The Buzz with ACT-IAC
The Buzz with ACT-IAC
Relaunching Partners 2026: Building Tomorrow's Leaders Today
DJ Dart, Chief Strategy Officer at Inadev, and Marisa Roinestad, recently retired after 25 years in federal service, discuss the relaunch of ACT-IAC's Partners 2026 program. They share their personal journeys and experiences that shaped their leadership styles, emphasizing the importance of empathy, creativity, and community in the evolving landscape of government-industry collaboration. They also explore the unique strengths of the Partners program, its role in preparing future leaders, and the excitement surrounding its new chapter. Additionally, the trio engages in a lively session of 'Acronym Wars,' showcasing their knowledge of federal agencies and programs.
Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to never miss an episode! For more from ACT-IAC, follow us on LinkedIn or visit http://www.actiac.org.
Learn more about membership at https://www.actiac.org/join.
Donate to ACT-IAC at https://actiac.org/donate.
Intro/Outro Music: See a Brighter Day/Gloria Tells
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound
(Episodes 1-159: Intro/Outro Music: Focal Point/Young Community
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound)
Yohanna: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Buzz, the podcast from ACT IAC, where we bring you the voices shaping the future of government and industry collaboration. Today we're diving into the relaunch of Partners 2026. One of ACT IAC's flagship leadership programs and exploring what it means to be a Pathfinder In this next chapter, joining me are our head Pathfinders DJ Dart Chief Strategy Officer at Inadev and Marisa Roinestad recently retired from government after 25 years of federal service together.
Yohanna: They're not just leaders in the GovCon space, but part of the act iac at community driving this program forward. Hey everybody. Good morning. And so, uh, so let's start from the beginning. I, I just like getting a solid sense of everyone's backgrounds. What brought you all to your current position.
DJ: Marisa, would you like to start or would you like me to go for it?
DJ: Dj. Awesome. So what brought me here? So. [00:01:00] I, back in the nineties, late nineties, I had my own small business. I had my own software engineering firm. It was about 25 folks in, in size, strictly a commercial business. Then fast forward to nine 11. Nine 11 happened, and I'm on the west coast in northern California at the time, just outside of Sacramento, California.
DJ: I'm, you know, young, somewhere in my thirties and, um, nine 11 hits and gosh, I'm really gonna date myself here. I flipped on my computer very early in the morning, like 5:30 AM or something like that, and I always opened up, this is gonna be an antiquated word, Netscape, which always had the news, right?
DJ: Remember Netscape back in the day?
Marisa: Oh yeah.
DJ: And, and there it was, right? Yeah. Um, with the planes, you know, flying into the towers and it was. Of course is incredibly impactful to me, as it [00:02:00] was to every other American. And, you know, of course, horrifically devastating and transformed America from that point forward.
DJ: Um, and I said to myself that day, and literally every day going forward, I was going to do my civic duty and do something for public security and, uh, public safety and national security. Um, having my own business, um, it, it took me a little while to get there, you know, it wasn't until the Department of Homeland Security was formed.
DJ: Um, in late 2002, literally going into the very beginning of 2003 that I said, wow, that's really what I want to go to. So it was at that time that I started setting my business up for sale. Um, that takes quite a bit of time to do 'cause I also really wanted to make sure that my staff were very well taken care of going forward, and that there was no impact to them.
DJ: And, uh, come January [00:03:00] of 2005, I ended up selling my business. And I swear to God, at that point, I had never been farther east than the border of Utah. I knew nothing about the DC metro area. I didn't even know DC Metro was a phrase. And so I started tapping a lot of friends to try and land a job, um, in support of homeland security and, uh, yeah, really dating myself here again.
DJ: Ended up getting an interview with Electronic Data Systems, if you remember Ross Perot's old company, right? And, um, they flew me out, hired me on the spot, and literally two weeks later I was fully packed up, moved to Arlington, Virginia. And, uh, not that I remember this well, but seriously, I remember very well, uh, June 19th, 2005 started, uh, working for EDS, um, in support of Department of Homeland Security.
DJ: And, um, I will never forget, my first [00:04:00] meeting with one of the DHS components was down downtown DC and I owned one suit. I was Northern California. Why would I own Suits? I owned one suit, and of course it was a all black winter suit. And it's August of 2005. It's like, you know, a hundred degrees outside, a hundred percent humidity.
DJ: And I had not had my car Dr. Uh, you know, um, uh, caravan out yet. So I took the metro, I don't even remember where, from in Virginia down to DC and I swear I looked like a drowned rat coming off of that metro, going to, uh, visit with the, with ho, uh, homeland component at the time. And yeah, I, uh, quickly went and bought a series of summer suits right after that to habituate into the DC environment.
DJ: Uh, but that was really how I became embedded into the federal marketplace. And have [00:05:00] been highly focused on Homeland Security ever since. Very passionate about it, very nationalistic about it. And, um, yeah, uh, from that time I was, uh, EDS was acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services. So I learned, really worked for large businesses my whole career focused on law enforcement spanning Homeland security and, and Department of Justice.
DJ: I worked for large firms after I moved on from HP to include Unisys, um, and SAIC. Um, leading both, uh, program operations, delivery and growth. And, uh, I'm thrilled to be with in Dev, a small business for the past four years. So that's how I, that's how I got here.
Yohanna: How about yourself, Marisa? How did you get to where, where you are today?
Marisa: Well, good morning, I think. Yep, we are, we're, we're a good morning then. And a, a quick thank you, Joanna. Um, it is really awesome to be with you and DJ today and, and [00:06:00] kickoff partners 2026. Um, what a powerful opening from dj. I've previously heard the story of what brought him to this work, but it really gives me chills every time I hear it.
Marisa: Um, I was working in downtown DC on that horrible day, and DJ's story makes me recall September 12th, um, how important it was to return to work that next day when everyone really wanted to stay in bed and hide under the covers. Government, employees, contractors, and local communities demonstrated their resiliency and unity in returning to the city and cities across the country.
