GovCon Executive Slice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Three CEOs. Three SDVOSBs. Kentro, Ibility, and LMR Redefining Federal Performance

The federal market is at a turning point. The bar is higher, the pace is faster, and the companies breaking through are the ones closest to the mission, built to move, built to adapt, and built to deliver.
This episode of our CEO Perspectives series, part of the OrangeSlices community, brings together three CEOs leading Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) that are operating at that level.
Pinakin Patel, Kentro. Innovation-driven. Design thinking at the core. A culture of continuous improvement helping agencies cut through complexity and execute with clarity.
Danielle Krakora, Ibility / Tribility. People-first leadership. Mission-focused transformation. Driving real impact across federal healthcare through integrated, outcomes-oriented solutions.
Chris Larkin, LMR Technical Group. Warfighter-focused. Performance-driven. Integrating training, human performance, data, and technology to directly support Department of Defense mission success.
Moderated by Tyler Stewart of The Baldwin Group, an organization built to help businesses operate with confidence through expertise in insurance, employee benefits, and long-term financial strategy.
This is a group defined by execution. Leaders and companies that understand the environment, align to the mission, and deliver where it counts.
If you are in the federal market, or want to understand where it is going, this is the kind of perspective you do not want to miss. These are the operators setting the pace. Listen now to stay ahead.
To connect with Danielle, follow her on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Ibility by visiting their webpage here.
To connect with Pinakin, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Kentro by visiting their webpage here.
To connect with Chris, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about LMR Technical Group by visiting their webpage here.
Thank you to The Baldwin Group for sponsoring this podcast.
 

Why FCL Timelines Slip. And What High Performers Do Differently. ISI

Most FCL delays are not caused by the system. They are caused by how companies prepare for it. Small gaps in documentation, unclear internal ownership, and fragmented workflows create friction that compounds over time. By the time it becomes visible, timelines have already slipped and contract opportunities are at risk. 
In this episode, ⁠Cate Pearson⁠, President of FSO and Clearance Services at ISI, brings a front line view into where and why those breakdowns happen. Drawing on experience supporting hundreds of defense contractors, she unpacks what separates organizations that move through the FCL process with predictability from those that get stuck in cycles of delay and rework. 
The conversation also introduces a more structured approach to the problem. ISI’s TurboFCL solution is designed to reduce variability in the process by bringing consistency to how data, documentation, and ownership are managed from the start. Not as a shortcut, but as a way to eliminate the common failure points that slow companies down. 
This episode is built for executives, program leaders, FSOs, and operations teams who are navigating the clearance process or preparing to enter it. If you are responsible for timelines, eligibility, or growth in the federal space, this will give you a clearer lens on where risk actually shows up and how to stay ahead of it without overcomplicating your approach. 
To connect with Cate, follow her on LinkedIn ⁠here⁠.
Learn more about ISI by visiting their webpage ⁠here⁠.

Building Again: Scaling Inadev with Manish Agarwal

What happens when a proven builder steps back into the arena and puts his own conviction behind the bet?
Manish Agarwal has done it before. As a founding member and President of Attain, he helped build the company into one of the most respected firms in the GovCon market, driving significant growth and ultimately helping lead it through a successful acquisition in 2021.  Then he stepped away for more than five years.
Now he is back. Not just as CEO of Inadev, but as an investor in its future. A move that indicates more than a leadership change. It indicates belief.
Inadev has spent over a decade building a strong foundation. Delivering AI-driven, mission-focused solutions across federal and commercial markets. A company known for speed, technical depth, and customer-centric execution.
In this conversation, Manish shares why he chose to return, what he sees in Inadev that others might not, and how he plans to take that foundation and turn it into something bigger. He also offers a candid look at where the market is headed and the big bets he is making around AI and emerging technologies.
If you care to hear where this market is going from a leader who has a track record of winning big, and who is positioning to lead what comes next, this is a conversation worth your time.
To connect with Manish, follow him on LinkedIn here.Learn more about Inadev by visiting their webpage here.