After retiring from his career as a NFL player in 2010, Obafemi Ayanbadejo wanted to chase a challenge as exciting and rewarding as his time in athletics. While pursuing an MBA at Johns Hopkins University, Ayanbadejo connected with the Strategic Partnerships Office at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and his vision for a career at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship and fitness came into focus.
As a licensee of NASA technology, Ayanbadejo will share his story at the NASA Commercialization Training Camp, a three-day workshop held from June 24-26 for current and retired professional athletes looking to start a company or boost their current business with NASA technology. In partnership with the NFL Players Association and the National Basketball Retired Players Association, Goddard will host a cohort of football and basketball players for a primer in NASA technology transfer.
“Professional athletes tend to retire at a relatively young age,” said Darryl Mitchell, chief of the Strategic Partnerships Office at Goddard. “With their determination and robust network of connections, they are uniquely positioned to become entrepreneurs in technology-related industries.”
There are many parallels between NASA’s research and terrestrial needs in industry, medicine and safety. NASA’s Technology Transfer program ensures that technologies developed for missions in exploration and discovery are broadly available to the public, maximizing the benefit to the nation. NASA has an extensive patent portfolio and software catalog with hundreds of technologies available for licensing by the private sector.
The NASA Commercialization Training Camp will introduce NASA’s technology portfolio to attendees, explain the technology transfer process and provide points of contact for those interested in using a NASA technology to develop a commercial product. Attendees will meet with NASA inventors as well as tour facilities and labs at Goddard.
“This is a game-changer for our association,” said NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle. “By partnering with NASA and giving our players access to these resources, they will be given a serious leg up when it comes to entrepreneurial, investment and technology opportunities.”
The training camp will feature panels and informational sessions with technology transfer and entrepreneurship professionals. Attendees will learn about licensing and partnership opportunities with NASA, evaluation of patents and other intellectual property, among other topics.
“As we encourage our players to continue pursuing their passions and interests off the field, this partnership with NASA is a great opportunity for them to learn about this industry from experts in the field, including some of those who have been in their shoes,” said NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.
Speakers for the inaugural workshop include members of the NASA technology transfer team, in addition to Dave Naves, a NASA contractor and NBRPA board member; Darryl Gaines, a NASA civil servant and retired NFL player; Ben Solomon, founder and managing partner of research and development spinoff accelerator FedTech; and Ayanbadejo, who will talk about his experience working with NASA.
Ayanbadejo is the founder of HealthReel, a company that seeks to provide users with accurate and easy-to-understand health information through a mobile application platform. The app utilizes artificial intelligence to help customers gain insights about their body composition. Part of the algorithm features a NASA technology called “Corrected BMI,” developed by Goddard inventor Steven Curtis. Ayanbadejo plans to unveil the app sometime in the next year.
“I understand how difficult it is to transition out of the game and into the real world,” Ayanbadejo said. “I hope to inspire the attendees of this workshop to become as passionate about tech as they are about athletics. With a startup, you can get that same kind of competitive team-building experience as you get in sports.”
To learn more about the NASA Technology Transfer Program, please visit: https://technology.nasa.gov/
Dennis Small
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
dennis.a.small@nasa.gov
301-286-7860
Erin Majerowicz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
erin.m.majerowicz@nasa.gov
301-286-9860