The Peel

thepeel

Join hosts Shelley McGuire and David Blackburn as they have one on one conversations with government and industry leaders on trends, challenges, and opportunities in GovCon.

  1. 6d ago ·  Video

    Beyond the AI Hype: Turning Data Into Mission Value with REI Systems' Wagish Bhartiya

    On this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with Wagish Bhartiya, Chief Growth Officer at REI Systems, to explore what federal agencies need to get right before AI can truly transform how they operate. At the center of the challenge is data. Agencies often have enormous amounts of information spread across disconnected systems—and AI can confidently deliver an answer even when it’s working with incomplete data.  Wagish also shares how REI Systems is applying AI internally throughout the software development lifecycle, from requirements gathering and coding to testing, while learning firsthand why governance, standards, training and human expertise remain critical. But perhaps the biggest challenge is moving AI from pilot to production. Wagish explains why government AI must go beyond producing an answer—it needs to produce an answer that can be defended. That means explainability, traceability, and repeatability, because in government, as he says, “every answer needs a receipt.” To connect with Wagish, follow him on LinkedIn here. Learn more about REI Systems at their website here.

    Beyond the AI Hype: Turning Data Into Mission Value with REI Systems' Wagish Bhartiya

  2. Sep 9 ·  Video

    Tilt the Table: Winning the FY-End GovCon Feeding Frenzy Eric Nusbaum

    The end of the federal fiscal year is here—and in GovCon, that can feel a lot like a game of Hungry Hungry Hippos. The opportunities are moving fast, but simply chasing everything that hits the market isn't a winning strategy. In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire and ENcompass Consulting Group's CEO, Eric Nusbaum, talk about how contractors can finish FY26 strong while positioning themselves for FY27. Eric shares practical strategies for tilting the table in your favor, from leveraging customer relationships and differentiating your capabilities to making it easier for government buyers to access what you offer. They also tackle the realities of quick-turn September bids, including how to spot opportunities that may favor an incumbent, prepare go-to teaming partners, use AI responsibly in proposal development, and add surge support when your internal team is stretched thin. Looking ahead, Eric breaks down what contractors should expect from OASIS+, MDA SHIELD and SEWP VI, along with three issues to watch closely in FY27: CMMC, increased use of OTAs and CSOs, and potentially significant changes to SBA small business size standards. If you're navigating busy season while trying to plan your next move, this episode offers a roadmap for closing out FY26 strategically and entering FY27 ready to compete. SBA proposed a new rule on SB sizes. Depending on how this turns out, it could have a massive impact on the entire federal contracting industry. Make sure you submit comments on this by Sept 21. Click here to provide your feedback. To connect with Eric, visit him on LinkedIn here. To learn more about ENcompass Consulting Group, visit their website here.

    Tilt the Table: Winning the FY-End GovCon Feeding Frenzy Eric Nusbaum

  3. Sep 8 ·  Video

    Security by Design: Getting Cyber Involved Earlier with Kevin Spease

    Cybersecurity can’t be something added at the end of a project. In this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with Kevin Spease, President and Co-Founder of ISSE Services, to talk about why security requirements need to be integrated much earlier in the systems development lifecycle. Kevin breaks down where friction often appears when teams try to translate frameworks like NIST and RMF into practical engineering requirements, why developers and cybersecurity teams can sometimes find themselves at odds, and what security professionals can do differently to become enablers instead of blockers. The conversation also explores what happens after a system goes live. How do organizations maintain compliance while continuing to respond to new vulnerabilities and emerging threats? And how can cybersecurity teams stay involved in change management without simply showing up with another “no”? For anyone working in cybersecurity, systems engineering, federal IT, or mission-critical environments, this episode offers a practical look at building security into the process from the very beginning. To connect with Kevin, follow her on LinkedIn here. Learn more about ISSE Services at their website here.

