Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC - Federal News Network

Latest Episodes:

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 72: Innovation Spotlight – Department of Veterans Affairs Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren talks with a group of leaders from the Department of Veterans Affairs who were the recipients of a 2026 ACT-IAC Innovation Impact Award for the “Ophthalmology Deep Learning AI Software” initiative.

Guests:

Manuj Kapur, M.D.,VISN 7 CRH staff ophthalmologist (staff ophthalmologist at Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System). https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuj-kapur-ba88a1166/

Amber Goetschius, M. Ed., RT, project manager - program analyst (director, VHA Innovation Ecosystem Fellowships). https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambergo/

Brian Goldhagen, MD, attending Ophthalmologist, Bruce W. Carter VAMC, Miami FL, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Univ of Miami, Miami FL

Ammer Saati, M.D., mathematical statistician, Atlanta VA R&D

April Maa, M.D., Tele-Surgical director for VISN 23 CRH. https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-maa-06857539/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 71: HR Modernization Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren talks with a group of leaders about ACT-IAC’s recently released Federal HR Management Technology Market Research Report.

Guests:

Jim Cook, founder and CEO, Action to Impact Strategies, LLC and chair, ACT-IAC Institute for Innovation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-cook-10ab23a/

Gary Washington, chief strategy officer at ACT-IAC, former USDA CIO and past president of the American Council for Technology. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-washington-995413a5/

Mark Abel,vice president, Capture and Strategic Growth and Go to Market Executive for Workforce Solutions, Maximus Federal. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-abel-2ab9931/

Steve Krauss,principal, SLK Executive Advisory LLC and long-time ACT-IAC volunteer leader. https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-krauss-b9b22/

Additional Resources:

To read the ACT-IAC Federal HR Management Technology Market Research Report: https://www.actiac.org/documents/federal-human-resource-management-technology-market-research

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 70: Innovation Spotlight – CMS & TRM Labs Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

On this episode, host Dave Wennergren talks with our 2026 Innovation Champion award winner Brittany Gains from CMS and Innovation Impact Award winners Rita Martess and Christopher Wong from TRM Labs.

Guests:

Brittany Gaines, special assistant, CPI Front Office, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-gaines-79a657121/

Rita Martess,Blockchain Intelligence, TRM Labs. https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-martess/

Christopher Wong,Global Investigator, TRM Labs. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-wong-93b082285/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 69: Innovation & CX Spotlight – TSA CX Digital Data Transformation Jul 13, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren talks with our 2026 Innovation Champion award winner, Rachel Schwind, from ASI Government, on the innovative CX work they’ve undertaken with TSA, and then chats with Jim Cook about the innovation awards program.

Guests:

Rachel E. Vincent Schwind, director, Strategy and Organization Development, ASI Government. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-vincent-schwind-pmp-acp-ccmp/

Jim Cook, founder and CEO, Action to Impact Strategies, LLC, Chair, ACT-IAC Institute for Innovation and ACT-IAC Strategy and Engagement Executive. https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-cook-10ab23a/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 68: The Mission Generation with Arun Gupta Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren talks with Arun Gupta about his latest bestselling book, The Mission Generation.

Guests:

Arun Gupta,CEO of NobleReach Foundation, former venture capitalist and co-author of the bestselling books, Venture Meets Mission and The Mission Generation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/arungupta23/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

To learn more about NobleReach Foundation: https://noblereach.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 67: From Pilots to Production and Harrison Smith May 11, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren talks first with some of the key contributors to the recently released ACT-IAC report, “Pilots to Production: Integrated Findings and Case Studies.”

Then we have a conversation with former government acquisition and transformation executive, Harrison Smith about priorities in the tech market and his journey in both the public and private sector.

Guests:

Gabrielle Hotung-Davidsen, senior managing director, Digital Innovation and Transformation, SAIC. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-davidsen/

Chineme Aghazu,principal consultant, Soling Consulting. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chinemeaghazu/

Harrison Smith, vice president, Business Development, Easy Dynamics Corp, former government executive who served at FDIC, IRS, DHS and the Navy, and former president of the American Council for Technology. https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-smith-0029ba4/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 66: Guy Cavallo – Leadership Spotlight Apr 16, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren talks with Guy Cavallo about priorities in the tech market and his accomplishments in both the public and private sector.

Guest:

Guy Cavallo,chief innovation officer, Planet Technologies, former chief information officer at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and former vice president at Large of the American Council for Technology Executive Committee. https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-cavallo-664a72/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 65: Laura Stanton – Leadership Spotlight Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren talks with Laura Stanton, GSA acquisition leader and the recipient of the 2025 ACT-IAC Government Executive Leadership Award about her career, on-going acquisition reform efforts, One Gov, shared services, innovation, transformation and change.

Guests:

Laura Stanton, deputy commissioner, Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration (GSA) and chair of the ACT-IAC Leadership Council. https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-stanton-9457226/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 63: Margie Graves – Leadership Spotlight Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren talks with Margie Graves, recipient of the 2025 ACT-IAC Industry Executive Leadership Award conferred in the spirit of Janice K. Mendenhall about the federal government market and leadership during times of change.

Guests:

Margie Graves, senior fellow at the IBM Center for the Business of Government, partner for Digital Modernization Strategy at IBM, former federal Deputy CIO and former chair of the Industry Advisory Council. https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-graves-4515661a0/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Accelerating Government with ACT-IAC – Episode 62: Reflecting back with Robert Shea and looking forward with Gary Washington Dec 26, 2025

Show notes

On this episode of Accelerating Government, host Dave Wennergren looks at the year in review and opportunities for the year ahead with Robert Shea and then discusses leadership, the tech market and Gary Washington’s new role at ACT-IAC.

Guests:

Robert Shea,CEO, GovNavigators, former associate director at OMB and former chair of the Board for the National Academy of Public Administration. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjshea/

Gary Washington, chief strategy officer at ACT-IAC, former USDA CIO and ACT president. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-washington-995413a5/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about ACT-IAC, please visit our website: https://www.actiac.org/

To learn more about GovNavigators or sign up for their newsletter: https://www.govnavigators.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.