Are rules the biggest barrier to government procurement?

In this replay episode, Jonathan Mostowski, a trailblazer in government procurement and co-author of the TechFAR Handbook, unpacks the truth about “hacking” bureaucracy in government contracting and how agile acquisition, strategic contracting, and responsible risk-taking can transform procurement into a driver of innovation.

He also shares insights on creating culture change through contracting, his experiences authoring the TechFAR Handbook, navigating the pitfalls of SBIR, and tackling the dreaded “Valley of Death”.

Learn why contracting should be a business advisory role, not just compliance, and how funding models can better reward innovation.

Tune in now for a refreshing conversation on defense procurement!

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(01:00) Meet Jonathan Mostowski

(03:10) What is a Scaled Agile Framework?

(04:08) Origins and intent of the TechFar Handbook

(07:55) The biggest challenge contractors face

(10:37) Why Jonathan doesn’t “hack” bureaucracy?

(14:07) The culture change needed in contracting

(15:53) Jonathan’s writing process

(17:00) The purpose of Jonathan’s book Leading Agile Acquisitions

(19:46) What would Jonathan change if he were to be a king for a day?

(22:44) How impact–not speed—should drive incentives

(26:30) Are SBIRs sustainable?

(34:14) The reality behind the Valley of Death

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guests:

💥Follow Jonathan Mostowski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmost/

💥Grab a copy of his book Leading Agile Acquisitions: https://www.agileacquisitions.com/product-page/leading-agile-acquisitions

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

What if the biggest barrier to innovation in government contracting isn’t bureaucracy–but mindset?

In this replay episode, Ryan Connell sits down with Major General Alice Treviño, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting, to discuss how the Air Force is rethinking procurement with digital tools, leadership strategies, and streamlined processes.

With over 32 years of experience, Major General Treviño shares how to lead effectively in acquisitions, delegate strategically, and foster innovation within a structured system.

She highlights why patience, positivity, courage, and curiosity are essential for driving real change in contracting.

From AI-powered procurement to leadership tactics, this episode is packed with insights.

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(00:56) Major General Treviño’s background and journey in contracting

(07:09) How to delegate authority in high-visibility projects

(10:10) The critical role of contracting in mission success

(13:15) A day in the life of a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting

(19:55) Building and scaling tools across the Air Force

(28:56) Advice on change agency for junior members in the Air Force

(35:28) Final thoughts on leadership, positivity, and mentorship

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guests:

💥Follow Major General Alice Treviño on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicetrevinoali/

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Military procurement is known for its slow, bureaucratic processes, but what if it didn’t have to be? 

In this week’s episode, Ryan Connell sits down with Major General Edward Vaughan to talk about how the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell (JRAC) redefines how warfighters get the tools they need—fast.

With over 40 years of military experience, Major General Vaughan shares his perspectives on balancing speed and perfection in defense acquisitions.

He walks us through how JRAC accelerates the procurement process, the role of Joint Urgent Operational Needs (JUONs), and how AI and digital tools are reshaping decision-making in defense.

Tune in to learn how the Department of Defense is cutting through bureaucracy to boost innovation and efficiency in modern warfare.

Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(00:53) Major General Vaughan’s background and career journey

(02:24) What JRAC does and how it supports warfighters

(06:13) How urgent needs get validated and funded

(08:45) Why speed matters more than perfection in urgent military acquisitions

(13:46) The role of iteration and AI in military procurement

(17:17) How small businesses and defense startups contribute to rapid innovation

(20:02) The barriers to fast-tracking military technology

(22:30) How JRAC facilitates funding without direct acquisition

(32:53) Final thoughts

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guest:

💥Follow Major General Edward Vaughan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/relentless/

—

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Would you trust AI to review your proposals?

AI is now streamlining processes, improving efficiency, and reducing bureaucratic roadblocks. Yet, while 80% of industry professionals use AI to draft proposals, almost none are comfortable with AI evaluating them.

In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, host Ryan Connell lets ChatGPT take the interviewer’s seat for a deep dive into AI’s growing role in defense acquisitions.

They unpack how AI enhances proposal evaluation, document generation, and market research—all while keeping human oversight in check.

