The Big Bid Theory

NIGP Forum 2022 is in the books! The event in Boston was overflowing with excitement, networking, fellowship and learning. And new friends. Bill Culhane, our host, met David Nash, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB and our audience and show are better for this new friendship. In this episode, Bill and David share their reviews on NIGP Forum. David, see his impressive bio below, shares pointers that agency profe...

Beacon Bid is here! What is the latest in e-procurement that will help both agencies and business? Live from Boston - NIGP Forum 2022, Bill Culhane sits down with Stephen Hetzel and Josh Schwartzbeck, co-founders of Beacon. They share the story behind Beacon, including how Beacon transforms common obstacles and challenges with simple and efficient solutions to solve everyday challenges. From Solic...

As more and more states consider and pass laws regarding the legalization of marijuana, how does that impact you and your business? Nina French, from Hound Labs, is known across the US as an authority on employee screening services. Nina weighs in on impact of the new laws, what business leaders can do, and delves into various aspects of testing. Rick Jennings, always on the lookout for interestin...

Season 8 is off and running and who better to bring on than Dr. Rodney Rohde! Our resident US public health expert helps cover a myriad of topics. Dr. Rohde and our host, Bill Culhane, discuss what has been learned about the US healthcare system, since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. They also review the importance and rise in focus on hygiene, impact of the pandemic on staffing in healthcare...

With the infrastructure bill signed on November 15th, there are now $1.2 trillion reasons for you and your business to pay attention to what is next with the legislation. Emily Feenstra, from ASCE, and Stephen Hetzel, from BidPrime, two well connected, industry experts appeared (yes!) in our very first video version of the show. Here, in the final episode of Season 7, our creative engineers share...

Have you noticed how drone technology has experienced substantial growth over recent years? Both the public and private sectors are leveraging the various applications for the technology and adoption continues to rise across the board. In this episode, Paul Huish, the CEO from DroneHive, describes how drones are being used on environmental, climate, and construction projects. In addition, Huish ma...

How do 5,217 public and 14,702 private airports in the United States happen? (data from Statista) There is much involved in building, managing and maintaining an airport and U.S. state, local, and federal agencies are actively involved in getting the work done. Tapping into his decades of experience, Mike Dikun (bio below), from Armstrong Consultants, visited the show to explain the importance of...

Cybersecurity continues to be a challenge for individuals, business, and governments. You? Roger Grimes, from KnowBe4, explains how social engineering poses an enormous threat to your IT assets and outlines what you need to prioritize to protect against cybercriminals. Are your efforts futile? Listen, as Grimes provides insights to help you tackle the problems… it isn’t a long to-do list. In Crazy...

This calls for a Special Episode! Today, the US Senate voted and passed a massive $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. How did we get here? What does this mean? What happens now? Emily Feenstra, Managing Director, Government Relations and Infrastructure Initiatives at American Society of Civil Engineers, visited with Bill Culhane to answer those questions and more. With the package cal...

Does everyone in your business or agency understand and believe that providing superior customer service is one important way to set yourself apart from the competition? Shep Hyken, best selling author and sought after speaker, returns to TBBT to share tips on delivering an AMAZING! customer service experience that keeps customers coming back for more. Shep also outlines many of the interesting an...

How are you taking advantage of video conferencing solutions? Over the past couple of years, the video conferencing industry has experienced explosive growth. In this episode, hear how businesses and the public sector are making use of the services and solutions. Will Purcell, from Pepperland Marketing, visits with Bill Culhane to discuss Purcell’s report on the industry, filled with interesting i...

Is the U.S. ready to solve the infrastructure problem? In this episode, we have an expert, Dr. Joseph Schofer, who is quite open about his opinions on how to address the lingering U.S. infrastructure challenges. There’s a lot of news, debate, plans, report cards on the subject, but you can invest a few minutes to hear from this Northwestern University professor, a veteran of many decades in studyi...