Marisa: On September 12th. Thanks DJ for reminding me how powerful a feeling that was. As uh, Joanna mentioned, I recently accepted early retirement from the federal government. After 25 years of service, I began my career in the general [00:07:00] services administration's Office of Inspector General. I spent over 19 years at the G-S-A-O-I-G, where I had the world's longest job title, associate Deputy Assistant Inspector General for auditing or a dga.
Marisa: Heads up Joanna and dj. I might just test you on that later during the acronym quiz.
Yohanna: I can't wait.
Marisa: I still laugh when I think back to the interview that landed me, my government career, it was on my college campus, then Mary Washington College, and I signed up because my friend worked at the G-S-A-O-I-G and encouraged me to give it a go.
Marisa: I bought a new suit, showed up to the interview, and I did not get a word in edgewise. The interviewer, who would I would come to know as a really lovely man? Talked to the entire time as we work with the partners group to hone our leadership skills. This is a great reminder that a good interviewer or [00:08:00] facilitator should listen a heck of a lot more than they should speak.
Marisa: I walked out of career services thinking there was no way I would receive a job offer, but here we are 25 years later, after my time in the G-S-A-O-I-G-I most recently spent six years at the Internal Revenue Service working in both the Enterprise Digitalization office and the office of the Chief Procurement officer.
Marisa: I proudly served as the project manager for scanning as a service, which was a premier digitalization project in the IRS. And as you mentioned, I am currently excitedly seeking a career pivot as I look to enter industry.
Yohanna: Well, that's so much fun. I love that. I, I had no idea, uh, scanning as a service was the thing.
Yohanna: I know, I know software as a service, but scanning as a service sounds really interesting. Scs,
Marisa: scs, we made up that acronym and then kind of realized it [00:09:00] sounded gross, but it had stuck by that point.
Yohanna: That's so cool. So then how did y'all, um, start working with ACT iac? What was it that you guys, was it an event that you guys went to, or did someone just kind of tap you and say like, Hey, there's, there's a bunch of weirdos over here.
Yohanna: Come hang out. Tapping
Marisa: sounds, sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? Dj?
DJ: It certainly does. Yeah. Yeah. Indeed. Um, well, Marisa and I, I mean Marisa, you mind if I jump in or would you like to
Marisa: Please do. Uh,
DJ: so Marisa and I, were actually both graduates of the, we call it the class of COVID, so that's the partners class of, of 2020.
DJ: Um, and we have somewhat similar backgrounds on how we got thrown into it. So, um, yeah, for, for me, I was Unisys at the time and I was actually, like many large companies do, or companies do, they slot one individual, you know, year over year. So you've got your whole roadmap by [00:10:00] identified. So I was actually slotted for 2021 and, um, I'll keep the innocent nameless, the individual who was supposed to be for 2020, uh, couldn't, couldn't meet the requirements, I'll just leave it at that.
DJ: So I got a call from my boss saying, Hey, so and so isn't gonna be able to get in. You're up, you have four days to put your application together and, you know, the, the private sector application is very, very hard. So I literally shoved my schedule aside, filled out the app in, in four days, and, um, was very blessed, um, and, and felt quite lucky and exceptionally fortunate to be accepted in.
DJ: I think, you know, for us it was really hard because whatever date it was in March, um, of 2020, Marisa and I and the whole partners class, we were at that point, the largest class in its history of 40. So 20 from government, 20 from industry. [00:11:00] We met face to face for our kickoff, and then literally the next day or a few days later, the world came to a close with.
DJ: COVID and we experienced a number of challenges. I, I think for me, uh, the big challenges from what I experienced was, um, I would really describe it in, in four, four areas. So one, our cohort cohesion really survived at a distance. We all suffered from Zoom fatigue just like everybody else did. There was what I called content whiplash, uh, which is really the whole curriculum was defined for in-person and such a huge credit, um, to our leadership for converting, you know, the act, act leadership for converting all of that on, uh, sorry, uh, in-person material to online.
DJ: And then the other major challenge was milestone drift, because we were supposed [00:12:00] to be roughly a six month, you know, course, and it literally turned into 18 months. We didn't have, for example, since we didn't meet for. In person for, gosh, what felt like probably about a year's time. There were no serendipitous bonds.
DJ: You know, networking became very transactional. But we persevered our pods, our makeup before individuals to government, to industry. They became our lifelines, the coffee circuits. Um, and the one-on-ones became ways for us to connect and bond, but we had to make effort to do it. And I think the other thing that we all, uh, learned was, um, and how we persevered is we celebrated small wins.
DJ: We didn't wait for a month or two to celebrate a victory. And I think, you know, just a few other anecdotes and I'll turn it over to Marisa. I found that from that experience, adaptive planning beats [00:13:00] rigidity every single day. Empathy became more important than ever because for our class to connect, um, we had that shared understanding of the challenges and for some of us, we created tighter bonds.
DJ: And then ultimately, and this has become thematic for me, and I think if we interview anybody who was a graduate or a fellow rather, um, that sense of community wasn't just a capability, but it was a privilege because we all knew we were in this, in this together. So anyway, that's how I got indoctrinated into act iac and I've never looked back and I'm all in to contribute to act iac and its growth, you know, from this point, from that point forward, Marisa.
Marisa: I love that trip down the, the partners 2020, uh, memory lane. That was, that was awesome. So many good memories. Um, ACT IAC really came to me out of [00:14:00] nowhere and I'm extremely thankful that it did. A few hours before the partners 2020 applications were due, my executive kindly suggested that I throw an application into the ring.
Marisa: I had four hours to complete my application. I'm really jealous, DJ, that you had a few days that is ample time to, to yeah, that it's totally unfair. Four hours. So honestly, my application probably wasn't the, um, the most glowing product. Um, I was very fortunate to make it through the selection process and as DJ explained, had the honor of being part of the longest ever partners cohort.
Marisa: The unique nature of Pandemic Times really brought our class together. We had to bond in a way no one had ever had to before. Uh, we had to form our relationships virtually. We had to adjust to homeschooling children. I had a [00:15:00] kindergartner at the time, and I shudder just recalling how difficult that was.
