Amanda Haven

CEO | Proposal Management Expert

Amanda is the founder of Illuminate Marketing Collective, a full-service marketing consulting firm. She is also the chief content creator of Illuminate Learning Lab, an educational resource for A/E/C professionals, offering guides, templates, and more. She is an experienced professional services marketer who is passionate about sharing best practices on leadership, marketing, proposals, and BD.

Sonia KHAZRI

Proposal Specialist

Proposal specialist

Ana Berkovich

Proposal Specialist

Ana has been with Commerce Bank for 8 years. In that time she has served as an administrative assistant in the Mortgage department, as well as in a Post-Closing role, where she used her expertise in editing to closely review closing documents from mortgage transactions. In her current role as a Proposal Specialist II, Ana leads large and small efforts that span all Commercial products and services offered at Commerce. In addition, she helps to manage the RFx Team's existing content and in developing procedures as the team continues to grow. Ana also works with other areas of the Bank, including Training, with who she developed a Technical Writing training program that she presents quarterly alongside a Training Specialist. Ana has a Foundational level certification from APMP and got her Master's degree in Writing from Missouri State University, where she taught creative writing classes for two years.

Anne Walker

Proposal Pro, Strategic Storyteller, and Fierce Advocate for the Unsung Heroes of A/E/C

As a Marketing, Business Development, and Proposal Professional in the A/E/C industry, I bring a unique blend of creativity and strategy to every project pursuit. With a Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) certification and a decade of hands-on experience, I’ve honed my expertise in leading teams, crafting winning strategies and driving brand-forward initiatives. Driven by data and client insights, I’m dedicated to supporting engineers and technicians in improving the built environment. At QK, I lead business development and marketing strategies, refine SOPs, and foster a collaborative culture that empowers my team to innovate and excel. My approach emphasizes efficiency, clarity, and team engagement, whether I'm directing proposal content creation, managing marketing campaigns, or coaching teams for successful interviews and client engagements.

Ayo Abbas

Marketing expert for Architects, Engineers and Contractors (AEC) | Speaker | Trainer | Fractional CMO | Non-Exec | NED

Ayo Abbas is an award-winning AEC industry marketing consultant, speaker and trainer. She has 24 years’ experience working across the real estate and construction sector for major firms including Arup, Mace, McLaren Construction and Ramboll. Ayo founded her own consultancy business Abbas Marketing in 2020. She was named as the overall winner for the Digital Woman of the Year Awards 2022. Ayo also hosts her own podcast The Built Environment Marketing Show. Her client list includes 7 of the top 10 UK engineering firms as well as several SME's and start-ups. In 2023, Ayo was honoured to be a RIBA London Awards judge. She was also named as an architectural trailblazer by Architizer Magazine and joined the jury for the A+ Awards run by the magazine in 2024 and 2025.

Ceri Mescall

Managing Director, Strategic Proposals Canada

Ceri Mescall is a strategic advisor to sales and proposal leaders navigating high-stakes pursuits. She's an APMP Fellow, a 40 Under 40 award winner, and an Approved Trainer across Foundation, Practitioner, and Capture Practitioner levels. Over the past 20 years, Ceri has helped clients across Canada, the US, and the UK secure more than $1B in profitable, sustainable revenue - through smarter rebid strategies, process improvements, expert reviews, and hands-on proposal leadership. Her clients range from global enterprises to growth-stage businesses across a variety of industries. Ceri is known for helping teams move from reactive to strategic - elevating pursuit quality, strengthening team capability, and protecting retention revenue. She’s also a speaker, writer, podcast guest, and awards judge with a passion for advancing the proposal profession.

Chermain Jennings

Consultant

Chermain is an independent consultant and proposal lead for commercial, federal, state, and local clients at one of the country's leading global consulting firms. She holds a graduate degree in Organizational Communications and a Women's Entrepreneurship at Cornell certificate. Her work experience spans over a decade and includes higher education, nonprofit, and private sector corporations.

