What happens when one of the Department of War's key acquisition leaders sits down to discuss how AI, data, and digital transformation are reshaping mission delivery?

In this episode of OrangeSlices, we bring you a candid conversation with Ryan Connell, Head of Procurement for the Department of War's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO). Ryan shares perspectives on acquisition execution, procurement innovation, commercial buying strategies, and the challenges of delivering technology at the speed of mission.

Guiding the discussion is Blake Harvey, President of Red Team Consulting, who draws out practical insights and real-world perspectives that matter to government and industry leaders alike.

Whether you're supporting defense customers, tracking CDAO priorities, preparing for upcoming opportunities, or simply trying to understand where federal acquisition is headed in the age of AI, this is a conversation worth your time.

A special thank you to our sponsor, ISI. Supporting more than 900 defense contractors, ISI helps organizations navigate CMMC and NIST compliance, security clearances, FSO services, and managed IT and cybersecurity needs. Learn more at OrangeSlices' dedicated CMMC resource center.

Now, sit back and enjoy this timely discussion with Ryan Connell from the Department of War's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office.

To connect with Ryan, follow him on LinkedIn here.

The pressure on federal acquisition isn’t coming from one place. It’s coming from everywhere at once. Mission demands, budget realities, technology shifts, and rising expectations around speed, efficiency, and outcomes.

In this session of Engage. Driving Federal Change. Acquisition & Procurement, we bring together leaders who are not just responding to that pressure, they’re helping define how acquisition and operations evolve across government.

This is a grounded conversation. It gets into what it actually takes to align strategy with execution, how agencies are approaching modernization in practice, and where real progress is being made.

You’ll hear from:

The discussion is moderated by Krystn Macomber, Founder and CEO of Summit Strategy. Krystn leads a win studio focused on helping GovCon organizations actually compete and win, and she brings a level of clarity and execution that keeps this conversation grounded in what it really takes to perform.

If you’re working in or around federal acquisition, this is a conversation that gives you a real look at how decisions are being made and how progress is actually happening.

Listen in to hear how experienced leaders are navigating complexity, driving change, and keeping mission delivery moving forward.

Transformation is not waiting for permission. It is already underway across federal agencies, reshaping how missions are executed, how systems are built, and how outcomes are delivered.

In this session of Engage. Leading Change. Federal Technology Operational Excellence, we bring together a group of federal and industry leaders who are not just talking about transformation, they are actively driving it inside some of the most complex and high-stakes environments in government.

This conversation goes beyond theory. It gets into what it actually takes to modernize while maintaining performance, how to scale innovation inside constrained systems, and where leadership makes the difference between progress and friction.

You will hear from:

Moderated by Greg Gershman, Co-Founder and CEO of Ad Hoc, this discussion brings a grounded, real-world perspective on what it takes to lead change across government today.

If you are navigating modernization, scaling digital services, or trying to balance innovation with operational stability, this session offers practical insights from leaders doing that work right now.

Watch the full conversation to hear how transformation is actually being delivered across federal agencies, and what it takes to lead it effectively.

This event is a must-attend opportunity for industry partners and federal agencies to explore and address the transformative shifts reshaping our public sector landscape. With a focus on evolving acquisition strategies, innovative contracting approaches, and the integration of artificial intelligence and automation solutions to drive cost efficiency, participants will gain invaluable insights on aligning with emerging funding programs and impactful initiatives. Join us to navigate these dynamic changes together and build stronger, more collaborative partnerships that meet today’s challenges head-on.

This event will focus on ways DoD organizations and leaders are empowering and changing how government and industry can work together to meet these emerging needs, with the end goal of making a real and measurable impact for all.

⁠Young Bang⁠, Operating Executive, The Carlyle Group, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology)

⁠Gabe Mounce⁠, Director, Outreach & Technology Engagement in New Mexico, Air Force Research Laboratory

⁠Chelsea Roberts⁠, Founder and CEO, Collaborative Compositions

⁠John Williams II⁠, Product Manager Special Operations Forces Training Systems, U.S. Army PEO STRI

This event focused on ways FedHealth organizations and leaders are empowering and changing how government and industry can work together to meet these emerging needs, with the end goal of making a real and measurable impact for all.

Mark Canfield, Founder and CEO, 5pointe (Former Deputy Director, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

Solitaire Carroll, Acting Director of Veteran Services Portfolio, Department of Veterans Affairs

Charlee Hess, Director, Healthcare and Public Health Cybersecurity Division, Department of Health and Human Services (pending approval)

Farhan Khan, Chief AI Officer, Swingtech (Former Chief Digital Officer, Food and Drug Administration)

Carrie Lee, Chief Product Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer, Product Delivery Service, Department of Veterans Affairs

Alastair Thomson, Founder and Principal Consultant, AI Strategy LLC (Former Chief Data Officer, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) )