RITA VAZQUEZ-TORRES | Founder/CEO
As founder and CEO New Stone Soup VT LLC, Mrs. Vazquez-Torres has the opportunity to impact a large network of technology and life coaching projects, offering strategic analysis/planning and business development expertise, project design and engineering project management, and delivering bottom-line results that are unconventional and premised on building solid partnerships and relationships. Projects include:
- Exoskeleton and Wearable technologies
- UAS Test and Evaluation products
- Personal Portable Power and sensors
- Team Leader ASTM Exoskeleton Technologies CoE - Team ExR/NSS
- Creating cross-disciplinary RT&E projects and teams
- Wearable Technology Education, Outreach and Strategic Business Concept Development
- Contributing Writer Exoskeleton Report
- Current Memberships: NDIA WID, ASTM F48, MassTLC, WeaRA
Past Projects include:
- Former Director of US Operations, B-Temia U.S.A. - B-Temia Inc. Canada subsidiary
- Senior advisor Government Affairs SDSU
- Business Case Analysis and Military Market Development Analyst for B-Temia Canada. Teaming with FutureScout LLC, providing military market analysis and strategic development analysis looking at US and international market expansion for B-Temia products
- Strategic re-design of the Custom and Borders Uniform Management Program
- International partnership development for 10-20 Services Laundering System (Refurbish, Reuse and Save)
- Business Development in the food and wine industry
- Design and establish "Latino Fusion" restaurant concepts as a mechanism to mentor and inspire a new generation of Puerto Rican culinary and cultural leaders
- Conducting studies on aging Hispanic population and determining how to influence cultural preferences in aging care
With over 20 years of Government service, Mrs. Vazquez-Torres has successfully lead multiple levels of projects to include advocating for funding and directing the US Army Natick Soldier RD&E's Center National Protection Center from 1999-2012.
Under her directorship, Natick Soldier RD&E Center (Currently known as CCDC-SC) established strong partnerships with the Department of Justice/National Institute of Justice/Office of Science and Technology; National Institute of Standards and Technology Office of Law Enforcement Standards (NIST OLES); Department of Homeland Security, Office of Science and Technology (DHS S&T); NASA AMES Research Center; SPAWAR; MA Executive Office of Public Safety, etc.
Her teams have produced over 90 technical papers; participated in numerous cross national policy forums:
- DoJ-DHS-DoD Inter-agency Board (IAB)
- ASTM E54 and F23 subcommittees
- DHS S&T SAVER Technical Agent
- NIJ OST Special Technology Advisory Boards.
Mrs. Vazquez has been responsible for generating and managing over 40M worth of RDT&E projects, serving as senior technology and policy advisor to NSRDEC's strategic partners. The National Protection Center collaborated in the publication of national standards such as:
- NIJ Law Enforcement CBRNE Standard
- Holster Standard
- SAVER technical publications
- Integrated Personal Protection
- Head Protection for Law Enforcement
- Human Augmentation (robotics)
- Water Purification Systems
- Next Generation Wild Land Fire Fighting Ensemble
- Advanced Law Enforcement Integrated Protection Strategies
- Law Enforcement Duty Belt (load), etc.
She has participated in numerous conferences and symposiums as Subject Matter Expert in human systems integration and cross-government collaboration. In addition to directing the NPC, Rita has held positions as Senior Industrial Security Specialist and as the Strategic Program Management and Business Development Principal for exoskeleton and human assist technologies. She is well recognized for her change agility, trend analysis, entrepreneurial spirit and networking skills.
Mrs. Vazquez holds a Masters in Public Administration from Framingham State College and PhD credit hours from Northeastern University in Domestic Policy. She has served as a high school literature / Spanish teacher and English as a Second Language educator. She is also a food and travel blogger, licensed Zumba, Aqua Zumba, Zumba Toning and Zumba Gold instructor, creative writer, social media apprentice and full-time mom.
JOSE VAZQUEZ | CFO/President
Jose is the Director for Defense and Security, Boston Engineering, Waltham, MA, and CFO/CTO New Stone Soup VT LLC. As the former President Avwatch US, a Plymouth, and MA-based aerial reconnaissance, Real-Time Full Motion Video (FMV), and airborne networking services company. He served as the Director, First-Responder Technologies for Department of Homeland Security Office of Science and Technology from 2004-2015, and has served as the Director, Navy Science Advisor Program & Senior Advisor, ONR and Director, ONR Global Latin America, Santiago, Chile.
A senior C-Level executive with extensive experience developing and transitioning technologies to Federal and State government, military and public safety, he supports NSS VT LLC and its clients on a case-by-case basis, with advice and guidance related to project development and entering new markets. With a proven track record and international business development, government contracting, senior program manager and team mentor/leader, formulating strategy, negotiating agreements, and handling national level issues and multi-million dollar defense and homeland security contracts, Jose offers sound Technical and Strategic advice and oversight when needed.
He is a retired Naval O6, Naval Academy class of '82 graduate and Naval Post Graduate Alumni. Jose works closely with Massachusetts Economic Development efforts, AUVSI and Robotica 2016. He is a dedicated father and enjoys family related activities, travel, food, and wine.
During his 8 ½ years at DHS S&T Jose led the First-Responder Technologies (R-Tech) group responsible for the development, testing and fielding of some incredible technology solutions for first-responders. In 2014 his team was awarded the DHS Secretary’s Excellence award for its work (2014 Secretary of DHS Excellence Award Link).
While at DHS, Jose started and led the Virtual USA information sharing programs which have improved how first-responders share information during catastrophic incidents. He has worked extensively with first-responder organizations and associations, and in 2014, sponsored and led the requirements gathering efforts for the Project Responder 4: 2014 National Technology Plan for Emergency Response to Catastrophic Incidents report (Project Responder 4 Report Link) which developed the current gaps for First Responder Technologies. There are a number of gaps that MITRE’s technologies can provide solutions for, and not just for first-responders but for the U.S. military too.
Projects (current and past)
- Boston Engineering
- Virtual USA® information-sharing programs, and regional demonstration pilots that transformed interoperability between, Federal, State and local first responders and law enforcement personnel
- First Responder Communities of Practice
- NICS a DHS S&T Funded project in collaboration with MIT LL and CalFIRE
- 3D Location for First Responders Testing and Evaluation
- Wild-land Firefighter PPE in Collaboration with US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center National Protection Center
- Project Responders 3 and 4
- Advanced Personal Protective Systems in Collaboration with US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center, National Protection Center
- Virtual Training
- Next Generation SCBA
- NSF I-Corps Certified
New Stone Soup VT LLC is looking for associates to team with. Please send a letter of intent that includes a short bio/interest statement and one page white paper of your capabilities and services to Rita Vazquez-Torres | Founder/CEO.