GovCon Executive Slice

Latest Episodes:

How Proven Leader Len Discenza Built Vericol Around What High Performers Do Differently May 27, 2026

Show notes

Most GovCon firms still think the proposal is where the win happens. It is not. By the time teams are writing, the outcome is often already set.

That gap, between effort and actual win probability, is where Len Discenza has built his career.

With more than 25 years in the federal market, Len has operated inside growth, capture, and delivery roles at some of the most recognized firms in the space. He has seen firsthand what separates teams that consistently win from those that are always reacting: Not just better writing, better alignment, better systems, and better execution long before the RFP hits.

As President and CEO of Vericol LLC, Len has turned that experience into a company designed to step directly into the work. Vericol helps government contractors rethink how they approach business development, capture, and proposals; not as isolated functions, but as a connected system built to drive outcomes. From reshaping BD organizations to supporting high-stakes recompetes to embedding directly into proposal teams, the focus is simple: Help clients win and become the kind of partner they want to bring back again.

In this conversation, Len breaks down how he views the proposal process today, what is actually missing in how most firms approach growth, and where the market is creating real pressure on teams. He also shares hard-earned perspective on leadership in a people-driven business, including what works, what does not, and where leaders often get it wrong.

If you are responsible for growth, capture, or delivery. Or if you are trying to understand why your team is working harder but not winning more. This is a conversation worth your time.

To connect with Len, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Vericol by visiting their webpage here.

AI, Efficiency, and the Next Federal Market Shift. Insights from Infotrend’s Gurpreet Singh and Evans’ Bob Etris May 21, 2026

Show notes

As agencies push harder on efficiency, modernization, and measurable mission outcomes, federal contractors are being forced to rethink how they scale, invest, and compete. In this episode of CEO Perspectives, we sit down with two leaders operating directly at the center of that shift. Gurpreet Singh, CEO of Infotrend, and Bob Etris, Managing Partner at Evans, share how their organizations are approaching AI, automation, data, modernization, and sustainable operational growth in a market that is demanding more with less.

Infotrend continues to advance mission-focused AI/ML, investigative, and emerging technology capabilities for government clients through its rapidly evolving CoreSuite ecosystem, helping agencies transform complex data into actionable mission intelligence. Evans is helping organizations deploy technology solutions that not only modernize systems but create long-term operational impact through human-centered implementation and measurable execution.

Moderating the discussion is Ryan Reiskin, Partner at The Baldwin Group. The Baldwin Group is a cohesive group of experts in business insurance, employee benefits, retirement planning, and all areas of private and personal insurance. At The Baldwin Group, they help provide the solutions clients need to have confidence and gain peace of mind as they pursue what’s possible for themselves, their families, and their businesses.

The conversation explores how leaders are adapting to a tighter and more scrutinized market, balancing investment in AI and innovation against operational discipline, redefining leadership expectations, and reevaluating what strong strategic partnerships look like in today’s federal landscape. The group also tackles a forward-looking question many in the market are thinking about, but not discussing enough. What hard shifts will federal contractors need to make over the next two years to remain competitive?

If you are trying to understand where federal technology, modernization, and operational strategy are heading next, this is a conversation worth your time.

To connect with Bob, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Evans by visiting their webpage here.

To connect with Gurpreet, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about CVP by visiting their webpage here.

Thank you to The Baldwin Group for sponsoring this podcast.

The Win System. Why Most GovCons Don’t Actually Have One. With Krystn Macomber, Summit Strategy May 13, 2026

Show notes

Most GovCon firms think they have a growth strategy. What they actually have is activity. Pipeline dashboards. Proposal volume. A lot of motion, with very little alignment behind it.

In this first episode, David Blackburn sits down with Krystn Macomber, Founder and CEO of Summit Strategy, a win studio built for growth-obsessed teams who want results. Summit Strategy is not a traditional consulting firm. It is designed to help organizations connect business development, capture, proposals, marketing, and training into one integrated system that drives revenue. The focus is not on checking boxes. It is on building a repeatable way to win.

Krystn has spent more than 20 years working across startups to enterprise organizations, helping teams identify the gaps most miss and turning disconnected efforts into disciplined execution. Through Summit Strategy, she has built a model that challenges how GovCon companies think about growth, pushing them to move beyond siloed functions and into true alignment.

This conversation gets into why misalignment is the real growth killer, what it actually looks like day to day, and why so many leaders fail to see it. They also dig into the Summit Win System™, where firms tend to fall short, and the mindset shift required to stop outsourcing pieces of growth and start owning the outcome.

If your pipeline is full but your win rate is not moving, this is worth your time.

