Get ready to dive into the world of federal procurement and innovation policy with Dr. Dolores Kuchina-Musina, a distinguished expert in public administration and federal contract management.

With a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy, an MBA, and certifications that include CFCM and NCMA Fellow, Dr. Kuchina-Musina brings over a decade of experience in federal, state, and international public procurement. As the CEO and Founder of REXOTA Solutions, LLC, she has shaped strategies and provided risk management support for complex federal contracts. In this episode, she’ll share insights on innovation policy, federal procurement reform, and her journey as a leader in the field.

Don’t miss this conversation packed with expertise, leadership stories, and valuable lessons for anyone navigating government contracting. Tune in to gain valuable insights that could transform your approach to public procurement and strategy.

Get ready to be inspired by Sarah MacDawutey, the Acting Deputy Director for Innovations in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare and IT, Sarah’s journey is a masterclass in transformation and leadership.

Starting in healthcare roles back in 2002, she made a pivotal shift in 2012 to the world of Information Technology, diving into early machine learning projects focused on Natural Language Processing. From there, Sarah discovered her passion for Scrum, Agile coaching, and software development, quickly becoming a sought-after expert in government contracting.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarah expanded her skill set even further, mastering Human-Centered Design (HCD) and product development. Her innovative mindset led to the creation of groundbreaking tools and initiatives that have transformed how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates. From building a DevSecOps community of practice to streamlining change releases with cutting-edge automation, her work continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Tune in to hear Sarah’s story of resilience, innovation, and leadership, and discover how she’s driving change in the VA and beyond. 🚀

Sarah MacDawutey
Acting Deputy Director - Innovations
Office of the Chief Technology Officer
Office of Information and Technology
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Sarah MacDawutey currently serves as the Acting Deputy Director – Innovations in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Residing in Northern Virginia, Sarah has been immersed in health care-related roles since 2002, bringing over two decades of experience to her work. In 2012, Sarah transitioned into the field of Information Technology. She began as a Subject Matter Expert, where she played a pivotal role in training early machine learning models in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and enhancing engine accuracy through curated rules. Her proficiency in these areas laid the foundation for her future endeavors in IT.

Sarah's journey into Scrum, Agile Coaching, and agile software development marked a significant turning point in her career. She discovered a passion for coaching, which led her to government contracting. Her expertise in agile methodologies has been instrumental in driving successful project outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic Sarah took the opportunity to further develop her skills in Human-Centered Design (HCD) and product development through additional course work. During this time, she expanded her role within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), launching several groundbreaking initiatives that have transformed the way the VA operates.

Notable achievements include the establishment of VA-wide tools and a DevSecOps community of practice. Sarah's innovative spirit is exemplified by her contributions to the automation of change releases, integrating systems such as Jira, GitHub, and ServiceNow. Her forward-thinking approach and commitment to excellence continue to drive impactful changes within the VA and the broader IT community.

Get ready for an exciting conversation with Brian Lindholm, the founder and Managing Principal of FedSavvy Strategies, and a true expert in the world of market and competitive intelligence.

With a career spanning roles in capture, business development, and proposal management, Brian is renowned for designing and running Black Hat reviews—helping companies outmaneuver the competition in government contracting. In this episode, we’ll dive into his unique journey from a naval officer to building FedSavvy Strategies from the ground up, and how his deep expertise is transforming the way businesses approach intelligence in the federal marketplace. Plus, we'll explore his love for hiking, craft beers, and strategy games, and learn how he balances it all with family life. Tune in for insights, stories, and some fun along the way!


0:00 Intro
2:34 How Did You Get Here?
4:23 Highlights of Brian’s Government Contracting Career
6:24 Traditional Black Hat
8:48 How to Pull a List of Competitors if You Don’t Know Who They Are?
11:54 Effects of COVID
13:24 Strategic Market Intelligence
16:58 AI + Market Intelligence
20:36 Ghosting
20:52 You Can Do Everything Right and Still Loose
29:02 Win Themes
29:18 Building the Solution
35:21 Two Pieces of Advice
37:29 What is your Superpower?

Brian Lindholm is the founder and Managing Principal of FedSavvy Strategies. He guides the firm’s services and development and has done so since the founding in 2012. His career has spanned a myriad of roles from capture, business development, proposal management and all things market and competitive intelligence. The market and competitive intelligence career has also involved completely standing up corporation functions to do market and competitive intelligence work. He’s best known for designing and running Black Hat reviews. His career started as a naval officer (Supply Corps) with both sea and ashore assignments. He is a MBA graduate of George Mason University and he earned a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Brian loves hiking with his dogs, trying out craft beers and new foods (too much!), dabbling in strategy games (board and electronic) and spending time with his wife and son whenever possible.