Ryan also shares his insights about the industry’s double standard on AI, the biggest barriers to AI adoption, and why policies must evolve to keep up with AI-driven solutions.

If you’re curious about how AI is reshaping government contracting, this episode is a must-listen.

Let’s jump right in!

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(00:42) Ryan Connell’s DoD acquisition journey

(01:49) Why AI is critical in modern defense contracting

(04:01) Challenges in AI adoption

(04:45) The truth about AI proposal evaluation

(06:11) AI’s evolving role in government acquisition

(09:41) Long-term AI adoption in DoD

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Approximately 99.5% of available data is unclassified. Yet, intelligence agencies often focus on the 0.5% that is classified. How can the U.S. government bridge this intelligence gap? 

In this week’s episode, Ryan Connell speaks with Sammy Semwangu, CEO of Bazze, about how his startup is transforming intelligence with commercial data solutions.

With over a decade of national security experience, Sammy shares his early entrepreneurial challenges and how he founded Bazze in 2019 to provide an efficient data query model for defense intelligence agencies.

Today, we dive into Bazze’s “super API”, the balance between privacy and security, and how shifting intelligence incentives can help close critical intelligence gaps using both classified and unclassified data.

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(00:50) Sammy Semwangu’s entrepreneurial journey and lessons learned

(04:44) How Bazze’s platform queries commercial data

(08:38) Challenges with the SBIR process and contracting

(18:29) The future of intelligence sharing in government

(22:47) Privacy and ethical concerns with data access

(26:54) Incentivizing intel gaps with classified or unclassified data

(29:59) The efficiency of unclassified data aggregation

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guest:

💥Follow Sammy Semwangu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/semwangu/

💥Visit Bazze for more information: https://bazze.io/

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Ever wonder why critical military resources get lost in the“fog of war”?

In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, Ryan Connell sits down with Beowulf’s founders, Mark Hammonds and Ryan Perez, to discuss how Bulldog—a logistic and planning tool—was developed to streamline military logistics.

Drawing from their firsthand experiences in Ukraine, they discuss how real-time feedback from soldiers transformed Bulldog into a game-changing tool for efficiency, accountability, and survivability on the frontlines.

They also dive into the evolving role of AI in software engineering, the lessons they learned while navigating U.S. government contracting, and Beowulf’s partnership with Carahsoft to deploy their solution.

If you’re interested in technology’s role in defense or the journey of a startup tackling massive logistical problems, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(01:10) The story behind Beowulf’s creation

(05:09) Initial problem identification in Ukraine’s military logistics

(11:16) Real-world impact of poor inventory management

(14:47) Progress and challenges with scaling Bulldog 

(18:28) Regulatory hurdles for small businesses contracting with the government

(21:30)  AI’s evolving role in software engineering

(25:54) Importance of early, direct feedback from users

(27:46) How to get actionable feedback from software pilots

(30:19) Episode wrap-up

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here:https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates:https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guests:

💥Follow Mark Hammonds on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhammonds/

💥Follow Ryan Perez on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-perez1/

💥Visit Beowulf for more information:https://beowulfgroup.com/

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Balancing defense and commercial markets can be daunting, but today’s guest shares how the dual-use readiness model makes it easier for startups to thrive in both worlds.

In this week’s episode, Ryan Connell speaks with Gene Keselman, Director of Mission Innovation Experimentation at MIT. 

Gene shares how creating a shared language between startups and defense organizations, along with integrating AI tools into readiness models, can turn complex systems into practicable strategies.

You’ll also hear about MIT’s Pro Ventures studio, the challenges startups face in these dual-use markets and why building a stronger global defense ecosystem is more critical than ever.

Tune in to learn how MIT is shaping the future of defense innovation.

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(00:49) Meet Gene Keselman and his work at MIT

(06:01) Defining the dual-use readiness model 

(08:47) The importance of shared language in defense startups

(13:00) AI integration into readiness models

(16:04) Commercial vs. DoD-focused tech companies

(18:53) Challenges of dual-use for startups

(23:49) Dual-use as a strategy, not a category

(25:54) The role of non-dilutive funding

(28:18) MIT’s Proto Ventures studio

(34:29) Strengthening global security

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guest:

💥Follow Gene Keselman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genekeselman/

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

What if the DoD could be as agile as a tech startup?