Hear from an actual expert, whose reputation has made him a sought after authority on many aspects of the global pandemic. A year after his last visit to the show, just as COVID-19 was becoming known in the US, Dr. Rodney Rohde returns to help us launch Season 7. Dr. Rohde covers a wide range of issues related to the ongoing battle against this coronavirus. From how the virus is evolving, to testi...

Stephen Hetzel, the COO at BidPrime, helped us close down season 6 of TBBT. In this episode, Hetzel looks at the industries most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He also shared his insights into what's ahead in 2021 and how we’re going to get out of this. He provided an interesting comparison of the 2009 recovery and looked at some of the industries that are due for a turnaround and grow...

Across the United States, there are many ‘smart city’ projects already completed with a multitude ahead in the multi $billion industry. Elaina Farnsworth, CEO, The NEXT Education, an expert on all things transportation, visited the show to share her insights on what’s happening in the exciting worlds of smart city tech, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and a myriad of other related topics....

What are your opinions on autonomous vehicles? Across the U.S., development and adoption of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has resulted in a vigorous debate. In this episode, we stayed close to home and visited with Dr. Kara Kockelman, professor at the University and Texas, and well published (see link below) and noted expert on transportation issues. From benefits and uses, to the future of the techno...

Were you and your school ready for the ‘20-’21 school year? In the midst of the pandemic, a lot of leadership, planning, creativity and collaboration were needed. In this episode, we called upon three experts in education to share their stories. David Childress and Ken Bouwens, from Louisa County Public Schools, share how they thought “outside the box” to address connectivity and access issues. Dr...

Don’t have time to catch the full episode, but need help for your business? Here are some key moments from our recent conversation with Dan Kane, who spent much time at the SBA and has transitioned to start up and small business advocate and expert. Listen, download, and share as Kane discusses: > SBA. What does he know about the SBA? What do you need before contacting the SBA? > Woman-owned small...

What’s ahead for your small business? Insights on what the Small Business Administration (SBA) can do to help your small business and opportunity for WOSB and VOSB designated businesses. Daniel Kane, startup and small business advocate and SBA insider, discusses those topics, along with important news on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Rick Jennings wraps up the show by hitting a home run w...

No time for the entire episode but want answers on contract opportunities for your small business? Here are highlights from our conversation with Haley Claxton, from Koprince Law and SmallGovCon. Listen and take notes as Claxton covers: > Set-asides. What are they and how are they important to your business? > Recap of the 8a certification program. > Why should you consider leveraging the mentor-p...

What are government agencies doing to meet small business contracting goals? Set-asides and other assistance programs are vehicles for small businesses to pursue and earn lucrative opportunities. Haley Claxton, from Koprince Law and SmallGovCon, visited the show to share her expert insights on the certification process, the mentor-protégé program, why the outlook is positive for many small busines...

What do you need to know as your business deals with COVID-19 pandemic? Terri Williams, a leading expert on small business issues, addresses a myriad of important topics: available services and support, challenges and threats, government assistance, and cybersecurity. Terri also profiles the Business Recovery Accelerator designed to immediately assist businesses. Rick Jennings closes down the epis...

Season 6 is off and running! How reliable is the information you’re getting on Coronavirus (COVID19)? Bill Culhane visited with Dr. Rodney Rohde, Texas State University’s Associate Director for Translational Health Research Initiative, Associate Dean for Research, CHP & Chair & Professor Clinical Laboratory Science. Since Coronavirus first became known, Dr. Rohde has become recognized, throughout...

What’s being done to protect your vote from cybercriminals and other bad actors? U.S. elections officials continue to tackle this ongoing, serious problem in elections security. Chris Deluzio, from Pitt Cyber, covers a myriad of topics related to ensuring the elections process is secure and the results can be trusted. Homeland Security’s website says it very well, “... The American people’s confid...

“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.”, from Benjamin Franklin, who had the appropriate nickname, ‘Water American’. What are government agencies doing to ensure that our wells don’t run dry? Todd Danielson, Chief Utilities Executive, for Avon Lake, Ohio, discussed a myriad of topics on clean water. Among them: challenges faced by the water industry, details on sewer separation, how po...