Meet Karen West, Maine’s Federal Funding Champion

When it comes to helping Maine businesses secure federal innovation funding, Karen West is the expert entrepreneurs want in their corner. As the SBIR/STTR Lead Consultant at MTI, Karen brings over 25 years of experience helping Maine companies navigate the complex world of federal research and development grants.

Journey to Supporting Maine Innovation

Karen’s journey to MTI began with her service in the Air Force, where she gained valuable experience in government contracting. She later worked as a civilian with a government contractor, developing expertise in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

“Maine is such an amazing state!” Karen said. “When MTI was founded back in 1999, their founding legislation mandated them to provide education, outreach and support to Maine-based companies wanting to pursue funding under the federal SBIR/STTR program.”

This mission aligned perfectly with Karen’s skillset and passion. Under her leadership, the Technical Assistance Program (TAP) team has worked with companies from all 16 Maine counties across diverse technology sectors—from biotech to agriculture to artificial intelligence.

A Dynamic Role

There’s no typical day for Karen at MTI, which is part of what keeps her engaged after 25 years. Her work intensity ebbs and flows with federal agency deadlines, as she guides companies through the intricacies of competitive proposal development.

“We work with companies by guiding them on the different required elements such as the research plan so they may submit competitive proposals,” she explained. “Our workload gets heavier as the federal agency deadlines near.”

Karen leads a team of eight highly experienced consultants who provide comprehensive support at no cost to Maine businesses. Their expertise spans general strategic proposal development, technical editing, commercialization strategy, market research, and government accounting for budget development. The team even offers specialized support for proposals submitted to the National Institutes of Health.

The Innovation Ecosystem

What continues to fuel Karen’s passion for her work is the seemingly endless creativity of Maine entrepreneurs.

“There appears to be no end to the level of innovativeness with Maine companies and startups in the seven technology sectors,” she said. “Many companies are very early start-ups and often the SBIR/STTR program is their first funding.”

Working with such a diverse group of innovative companies keeps Karen engaged. “It’s all pretty exciting to see the depth and breadth of ideas that come from companies in Maine. To see them come to us with ‘just’ an idea, then develop a competitive proposal, and then win an award is very rewarding.”

The impact is tangible. “There have been many companies supported through TAP that have secured millions of dollars of federal grants allowing them to propel their research and development efforts leading to a significant impact in Maine,” Karen noted.

Wisdom for Entrepreneurs

When asked what advice she consistently offers to innovators and entrepreneurs, Karen doesn’t hesitate: “Always ask questions, don’t be shy about talking about your technology to others, and build a strong network of both technical and business advisors. Maine has a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports companies regardless of what stage they are in. It’s pretty easy to find an organization that can support the different needs of entrepreneurs.”

Karen’s unique perspective comes from seeing countless Maine businesses transform ideas into marketable innovations. Her satisfaction comes from watching those businesses succeed with the help of federal funding that might otherwise have seemed out of reach.

Want to learn more about MTI’s SBIR/STTR support? Visit the SBIR/STTR Technical Assistance Program page for details on how Karen and her team can help your business pursue federal innovation funding. For more information about the TAP team and their backgrounds, check out our TAP consultant bios.