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Commander, Naval Information Forces

Navy IW Announces Inaugural Big Ideas Challenge

by Joshua Rodriguez, NAVIFOR Public Affairs Office
15 October 2024 Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) is excited to announce the launch of its inaugural “Big Ideas Challenge,” a competition aimed at harnessing the innovative spirit of the Navy’s Information Warfare (IW) community.

This initiative invites all IW Sailors and government civilians to propose innovative solutions on current or future Naval challenges to maximize warfighting readiness.

Vice Adm. Mike Vernazza, commander of NAVIFOR and the Navy’s IBoss, emphasized the strategic importance of this initiative.

“Our more than 60,000 IW professionals across the Fleet are our asymmetric advantage – and their imagination and creativity are among their greatest strengths,” said Vernazza. “The Big Ideas Challenge gives our IW warriors a unique opportunity to propose innovative solutions to ensure maximum warfighting readiness.”

The Big Ideas Challenge will create a direct line for IW Sailors and civilians to present their innovative solutions and ideas directly to NAVIFOR’s leadership. Participants will have the opportunity to propose solutions in four key categories:
     1.  IW Readiness
     2.  IW Training
     3.  Advancing IW Warfighting Capabilities
     4.  IW Alignment and Integration (including business processes and process improvements).

The selection process involves three phases. Following the submission deadline of 17 January, a panel of Phase I judges will assess the submissions and select the top 10% to advance to Phase II. Phase II will involve a more detailed assessment, selecting the top two candidates from each category to present their ideas during “Pitch Day.” In this final phase, IBoss will judge the finalists and award one winner per category, resulting in potential implementation and collaboration with industry and academia.

NAVIFOR Deputy Commander Ms. Liz Nashold encouraged IW civilians to embrace this unique opportunity to lead, innovate, and excel.

"Civilians make up nearly a third of our information warriors across the Navy,” noted Nashold. “By bringing together all IW talent, we can harness diverse insights that drive innovation and strengthen our capabilities in an ever-evolving landscape. This Shark Tank-style competition embodies our commitment to fostering high performance teams capable of navigating the complexities of modern warfare. “

For more information about the Big Ideas Challenge please visit https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil/About-Us/Big-Ideas-Challenge/. The deadline for submission is January 17, 2025.

NAVIFOR’s mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN.

For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NavalInformationForces/ or the public web page at https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil.

-USN-
 
Photo illustration for NAVIFOR Big Ideas Challenge.
SLIDESHOW | images | 241001-N-PD810-7007 Photo illustration for NAVIFOR Big Ideas Challenge.
 

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