Defense Mavericks

• Navigating Leadership & Contracting Success with Maj. Gen. Alice Treviño (Replay)

  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 mentorshipAdditional 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/@DefenseMavericksConnect 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!

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• How JRAC Delivers Urgent Innovation to Protect Warfighters in the Field with Major General Edward Vaughan

  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 thoughtsAdditional 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/@DefenseMavericksConnect 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!

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• Can AI Be Trusted to Evaluate Government Proposals?

  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 DoDAdditional 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!

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• Why Unclassified Data is the Secret to National Security Success with Sammy Semwangu

  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 aggregationAdditional 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/@DefenseMavericksConnect 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!

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• From Chaos to Control: Military Logistics’ New Cutting-Edge Solution with Mark Hammonds & Ryan Perez

  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-upAdditional 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/@DefenseMavericksConnect 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!

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