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IMPACT Podcast Series
IMPACT is FORUM’s signature podcast highlighting the women whose leadership, expertise, and vision are shaping the future of government, technology, and the federal contracting community. Each episode features in-depth, authentic conversations with executives, trailblazers, innovators, and rising leaders who are driving meaningful progress across the public and private sectors.
The podcast explores a wide range of topics essential to modern leadership: building inclusive workplaces, navigating career advancement, leading through change, supporting mission outcomes, and fostering collaboration between government and industry. Guests share real-world experiences, lessons learned, and actionable insights that empower listeners to lead with confidence and drive impact within their organizations.
IMPACT offers more than professional stories—it provides a platform for thoughtful dialogue on mentorship, opportunity, innovation, and the challenges and successes women encounter at every level of the GovCon and federal technology ecosystem. Whether you are an emerging professional, a seasoned executive, or someone passionate about leadership and community, the podcast delivers inspiration and practical guidance you can apply immediately.
About the Host:
Mary Ann Brown hosts IMPACT and brings deep experience supporting government–industry collaboration. As Senior Director of Operations at FORUM, she helps create strategic events, leadership initiatives, and platforms that elevate voices across the federal community and advance meaningful conversations about leadership and mission success.
Subscribe to IMPACT to hear the stories and perspectives of the women shaping the federal landscape—and to be inspired by the leadership driving change across government and industry.
IMPACT Podcast Series
Leading with Purpose: Mika Cross on Shaping the Future of Women in Government Leadership
In this empowering episode of the IMPACT Women in Leadership podcast, host Mary Ann Brown sits down with Mika Cross, CEO of Strategy@Work and a renowned expert in government workplace strategy. With over two decades of experience shaping human capital policy and workplace initiatives across the U.S. government, Mika has become a trailblazer in fostering work-life balance, wellness programs, and leadership opportunities for women within the federal workforce.
Mika reflects on her career journey, from pivotal moments that shaped her leadership style to the mentors who guided her along the way. She shares how her experiences as a U.S. Army veteran and a single mother have influenced her approach to leadership in both government and the private sector. Mika also discusses strategies for increasing government efficiency and promoting the advancement of women in leadership roles, offering practical insights on how to build a more inclusive environment for future generations of female leaders in the public sector.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation on navigating challenges, leveraging opportunities, and preparing the next wave of women to excel in leadership positions within government and beyond.
Mika J. Cross is a distinguished human capital expert, transformational workplace strategist and innovator. Best known as a Government Workplace Expert, she is known on a national scale for implementing precedent-setting, federal government-wide human capital policy and workplace initiatives to implement work life and wellness policies within the United States Intelligence Community, post 9/11, and she designed and implemented award winning work life programs across the Executive Departments and Executive Branches of government having served for more than two decades within the United States Intelligence Community, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Department of Labor, among others.
Additionally, she served as the Designated Federal Officer for the Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO) before transitioning to the private sector with FlexJobs, a fully remote company. As Vice President of Employer Engagement and Strategic Initiatives, Mika collaborated with executives across all sectors and industries to enhance talent management, develop recruitment strategies, and leverage flexible work policies for attracting and retaining top talent.
Mika was a regularly featured guest on the ABC/7 Government Matters TV show and she regularly volunteers her time with the Senior Executives Association (SEA), the Maine Advisory Council on Remote Work and in the past with the Greater Washington Board of Trade Connected DMV Work Group, the Advanced Technology Academic Research Center (ATARC) Digital/Workforce Transformation Work Group, Board Appointed HR Liaison for AFFIRM, and she previously served as the Government Chair of the Evolving the Workforce Community of Interest for ACT-IAC.
Additional Resources:
- How to Update Your Federal Resume for Private-Sector Jobs
IMPACT: Women in Leadership with Mary Ann Brown features conversations with trailblazing women shaping the future of business, government, and innovation.
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