Team

Jerry Hollister became a Co-Owner of BBCetc in October 2023, six years after joining BBCetc in late 2017.  Jerry leads the customer development efforts at BBCetc and the NSF/DOD/DOE/USDA Team that supports clients applying to these four Agencies.  He led the 2021 Catalyst Award effort that continues as the Women-CAN program funded by the SBA’s Growth Accelerator Fund and leads the Technical and Business Assistance (TABA) Program for NOAA Phase I awardees.  He currently serves as a reviewer for NSF, DOE, USDA and NOAA and regularly speaks about SBIR/STTR at several national conferences.

Jerry started his career as a commissioned officer in the US Navy Civil Engineer Corps.  Before his Honorable Discharge, he served as a warranted Contracting Officer for DOD. Prior to joining BBCetc, Jerry was Chief Operating Officer for Michigan-based Niowave, a developer of superconducting accelerators, where he worked to build the start-up company from 2008-17. During his tenure, Jerry led the Niowave SBIR team that received over 45 SBIR/STTR awards worth over $20 million and Niowave was named the Department of Energy 2010 SBIR/STTR Small Business of the Year.  He remains on the Niowave Board of Directors and was a key contributor to Niowave receiving two Phase III Cooperative Agreements with the National Nuclear Security Administration totaling $28 million. Niowave has also recently signed multiple long-term radioisotope supply agreements that could cumulatively exceed $500 million over the next decade.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Certificate in Artificial Intelligence from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Jerry has been in key leadership positions for two companies that have received the Tibbetts Award from the SBA for excellence in SBIR/STTR:  Niowave in 2016 and BBCetc in 2020. jerry@bbcetc.com

Amanda Barnhart joined BBCetc as Principal Consultant in 2020 after serving as the Director of Business Development and Regulatory Affairs for a Michigan manufacturing facility producing medical isotopes for cancer therapy. In addition to her directorial responsibilities, Amanda worked as a nuclear engineer, project manager, and program manager to secure over $60 million in Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and private investor funds. Her grant writing and negotiation skills have won over 30 Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III contracts through the SBIR/STTR program and she has managed the post-award administration process for five universities and six national laboratories. Amanda secured three licenses and 20 amendments from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and established facility registration and Drug Master Files with the Food and Drug Administration. She has an Executive MBA in Integrative Management from Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. amanda@bbcetc.com

Megan joined BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting as a Principal Consultant in 2019 with a wealth of experience in leading biological technologies on the path to commercialization. As CEO of FibrosIX Inc., a Michigan company developing compounds for the treatment or prevention of fibrosis-related disorders, Megan was involved in all aspects of planning and operation of the company. This included writing an SBIR grant proposal, which was awarded from the National Cancer Institute. Her prior experience includes serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence for Michigan State University’s Spartan Innovations where she assisted MSU researchers in translating their technologies into startup businesses. While at MSU, she managed the launch of two startups and assisted in preparation of both NIH and NSF SBIR/STTR proposals. A former Research Associate of the Scripps Research Institute, Megan received a B.S degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a PhD from Boston University. megan@bbcetc.com

Phil joined BBCetc in 2024 as an Adjunct Consultant with over 20 years’ experience in economic development and technology company support.  In his various roles at the Michigan Small Business Development Center (SBDC) he managed the “Tech Team” of consultants that supports early stage tech companies throughout Michigan; led the launch of the Emerging Technologies Fund which provides commercialization funding to SBIR/STTR awardees; led the launch of the Business Accelerator Fund which provides grants to Michigan’s business accelerators to support their high-tech clients; and managed the “Growth Team” of consultants that supports Michigan small businesses of 10-or-more employees.  He is a past president of Ann Arbor’s New Enterprise Forum, a past Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Smart Zone Local Development Finance Authority, and a current member of the Board of Directors of Recycle Ann Arbor.  Phil has served on BBCetc’s Advisory Board since 2012 and is thrilled to take on this hands-on position with the team.  He has a bachelor’s in economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Phil@bbcetc.com

Amy joined BBCetc after 13 years at medical research company and multiple SBIR awardee, NeuroNexus Technologies, where she was most recently Senior Sales and Marketing Associate. In this role, she was responsible for development of trade show and promotional materials, web presence, management of customer and distributor relationships, order processing and revenue tracking, and other marketing tasks. At BBCetc, Amy focuses on the Michigan SBIR/STTR Assistance Program, which makes BBCetc’s training and one-on-one proposal support available to Michigan-based technology companies. She handles outreach to partner organizations and other stakeholders, manages BBCetc’s Michigan training programs, and manages marketing communications. Amy is a graduate of Washtenaw Community College. amy@bbcetc.com