NASA T2U Innovation Series: The University of Florida
When: Thur, 3/12/2026 at 2:00 PM (Eastern Time)
NASA’s Technology Transfer University (T2U) gives undergraduate and graduate students the chance to work with NASA-developed technology and bring innovation to life. Through the T2U Innovation Webinar Series, educators share real-world experiences and practical strategies for integrating NASA technology into classrooms and entrepreneurial programs.
Join us for an inspiring webinar with Dr. Sierra Calhoun-Pollard, Director of Blackstone Launchpad at the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, University of Florida. This session will show how NASA technology can empower students to transform bold ideas into real-world solutions.
Dr. Sierra Pollard is an innovation expert, educator, and entrepreneurial ecosystem architect working at the intersection of space, technology, design, and community impact. She serves as Director of the LaunchPad and entrepreneurial programming at the University of Florida, where she designs cross-disciplinary innovation experiences and industry partnerships that engage thousands of students across engineering, business, design, and emerging technology.
A leader in academic space innovation, Sierra created Innovating for Space at the University of Florida, a flagship program that prepares students to prototype, commercialize, and deploy space-relevant technologies in collaboration with aerospace and government partners. Her work focuses on strengthening talent pipelines into the space economy by connecting higher education, entrepreneurship, and industry through applied design thinking and real-world mission challenges.
Sierra is a globally recognized keynote speaker on innovation, emerging industries, and the future of work, with a particular focus on democratizing access to the space sector. She is known for translating complex technical ecosystems into human-centered opportunities that empower students to think critically, build boldly, and collaborate across disciplines.
Beyond the university, she is Founder and CEO of Winnovation Agency®, a strategic innovation consultancy, and creator of the Women’s Summit, a growing community and scholarship initiative supporting women entrepreneurs, first-generation students, and nontraditional learners pursuing careers in innovation and specialized industries, including aerospace.
Her expertise spans space entrepreneurship, innovation strategy, design thinking, entrepreneurial education, partnership development, and cross-disciplinary ecosystem building. Sierra’s work is driven by a singular belief: innovation is not reserved for a select few. When intentionally designed and equitably supported, it becomes a scalable force that expands opportunity, accelerates discovery, and shapes the future of humanity in space and on Earth.