To learn more about the Summit Win Academy™ click here.

To connect with Krystn, follow her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Summit Strategy by visiting their webpage here.

For more information about how you can WIN, visit our dedicated page here.

RELI Group CEO Mohammad Elias and CVP CEO Anirudh Kulkarni on Positioning for the Next Wave of Federal Innovation May 07, 2026

Show notes

Some companies talk about transformation. Others are actually delivering it at scale across the federal market.

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, we sit down with two leaders who are doing exactly that. Mohammad Elias, CEO of RELI Group, and Anirudh Kulkarni, CEO of CVP, are building organizations that don’t just support government missions. They help execute them, reaching millions of Americans through Health IT, advanced analytics, cybersecurity, and next-generation digital solutions.

RELI Group has grown into a nationwide force supporting critical public services that impact more than 300 million people. CVP continues to push forward at the intersection of healthcare and emerging technology, helping agencies modernize and deliver better outcomes in some of the most complex environments in government.

Moderating the conversation is Tyler Stewart of The Baldwin Group, bringing a unique perspective from working alongside hundreds of federal contractors navigating growth, cost pressures, and workforce strategy. That lens helps shape a discussion that goes beyond theory and gets into what it actually takes to scale and sustain performance in today’s market.

This conversation gets into how these leaders are managing growth while staying close to delivery, where they see real opportunity right now, and what separates companies that are consistently winning from those that aren’t.

If you’re trying to understand how high-performing firms are operating in this environment, this is worth your time.

To connect with Mohammad, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about RELI Group by visiting their webpage here.

To connect with Anirudh, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about CVP by visiting their webpage here.

Thank you to The Baldwin Group for sponsoring this podcast.

A-TEK in Motion. What’s Next Under New COO Stephanie Cumberbatch May 06, 2026

Show notes

Nearly 30 years of delivery across complex federal missions doesn’t happen by accident. A-TEK has built its reputation on execution.

Now, with Stephanie Cumberbatch stepping into the COO role, the focus turns to what’s next.

In this conversation, we dig into how A-TEK is evolving how it operates across the federal civilian and health markets, supporting agencies like DHS and HHS, including NIH, FDA, and CMS, and continuing to deliver where mission, data, and performance intersect.

This is about execution. How strategy turns into delivery, how growth stays grounded in operations, and how teams stay close to the customer while scaling.

A look at where A-TEK is headed, and what it takes to get there.

To connect with Stephanie, follow her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about A-TEK by visiting their webpage here.

From the Inside Out. Roshni Ghosh on VA Experience Powering RGP’s Approach May 04, 2026

Show notes

What does federal health transformation actually look like from the inside?

In this episode, David Blackburn sits down with Dr. Roshni Ghosh, a physician and former leader within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, who has spent years working at the center of care innovation, clinical strategy, and system-level change. She has seen firsthand where efforts stall, where they succeed, and what it really takes to move from ideas to outcomes in one of the most complex healthcare environments in the country.

Now serving as Public Sector Industry Leader at RGP, Dr. Ghosh brings that inside perspective into a broader conversation about how agencies and partners can actually deliver results, not just plans.

This is not a theoretical discussion. It is a grounded look at the real barriers leaders face today, from making data useful to navigating limited budgets, and the practical shifts required to keep momentum.

If you care about how federal health modernization actually gets done, and what separates teams that move forward from those that stall, this conversation is worth your time.

To connect with Roshni, follow her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about RGP by visiting their webpage here.

From Requirement to Advantage. David Lawrence, CEO at ISI, on How Top Firms Use CMMC May 01, 2026

Show notes

CMMC has been “coming” for years. Now it is here. And the real challenge for contractors is not awareness, it is deciding how to move forward without wasting time, money, or momentum.

In this episode, we sit down with David Lawrence, CEO of ISI, a firm supporting more than 900 defense contractors across CMMC and NIST compliance, FSO services, facility and personnel clearances, and managed IT and cybersecurity. ISI’s position in the market is unique. They are not just advising on compliance, they are helping companies operationalize it alongside security, which is where many efforts break down.

David brings a perspective shaped by private equity, operational transformation, and scaling technology-driven businesses. From leadership roles at firms like Bain & Company and EY-Parthenon, to driving growth and performance inside portfolio companies, his lens is grounded in value creation and execution, not theory.

This conversation steps back from the noise and focuses on the decisions contractors are making right now. Where companies are still waiting, where they are overcorrecting, and where they are misallocating resources in ways that will be hard to unwind later. It also reframes CMMC as more than a compliance requirement. For some, it is becoming a strategic path that shapes how they compete, grow, and position themselves in the defense market.