Christine Willis

AEC Proposal Manager

Christine Willis has over 15 years of experience leading AEC teams, developing marketing strategies, and producing proposals. She loves coaching teams to prepare for interviews. Utilizing her background in improv comedy, she brings a unique perspective to leading marketing teams and technical staff to project wins. Outside of her AEC marketing role she enjoys building community with her local mom group and working on DIY projects.

Donald Silwick

Sales Operations Manager at Jacobs

Donald has 14+ years (12+ dedicated in AEC industry) of sales and proposal leadership experience. He has led the development of proposals ranging from $400M+ IDIQ contracts, $100M new construction projects, and $90M renovation projects. He has managed global teams of 20+ on proposals supporting 88 countries. His efforts have helped secure work with 17 federal agencies. He serves as a mentor with the Jacobs Proposal Coordinators CoP, Engineers in Action, and Towson University. Additional volunteer experience includes the Society of Marketing for Professional Services’ National Human Experience in Business Committee. According to Insights Discovery, he leads with green/yellow – he is an ambiverted people person who is just as happy in front of the client as he is behind the computer leading winning proposals. He is Baltimore born/raised and his ancestry includes both construction workers and military veterans. He is proud to be able to honor both in service to the AEC industry.

Donna Davis

AI Consultant, Wellness Coach, and Intentional Shift Strategist

Donna Davis is a Certified AI Consultant, Wellness Coach, and Intentional Shift Strategist in Life and Business. She is the CEO of D.W. Davis Consulting, LLC, where she empowers individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations to lead with purpose, integrate AI responsibly, and operate from a place of authenticity. With a Master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Clemson University and certifications in AI and Kingdom Leadership, Donna bridges the gap between technology, strategy, and emotional intelligence. She specializes in AI integration, grant writing, leadership development, and business systems designed to reduce overwhelm and elevate impact. Donna is also a published author and sought-after speaker, known for her ability to make complex topics—like AI—accessible, human, and aligned with personal and organizational values.

Harpreet Singh

Co-Founder, Thalamus AI

Harpreet Singh is the co-founder of Thalamus AI, a prompt-based Agentic AI platform transforming enterprise response management for RFPs, security questionnaires, and other complex workflows. Leveraging 20+ specialized AI agents, Thalamus AI delivers 95% accurate pre-fills, streamlines SME collaboration, and eliminates manual inefficiencies -helping teams work smarter and win more. With over a decade of experience across Financial Services and SaaS industries, Harpreet has built and scaled AI platforms, modernized legacy systems, and led cross-functional teams to deliver high-impact products. His expertise includes: -> Building 2 AI platforms from scratch, driving $15.5M+ in annual revenue. -> Managing 3 enterprise-grade AI apps for a $36B insurance company. -> Leading 120+ product features and engaging with 200+ clients to refine solutions. Harpreet’s passion lies in creating innovative solutions that empower proposal teams, foster collaboration, and reduce the daily grind of response management. At Thalamus AI, he’s on a mission to equip proposal pros with the technology they deserve - turning AI from a buzzword into a True competitive advantage.. Let’s explore how Agentic AI is redefining the future of proposal management! 🚀

Hazel Kenady

Capture Professional

Hazel Kenady is an APMP-certified proposal and capture professional with over 20 years of experience supporting EdTech companies in winning contracts with K-12 and higher education clients across the public sector.

Heather Melton

Anchor AI

I help bid teams turn AI from a scary buzzword into their favourite coworker. With a background in helping early stage start ups go-to-market and proposal technology, I specialise in showing teams how they can spend less time on tedious manual work and more time on strategy, creativity, and winning.. When not talking about AI, I am testing new tools, drinking too much coffee, and hosting Mind Your Bidness, a podcast dedicated to shining the spotlight on bid experts and sharing their knowledge.

Jen Cerciello

Manager - Proposals at Pearson VUE

An APMP-certified proposal manager, I have worked in proposals for 15 years, managing and writing bids and leading bid teams. Since first becoming a people manager in 2004, I have always prioritized working in a positive way to support the growth of each individual while in turn, meeting and exceeding corporate goals and achieving revenue growth. My 30+ years of business experience as well as my mini-MBA from Rutgers allow me to add value beyond my knowledge of proposals and RFP processes. In a former role on a federal program, I spent countless hours dissecting competitive bid processes. This experience, along with 8 years as a Certified Fraud Examiner, makes me a formidable ally regarding competitive bid analysis.

