In Pursuit Podcast

Conversations with the people shaping public-sector buying — from government leaders to the teams selling into SLED.

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Episodes

In Pursuit #10 | Mike Vichich & Jim Weaver — The Real Role of a State CIO: Beyond Managing IT

Jim Weaver — 37 years on the buying side and former State CIO of NC, WA & PA — breaks down what the job actually is, and what vendors get wrong.

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In Pursuit #9 | Mike Vichich & Jocelyn Benson — Modernizing Government with Data

Michigan's Secretary of State turned around the DMV and broke voter turnout records. Here's the data-driven playbook she used to modernize government.

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In Pursuit #8 | Mike Vichich & Milton Dohoney — 40 Years in Public Service: What Vendors Must Know

Milton Dohoney, Ann Arbor City Administrator, shares 40 years of public service insight on how cities buy, what vendors get wrong, and how government works.

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In Pursuit #7 | Mike Vichich & Jim Colangelo — A CPO’s Guide to Selling into Government

Former Michigan CPO Jim Colangelo breaks down how government procurement really works — and what vendors must know before the RFP ever drops.

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In Pursuit #6 | Mike Vichich & Rick Snyder — Cybersecurity & AI for State Government

Rick Snyder, Michigan's 48th Governor, shares how he built MEDC, led the nation in cybersecurity, and why AI is government's next big frontier.

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In Pursuit #5 | Mike Vichich & Kevin Smith — Rescuing Distressed Cities

Michigan’s Deputy Treasurer on distressed communities, trust, and the evolving landscape of emergency management laws.

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In Pursuit #4 | Mike Vichich & Sandra Yu Stahl — How Cities Buy Technology

Detroit CPO breaks down what vendors often misunderstand about government procurement and how cities really buy.

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In Pursuit #3 | Mike Vichich & Jared Ambrosier — Winning Government Contracts from Inside

Michigan procurement leader on timing, cooperative contracts, and building the right relationships to win public sector deals.

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In Pursuit #2 | Mike Vichich & Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen — Innovating Inside Government

Dr. Z reflects on NASA, risk management, government culture, and what it takes to drive innovation at scale.

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In Pursuit #1 | Mike Vichich & Mayor Christopher Taylor — How Cities Make Decisions

A conversation with Mayor Taylor on Ann Arbor’s biggest challenges and his vision for the city’s future.

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About the Host

Mike Vichich

Built and sold Wisely for $187M after bootstrapping the company to profitability. Before founding Wisely, he was a senior manager at Accenture, where he developed deep expertise in complex operations.

Son of two public school teachers and the grandson of a B-24 pilot, he is driven by a lifelong mission to ensure every American has the opportunity to contribute their talents toward building a more perfect union.

He understands how to navigate complex markets with entrenched players and has developed a proven playbook for disrupting industries at scale.