If you are a CEO, growth leader, or operator trying to determine how CMMC fits into your business over the next 12 to 24 months, this discussion offers a clearer, more practical way to think about the path forward.

To connect with David, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about ISI by visiting their webpage here.
Get more information and insight into CMMC at this dedicated page, here.

Nick Marchand on AI, Capital, and the Future of GovCon Execution Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

The federal market is entering a new phase. Not because of a single technology shift, but because the underlying model for how innovation is funded, owned, and delivered is being challenged.

In this episode, David Blackburn sits down with Nick Marchand, Operating Partner at Pleasant Land, for a conversation that moves well beyond the usual discussion of modernization and AI.

Nick operates at the intersection of investment, strategy, and mission execution. In his role, he helps shape portfolio strategy and market positioning to drive long-term enterprise value across technology-enabled services. His work spans identifying scalable growth opportunities, prioritizing R&D and platform capabilities, and aligning companies to evolving federal mission needs. He also leads go-to-market strategy, supports acquisition diligence, and drives integration and value creation across portfolio companies, connecting long-term vision to measurable outcomes.

That vantage point shows up throughout this discussion.

Together, they unpack how the relationship between government and technology investment has evolved, where traditional approaches begin to break down, and why many transformation efforts struggle to deliver sustained impact.

The conversation also explores what it really means to think like a strategic owner inside a federal environment, and why that shift is becoming critical as agencies push for faster, more meaningful results.

They spend time on AI as well, but from a different angle. Moving past the typical constraints and into the deeper challenges that ultimately determine whether adoption succeeds.

If you are trying to understand where the federal market is heading, how investment strategy is reshaping execution, and what it takes to align mission with real outcomes, this is a conversation worth your time.

To connect with Nick, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Pleasant Land by visiting their webpage here.

CEO Perspectives: Execution, Cyber, and Digital Delivery with Jessica Morris, Al Sowers, and Colin Corlett Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

As pressure builds across the federal market, the difference between companies that are growing and those that are falling behind is becoming clearer. Execution.

That was the center of this OrangeSlices CEO Perspectives conversation, bringing together three CEOs who are operating in some of the most critical areas of today’s GovCon landscape.

Jessica Morris of Pluribus Digital is helping reshape how government delivers services through modern digital products. Al Sowers of OneZero Solutions is leading in high-stakes cybersecurity and enterprise infrastructure. And Colin Corlett of Excentium is guiding agencies through the increasingly complex world of cloud, compliance, and FedRAMP.

Moderated by Tyler Stewart of The Baldwin Group, the discussion stays grounded in how leaders are actually responding to today’s environment. From tightening margins and rising expectations, to the need for stronger operational discipline and smarter investment in innovation.

The group shares candid perspectives on what is changing, what is not, and where leaders need to be paying closer attention.

If you want a clearer view into how CEOs are navigating complexity while continuing to deliver, this conversation is worth a listen.

To connect with Jessica, follow her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Pluribus Digital by visiting their webpage here.

To connect with Al, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about OneZero Solutions by visiting their webpage here.

To connect with Colin, follow him on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Excentium by visiting their webpage here.

Thank you to The Baldwin Group for sponsoring this podcast.

Delivering Rural Health Transformation Where It Matters Most. Yael Harris and Laurel Health Advisors Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

Healthcare in this country doesn’t have a shortage of ideas. It has a shortage of execution, especially in the places that need it most.

Rural communities, underserved populations, and systems that still struggle to connect. The challenges are well known. What’s less clear is who’s actually turning insight into impact, and what that really looks like in practice. This conversation gets into that.

Dr. Yael Harris, founder of Laurel Health Advisors, brings a perspective shaped by more than 16 years inside the Department of Health and Human Services, with leadership roles spanning CMS, ONC, HRSA, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health. She’s helped shape national programs around access, quality, interoperability, and health equity, and now applies that experience directly to state and community-level transformation efforts.

Through her work today, including recent efforts supporting Ohio, Dr. Harris is focused on translating policy and data into real-world outcomes, helping organizations move beyond analysis and into action.

In this discussion, listeners will get a grounded view of what’s actually working right now, how states are approaching transformation in a more practical way, how data can be used to drive better decisions, and what separates organizations that talk about impact from those that consistently deliver it.

If you’re trying to understand where healthcare transformation is heading, and what it really takes to execute in today’s environment, this is a conversation worth your time.

To connect with Yael, follow her on LinkedIn here.
Learn more about Laurel Health Advisors, LLC by visiting their webpage here.

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