Reaching for the Stars with Next-Gen Materials

Goodman Technologies of Pinellas County

From South Bronx to the stars, driven by a lifelong passion for space exploration, Dr. Bill Goodman launched Goodman Technologies, LLC, a cutting-edge aerospace company that creates AI-empowered nano composites for the most extreme environments—space, air, land, and sea. The business combines decades of engineering experience with advanced additive and robotic manufacturing, pushing the limits of what’s possible on and off the planet.

“I chose to launch an aerospace company; it literally goes back to my childhood days growing up in the sixties in the South Bronx and I watched original episodes of Star Trek on black and white TV. And I read the magazine of fantasy and science fiction edited by the very well-known Isaac Asimov, until I was in college. So, I always wanted to go to the stars and since that time I’ve had things fly in space seven times,” Goodman shared. With a professional background that dates back to 1981 and experience supporting missions that have flown in space seven times, he brings a powerful mix of knowledge and inspiration to every project.

After relocating from New Mexico, where he previously worked with SBDC consultants, Goodman turned to the Florida APEX Accelerator at Pinellas County Economic Development for guidance on navigating Florida’s procurement landscape and government contracting opportunities.

“I actually have a working relationship with Yolanda. It’s symbiotic. I tie her in with things I’m doing with the various, Department of Defense components, with NASA. I also tie her in to my network of advisors and I literally am able to empower her to provide better connections for me because she understands what I’m doing,” Goodman said. “Some of the other things that we did together was I had her go through my SAM.gov. I wanted to make sure that because we do some disaster relief kinds of things that I had all the right check marks and boxes checked off,” he added.

With the support of APEX Accelerator business consultant Yolanda Goodloe, the company has gained new visibility, attended key industry events, and built valuable connections to support its contracting goals.

“So, my biggest success so far, I gotta tell you I spoke on a panel in Washington, D.C., back in November, it was on counter UAS systems – how to defeat swarms of drones. I met a Chief Warrant Officer retired [who] came to me with a set of requirements and during the next two days my engineers and I worked out a system that I call the Swarm Stopper, it’s been the subject of a national press release. Swarm Stopper was then incorporated into a system called Nine High, which I have introduced Yolanda to, and that is an accelerator for transitioning and crossing the valley of death,” Goodman said. “The government, through the SBIR-STTR program, has provided more than $12 million in undiluted seed funding to our small business since 2017,” he also mentioned.

As Goodman Technologies continues to grow, Dr. Bill Goodman plans to stay connected to the Florida APEX Accelerator at PCED. “As a business owner, my number one purpose is to grow the business and I intend to use Florida APEX with me on this. Pinellas County has an interest in manufacturing. There are a number of organizations like FloridaMakes that are doing things. We need something here on the, on the West Coast. And we’re perfectly positioned to do this,” he said.

“I use resources wherever I can find them. And the Florida APEX and Yolanda are a tremendous resource for Goodman Technologies, not only for the network and the programs,” he added.

When giving advice to fellow small business owners, Goodman said: “I wanna send a message out to other small businesses and it’s regardless of whether you’re in Pinellas County or not. The first thing you wanna do, if you’re gonna do business with the, with the government, you gotta get into an APEX.” “If you go to Yolanda Goodloe at the Florida APEX in Pinellas County Economic Development, and you ask a great question, you are going to get a great answer,” he added.

From a dream inspired by black-and-white TV to launching materials into orbit, this is innovation—Florida style.