Marisa: And we really had to support each other during trying and frankly, really lonely times. Uh, DJ mentioned, uh, a coffee circuit. I remember we had one virtual happy hour and you know, now a virtual happy hour sounds not like something you're gonna rush to put on your calendar, but back then it, it was the biggest treat in the world to pull up your computer, see a bunch of friends and, and um, you know, bring your favorite beverage along.
Marisa: It was truly community. I've also had the privilege of serving as the government vice chair for Voyagers 2023 and, uh, making myself, uh, sound, sound a little more elderly than I should. But I love the energy and the positivity that I get from that cohort. They, uh, are really an energizing group to be around.
Marisa: [00:16:00] So looking, uh, very forward to, to some more of that with this upcoming class. Oh, that's really good.
Yohanna: I, I'm getting a lot of flashbacks from 2020. Yes. You know, just trying to network online, trying to do your work online, trying to socialize online and, you know, like having like a little party. I remember having like a, like a cocktail hour, not a happy hour, but, 'cause we were trying to like not be happy and that was like another thing, like being aware of language and things like that.
Yohanna: Um, so we had a, a cocktail hour and I, and I just remember just us like talking and like trying to share as much information as we can. Like how are you getting better, like, so. Yeah. So much. Yes.
Marisa: Remember at first your kid would come into the room and he'd be like, no, no, you can't come in the room. Yeah.
Marisa: 'cause that wasn't something you did. And then Right. You know, maybe a month passed. And it was like, okay.
Yohanna: He's like, yeah, your child is like sitting on your shoulders. Like, what are you doing? Open
Marisa: house and, and we'll all make it work. And honestly, seeing other people's kids or pets come across the screen [00:17:00] sort of became a treat.
Marisa: Yeah. Oh yeah. Because, um, it was a just a little bit of, of joy in your day,
DJ: you know? Such a great point. And you're reminding me so Well, it was, it made learning and being introduced to others' families while working entirely the norm. Yeah. I mean, it was such a beautiful experience. I got to meet kids, I got to meet spouses and.
DJ: I'm sure it was the same for all of us. And now that is the norm. Nobody cares about, you know, a kid running in because you've got some meeting going on. Yeah, it's
Marisa: normal.
Yohanna: Yeah.
Marisa: Love that, love that change. Hey, dj,
Yohanna: I, you, you mentioned, uh, how empathy had to be a little bit more at the forefront during your cohort.
Yohanna: Can you kind of expand on that a little bit and let us know how you're using, like empathy and technology, maybe creativity on, you know, how you shape your approach at Inev now?
DJ: Yeah, yeah. And I, and if you don't mind, I'll, I'll [00:18:00] talk about my leadership style across those areas and as it applies to act IAC as well too, because it, it's synonymous.
DJ: So I think where I'll begin there is, um, but Marisa and I, and I'm sure you, we've all done the DISC assessments, right? There are other ones that I've done on called Insight, but they all lean toward the same thing. So for me. Um, I'm defined as a motivating director, which really means I have high energy.
DJ: I'm future leaning and quite decisive. Um, it's great for me, I think as a leader, but it's terrible for my wife because my kid, my 8-year-old inherited those similar characteristics. And so he has not only my high energy, uh, my contrarian points of view, but also my decisiveness, which does not make for the best of conversations as a family sometimes.[00:19:00]
DJ: Um, but I think it's really important to note that understanding my leadership style, I pair that with a deliberate habit of tuning my stance in a room so that people are heard before I move. 'cause I can have a tendency to jump in. And so I really practiced. What I call, I truly don't know if there's an official term for this, but I call it question led leadership.
DJ: Even though I may know the answer, I may think I know the answer. I pause, I breathe, and I ask others, um, to an, you know, answer my questions because it gives them a real seat at the table. Surfaces risks early, and it allows our teams to own, own the results. So understanding my directness and my pace is critical in leadership, so I can adjust to the room and the people around us, whether [00:20:00] they're colleagues or, um, part of the Act IAC Partners program as participants.
DJ: And so how that applies to, I think you named three, creativity, tech, and Empathy. I though, I think in reverse order. Um, so I'll start with the first one you mentioned on empathy, um, at Inev and, and similarly with the Partners program, and I did this as the vice chair for Partners. 24 is results really are derived when leading interdependently.
DJ: So we all can experience silos, we can all experience divides, um, and fractures. Um, but trust is compounded when there is joint efforts among different organizations in different groups where everybody gets to share in the credit and decisions are made transparently. It [00:21:00] brings groups together. And having that empathy spanning different groups and different perspectives is really critical.
DJ: Now bouncing to the other two, such as creativity, I really find creativity to be a signal. It allows us and our teams at indev and similarly with the ACT IAC partners cohort to frame real problems. And it really gives us an ability to spotlight what works when we run small experiments together. And then for the technology piece, you know, technology is very important, but ultimately it's a means to the end.
DJ: And it's not the definition of a solution. It, it really helps get us to our end game and, and really what I would define as the North Star. And so for technology explainable approaches. That really instrument outcomes and value-based outcomes from day one are [00:22:00] critical. So for example, at Inev we have a codeless automation tool called CB that allows us to build solutions literally in days, not weeks, not months.
DJ: It's non-proprietary. There's no licensing fees. We developed it to really contribute to outcomes for the government. It's cloud agnostic, RI survives on any any cloud. Um, we have it proven in multiple agencies and it's a TO and multiple agencies. And the ba the value and benefit of that is that we are able to build very rapid, testable solutions, get it in front of users in as early as five days, if not even sooner, so that they can, uh, understand it, play with it, et cetera.
DJ: And it allows us then to really get to the end game much. More cohesively with greater levels of adoption than would otherwise be the be the case. But anyway, just to kind of summarize, I think that [00:23:00] convening on a diverse set of voices is really critical and modeling transparent decisions so that those behaviors are mirrored in teams, not only at Inab, but I think across the partners cohort is, uh, is critical in, in, uh, creating, um, interdependence who are all operating as one team.
Yohanna: Oh, wow. But Marisa, I also wanna know how, how this kind of plays out in, in your life. How, how has, um, like have you applied empathy and creativity in your government career?
