On Acquisition: Helen Greiner

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July 25, 2023, Helen Greiner, CEO of Tertill and co-founder of iRobot, sits down with Jim Woolsey, DAU president. The planned conversation will include a look at innovation--what it looks like and how Greiner has been able to harness it across her successful career. They will also discuss Greiner's experience with iRobot and the how to bring small businesses into the national security space.

Date: July 25, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) | 10:00 a.m. (Pacific)
Location: MS Teams
Who should attend: Government and military professionals in the Department of Defense

Helen Greiner is a entrepreneur and innovator, known for her remarkable contributions to the field of robotics. As Co-Founder, Chairman, and President of iRobot Corporation for 18 years, she revolutionized the cleaning industry with the groundbreaking Roomba Vacuuming Robots, selling millions of units worldwide. Additionally, Greiner's company pioneered the deployment of combat robots, such as the life-saving PackBots used by the U.S. Army to neutralize IEDs, safeguarding countless lives. Her visionary work also led to the development of behavior-controlled robots, including the cocoon-delivered robot that kick-started the MARs rover program.

Greiner has held key leadership positions, including CEO of CyPhy Work, Inc., a start-up specializing in small multi-rotor drones for consumer, commercial, and military markets. Currently, she serves as the CEO of Tertill Corporation, a company dedicated to promoting the health and wellness benefits of gardening through their innovative Tertill Weeding Robot. In recognition of her pioneering work, Greiner was elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2013, acknowledging her outstanding leadership in the design, development, and practical application of robotics.

Jim Woolsey, serves as the President of Defense Acquisition University (DAU), a position he has held since January 2014. In this role, Woolsey leads one of the largest corporate universities in the world—responsible for the training and talent development of roughly 186,000 Department of Defense (DoD) employees. DAU’s students represent a cross-section of the Department’s Acquisition functions, including contracting, business, engineering, logistics, and program management. For the past several years, Woolsey has led DAU’s transformation to a modern learning platform that employs the full range of training modes and that empowers the workforce to tailor learning to their current job needs and future career goals. Woolsey has a bachelor of science in aerospace engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a master’s in business administration from George Mason University and was a Fellow in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI on International Relations.

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