Inside the Business of Government

Baroni Center for Government Contracting
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  • Government

Discover the business behind government. The Greg and Camille Baroni Podcast Series – Inside the Business of Government offers a front-row seat to the federal acquisition system and the leaders driving it forward. Hosted by Mike Derrios and presented by the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University's Costello College of Business, the podcast features insightful conversations with experts exploring the policies, decisions, and innovations shaping the future of government contracting.

Episodes

  1. Aug 24

    Rebuilding the Acquisition Workforce with Soraya Correa

    In this episode of "Inside the Business of Government," host Mike Derrios speaks with Soraya Correa, CEO of the National Industries for the Blind and former DHS Chief Procurement Officer. They explore critical challenges facing the federal acquisition workforce, including historic attrition, heavy workloads, and the loss of experienced mentors: 00:03:46, 'What we've lost is a lot of experience and capability to help and mentor others.' Soraya emphasizes the importance of leadership, strategic thinking, and industry engagement in procurement: 00:11:50, 'If it [the contract] doesn't work out, that's on me. If it works out well, you get to take all the credit.' 00:12:40, 'We're not going to work out of fear. We're going to focus on doing the right thing for the right reasons.' 00:15:35, 'I've been there. I lived that life. I came up as a contracting professional from contract specialist all the way up to contracting officer to become a CPO.' The conversation also covers the FAR overhaul, AI's role in acquisition, and strategies for attracting new talent for the federal workforce: 00:29:00, 'What makes this job important is that we are sitting at the table helping deliver a mission that impacts the American people we serve.' 00:30:08, 'I love this country. I love my government, and I want to be a part of always making it better and more efficient.' Soraya concludes with advice urging small businesses to proactively advocate for themselves rather than feeling undervalued: 00:40:02, 'Don't let someone else decide what your value proposition is. Find your own value.'

  2. Jul 10

    Go to Market Strategies with Alexa Tsui

    In this episode of the Greg and Camille Baroni Center podcast, host Mike Derrios speaks with Alexa Tsui, CEO of Forum, about evolving go-to-market strategies in government contracting. Alexa shares her unconventional journey from English teacher to BD and capture executive, then discusses how COVID and AI disrupted traditional business development approaches. She emphasizes the importance of integrated storytelling, founder-led growth, thought leadership, and outcome-based positioning over capability-focused pitching. Alexa also addresses relationship-building, event strategies, RFI responses, and the risks of remaining stagnant in a rapidly changing federal acquisition landscape. Two quotes to pique your interest: "All of those traditional GovCons that don't move and look alive and do things differently are going to be like Blockbuster in two years." ['00:16:58'] "'Go to market is a movement, and if you're not moving, you'll be left behind." ['00:25:43']

  • 2 Episodes

About

Discover the business behind government. The Greg and Camille Baroni Podcast Series – Inside the Business of Government offers a front-row seat to the federal acquisition system and the leaders driving it forward. Hosted by Mike Derrios and presented by the Baroni Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University's Costello College of Business, the podcast features insightful conversations with experts exploring the policies, decisions, and innovations shaping the future of government contracting.

Information

  • Creator
    Baroni Center for Government Contracting
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Inside the Business of Government