    Security by Design: Getting Cyber Involved Earlier with Kevin Spease

  4. Sep 2 ·  Video

    Former State Department Acquisition Leader Matt Colantonio on How AlphaSix and Quantify Are Rethinking Federal Acquisition

    AI is moving fast. Federal acquisition isn’t always built to. So what happens when the two collide? David recently connected with Matt Colantonio, Product Manager for Quantify at AlphaSix and a former senior Federal acquisition leader who brings more than 15 years of firsthand experience navigating the very challenges agencies are now looking to technology to help solve. Matt’s perspective matters. Before joining AlphaSix, he served as a Contracting Officer and held senior acquisition and digital transformation roles, including serving as Chief of Staff for the Senior Procurement Executive within the State Department’s Global Acquisition organization. He knows Federal acquisition from the inside. The processes, the pressures, the workforce challenges, and the realities that can make meaningful transformation difficult. Now he is bringing that experience to AlphaSix, helping translate years of Federal acquisition expertise into technology built around how government acquisition actually works. That makes for a timely conversation. David and Matt dig into what Matt sees differently now that he has worked on both sides of the acquisition equation, what AlphaSix is building with its Q-Suite and AI-powered Quantify platform, and what “AI-native” acquisition could mean in practice. They take on some of the biggest questions facing Federal acquisition leaders right now. Can AI become a trusted collaborator for the acquisition workforce? How should agencies think about buying versus building? What does workforce transformation actually require? And beyond the hype, what could agentic AI realistically do inside the acquisition process? For Federal acquisition and GovCon leaders trying to understand where this is going, this is a chance to hear from someone who spent more than 15 years inside the system and is now helping build what comes next. To connect with Matt, follow him on LinkedIn here. Learn more about AlphaSix at their website here.

    Former State Department Acquisition Leader Matt Colantonio on How AlphaSix and Quantify Are Rethinking Federal Acquisition

  5. Sep 1 ·  Video

    Stop Pitching, Start Understanding the Agency with Reggie Mitchell

    Breaking into government contracting takes more than a great capability and a desire to win federal work. It takes an understanding of how the acquisition process actually works. On this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with acquisition professional Reggie Mitchell for a candid conversation about what small businesses need to know before pursuing the federal market. Reggie shares why GovCon isn’t simply a place to find contracts—it’s a process—and why understanding acquisition rules, agency needs, procurement methods, and the people involved can make the difference between spinning your wheels and building a real strategy. They explore the expectations new contractors often get wrong, the importance of targeting agencies that actually need what you sell, and why small business professionals can be valuable advocates and entry points into an agency. Reggie also breaks down the different roles of program, contracting, and small business professionals, and why companies need to understand who they’re talking to before walking into that critical meeting. From relationships and readiness to performance and consistency, this episode delivers practical advice for companies looking to compete and keep winning in GovCon. To connect with Reggie, follow him on LinkedIn here.

    Stop Pitching, Start Understanding the Agency with Reggie Mitchell

  6. Aug 26 ·  Video

    OASIS+ + DHS: ENcompass and Mild Red Break Down What’s Happening and What’s Ahead

