In May 2025, leaders from across the innovation ecosystem—including corporations, startups, investors, researchers, and government—gathered in Las Vegas for the NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest Innovation Summit. The Rucks Group team members Kathleen Lis Dean, Ph.D. and Alyissa Horn, MPA were proud to attend and contribute to this dynamic and forward-thinking event.
Over two days, participants engaged in thought-provoking presentations, panel discussions, and targeted breakout sessions, all focused on addressing the region’s most pressing sustainability challenges in air, water, and energy. The event also featured compelling pitches from deep-tech startups working to advance transformative solutions across these domains.
The NSF Futures Engine in the Southwest—led by Arizona State University and spanning Arizona, Nevada, and Utah—is one of nine NSF-funded Engines nationwide. Its mission is “accelerate the transition of use-inspired research into technology solutions that strengthen the Southwest’s urban and rural economies through innovation in air, water, and energy systems.” Our team at The Rucks Group, LLC is honored to serve as the Engine’s evaluation partner, supporting efforts to measure impact and accelerate progress toward this vision.
As part of that support, Dr. Lana Rucks had the opportunity to facilitate a reflection panel discussion with Zachary Miles, Esq. (Officer in Charge and Executive Director of UNLV Research Foundation), Brian Sherman (Chief Executive Officer of the NSF Futures Engines), and Katie Pettinger (Chief Innovation Officer of the NSF Futures Engines). This conversation helped crystallize key learnings from the Summit and surface strategic next steps for the Engine’s continued evolution.
Attendees left energized and aligned around a shared goal towards making this bold vision a reality.
