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Federal Innovator Podcast

A podcast for and about the innovators taking on the biggest challenges in the federal government.

Join hosts Tim Irvine, Accenture Managing Director & CX expert, and Stephanie Wander, Deputy Director & Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center, as they talk with the change agents that are disrupting how the federal government operates.

Breaking Tradition to Transform (Episode 1)

As government agencies navigate an accelerated tech landscape, increased demand, and IT modernization, they need innovative ways to adapt. This requires breaking convention of government tech acquisition and processes.

Agencies are looking away from traditional methods to strategy prototyping to solve problems in new ways. So how do they explore what’s possible, from a human-centric perspective, while keeping an eye on the mission? How do agencies balance exploring what’s new versus focusing on the high-priority constants required of the government?

Find out on the premiere episode of The Federal Innovator, a podcast for and about those taking on the biggest challenges in the federal government and making change.

Dr. Ryan Vega, the Diffusion of Excellence Lead at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Center for Innovation joins co-hosts Tim Irvine, Managing Director and Lead at Accenture Federal Digital Studio, and Stephanie Wander, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Speaking the Love Language of the Decisionmaker (Episode 2)

As government agencies adopt new technologies and approaches to modernize their mission, they’re increasingly relying on trusted partners in the public sector, academia, ventures, startups and industry to get them there.

But how exactly are government innovators finding these partners and creating relationships? What’s the lingua franca among partners, and how do you speak the love language of the decisionmaker?

On this episode, Sandeep Patel, director of HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority’s Division of Research, Ventures, and Innovation, or DRIVE, joins co-hosts Tim Irvine, Managing Director and  Accenture Federal Digital Studio Lead, and Stephanie Wander, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Mapping UX Innovation (Episode 3)

Consumer expectations are at an all-time high. People want the same customer-focused, ease-of-use they are accustomed to with commercial companies from their government organizations. User experience is critical for the government workforce as well to ensure productivity, operational efficiency, and mission success.

For the Defense Department, designing with the user in mind means designing for the warfighter, offering them the tools they need to protect and serve effectively. No one knows more about the importance of UX for the defense sector than Colt Whittall, Chief Experience Officer for the U.S. Air Force.

On this episode, Whittall joins co-hosts Tim Irvine, Managing Director and Lead at Accenture Federal Digital Studio, and Stephanie Wander, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council to talk through what outstanding UX looks like, how bad UX can be a barrier to mission success and what it takes to bring user-centric design to life for the federal government.

Accelerating Innovation (Episode 4)

When experts who typically traveled abroad to build and maintain facilities like U.S. embassies were confined to their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, the OBO’s Technology Accelerator Program (TAP) made their jobs possible from afar. By piloting mixed reality headsets that allowed their experts to provide remote assistance to on-site workers via live point-of-view video calls, OBO was able to bring the world into their employees’ remote work environment.

But what did it take to get this innovative technology up and running? And what is its future at the State Department?

Hosts Tim Irvine, Managing Director and Lead and Accenture of the Federal Studio and Stephanie Wander, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council GeoTech Center discuss this topic with Danilo Stapula, Chief Information Officer for the Overseas Buildings Operations for the State Department and Erica Jaume, Technology Accelerator Program Manager at the State Department.

Art, Innovation and Storytelling (Episode 5)

Innovation comes in many forms. Sometimes it means an upgrade to an aircraft or the redesign of a benefits system. And sometimes it’s creating an AI-powered light sculpture to give museum visitors an engaged, dynamic experience. That is just one of the many innovative approaches The Smithsonian is taking as it prepares to launch its “FUTURES” exhibit, the organization’s first major building-wide exploration of the future, which weaves together art, technology and the human experience.

On this episode, we’ll be delving into the FUTURES exhibit. Rachel Goslins, Director of the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building, the space which houses the FUTURES exhibit, joins co-hosts Tim Irvine, Managing Director and Accenture Federal Studio Lead, and Stephanie Wander, Acting Director at the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center, to discuss what innovation means to her, why she decided to pursue the exhibit, and what it takes to move innovation forward in the world of government.

Building an Innovation Timeline (Episode 6)

Innovative ideas on their own are just that. It takes thoughtful, influential leaders to consistently connect innovators with the funding and resources they need to grow their ideas into high-impact products.

Jennifer Shieh, Chief Scientist and Program Manager for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Investment and Innovation, is one such leader. Shieh focuses on connecting startups and small businesses with funding agencies and resource vehicles across the country, with the aim to transform high-risk, high-impact technologies into marketable products and services that solve problems.

On this episode, hosts Tim Irvine, Managing Director and Accenture Federal Studio Lead, and Stephanie Wander, Acting Director at the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center speak with Dr. Shieh about her role, the importance of small businesses in the U.S. and what it takes to build an effective innovation pipeline.

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