Govcon Giants

Hoy estamos comenzada una vida nueva. 

Denita R. Conway, Founder, and CEO, Proven Management has proven that you can be the change you want to see.

During the interview, she tells the story of the founding of her company. Without giving away too much of the story, the basis was often times when employees were working management was not available to offer direction or leadership. That situation frustrated so much she made the decision to establish her own standards and set out on her own that pathway.

Ms. Conway founded PROVEN Management in 2011 since that time has managed to grow at a rate of 25% each year – including during the shutdown in 2013. PROVEN has remained profitable and has grown from just 1 employee in 2011 to 102 full-time employees and now provides service to 29 government agencies in 48 cities.

Ms. Conway continues to make strides as evidenced by her winning the 2020 Washington Business Journal Minority leadership award. 2020 Enterprising women’s award, 2018 SBA Washington DC Small Businessperson of the year, 2017 USDA/Aphis HUBZONE small business contractor of the year, American Express OPEN 2016 Woman Contractor of the Year. In 2014, she was recognized with Washington DC's Smart CEO BRAVA! Award, and that same year, her firm was named Small Business of Year in Prince George’s County, MD.

In today’s episode, you will find out how has her business adjusted for COVID, where did this entrepreneur journey began, what is it like working at the Pentagon, her daily practices, success habits and much more

The time that we've ever hosted a guest for a back-to-back episode. But when we finished the interview, I had only gone through about half of my questions and we still had a lot of stones to turn over. For those of you who caught my interview with Kizzy Dominguez last week, today will be more of her wisdom, insights and knowledge. If you're not familiar with Kizzy, She always knew that she wanted to be an entrepreneur from an early age, eventually landing herself to founding K Parks Consulting, INC, KPC. KPC Provides staffing professional and in IT training curriculum development for the government. What I like most about Kizzy is that she comes from a down to earth perspective on government contracting.

In today's episode, we discuss, what do you need to do to win versus making a profit in govcon the other side of staffing businesses, the good and bad of bidding. Her experience in bidding on an RFP for 40 secretaries, the three camps, when it comes to 8a, making errors as a small business can be unforgiving and stereotype bias of being socio-economic set aside. I have her take on things, which is the reason why we are featuring her in back-to-back episodes, but don't think that just because she's down to earth, that she's not a successful entrepreneur, her company continues to be a consistent winner on the INC 500 list for 2017, 2019, and 2020, ranking 185, clocking a whopping 69%, three year growth. Stay tuned for this heartfelt episode with Kizzy Domingez.

In this episode, we are honored to have a powerhouse guest, Shalaya Morissette, who is making waves as the Chief of the Minority Business and Workforce Division in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), stationed within the Office of Energy Justice and Equity. Shalaya is a highly sought-after collaborator in the clean technology space, bringing a wealth of experience from her recent role in the utility sector, focusing on safety and compliance.

We talked about remarkable opportunities in clean energy manufacturing, where eight winners stand to receive $250,000. We also highlighted the importance of a clear and concise roadmap over lengthy proposals and recommend checking out the user-friendly website for all the details.

We delve into the topic of unsolicited proposals and touch on an exciting future prize for nonprofits involved in community outreach. As we expand our scope internationally, we engage listeners toward USAID and the Minority Business Development Agency for global initiatives. Lastly, we delve into practical advice on strategic plays and making the most of the opportunities available, emphasizing the significance of networking and collaboration within the Govcon community.

Tune in for a dynamic discussion on elevating minorities in the energy sector and navigating the evolving landscape of clean technology. You don't want to miss this episode with a true giant in the industry!

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalayam/

US Department of Energy Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy/

Website: https://www.energy.gov/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/energy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/energy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/USdepartmentofenergy

Solve it Prize: https://www.herox.com/SOLVEIT

MAKE IT Prize: https://www.herox.com/make-it-strategies

Ask Us Anything Series: https://energy.gov/justice/ask-us-anything-series

EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) https://arpa-e.energy.gov/

Federal Help Center: https://federalhelpcenter.com/

In today's episode, we had the privilege of sitting down with Solution Engineer Peter Lierni, a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in designing and developing winning solutions in the federal, state, local, and international market spaces.

Peter Lierni's expertise lies in the intricate world of government contracting, a field that demands strategic thinking and meticulous planning for success. During the episode, Peter shared invaluable insights into the critical role that winning proposals play in the government contracting cycle.

He emphasized that successful companies are those that can not only secure contracts but also deliver quality solutions with tangible benefits and risk mitigation that meet the customer's needs. Peter's Solution Engineering FrameworkTM, a proven and fail-proof approach to proposal development, was a focal point of our conversation.

The Solution Engineering FrameworkTM is a game-changer for those navigating the complex landscape of government contracting. Peter explained that it provides a logical and repeatable methodology to produce winning proposals that are not merely written but engineered for success.

Throughout the episode, Peter drew on his extensive experience, incorporating lessons learned from various domains such as the military, client delivery, solution development, capture management, and proposal development. His perspective was shaped by being part of a highly successful acquisition, and he gave credit to exceptional mentors and friends who played a crucial role in his journey. Peter Lierni's wealth of knowledge and experience make this episode a must-listen for anyone looking to thrive in the competitive world of government contracting.

Learn more about Peter:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-lierni-cap-apmp-and-cp-apmp-author-a882473/

Company Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/solutioneering-llc-united-states/

Website: https://solutioneering.company/

Email: [email protected]