In this week’s episode of Defense Mavericks, Ryan Connell chats with Warren Katz, chairman of the Alliance for Commercial Technology in Government, to explore the challenges and inefficiencies in the DoD’s acquisition processes.

They discuss promising reforms, including the Restoring Freedom’s Forge Act, and compare Ukraine’s rapid adoption of commercial technologies. Warren explains why aligning incentives and creating a culture of rapid innovation is key to fixing DoD’s procurement challenges.

Additionally, Warren discusses the role of venture capitalists in defense innovation and real-world examples of success and failure in acquisition reform.

Tune in now and discover how the DoD can become an agile, innovation-driven organization.

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(01:09) Warren Katz's advocacy for reform

(07:19) The impact of DoD’s outdated requirements process

(12:03) Lessons from Ukraine’s rapid innovation

(18:09) The Restoring Freedom’s Forge Act

(25:37) Reforming DoD incentives for innovation

(33:13) Success stories and missed opportunities

(36:49) Call for leadership changes in the Pentagon

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guest:

💥Follow Warren Katz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrenkatz/

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

The real challenge for the Department of Defense (DoD) isn’t coming up with innovations. The DoD has a long history of celebrated innovators and has invested billions of dollars in research and development. So, what’s holding back these innovations?

In this episode of Defense Mavericks, Ryan Connell speaks with Josh Marcuse, former Defense Innovation Board leader and now with Google Public Sector, to explore this issue. Josh explains the definition of innovation and why the DoD’s main hurdle isn’t creating new ideas but implementing them.

They discuss the role of culture in risk tolerance, how platforms like cloud computing drive AI adoption, and the importance of supporting entrepreneurial talent within the organization.

Tune in now to learn how to drive change and encourage the adoption of innovation.

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(01:37) From Pentagon to Google: Josh Marcuse’s career transition

(03:40) Josh Marcuse’s definition of innovation

(05:51) The innovation adoption curve explained

(08:56) Importance of focusing on early adopters over laggards

(28:23) Rethinking risk and its role in innovation adoption

(38:32) Challenging conventional wisdom through talent management

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guest:

💥Follow Josh Marcuse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamarcuse

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Have you ever wondered how AI and robotics are transforming the military?

This week, Ryan Connell speaks with Cathleen Rush, Deputy of the Office of ARSOF Autonomy–a newly formed office within the U.S. Army Special Operations Forces–about the intersection of technology and military operations.

Cathleen shares her journey from active-duty engineer to her leadership role in Autonomy, where she combines AI, robotics, and science to enhance military efficiency.

In this episode, they dive into the SOF Dev initiative, which trains soldiers to use and develop advanced tech while fulfilling their operational roles.

Learn how generative AI is revolutionizing decision-making, the importance of upskilling the military workforce, and the challenges of technology adoption in a military context.

Tune in now and see how AI is shaping the future of military operations.

Let’s dive in!

Key Takeaways:

(00:00) Introduction 

(01:05) Cathleen Rush’s role in the U.S. Army

(04:01) Overview of the Office of ARSOF Autonomy

(06:57) Upskilling military workforce through the SOF Dev initiative

(08:29) Balancing operational and technical roles in the military

(12:39) Soldiers as co-developers of tech

(19:47) Building soldier-technologists

(23:17) Challenges of technology adoption in the military

(25:34) Generative AI’s role in military operations

(28:44) Importance of cross-functional teams and partnerships 

Additional Resources:

👉Follow Ryan Connell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

👉Learn, acquire, and deliver tech on Tradewinds here: https://www.tradewindai.com/

👉Visit CDAO for updates: https://www.ai.mil/

👉Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MLAqMOVnLWbmB5yZbZ9lC

👉Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DefenseMavericks

Connect with today’s guest:

💥Follow Cathleen Rush on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-rush/

— 

Defense Mavericks is a podcast that uncovers the untapped potential of AI within the federal government through authentic and disruptive conversations with our nation’s brightest minds.

Follow us on your favorite streaming platform so you won’t miss an episode!