Marisa: I love that, that question. And I think that, um, empathy and creativity are words that stereotypically might not come to mind when you think about federal work.
Marisa: But they absolutely should. Um, empathy is an essential component in delivering on the mission of any agency. It's critically important to consistently put yourself into the shoes of the [00:24:00] population that your agency serves. It's just foundational for a government employee. Uh, for example, the IRS is obviously in service to the American taxpayer, and tax processing is, is one heck of a complicated business.
Marisa: Privacy and security protocols are both important and abundant. Anytime we were working internally and got frustrated with a rigid policy, um, which happens often, I would remind myself and the team, uh, to put ourselves in our own tax paying shoes. We expected that our personal information would protected.
Marisa: Not worry that our 10 40 tax returns would, uh, end up out in the street. It only takes a really quick moment to check yourself and remind yourself of the connection to the agency's mission, to the people that it supports. Creativity goes [00:25:00] hand in hand with the critical thinking necessary to again, deliver on agency missions.
Marisa: I recall an incredible legal case that arose out of a routine audit. Uh, during the time of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, my team observed that handwritten signatures were identical across a number of different company's proposals. Checking that was not on a to-do list for the audit. It was an out of the box observation made by the team.
Marisa: We partnered with the OIGs investigators and lawyers, and they ultimately succeeded in litigating a major bid rigging case. As an aside, I have to tell you that that experience was an emotional roller coaster. I was asked to participate in the investigator's raid on the company's facilities. Now remember, I was an auditor.
Marisa: I worked in Excel [00:26:00] well and often. Uh, the investigators gave me a uniform hat, flew me across the country, and I woke up at 3:00 AM to join them in the parking lot. My nerves were through the roof. Great news for both the case and my nerves. The raid was called off when the company offered to cooperate, but that major win for the government all started with the creativity of the team, having an open mind and really evaluating the information they have at hand.
Marisa: As we develop leadership skills through our time with the partners cohort and empathy and creativity are skill sets that we must emphasize.
Yohanna: So Marisa, you were in a movie, is basically what you were trying to tell you were in like a limited TV series.
Marisa: It felt like I was holding. And the, one of the funniest things is one of my biggest worries was that I was [00:27:00] not going to wake up on time because I am not a 3:00 AM riser.
Marisa: So I had about five alarms and my dear husband called me as well from from home. Um, it was all hands on deck to make sure I got up at 3:00 AM Oh good. Oh, can you imagine if you missed
Yohanna: it?
DJ: That's a great story.
Marisa: I saved that hat. I was very proud. I mean, the auditors, we don't have hats, so that was a big deal.
Marisa: Yeah. I mean, getting merch of course.
Yohanna: Exactly. Merch is where it's at. Yeah. But that just like, as you were say, like as you were talking, I was like, wait a minute, hold on. I've seen this scene before. I've seen this in a movie. I've seen this in a TV show where folks like it sure felt like it. Yeah. Well,
Marisa: and, and DJ and I were just chatting yesterday, as we often do, and I think one thing that people often underestimate about government careers.
Marisa: Is how varied and exciting they can be.
Yohanna: Yeah.
Marisa: You know, you, you, [00:28:00] you don't associate the term auditor with that experience. Um, you think tax and you think numbers only. And though those numbers are critically important, my work in that agency focused on digital transformation. Um, so just keeping in mind that, that your, your civil servants are touching a lot, a lot of varied, varied products, projects day in and day out.
Yohanna: Yeah. And that wasn't an AI robot that saw that pattern recognition. Exactly. That was like human eyes looking at this particular signature over and over and over and like, is it a stamp, is it a person bullshit? Where is, why is it on all of these different companies? Like it was a person that saw that not a robot, you know?
Yohanna: Yes. Great point. That's incredible. Excellent point. Yeah. I love that story. I don't want details off, off the
Marisa: mic.
Yohanna: Off the mic.
Marisa: I, I wish I had pictures, but it was, you know, it was too far back. We just, I was just gonna say, I wish I had a
Yohanna: photo. I
Marisa: wish I had a photo and I, yeah, it was pre iPhone dating myself.
Marisa: It was pre iPhone. [00:29:00]
Yohanna: Yeah. Oh my goodness.
Marisa: That's so cool.
Yohanna: I love that. All right. Um, so moving into our new partners program. The Partners program has long been one of ACT iac's most prestigious, uh, initiatives. It offers senior leaders a rigorous, you know, curriculum. It aligns with OPMs, executive core qualifications, EQs.
Yohanna: Um, so folks don't know we have associates. We have, uh, the Voyagers and we have partners and fellows. And so we're, we're relaunching the Partners program. And, and what it does, it, it essentially helps, it, it prepares participants for, uh, SCS and C-Suite roles. Um, what I'd like to know from your perspectives, what makes the partners different from the other leadership development experiences?
Yohanna: Would
DJ: you
Yohanna: like to go, Marisa? Want
Marisa: me to jump in dj? Yeah, please. So, you know, it's simple, but I, I really can't overstate it to, to me the main [00:30:00] differentiator far and away of this program is the safe space that it creates for engagement between government and industry. And, and let me explain why I mean by safe space, 'cause that might sound, uh, strange in this context.
Marisa: But again, having spent my first 20 years of federal service in an office of inspector general with a focus specifically on internal audits, I had zero exposure to the industry community. Uh, such really would've impaired my internal audit, objectivity that sort of separation from a specific community.
Marisa: Embeds a little bit of the, the other is a boogeyman feeling into your psyche. Fast forward to my time at the IRS where in my first week I was at, uh, asked, excuse me, to lead a meeting at a contractor site. Uh, the contractor had built a robotics process automation [00:31:00] for the IRS to review data in FPDS, and I was stepping in as the project manager.
Marisa: I remember feeling so out of my element, sitting on the quote unquote, other side of the table. I wasn't sure how a relationship between a government employee and a federal contractor was supposed to look. Fortunately, my time and partners showed me that those relationships should look exactly like all other professional relationships.