Jeremiah Williams

Marketer | Strategist | AEC Adventurer

Jeremiah Williams is a marketing coordinator for Schmidt Associates. He leads the team in winning complex pursuits by aligning business goals, client insights, and compelling storytelling. With over two decades in marketing--and the last several years focused on the built environment--Jeremiah brings a sharp perspective to the proposal process. He challenges traditional approaches and pushes teams to think beyond checklist, boilerplate, and generic messaging.

Josh Cramer

VP Customer Experience, Unanet

Josh Cramer, a seasoned professional in the government contracting space, has nearly 20 years of experience driving growth and innovation across federal and commercial sectors. As a co-founder of GovPro AI, he helped pioneer smarter, more efficient proposal development tools tailored to the unique needs of government contractors—culminating in the company’s acquisition by Unanet in 2024 to play a key part in their focus of providing a Growth Suite for their customer base. Today, Josh serves as Vice President of Customer Experience at Unanet, where he leads efforts to enhance the user journey and deliver real, measurable value to customers navigating the Government and AEC procurement landscapes. He’s passionate about solving complex problems, supporting customer critical priorities, and taking the “ugh” out of the proposal process.

Kemi Solanke

Head of Bids | Award Winning Leader and Bid Management Expert

Kemi Solanke is an award-winning bid management expert with over 10 years of experience leading high-performing proposal teams across various sectors, including construction, technology, government, defence and consulting. She has worked for FTSE 100 organisations and as a Head of Bids she has successfully secured multimillion-pound contracts while championing diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Kemi is a certified APMP professional and a PRINCE2-certified project manager. Her commitment to empowering women in business led to her selection as a UN Women UK delegate for the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68/69). As a key note speaker and thought leader Kemi uses her expertise to deliver webinars and training in the area of bid management and bid writing.

Kim Panesar

Creative Lead / APMP 40 Winner / Trainer

Since joining Strategic Proposals eleven years ago, Kim has worked on countless winning bids – receiving great acclaim from sales staff and evaluators in a wide range of sectors. He produces a wide variety of proposal and presentation graphics and designs, translating anything from a light client brief to highly complex technical information into high-impact visuals. He’s also a professional photographer. Kim presents regularly about design at bid industry conferences and is a past winner of APMP’s prestigious global “40 under 40” award. He developed the designs for “Proposals 2020” at the Royal Society of Arts, an industry event that won the trophy for the word’s best customer engagement event in the 2020 International Business Awards.

Kolby Goodman

Career Expert & Keynote Speaker | 4,000+ Clients Hired, Paid, & Promoted | Career Coach

Kolby Goodman is a career development expert and speaker who helps emerging leaders stop seeing themselves as “just job doers” and start becoming in-demand problem solvers. His guidance has supported professionals from top companies like Apple, Meta, Netflix, Amazon, Walmart, Deloitte, Sony, and the NFL in advancing their careers, solving bigger challenges, and making a stronger impact. Kolby’s approach builds self-awareness, sharpens self-advocacy, and helps professionals align with meaningful work — all while driving business results and fostering supportive, engaged workplace cultures. Known for his data-driven insights, actionable advice, and motivational delivery, Kolby equips professionals and organizations to thrive in today’s shifting workforce. Get ready for a session that’s both inspiring and packed with real-world strategies for lasting career growth!

Leonie Thomas

Senior Bid Writer

Leonie Thomas is a senior bid writer with over 20 years’ experience in work-winning roles across construction and infrastructure. She is passionate about the power of written communication in successful bids, and champions bid writing as a rewarding and strategic career in its own right, not just a stepping stone to bid management. Alongside her consultancy work, Leonie is helping shape the future of the bid writing profession. She is working with the UK Chapter of APMP to formalise a structured career path for bid writers and has founded a national bid writing focus group to explore and respond to the evolving challenges of the discipline. A skilled coach and collaborator, Leonie thrives on helping teams and individuals bring their best to the bidding process, in what is often a very demanding and pressurised environment.

