Nona Minnifield Cheeks

Entrepreneur Advisor

Nona Minnifield Cheeks is the Founder and CEO of Innovatyr, LLC a business and research development consulting firm. Nona previously served as Chief of the Strategic Partnerships Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She directed a team of scientists, engineers, and marketing professionals in managing technology transfer, commercialization, small business research, and global partnership initiatives. Nona established the monthly New Technology Assessment Review and Annual New Technology Reporting Program to recognize inventors, launched the NASA Goddard Tech Transfer quarterly magazine, and contributed to NASA‘s annual Spinoff magazine. She led the way for government and non-profit organizations successful participation in intellectual property auctions. She worked with state and local government technology and economic development boards offering her expertise in technology commercialization. She formed a partnership with HASBRO to create the NASA Goddard Optimus Prime Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge (OPSPARC). The OPSPARC is designed for students to learn and present NASA spinoffs to the public.

Nona was an invited speaker at conferences, meetings, and universities on the topics of technology transfer and commercialization. She served as a member of the Association of Technology Transfer Managers, Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) and currently Our Shades of Blue. She received NASA's Exceptional Achievement Award and Exceptional Service Medal, the FLC National and Mid-Atlantic Awards for “Outstanding Technology Transfer Professional,” and the National Women of Color STEM Award. Nona has a BS degree from the University of MD, College Park, MD and MBA from Loyola College, Baltimore, MD. She completed executive education programs at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL and Simmons College, Boston, MA.