make music videos with his partner, Molly.
Alex has a B.S. and Ph.D. In Biomedical Engineering from the University of Arizona.
Alejandro Gonzalez
Sr. Business Consultant
Alejandro is a driven business developer and scientific strategist with a hunger for excellence. He is experienced as a leading chemist acquiring federal funding related to materials, nanotechnology, and drug development. In addition, Alejandro is familiar with the NSF I-Corps and has successfully launched startups from ground zero. Alejandro beliefs that all companies should be learning organizations working in synergy for a shared vision.
Alejandro earned a B.S in Chemistry and an M.S in Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology from the University of South Florida.
Cameron Barnes
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Success Architect
Cameron has 10 years of experience in institutional fundraising and operationalizing DEI strategy, and leverages this to support non-dilutive fund acquisition. He empowers organizations across education, technology, and philanthropy to navigate the complexities of federal funding, aligning efforts with key initiatives like Justice 40. Examples include writing community benefit plans for $125+ million DOE proposals, and leading several trainings on successful community benefit plan creation and DEI principles for teams of varying sizes and complexities.
Cameron holds BAs in Community Leadership & Civic Engagement and Political Science from Northern Illinois University, complemented by a DEI in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida.
Beth Kane
Sr. Technical Writer
Beth has more than 25 years of experience as a technical writer and editor, including eight years writing SBIR/STTR proposals and reports. Her job is to ensure that the submissions entered meet the many requirements of each government solicitation so that your application process will continue smoothly without any problems. Beth is able to edit for content clarity and readability, while offering suggestions and solutions, listening to what the client wants.
Beth has a M.A. in Journalism from the University of Arizona and B.A., San Francisco Art Institute.
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Ed Hackett
Sr. Technical Writer
Ed is a commercial writer over 25 years’ experience providing communication solutions for clients of all sizes. Whether technical writing for software, hardware and mechanical systems, ghost writing blogs for industry tycoons, writing and editing grant proposals for highly technical innovations or creating marketing packages for complex medical devices for both domestic and international markets, Ed is a multi-talented marketer/writer/editor with a broad range of experience and an extensive knowledge base and a collaborative team member.
Ed has a B.A. in English Composition and Rhetoric from the University of Arizona and A.S. in Paramedicine.
Michelle Lott
Sr. Regulatory Strategy Consultant
Michelle Lott has supported 100+ companies with regulatory strategy, regulatory submissions, quality systems compliance, due diligence, technical support services – and grief counseling, because she says dealing with regulators can be a little emotionally draining at times. Michelle steps in for her clients, allowing them to delegate those draining tasks onto her so that they can focus on winning and being successful in the marketplace. Michelle served a four-year term on the FDA Device Good Manufacturing Practices Advisory Committee.
Michelle has a B.S. in Chemistry from Troy State University, Certified Executive Leader in Regulatory Affairs from RAPS and Kellogg University.
Joelina Peck
Research Administrator
Joelina brings more than 19 years of experience as a Professional Research Administrator. She obtained her Certification in Research Administration (CRA) from the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC) in 2009. As a dedicated member of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA), she has enhanced the field by presenting on various research administration topics and offering valuable insights and best practices to her peers. She has a strong commitment to improving society and advancing scientific knowledge. She takes pleasure in collaborating with others and supporting them as they advance their businesses.
Joelina has a B.A. in Organizational Leadership from Arizona State University.
Paul Lee
IP and Legal Strategist
Paul Lee brings to the OppsSpot team decades of experience in corporate finance with strong emphasis on energy, technology, manufacturing and drug industries. Through his legal practices, Paul has advised early-stage companies to Global 500 companies in several key business areas and aspects. Paul brings with him an Industry Mentor role from a completed program with the NSF I-Corps program for virtual coin stabilization and testing, while also being a co-founder of a company working on ag-tech including clean energy, water recovery, green chemistry and sustainability and also being a part of EPA and NSF SBIR Phase I and II grant awards winners.
Paul has a B.S. from SUNY Binghamton and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School
Jack Hepsen
Digital Marketing
Jack has a sales and marketing background. He currently is a Development Supervisor for an EV charging company, bringing a wealth of knowledge in sustainability initiatives and government funding. At OppsSpot, he is responsible for managing social media accounts and newsletters. With his expertise in marketing, Jack has been instrumental in driving the growth of our social media efforts. His expertise spans across managing complex projects, crafting engaging content, and leading efforts to increase business growth.
Jack earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Arizona, graduating in 2022.
Gabriela Pedroza
Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator
Gabriela Pedroza has built a diverse career spanning project coordination, lab management, and market analysis, drawing on her extensive experience in the academic, startup, and nonprofit sectors. In her roles, she has successfully driven project coordination, optimized resource allocation, and spearheaded strategic initiatives that deliver measurable results.
With a solid foundation in research and data analysis, Gabriela excels in project planning, risk management, and operational efficiency. Her ability to bridge technical expertise with effective leadership has allowed her to navigate complex projects, foster collaboration, and ensure organizational goals are met.
Gabriela holds a B.S. from the University of California, Davis, and an M.S. from the University of Arizona. She is currently pursuing her Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification to further solidify her expertise and commitment to project excellence.
Gabe Barros
Software Development Intern
Gabe is a software developer intern with a passion for using technology to help others. Throughout his academic and professional journey, Gabe has gained experience developing web-based applications and software in several languages. He has also previously worked in a Biology lab at the University of Arizona, providing technical assistance to researchers. Currently, Gabe is pursuing a B.S. in computer science from the University of Arizona.
Minh Duong
Software Development
Minh is a young, spirited software development that joined us during the summer of 2023. Minh has experience in building scalable, enterprise-grade applications with a strong focus on Web Development and Mobile Development. He has gained practical experience as an iOS Student Developer at the University of Arizona Information Technology Services, where Minh played a key role in improving the official mobile application..
Minh has a strong academic background, and he is currently pursuing 2 degrees in Computer Science and Economics at the University of Arizona, with the perfect GPA of 4.00.
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