Events

Engineering Education and Research Center (EER) – Texas Innovation Center – 2nd Floor, 2.518

About the Speaker:

As Chief Commercial Officer at Canopy Aerospace, Will Dickson directs the commercialization of the company’s advanced ceramic materials and manufacturing technologies through strategic partnerships across private and public sectors. He collaborates closely with customers in industries such as semiconductor tooling, automotive power electronics, space system thermal management, atmospheric re-entry, in-space propulsion, and high-energy laser systems. Since joining Canopy’s founders in February 2022, Will has helped secure $9M+ in federal R&D contracts and secured pilot commercial customers for Canopy’s emerging technologies.

With over a decade of professional experience, William’s career encompasses roles in engineering, product development, corporate innovation, technology transfer, federal contracting, and entrepreneurship. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California, Berkeley, respectively.

In a previous role as the 5th employee at FedTech, Will built and ran deep tech startup accelerator programs in partnership with organizations like the US Army: turning a $250k pilot program into a multimillion dollar portfolio that supported 100+ startups who subsequently raised $100M+ in VC funding and secured over $50M in DOD contracts (as of 2023). Will has a passion for supporting entrepreneurs who want to transition impactful, physics-enabled technologies to market.

William has also held a variety of leadership and advisory roles, including speaking at the National Youth Science Camp, advising on technology initiatives with the City of Cambridge, MA, and Activation Capital in Richmond, VA, coaching youth robotics and basketball programs, and mentoring deep-tech startups on commercialization strategies.