Marisa: With a little exclamation point at the end of that uh, statement. The Partners program provides the space needed for vulnerability and learning in a non-judgment zone. You can openly admit that you have never understood the difference between business development and capture. You can brainstorm an idea and get unfiltered feedback from your peers, or you can be encouraged to suggest a new way of [00:32:00] working.
Marisa: When you complete the Partners program, you walk away with an entire community of ACT IAC fellows that you instantly feel connected with. Sort of like knowing that a friend of a friend is likely someone that you will get along with. Uh, I'm not sure about you dj, but I have never experienced another program that creates such an open and trusting space.
Marisa: Uh,
DJ: I could not agree more. I mean, there's so many beautiful words you used. Vulnerability, you know, the connections, um, that we make. Um, and I have been through a number of leadership programs throughout my career and have never experienced anything as profound. And as pragmatic in leadership, coaching, mentoring, and learning as I have [00:33:00] through act I act, uh, partners.
DJ: So, um, really valued and appreciated how you described it. Um, Marisa was beautiful for, for me, Joanna. It's, um, you know what really I think makes partners different and sets us apart. Just to be additive to Marisa is it's never one and done. Um, there's a series of workshops and you know, the partners participants are surrounded by a series of federal and industry executives as pathfinders, so historically called chairs or vice chairs.
DJ: And, you know, all of us are graduates from the program and that allows us to provide and, and what we experience in our class with our leaders, it allows us to experience pragmatic feedback and [00:34:00] translate, you know, insights into continuing behaviors. Um. I think the way we learn, um, and the way we practice it is really practice over platitudes.
DJ: Partners is practice based. We sharpen the craft. Um, we wrestle with real world decisions and di dilemmas not ticals. Um, I mean, looking at the calendar this year and a huge credit to Sarah Hughes, our director of Professional Development for act iac and the entire curriculum that she's put together. I mean, there are elements of art of the conversation where we rehearse, you know, and participants get real world feedback on high stakes dialogues in a safe environment.
DJ: As Marisa was commenting, there's a focus on speed of trust, where clear commitments, uh, shine a light on transparent accountability and. I know this [00:35:00] is a big one too, that's going to be enacted and that is professional speaking. How much, how many of us actually get that training and that guidance. So message architecture is very well defined and you know, you mentioned Joanne, I'm so glad you brought it up, E cqs.
DJ: They're such a relevant, critical part of the program and I think a lot of people have a tendency to think, oh, uh, ECQs are just for federal employees. Those individuals looking to become S SC sers. Um, but I'm here to share as a, um, an industry partner that they are as equally germane and important to industry as they are to federal employees, especially with the release of the new, um, ECQs, which cover rule of law, driving efficiency.
DJ: Merit and competence leading people in achieving, uh, achieving [00:36:00] results. We turn and help guide those ECQs into habits. Um, and, and like I said, on the industry side, we flex the same muscles with the EQs and, uh, practice them as much as the federal government does. And I think for industry, they don't realize they do, but when they learn about it, they most certainly do.
DJ: I mean, we're responsible for evidence-based choices and developing, you know, talent across ecosystems and, you know, creating cross-functional teams and driving efficiency and value-based outcomes for the government. And so I think, as you know, for Marisa and me, and, and hope, I, hopefully, Marisa, I'm not introducing words into your vernacular, um, but I think it's safe to say we see these behaviors.
DJ: That's really what I would call common currency, uh, for both the federal government and the industry that we promote and, and live [00:37:00] by.
Marisa: Absolutely couldn't agree with you
Yohanna: more. We have offsites, we have events, we have, we have, you know, the professional development. We have a lot of places and spaces, and we create time for folks to really, I, you know, just get together and, and, and collaborate.
Yohanna: When you, when you think about the networks that you're building, can you guys speak on that? Can you guys talk about the kind of networking that it, that's done and from that, from there, how that helps with collaboration between industry and, and government?
Marisa: I mean, I think we're a great example, right, dj I mean, really we, we met in, in partners 2020, as we said.
Marisa: Then you make that relationship what you want. We weren't in the same pod, we weren't assigned to work together, per se, but we gravitated toward each other. And over the past five years, we've both respectively picked each other's brains [00:38:00] here and there. Um, DJ mentioned some work, uh, that his company did in the IRS.
Marisa: I think I provided some advice there. Um, when I had to turn my seven page, not a joke, government resume into an industry one. Let me tell you how many hours DJ spent with me on that exercise. Um, so it's that network is the perfect word. Use it. As you see fit as you, you know, connect to, to certain people.
Marisa: And it's, you know, sometimes really picking someone's brain on a, a certain agency or a certain, uh, topic, or I think maybe sometimes just general, uh, professional advice. Um, we even joke sometimes DJ and I are, our, our children are similar in age. So sometimes the conversation is, please tell me this, this phase ends soon.
Marisa: [00:39:00] Um, I'm in this phase. Please, please tell me the end is, is coming. Um, so just that connection to people and then you, you make it what, uh, you know, best suits you. Um, but, but dj, I, I, I think we're a good example of that. Yeah. And coming back here together, together for another, uh, another show.
DJ: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
DJ: I, uh, beautifully said. I mean, we are, I can't agree more. Everything you said we're a quintessential example of how lifelong relationships are built through ACT iac and through the various, you know, programs and learning such as Associates, Voyagers and, and Partners, which we're talking about today. Um, uh, I was actually leading with Marisa and a few others, um, partners, leadership Dialogue, just a few weeks ago.
DJ: And I asked one simple question, I, and I said, I asked, what is it you love about act? I Act most? And it was [00:40:00] fascinating. There was, what, six of us in there, I think, and everybody had the same answer and it all boiled back to community. Relationships, and we all said the same thing. The lifelong relationships and bonds that we've built and the shared learning as Marisa was describing, that we experience between one another.
DJ: I do not profess myself an expert in federal government activities, and I'm sure Marisa will say similarly, you know, not in industry, but together we learn together. And that really aligns with what I just love as the mission and vision of Act I act, where we are bringing federal and industry partners together, ultimately to drive better mission outcomes together as a collective team for, for the government.
