Erin Felix is a shareholder in the Government Contracts practice at Polsinelli PC in Washington, DC. She assists companies who contract with U.S. federal, state, and local government and other public entities with navigating the various procurement laws and regulations associated with selling to the government and receiving government funding. Erin managed complex contracts and subcontracts for a Tier 1 contractor for nearly 15 years prior to practicing law and draws upon her deep, hands-on business experience to provide practical solutions for clients in all facets of government contracting. She advises traditional and nontraditional contractors and subcontractors on a wide array of acquisition issues, including data rights licensing, supply chain and cyber security, certified cost and pricing data concerns, and compliance programs, with a focus on the commercial information technology and traditional aerospace and defense industries. Erin also regularly represents clients in protests, disputes, and other administrative proceedings and counsels clients on export compliance issues.

Dr. Jennifer Elkins currently serves as the Director of the NASA Acquisition Innovation Launchpad (NAIL) charged with applying NASA’s culture of exploration and innovation to the acquisition life cycle and empowering innovation to meet objectives and challenges through managed risk-taking and bridges for industry input. She also serves a NASA Senior Procurement Analyst supporting the NASA HQ Procurement Strategy and Operations Division where she is responsibility for providing guidance and support to NASA Centers, Headquarters Mission Directorates and Mission Support Offices in planning, conducting and processing major complex procurement actions, and analyzing and recommending approval of key acquisition documents that require approval of senior Headquarters officials. Prior to transferring to NASA, Dr Elkins was the Director for Acquisition and Contracts Policy at the Missile Defense Agency, and she has held numerous unlimited warrants while serving across multiple agencies within DoD and is experienced in Systems, Research & Development, Services, Commercial/Operational Acquisition, & Foreign Military Sales as well as innovation instruments, such as other transaction agreements.

A 30-year veteran of federal procurement in Human Spaceflight, with a history of demonstrated results in the administration and management of a diverse and progressive contract portfolio supporting the International Space Station (ISS) Procurement Office, for both the ISS Program and Commercial Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Development Program.

Experienced in the full array of the acquisition lifecycle, including pre/post award, awarding and administering hybrid contracts, writing innovative and unique contract mechanisms and special provisions, hardware and property management for flight element modules, as well as executing one-of-a-kind and traditional FAR regulatory award instruments. Managed the Design, Development, Test & Evaluation ISS Contract and subsequent Sustaining Engineering Contract for the ISS, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module Contract, International contracting with the countries of Russia and Canada, and Center Operations support contracts. Responsible for sole source, Source Evaluation Board competitive selections, NASA Research Announcement solicitation awards, commercial acquisitions, major systems program procurements, including executing JSC's small business program. Most recently, responsible for innovative commercial contracts for Commercial LEO Destinations, ISS Seat Exchange, and Private Astronaut Missions using novel contracting frameworks and other transactional authorities.