MILCOM Founders Podcast, Episode 40: Dr. Lori A. Smith, Founder of Acu-Elligent LLC and Sowing Our Seeds Empowerment

Join host Rod Loges as he sits down with Dr. Lori A. Smith, a retired federal contracting officer, US Air Force veteran, and one of the most authoritative voices in government contracting today. Over a career spanning decades across military and federal service, Dr. Smith exercised direct oversight of more than $143 billion in federal contracts, including the $128 billion Community Care Network at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the single largest healthcare contract portfolio in the federal government.

In this episode:

• How a high school job at Robins Air Force Base planted the seed for a career in military service and contracting
• The buddy program that took Dr. Smith from the Air Force Reserves to 22 years of active duty across six bases on four continents
• A leadership lesson from Master Sergeant Karen Armstrong that shaped Dr. Smith's entire career
• Building a dual-engine ecosystem with Acu-Elligent (government contracting strategy) and Sowing Our Seeds Empowerment (nonprofit focused on closing gaps for underresourced entrepreneurs)
• Why readiness, not hustle, is what separates sustainable businesses from struggling ones
• The role of AI in government contracting and why the human element still matters more than the tool

Key takeaways:

• The seat you sit in was never designed for you alone; your job as a leader is to prepare the person who comes after you
• Hustle is not a business model; it may be a short-term emergency posture, but it should never be the standard
• When proposals lack a real human story, evaluators notice; your response needs authenticity and feeling, not a recycled prompt
• Coachability is the only way to get value from any investment in coaching or consulting
• AI can make you more efficient, but you still need to teach it your story and hold it accountable for accuracy
• Soft skills training belongs inside every business development program, not alongside it

Guest: Dr. Lori A. Smith, Founder, Acu-Elligent LLC and Sowing Our Seeds Empowerment

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/acuelligent/
• Website: https://acuelligent.com/
• Podcast: GovCon Clarity

Dr. Lori A. Smith is a retired federal Contracting Officer, U.S. Air Force veteran, and one of the most authoritative voices in government contracting today. Over a career spanning decades across military and federal service, she exercised direct oversight of more than $143 billion in federal contracts — including the $128 billion Community Care Network at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the single largest healthcare contract portfolio in the federal government, delivering care across 49 states.

Dr. Smith's career began at age 16, working as a clerk at Robins Air Force Base near her hometown of Macon, Georgia. She went on to serve 22 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force across six bases on four continents — from Italy and Japan to Turkey and Honduras. She managed disaster recovery contracting for nine hurricanes at FEMA, directed contracting operations at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, and was hand-selected by name for the most critical acquisition assignments at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her contracting officer response to a vendor protest on a $27.5 billion contract was so thorough that the vendor withdrew entirely.

Today, Dr. Smith leads a dual-engine ecosystem built to serve women-, veteran-, and minority-owned businesses. Acu-Elligent LLC is the economic engine — providing government contracting strategy, the VETR Framework for AI-powered proposal management, The Readiness Room membership community, and certification training including the Narrative Blueprint Workshop. Sowing Our Seeds Empowerment is the empowerment engine — a nonprofit that runs the SOS Convergence, a structured 4-day business intervention addressing funding access, network gaps, and the systemic barriers that keep capable entrepreneurs underresourced and overextended.

Dr. Smith is a published author of Winning Business Proposal Strategies for Success and is currently writing a memoir tracing her journey from a single-parent home in Macon, Georgia to the table where $128 billion in decisions were made. She hosts GovCon Clarity, a podcast and video series focused on the readiness gap in federal contracting.

Her recognitions include Black Impact Magazine's 100 Entrepreneurs to Know in 2025, the 2024 IMPACT Award, the FORUM Women in Leadership 2024 Award, Georgia Woman Veteran of the Year nominee, the Department of Veterans Affairs Outstanding Career Award, the Army Commander's Award for Civilian Service, and multiple Meritorious Service Medals. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from National University, serves as a Women in Leadership Program Advisor at the University of North Georgia, and is certified in NLP, Time Line Therapy, and Hypnotherapy.

"I've sat on every side of the table — and I've read every line of the contract."

Looking ahead: Dr. Smith is launching The Readiness Room membership, the VETR Framework platform, and the GovCon Master Library book series. She also hosts GovCon Clarity, a podcast and video series focused on closing the readiness gap in federal contracting.

The MilCom Founders Podcast champions and celebrates military community business founders. Each episode brings practical insights from successful veteran entrepreneurs.

Sponsored by One Degree Financial www.onedegreefinancial.com

Want to support veteran entrepreneurs? Learn about the Dick Loges Veteran Entrepreneur Scholarship Fund at milcomfounders.com