DJ: And we see that in the bonds that we create and, uh, as you know, just frequent [00:41:00] outcomes, um, from our, our work collaboratively together.
Yohanna: Yeah. So we're at, we're here because Partners, 2026 Marks a relaunch of this program. It's a new chapter, uh, informed by lessons from the past and the rapidly evolving federal technology landscape.
Yohanna: Um, dj, how is NEF thinking about innovation and empathy as part of, as part of this relaunch? We're
DJ: so excited about the relaunch. Um, we know there was of course, that. I'm fortunate. Pause for 2025. And so we're really excited about the relaunch and I think it's safe to say Marisa and I are, are privileged and honored to be, um, you know, co-chairs, uh, working alongside Sarah and our other vice-chair, uh, Pathfinder leaders.
DJ: Um, so excited about these steps going forward, you know, for us and, and you know, when I apply innovation and empathy and, and [00:42:00] you know, to, and taking into consideration the relaunch as it applies to inef, I think it's really important that we draw on how. Teams at Inev deliver. And I really see two lenses here and it's applied innovation, and I'm gonna repeat a word that I think is becoming almost thematic thus far.
DJ: And it is that word empathy. Um, for us at Inev, applied innovation really means we co-create, um, with our government partners in small labs with real users and very clearly defined hypotheses and, and specified metrics. These all apply back to the EQs as well too, especially when we're looking at elements like, um, driving efficiency, um, so that we're, you know, ultimately creating the instruments of outcomes from day [00:43:00] one.
DJ: Um, and you know, on pivoting to that. Area of empathy, practice empathy. It, it's ultimately that operating system. And like I said, for me as a leader, I tune my stance with our teams at In Dev. So I start with the most quiet and different voice first so that they're heard moment one. And then collectively go across, you know, to the, to or across the room where decisions are ultimately transparent and implementing that speed of trust, all elements that Marisa and I learned in Partners 2020.
DJ: So that small promises and visible wins and, and, you know, result in ultimately shared credit. Um, you know, that's really how we're applying these at, at, at in a dev. And again, I see the same, if not similar or [00:44:00] identical techniques that'll be applied to the, uh, to the relaunch.
Yohanna: That's good. Yeah. Marisa, what's your journey been like in project management, in the government space?
Yohanna: Uh, how has that prepared you for leadership in initiatives like. Like the partners program. We
Marisa: definitely hit the, the nail on the head there, Joanna. Project management and the leadership lessons of the partners program really go hand in hand. Um, I actually love how DJ said, uh, co-create. I'm gonna steal that, that term DJ because I think that that's the heart of the matter.
Marisa: Um, I always say that the toughest challenge in project management is not the technical aspects of the project itself. There are brilliant subject matter experts that can manage and handle those technical aspects. I think the real challenge of project management is aligning the multidisciplinary stakeholders.
Marisa: To [00:45:00] move a project forward, that co-creation, uh, DJ just alluded to take the IRS for example. The only way to succeed is to understand the needs of partners such as privacy, IT and tax examiners. At first glance, it seems as if these stakeholders are speaking completely different languages and are not on the same page, but that's not really the case.
Marisa: They're just speaking from their own, uh, body of knowledge. Relationship development is critical to bringing different stakeholders together and combining those requirements and partners does just that. It opens the door in that safe space we discussed between government and industry leaders, and it allows an opportunity.
Marisa: To really see that government and industry share many of the same [00:46:00] concerns and truly do need each other to succeed.
Yohanna: I, I have a follow up. What, what really excites you all about, about this relaunch?
Marisa: Oh, thi this is, it's so great to, to be back. Um, you know, we talked a little bit about, about COVID, right?
Marisa: And how exciting was it when we could finally do something in person again, it felt like a, a joyful family reunion. I think this has a similar vibe to it. Um, you know, we had to, uh, go quiet for a year just to, to deal with, uh, times of change. So to come back again, I think it's that same feeling of just that being back and, and bringing back to the table what, what we had to put on pause for a, for a small bit.
Marisa: So those, those people that sharing, which we, we probably need now more than ever, frankly.
DJ: Yeah. You know, it's probably gonna sound [00:47:00] redundant, but It'ss community and the people. Yeah. Um, I agree. Hands down and it's getting back to that, um, you know, I, I can see, you know, Marisa nodding, which I, I love. Um, you know, you finish a session and you, or you run into a, you know, tough situation at work.
DJ: I've got 3, 5, 7 fellows, partners. I can turn to Marisa and others at any second if I need an ear or coaching or guidance that never ends we're we become so close and we become really trusted lifelong partners. Um, that's, you know, I think what excites me most about this relaunch and I think what I'm also very excited and looking forward to or about, and looking forward to is this, that for both Marisa and me we're gonna [00:48:00] be introduced to a whole new cohort of leaders spanning, you know, the federal government and industry.
DJ: And we're going to be creating lifelong relationships with them too. And so we get to expand on the field of trusted relationships that we're going to have. Um, and I don't know what that looks like. I just know it's going to happen and I'm very excited about it.
Marisa: I love that. We'll get to learn too, right?
Marisa: Dj keep
DJ: learning. It's it, you know, so well said. Shared learning. I remember when I, um, for partners, uh, 24 as leaders, we all had to shoot, you know, very brief videos of ourselves introducing ourselves to the class. And, um, you know, my video was this shared learning just as you, she said, Marisa, I'm ex I, I'm as excited to learn from this team as I hope they are to learn from me, from us.
DJ: It is truly shared, and that's how we [00:49:00] grow as leaders. It is a never ending cycle. Yeah.
Yohanna: And both of you all are serving as head pathfinders in this effort. So that's not just a title, you know, it doesn't feel like it's just a title. It's, it's a responsibility. Um, you all get to shape the future of leadership collaboration, and that's, I think that's a big deal.
Yohanna: Uh, how do you see your role in setting the tone for this new era of Partners program? Like where do you all see yourselves, uh, going?
DJ: Yeah, I think, I'd say it's a big responsibility and we do not take it lightly. Neither of us, and, and I can even speak on behalf of the Vice chairs being a Pathfinder, um, as a chair is a stewardship.
