Wright Brothers Institute is actively engaging in a longstanding, tried and true tradition: the Lunch & Learn.
Lunch & Learns are relatively informal, relaxed gatherings focused on a topic of interest, usually featuring an subject matter expert who gives a presentation and agrees to answer questions and engage in a free-flowing discussion.
At WBI, work with the Air Force Research Laboratory is wide-ranging, with technical directorates defined by their specialty area of study and discovery. By personally engaging with experts deeply involved in directorate programs, WBI better understands the mission and improves the relevance and effectiveness of the partnerships and collaborations involved in WBI’s work with AFRL. Lunch & Learn gatherings can shed light on how offices are evolving and adapting to the current environment, providing insight into what was previously confusing. The sessions also serve to educate colleagues about the work one team member is concentrating on, opening the doors to ideas for broader involvement.
For WBI and AFRL, part of the Lunch & Learn payoff comes in fulfillment of the Commander’s intent to foster better collaboration and to engage with new and non-traditional partners.
“Every now and again, it’s good to reconnect with our colleagues ‘behind the fence’ to gain a better understanding of what it is they do exactly,” said Heidi Longaberger, WBI’s Integrated Intelligence Leader and part of the Employee Advisory Group that is spearheading the Lunch & Learn initiative. “There are so many opportunities for us to learn from AFRL experts, to bounce ideas back and forth, and for them to get to know us too. Every now and again, it’s good to reconnect with our colleagues ‘behind the fence’ to gain a better understanding of what it is they do exactly,” said Heidi Longaberger, WBI’s Integrated Intelligence Leader and part of the Employee Advisory Group that is spearheading the Lunch & Learn initiative. “There are so many opportunities for us to learn from AFRL experts, to bounce ideas back and forth, and for them to get to know us too.Every now and again, it’s good to reconnect with our colleagues ‘behind the fence’ to gain a better understanding of what it is they do exactly,” said Heidi Longaberger, WBI’s Integrated Intelligence Leader and part of the Employee Advisory Group that is spearheading the Lunch & Learn initiative. “There are so many opportunities for us to learn from AFRL experts, to bounce ideas back and forth, and for them to get to know us too.
“This is one instance that benefits from our new ‘virtual’ existence,” Longaberger added. “It takes very little effort to dial in and listen, all while eating your leftover lasagna.”
WBI holds a Lunch & Learn each month. They are typically offered over Zoom, making it easy to participate from WBI’s Springfield Street and 444 East Second Street facilities and for those working from home. To date, the meetings have featured Reid Melville, Chief Innovation Officer for AFRL’s Transformational Capabilities Office (TCO), who outlined his office’s goals and initiatives; Joshua Laravie, Technology Transfer Specialist and Domestic Alliance Program Manager for the AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate; and Jim Sweeney, Department of the Air Force lead for SBIR/STTR, who discussed his office’s strategies and objectives. Dr. Pam Kobryn, who’s in charge of AFRL’s Digital Transformation initiative, is scheduled for March.
So far, WBI’s Lunch & Learns have been limited to WBI employees, but it’s possible that the invitation list could expand into other stakeholders and, possibly, interested members of the general public.
“We’re not going to run out of topics,” Longaberger said. “It’s easy to fill up the calendar, and we’ve found that AFRL is overflowing with amazingly smart people who are more than happy to share their knowledge!”