Who We Serve
Our Mission
Ensure The Unfair Advantage
The Southwest Mission Acceleration Center is the epicenter of the national security innovation ecosystem in the southwestern United States.
We bring together academic institutions, the venture community, and non-traditional technology companies to collaborate with the government to solve the most challenging national security challenges facing the United States.
We are the experts the Department of Defense relies on to bring together the resources and partners required to accelerate technology transition to a stage in which they are capable to solve critical challenges. We work with the defense innovation community to identify and evaluate emerging technology needs and then support the rapid maturation of these technologies for scaled delivery to the warfighter.
Our approach to mission validation, technology maturation, and collaboration support improves the understanding of the mission, enables the delivery of the right technology at the right time, increases adoption rates, and directly improves warfighter lethality.
Our Team of Experts
Our people are innovators, serial entrepreneurs, industry experts, retired military members, program managers, academic researchers and former Congressional and White House senior leaders. Our standard for excellence is built on the diversity of our backgrounds that have afforded us deep understanding of the importance of the mission that supports the Department of Defense.
Drew Trojanowski
President & CEO
The Honorable Drew Trojanowski is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center (MAC). In this capacity, he is responsible for supporting mission-driven organizations and dual-use innovation to help solve the worlds most pressing challenges. Working to remove the barriers to entry and advance collaborations between entrepreneurs, industry, academic, venture and mission-driven national security partner networks in Arizona, nationwide, and worldwide.
Prior to joining MAC, Trojanowski was the Assistant Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, for Arizona State University (ASU). He led the development of a robust national security innovation network within the Department of Defense and defense industry for the university. Before joing ASU, Trojanowski was a Presidentially Commissioned Officer on the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC) and Special Assistant to the President (SAP). In these roles, he oversaw the departments of Defense, Veteran Affairs, Labor and NASA. During his tenure, Trojanowski was the policy lead on three executive orders and 56 regulations.
Before joining the White House in 2018, he served two years as the Military Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator John McCain, Chairmen of the Senate Armed Services Committee. During Trojanowski’s tenure with Senator McCain, he oversaw Arizona defense priorities for the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and penned several successful pieces of legislation, including crafting and advancing the MISSION Act – a law that transforms the VA into a high-performing and integrated 21st century healthcare system.
Trojanowski is a career public servant. He began as a scout/sniper in the U.S. Army, deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan, serving our nation’s military for a decade. He was also an overseas combat advisor to foreign militaries in the realms of operations, tactics, intelligence and civil affairs. After transitioning to the Arizona National Guard, he developed long-range plans for the Joint Counter Narco-Terrorism Task Force, including budget and staffing requirements, as well as implemented statewide training programs and policies. Trojanowski holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry & Sustainability from Arizona State University, is a graduate of the Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Academy, and was named 40 under 40 by the Phoenix Business Journal. Trojanowski lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife, Samantha, and two wonderful children, Dash and Charleston.
Southwest MAC
The Southwest Mission Acceleration Center is a part of a National network of installations across the country. We are the “front door to DoD,” enabling access to the right partners for rapid, scalable transition of emerging technologies needed by the warfighter.
We are headquartered in downtown Phoenix, with satellite offices strategically located across the state of Arizona.
2020
NSIN and Naval X partner with Impact Washington and Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition to fund the inaugural MAC
2021
2021 NSIN leadership and Innovation leaders from AZ, HI, OH, KS agree to request FY23 Appropriations to build MAC nationally through MAC.org
2022
FY23 appropriations at $50M
2022 (Sept)
Member explicitly state congressional intent for funding
2022 (Nov)
MAC and NSIN leadership brief OUSD R&E Heidi Shyu on MAC
2023
MAC contract signed and program initiated
Partner to Ensure the Unfair Advantage
Become an active member of the MAC defense ecosystem. If you are a Defense Mission Partner, Technology Company, Defense Tech Investor or Academic – we want to partner with you.