Lisa Shea Mundt

Co-Founder

Ms. Lisa Shea Mundt is the Co-Founder of The Pulse, a research and advisory firm dedicated to the empowerment of Government Contractors. She received her BA with a double major in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communications + Media Arts and Design as well as her MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication from James Madison University. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Writing and Rhetoric from George Mason University. She has 14 years of experience in Federal Proposal Development and procurement trend analysis and reporting. She has touched more than 200 proposal efforts totaling billions of dollars in wins across a multitude of Government agencies and departments. In addition to her proposal abilities, Ms. Mundt is also a renowned training Facilitator experienced in training clients on Business Development, Capture Management, Proposal Management, and Orals Coaching. She is a frequently leveraged industry pundit and provides quotations, content, and speaking to trade publications and associations. She has appeared in over 45 presentations and made 10 podcast appearances over the last 3 years. Ms. Mundt is an avid writer who taught the introductory writing course to college freshmen at James Madison University. She sits on the board of the JMU Federal Dukes Alumni Chapter and is the current President of Women in Technology (WIT).

Morayah Stewart

Proposal Management Expert

Hi! I'm Morayah, and I up until 2024, I was a Proposal Manager. For 8 years I worked with Sales teams, built processes, and wrote RFPs selling Firetrucks, Playgrounds, and Software. in 2023, I branched out as an independent consultant and worked with small businesses to respond to RFPs on an ad-hoc basis. Today, I support proposal managers instead, as a Customer Success Manager for Loopio! I've worked with businesses and proposal managers on teams of all sizes and I'm so excited to share my expertise at RFWin.

Natalie Schroeder

Founder

With two decades’ experience leading high-stakes bids across government and commercial sectors in Australia and New Zealand, Natalie Schroeder brings a sharp, strategic and (gasp!) fun approach to every submission. She is the founder of The Bid Hub (thebidhub.co), a platform based in the Asia Pacific with a vision to make bidding work for everyone, by supporting the people who shape the story, manage the process, and carry the pressure, helping them win more easily, fairly, and with a more human approach. As a consultant, Natalie partners with organisations across industries including defence, finance, resource recovery, and professional services, to craft compelling, client-focused bids that don’t just tick boxes - they win and retain contracts. She is committed to elevating the bid profession, challenging outdated bid culture, and helping everyday bid pros step into their expertise with confidence, without the burnout.

Nathaniel Miller

Founder

Nathaniel Miller is a growth-driven Head of Marketing with deep roots in SEO, brand development, and revenue-focused content strategies. With over a decade of experience spanning SaaS, insuretech, and e-commerce, Nathaniel has led multi-channel campaigns, rebuilt marketing systems from scratch, and driven 900%+ increases in sales. A college dropout turned marketing leader, he's known for translating technical insights into high-converting brand narratives—especially in industries that are slow to change. He’s also the founder of The SEO Marketing Dad, an agency helping businesses grow organically through data-backed strategies and good old-fashioned elbow grease. Whether he's building a marketing engine or helping insurance agents ditch spreadsheets, Nathaniel brings the kind of energy that gets things moving.

Nicki Schneider

Senior Manager, Sales Support

I began working in Proposal Management 13 years ago, after too many years of call center management. I started working in software and over the past 10 years I've had the privilege of building the Deal Advancement team. A group of experts at SailPoint covering Proposal Management, Security Assessments, Knowledge Management and Corporate Resources. We are the experts who support the revenue org. through pre-sales and expanding to own internal-AI processes across the organization. We are a collaborative team with a foundation of accountability and ownership. I could not be more proud of our amazing team.

Patty White

Global Proposal Team Leader | Pursuit Strategy Leader | DEI Advocate

"I co-lead the Global Pursuit Strategy and Proposal Team for Plante Moran, a top 20 accounting and consulting firm. I lead transformative initiatives and strategic projects that push my team to the next level using emerging technologies, best practices, and great communication. I manage our operations, technology, and tools to ensure the team can always keep working smoothly. I coach our team to focus on strategy and compliance so we can keep winning. My biggest project in the last year is centered on transforming our proposals and proposal process with AI. I have been working on proposals for more than a decade. In that time, I've helped close over $1B in sales (no, really). I'm passionate about making great proposals that cause no pain. I am a nerd for great process and a stickler for common sense. I fiercely support my teams. I believe strongly that we all benefit from having permission to respectfully challenge ideas, rules, each other, and our thinking. Every proposal opportunity is a puzzle and I want to solve it!"

