Speakers

Former acting Director of Strategic Partnerships Office, Langley Research Center

Ms. Quam is a former NASA Senior Executive Service (SES) member with over 15 years of dedicated service. Most recently, she led the Strategic Partnerships Office (SPO) at NASA Langley Research Center as Deputy Director and a Senior Advisor for Autonomous Systems and Technology Infusion, where she oversaw a portfolio of Business Development efforts across multiple NASA mission directorates. In this role, Ms. Quam leveraged her extensive experience in the application of the business development and R&D lifecycles to drive Research to Operations and technology maturation objectives for the agency. Her primary focus areas were (and remain) Air & Space Domain Awareness, Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), Advanced Air Mobility, and AI/ML integration. Brandi maintains technical depth and awareness in the areas of GIS Applications and quantum computing advances as well. Prior to her role in SPO, Ms. Quam completed a two-year industry immersion with an engineering and concepts firm supporting the FAA and other NASA centers (NASA Ames and NASA Goddard), she served as the Director of Interagency Solutions for a $40M+ business pipeline. Other roles at NASA include serving as the first-ever Acquisition Strategy Manager for the Director of NASA Langley, as Deputy Head of the Atmospheric Science Data Center, and was selected as a Center Associate for the Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) where she oversaw a portfolio of technology development projects and supported transformation efforts for the Advanced Information Systems Technology program.

Prior to joining NASA, Ms. Quam worked for a Defense Consulting firm providing decision support, policy analysis, and Strategic Planning expertise for a range of Federal Government customers (DoD, DHS, DARPA, and OSD). She is a Veteran of the United States Air Force, where she served as an Intelligence Analyst for 3 Operational Fighter Squadrons during several contingencies (Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom). Ms. Quam is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP), holds an M.B.A and a B.S. in Psychology. Additionally, she has a Masters Certificate in Human Resource Management, has completed post-graduate studies in Organizational Psychology, and is working to gain fluency in American Sign Language. Her favorite quote is “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -- Mohandas Ghandi