DJ: It is a service. Our job is to set the bar, it's to model the EQs. It is to make room for voices unlike ours or unlike [00:50:00] our own. And, and Marisa said this earlier too, I think I commented somewhat similarly that we're there to create a safe room, you know, to create psychological safety for all of us, uh, particularly the partners cohort to practice real scenario, real scenarios, and, and receive feedback.
DJ: Um, and I think as executive leaders, for both Marisa and I, it's investing significant time because we see ourselves and hopefully, I'm not putting words in your mouth, Marisa.
Marisa: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
DJ: But we see ourselves as shaping the next line of leaders, senior executive leaders at that in industry and in the federal government.
DJ: That's a responsibility that we don't take lightly. Marisa, your thoughts,
Marisa: Joanna, you can see why I love [00:51:00] working with dj, right? He makes you feel that way and every conversation that you have, and he's right on serving as a head Pathfinder is just an incredible honor. I think that DJ and I excel at tone setting and we need tone setting for relaunch.
Marisa: Uh, we bring the energy, we bring the positivity to serve as the foundation for the space that the partners will build upon. Um, wait until you see the leadership team that we have in store for this program. Um, it is simply exceptional. I am, um, beyond excited to share a space with them and look forward to learning, uh, so much from them myself.
Marisa: Um, our team shares an eagerness to engage that is truly fitting for a relaunch. For me personally, this role allows me to continue to give back to a community that has poured into me, [00:52:00] and that continues to show me the critical reliance that government and industry have on each other. It's also an opportunity to continue to serve as a mentor, which is a role that I've really cherished over my career.
Marisa: I recently attended a going away party for a now senior audit manager that I mentored from his time as a very junior auditor. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I was actually crying during the goodbye speeches. I was really overcome with pride, thinking of how much this wonderful person had developed over the years.
Marisa: Thankful for the small part that I could play in that development. It's those warm moments and those connections that I look forward to as we welcome the Partners 2026 cohort. I,
DJ: I love that story, Marisa. You know, you're just making me think about what we do [00:53:00] and, and no doubt how that individual got there is how we apply all of this and show up at meetings and events and continually turn to the participants in the partners program, whether it be in pods or partners, you know, the one-on-ones, uh, with them.
DJ: We don't wait for teams to approach us. We're very proactive. We check in with them in one-on-one scenarios as pods as the class in its entirety really apply. What I, what I'm getting more experience with is Chris Vos style questions. I don't know if you're familiar with Chris Voss. He's amazing and brilliant.
DJ: He's a former FBI, um, hostage negotiator. He wrote this brilliant book called Never Split the Difference. He teaches tactical empathy using really calibrated questions to [00:54:00] label and mirror individuals, which is really centered on empathy, as I just mentioned. So we ask calibrated questions like, what's one small promise we can make and keep this week that aligns with speed of trust?
DJ: Rather than just asking, Hey, what did you get out of it? Um, and when it comes to ECQs, we, we ask, or we'll ask questions like, you know, which ECQ are you going to apply in this dilemma that you are facing today? Um, or this week, or whatever it might might be, and how will you know it worked? How are you measuring it?
DJ: Um, so these check-ins are so critical for the continuous development of these indivi of, of the participants. And, and like Marisa said so beautifully, it's shared learning. We get out of it just as much as they do.
Yohanna: And what I've noticed is one of the most powerful aspects of the partners is the ability to explore real world [00:55:00] challenges in a confidential, not for attribution setting.
Yohanna: You mentioned, you know, psychological protection and, and having that like, you know, open space for folks to be vulnerable. What kinds of challenges do you think. Um, partners 2026 is uniquely positioned to tackle. Um, I think we're going into this space where, you know, there's, everybody's talking about ai, digital modernization or, you know, workforce transformation.
Yohanna: Where do you, where do you see this, this class of, of partners kind of, um, tackling? I can't
Marisa: believe we've talked this long and only just now said not for attribution. So I can't tell you how thankful I am that you just said it, Joanne, because it's a critical part of the, the program and I, I think it's so critical.
Marisa: We, we almost take it for granted. Those of us who are in it and, and, and forgot to mention it, critical to that confidentiality and being able to just speak openly. Um, I think [00:56:00] overall adaptability is going to be the biggest broad challenge that the partners cohort will, will need to tackle. We're in this period of a, of a changing federal workspace.
Marisa: Looking at where you mentioned ai, where can AI be appropriately applied within in the government? And that's going to involve, you know, quick tests and, and failing fast. And, and, you know, even as we do things like, uh, digital transformation, digital modernization, changing, tried and true internal policies and procedures to again, adapt to the transformation we're trying to bring around.
Marisa: So what I'm trying to say is I think flexibility and failing fast are going to be [00:57:00] much more important than they ever have been. And the program will allow government and industry leaders to really openly and honestly brainstorm and converse around those issues, but outside the constraints of a particular agency or a particular project, or a particular contract.
Marisa: So I, again, I think that open conversation is more important than ever right now, given that we're in a, a time of pretty, pretty rapid change.
DJ: You know, that is such a critical word. I mean, I'm just gonna, um, echo everything you said Marisa, and just add a little bit to it, that adaptability to really build outcomes and solve the non hypothetical real world problems.
DJ: As, as you even mentioned, Joanna, um, and simultaneously developing [00:58:00] leaders. Who learn fast so that there are tangible, viable, measurable mission outcomes that others can adopt and reuse, that they're not just one and dones. Um, is, is really ultimately I think, uh, how we will learn together to, you know, create, um, solutions to cross-cutting challenges across that trifecta that you mentioned.
DJ: Whether it be artificial intelligence, you know, digital modernization, workforce workforce transformation, or any other challenge that might arise. And that's where, you know, the, the curriculum that, uh, again, our leader, Sarah, has developed on such topics as art of the conversation and speed of trust and, um, alumni mentorship I think is something we haven't spoken about yet.