    OrangeSlices was recently invited to support a session with the GSA OASIS+ Special Interest Group, a community bringing together industry leaders around how companies can better understand the vehicle, position for opportunities and ultimately succeed on OASIS+.   When we were invited to participate, we brought along a few people we trust when it comes to understanding OASIS+, GovCon growth and the DHS market.   Eric Nusbaum, Founder and CEO of ENcompass Consulting Group, leads a team that lives BD, capture, proposals and GovCon growth every day. Eric has spent a lot of time thinking about what happens after companies earn a spot on OASIS+ and what it actually takes to turn that position into wins.   Joining Eric is Daniel Abernathy, CGO at ENcompass, who takes part of the conversation down to the opportunity level with a look at specific DHS requirements companies should be tracking.   And Katie Helwig, President and CEO of Mild Red, is a self-professed OASIS+ nerd who spends a tremendous amount of time focused on OASIS+, federal market intelligence and helping companies translate that intelligence into better growth decisions.   The response to the original session was strong enough that Shelley McGuire and David Blackburn brought the group back together to share the conversation with a much broader audience.   Among the topics covered: how to succeed after winning a spot on OASIS+, how DHS is using the vehicle today, where activity is concentrated across DHS components and OASIS+ domains, what growth teams should be doing now, and the coming transition of expiring CIO-SP3 work. That includes nearly $3 billion in potential value across expiring DHS CIO-SP3 task orders, creating a sizable follow-on market that contractors should understand, even though not all of that work will ultimately move to OASIS+.   For those who aren't aware, ENcompass and Mild Red have also recently come together around a new OASIS+ offering, and you'll hear some of the natural synergy between the teams as they look to support the GovCon community.   If OASIS+ and DHS are part of your growth strategy, this is an opportunity to hear the conversation we were invited to bring to the OASIS+ Special Interest Group, expanded and made available to the broader GovCon community.   Listen to the podcast, and download the presentation for the supporting market data, analysis and opportunity details.   To connect with Eric, visit him on LinkedIn here. To learn more about ENcompass Consulting Group, visit their website here. To connect with Dan, visit him on LinkedIn here. To learn more about ENcompass Consulting Group, visit their website here. To connect with Katie, visit her on LinkedIn here. To learn more about Mild Red, visit their website here.

    OASIS+ + DHS: ENcompass and Mild Red Break Down What’s Happening and What’s Ahead

  7. Aug 25 ·  Video

    Finding Opportunity Before the Bid: CloudSpark’s Growth Story with Colton Christensen

    On this episode of The Peel, Shelley McGuire sits down with Colton Christensen, co-founder of CloudSpark, to talk about the company’s journey from startup to newly awarded NASA SEWP VI Category A prime contract holder. The win gives CloudSpark the opportunity to prime on one of the federal government’s most widely used technology acquisition vehicles and marks what Colton describes as the beginning of the company’s next chapter. Colton shares how relationships, persistence, and a willingness to do the hard work helped CloudSpark gain traction in the federal market. The conversation also explores SparkSight, the company’s market intelligence platform designed to help OEM partners identify opportunities earlier, and why CloudSpark is focused on using AI to find opportunities before they hit the bid stage. From building a business alongside his father to preparing to leverage SEWP VI and eventually expand into services, this episode offers a look at what it takes to grow a small business in GovCon while playing the long game. To connect with Colton, follow him on LinkedIn here. Learn more about CloudSpark at their website here.

    Finding Opportunity Before the Bid: CloudSpark’s Growth Story with Colton Christensen

  8. Aug 17

    GovDash's Latest Market Report Points to a Very Different FY2027

    David Blackburn recently connected with Brittany Winkler of GovDash to discuss the trends, data, and competitive shifts that are reshaping the federal contracting landscape. GovDash continues to advance as an autonomous AI platform purpose-built for government contractors, bringing opportunity identification, capture, proposal development, and contract management together in a single end-to-end platform. Alongside that evolution, GovDash has been expanding its investment in market intelligence, publishing research and data-driven insights that help contractors understand not just where opportunities exist, but where the market is headed. Brittany has been helping lead those efforts, and GovDash's latest report takes a deep dive into the FY2027 landscape. Together, David and Brittany explore what record defense spending actually means once the headlines fade, how contractors can identify and position for more than $200 billion in pre-RFP opportunities before the broader market catches on, and why evolving requirements like CMMC, FedRAMP 20X, and AI governance are becoming strategic differentiators that could determine who is positioned to compete for tomorrow's work. Whether you're a CEO shaping growth strategy, a chief growth officer planning your pipeline, or a capture leader looking for an edge, this conversation offers practical insights into where the market is moving and how leading organizations are using better data, stronger intelligence, and AI to stay ahead of the competition. Give it a listen. To connect with Brittany, follow her on LinkedIn here. Learn more about GovDash by visiting their webpage here.

    GovDash's Latest Market Report Points to a Very Different FY2027
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Join hosts Shelley McGuire and David Blackburn as they have one on one conversations with government and industry leaders on trends, challenges, and opportunities in GovCon.

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  • Creator
    thepeel
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Peel

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