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
Human-Centered Leadership in Action: Em Allan on Impact and Innovation
In this episode of IMPACT: Women in Leadership, host Mary Ann Brown talks with Em Allan, Vice President of VA Operations at Oddball. Em shares how she leads multidisciplinary teams of engineers, program managers, UX designers, and product leads to deliver the seamless digital experiences and high-quality care veterans deserve. She explains what motivates her work and what “making an impact” personally means in the federal tech space.
Em also discusses how Oddball’s mission-driven culture has supported her growth. As a software consulting firm focused on modernizing federal citizen-centric services, Oddball empowers teams through strong engineering practices, human-centered design, cloud migration, DevOps excellence, and continuous delivery. Em highlights how this environment enables innovation and meaningful progress for the veteran community.
Throughout the conversation, Em reflects on building strong teams, leading with purpose, and fostering collaboration across diverse disciplines. She closes with actionable advice for women beginning their careers in federal tech and insights on how to create space for impactful leadership at every level.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyallan/
#WomenInLeadership #FederalTech #VeteransAffairs #DigitalModernization #Oddball #WomenInTech #LeadershipPodcast #GovTech #HumanCenteredDesign #ForumIMPACT #ForumIMPACTpodcast
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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