About the Role 

Pacific Impact Zone (PIZ) is seeking a senior Commercial Industry SME (Subject Matter Expert) to join the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Hawai‘i. This role is designed for someone who has lived the founder journey, building, fundraising, and scaling startups and now wants to help the next generation of dual-use innovators navigate the complex path of working with the Department of Defense (DoD). 
 
As part of the Hub’s dedicated team, you’ll serve as the primary industry-facing advisor to startups and scale-ups entering the defense innovation pipeline. You’ll combine practical startup knowledge with insights into DoD acquisition pathways to ensure innovators are prepared for transition, not just more R&D cycles. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Serve as a coach and mentor for dual-use startups, guiding them through business model challenges, capital raising, and government contracting hurdles. 

• Translate the realities of venture-backed and founder-led growth into actionable advice for companies engaging DoD for the first time. 

• Provide structured coaching, readiness assessments, and transition strategy support aligned with DIU and DoD pathways. 

• Contribute to the design and delivery of OnRamp Hub programming (workshops, toolkits, playbooks). 

• Build trust with local and national stakeholders by sharing lived startup experience and lessons learned. 

• Support DIU and mission partner engagements by preparing startups for technology transition opportunities. 

• Serve as an industry voice inside the Hub, ensuring programming reflects the realities of commercialization and venture building. 

Qualifications 

Required: 

• 10+ years of experience in startups, scale-ups, or venture-backed companies, with at least one leadership role (founder, co-founder, C-suite, or equivalent). 

• Demonstrated success in raising capital, building teams, and/or transitioning a technology to market. 

• Strong communication and coaching skills with demonstrated ability to mentor diverse founders and teams. 

• Must be based in Hawai‘i or willing to relocate. 

Preferred: 

• Experience engaging with DoD innovation pathways (e.g., DIU, SBIR/STTR, OTAs, service labs, or programs of record). 

• Network connections across venture capital, accelerators, or defense innovation communities. 

• Familiarity with dual-use commercialization challenges (Valley of Death, acquisition timelines, compliance). 

Why Join Us 

Working at the OnRamp Hub is more than a job — it’s a mission. We are building Hawai‘i’s front door for defense innovation, helping startups and DoD connect in ways that deliver real capability to the warfighter. This role is ideal for a seasoned entrepreneur who wants to give back, leverage their experience, and be part of a national movement to strengthen defense innovation.