Lori Smith is an accomplished entrepreneur, author, and executive leader recognized for her transformative impact in federal contracting, business empowerment, and organizational development. She is the founder and CEO of Acu-Elligent LLC, founder of Sowing Our Seeds Empowerment LTD, and CEO of Focus Wyze PBC. With over 41 years of federal service and a dynamic portfolio of business ventures, Lori is dedicated to equipping organizations and individuals with the strategies and tools to thrive in complex, competitive environments.

Lori’s career began in federal service, where she gained deep expertise in acquisitions, contract administration, and government regulations. She retired after overseeing a $128 billion contract administration portfolio, demonstrating exceptional fiscal oversight and leadership. Her entrepreneurial journey includes founding and leading multiple organizations focused on business coaching, empowerment, and innovative solutions for government and commercial clients.

She holds a BS in Resource Management from Troy University, an MS in Education from the University of Oklahoma, an MA in Business from the University of Phoenix, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from National University.

Dr. Rich Osolease is an information assurance and cybersecurity strategist with more than two decades of experience advising federal programs on risk management, cybersecurity governance, and enterprise IT modernization. His work emphasizes disciplined execution, evidence-based decision-making, and alignment of security controls with operational and mission requirements.

Dr. Osolease has supported initiatives across the Social Security Administration, Defense Health Agency, National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Army, helping organizations strengthen audit readiness, improve decision quality, and move beyond compliance-only security postures. He is recognized for translating complex regulatory frameworks into practical, defensible security outcomes.

He holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology and has maintained the CISSP credential since 2003 and the ISSMP since 2005. Dr. Osolease brings deep technical expertise, structured analysis, and clear executive communication to environments involving high-risk systems and complex oversight. Audiences value his stories from the front lines of IT Service Delivery and his three guiding principles:

• Always remember reliable standards are the backbone of zero trust.
• Always backup gut-feelings with evidence-based data because clarity is the leader in a noisy world.
• Always secure delivery channels by protecting what matters most, the human being.