DJ: You know, there are. A plethora of [00:59:00] ACT, IAC fellows, the alumni, um, not only graduates of partners, but of associates and, and, and, um, Voyagers as well who have a, you know, wealth of experience. Um, I know I lean on them, I'm sure Marisa does. Um, but this class will have that alumni to turn to in times of need or support as well.
DJ: So the cohort only expands in a graduating class from partners, um, as they become fellows. Um, and, you know, reach back into the much broader act I act, um, alumni organization that I would. Absolutely assert is unlike any other organization in this federal marketplace.
Yohanna: All right, so this has been a great [01:00:00] conversation.
Yohanna: I, uh, I really want to, uh, play acronym WARS now. Are you guys up for it? Let's do it. I wanna win acronym war.
Marisa: I don't wanna You don't wanna play. I wanna win it.
DJ: Yeah. By the way, Marisa and I are very competitive, so Yeah. Just saying
Marisa: No. Now that I trash talked, I'm gonna completely just, just come up with none.
Yohanna: You guys don't, you guys are great. This is great. So, yeah, so Acronym WARS is just a real simple game that I came up with because we live in a world of acronyms. I essentially just tell you guys the letters of an organization and you guys tell me what the organization is. Okay? All right. I'm
Marisa: as nervous as I was when I attended congressional hearings.
Marisa: My goodness, GRA.
Yohanna: All right, so here we go. Here's the first acronym. NSF, national Science Foundation.
DJ: National Science Foundation.
Yohanna: Ooh.
Marisa: Oh, that's gotta be a tie. [01:01:00]
DJ: That's
Marisa: gotta be a, that's a good, like I'm saying it. I'm
DJ: watching your mouth move at the same time.
Marisa: Like what? You need buzzers. I need a buzzer. I should,
DJ: should, yeah.
DJ: Next time I should try to send, yeah. Buzzers would've been a great idea.
Yohanna: All right. All right. That's a good one. Great. All right. Here's the next one. EEOC,
Marisa: equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Yohanna: Yes. You got me on that one. Got it. That's a tough one. I, I've noticed folks get commission wrong or like the, the, like, one of the acr one of the letters is always like, is it agency or is it, you know, is it, this, is it.
Yohanna: My confidence
Marisa: in the C was low.
DJ: Hey, you got, you nailed it. So you, you, you got me. You're one up.
Yohanna: Nice. All right, so here's the third one. This one might be a tough one. Maybe. Who knows? Here we go. NRC, [01:02:00]
Marisa: nuclear Regulatory Commission Commission.
Yohanna: Oh,
DJ: yeah. Yeah. You said it faster than me. I'm not
Marisa: gonna, I'm not gonna lose my, my Fed card.
Marisa: I was
DJ: going, I was going there, but you, you got me on that one too.
Yohanna: Nice. Yeah. Those, those are the top ones that I, those are the tough ones I thought were top. Oh my gosh.
DJ: Wow.
Yohanna: You, yeah. No. All right. Great. The other one's on my list. S-A-M-H-S-A. Oh, I got nothing.
DJ: Um,
Marisa: something substance. Something. Is
DJ: it substance abuse?
Marisa: Men mental health.
Yohanna: Want me
Marisa: to repeat it?
DJ: I think it's substance abuse. Yeah, I think you're right. Mental health. And then what's the rest of it?
Yohanna: Yeah. SA Services administration. There you go.
DJ: Oh, nicely done.
Yohanna: Pretty, [01:03:00] pretty collaborative there because I didn't
DJ: get
Marisa: No, that was dj. That was dj. I wouldn't have gotten there.
Yohanna: Sharing points. You could share some points. What else is on my list? A RPA dash E.
Marisa: These are the easy ones.
Yohanna: These are the, these were the tough ones for me, but you
Marisa: guys are a RP. Clue, please.
DJ: Oh wait. That's a derivative of darpa. It's not defense, but is it advanced research? Advanced Research.
Yohanna: Close. Oh, my leads projects
DJ: agency.
Yohanna: Nice. And then there's Dash E. And I was like, why I don't know what Dash E is because I, I
DJ: know arpa only because of darpa. Right? So
Marisa: there goes my lead the
DJ: fence, right? So yeah, that one. That one.
Marisa: It was tied back up. Now we need a tie breaker.
Yohanna: You need a tie breaker. All right, here's, here is, oh, this one's too [01:04:00] easy.
Yohanna: This one everybody knows, I think. Okay. How about this one? NLRB,
Marisa: national
Yohanna: Labor Relations
Marisa: Board. Yeah. You got it.
Yohanna: Nice One. Nice winter winner. Chicken dinner. Marisa. Nice job. I gotta go take a walk,
Marisa: work off some of this stress. That's great. That's the best acronym wars I've ever had. This is great. You guys are doing amazing.
Marisa: That
DJ: was nice. Nice job. We've been
Marisa: trash talking about it for a few weeks. Good, good. Nice job. Well credit to my
DJ: dear friend Marisa. She, she, you definitely beat me on that one. You crushed
Marisa: it. Yeah. I got the easy ones though. You got the hard ones. So I, the bragging rights are low. The bragging rights are low.
Yohanna: So listen, the relaunch of the partners 2026 isn't just about a program. It's about investing in the next generation of government and industry leaders. And I am proud to say that the next, the next class is, is just blessed to have you all, um, leaders who can think [01:05:00] strategically, who act collaboratively and guide their organization through constant change and also know their acronyms.
Yohanna: Thank you both for joining me today and for your leadership as Pathfinders. Thank you so much. Thank you. It's been a pleasure.
DJ: We're very excited.
Yohanna: And to our listeners, if you're ready to take your leadership to the next level, check out ACT IX Partners program.
DJ: Please check out all of the events on ACT I Act.
DJ: There's a calendar for events not only through the rest of this year, but into 2026, and coming up at the end of October is the ACT iac, ELC, in Hershey Park. And hope to see all of you there. I know Marisa and I and Joanna will definitely be there.
Yohanna: Thank you, dj. Yep. Absolutely. ELC is on the way. Uh, so yeah, so this has been the buzz.
Yohanna: I'm your host, your Yohanna Baez. Until next time, stay curious, stay collaborative, and keep buzzing.