Rebecca Link

Principal, Chief Growth Officer, Co-Founder

Rebecca Link is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in business development, capture, proposals, orals, and AI. She excels in leading cross-functional teams to deliver strategic solutions, manage proposals, and provide technical writing and project management. Rebecca is APMP Practitioner Certified and was recognized as one of APMP’s Top 40 Under 40, highlighting her significant contributions to the field. Throughout her career, Rebecca has held a variety of leadership roles and has built and led proposal teams, managed proposal pipelines, and developed corporate-wide standard proposal management processes. Her expertise has been instrumental in securing numerous high-value contracts and driving organizational growth. Rebecca’s extensive experience and strategic vision make her a valuable asset- she consistently delivers high-quality results for her clients and organizations, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and innovation.

Sarah Boulding

Speaker

I have worked for nearly 20 years in proposal management, market and competitive intelligence, strategic analysis, and content creation. I am the Senior Manager of Pursuits and Proposals for Best Best & Krieger LLP, a California-based law firm with a national presence, where she leads a team supporting high proposal volumes due to the firm’s public agency client base. Highlights of my role include training, interview coaching, facilitating cross-team collaboration, and strategy, process, and editorial improvements. My career has been primarily focused in the legal sector, with additional stints in government contracting and customer experience.

Sonal Bhatnagar

Business Development at TCC

I am a Certified Practitioner Proposal Manager, with over 21 years of global experience in strategy, sales, business development, customer relations, process optimization, digital transformation, and exposure to most functions in an organization. - A thought-leader, multi-potential, and an expert in driving a consultative sales approach, GTM strategy, CRM, partner management, data analytics, program management, and driving business excellence through organization transformation processes to bring the best out of an organization. - Worked across multiple countries, and I bring a significant understanding of the APAC, India, UK/Europe and MEA markets. - Excellent at customer experience management and have regularly dealt with senior leaders, CXOs, regional heads, and country managers. - Bringing a wide understanding of the latest tech in AI, cloud, software, SaaS, consulting, and telecommunication - MBA graduate from India's top business school, the Indian Institute of Management. Women in Leadership program. - I am highly entrepreneurial and performance-oriented. I focus on practice building, client satisfaction, process optimization, people development, and organizational collaboration. I am now transitioning to customer success management using my client-facing skills in customer onboarding and retention.

Sukanya Das

Customer Success Manager | Experienced Proposal Writer | Bid Management Expert

Working professional with a 10 year career. I have been working on proposals for a good 6+ years now in the IT industry. Having worked on over 250+ high valued deals, I have come up with a recipe to create exceptional value proposition tailored to each client proposal. My career spans across two of the renowned IT companies where a lot of action happens over RFPs. I have a Computer Sc and an MBA degree along with a flair for writing which makes me well placed for my role.

Lorraine Baird

Director, Strategic Proposals Ltd

Lorraine is a trusted bid and proposal specialist with over 20 years’ experience helping organisations win the right business - smartly and cost-effectively. As a Director at Strategic Proposals, she’s known for her sharp strategic thinking, calm leadership under pressure, and an uncanny ability to turn even the vaguest brief into a winning strategy.

Audrey Alverson

Organizational Designer + Communications Strategist

Audrey Alverson has held leadership roles in organizational strategy, marketing, and communications for 15 years – as an employee, consultant, and volunteer for various architecture, housing justice, human rights, and social justice organizations. Her work in the architecture profession has always been driven by her commitment to equity and justice, and her belief that the profession has great opportunity to use its power for the good of people and communities broadly. Today Audrey leads The Bold Work Collaborative, a strategy and communications consultancy that helps purpose-driven organizations position for bigger impact, more resilience, and better recognition.