Michelle Gardner-Ince
Speaker, Consultant, Veteran
Speaker, Consultant, Veteran
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
(OSDBU) plays a significant role in ensuring that programs, services, and support resources reach
the Veteran small business community. As the Director of the Women Veteran-Owned Small
Business Initiative (WVOSB), she leads the Department’s efforts to develop programs that connect
and enable Women Veteran entrepreneurs within the VA, federal and commercial marketplace. As the architect of the first
program of its kind in the federal government, the program brings together like-minded female Veteran entrepreneurs to
position and enable their success and remove obstacles that often stand in the way. The effort is known in the Veteran and
small business community as” VetBizLady or VetBizLadies.” As its Director, she develops, executes, and communicates the
importance of the WVOSB Initiative and its mission to bring partnerships and collaborations into VA to increase access,
economic, procurement, and learning opportunities for Woman Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (WVOSBs). Known by
most as “G-I,” Ms. Gardner-Ince’s focus is to increase cooperation with other Federal agencies, commercial entities, non-
profits, and educational institutions to benefit WVOSB success.
Ms. “G-I” has successfully led several Directorates within OSDBU. As the Director of National Veterans Small Business
Engagement (NVSBE), she led the NVSBE is the Department’s premier event for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
(VOSBs) to connect with Procurement Decision Makers and contracting experts from the federal and commercial
marketplaces. She simultaneously served as Operations Director, where she led the management and delivery of services
and products to OSDBU directorates, enabling 242 federal and contract staff to help Veteran businesses. She oversaw the
human capital, financial, security, administrative, logistical, information technology, and support functions critical to its
mission. Focusing always on “people, process, and technology,” her vision brings significant value to the federal
government’s largest Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).
Before being the Director of Operations, she was the Director of the Center for Verification and Evaluation, formerly known
as the Center for Veteran Enterprise (CVE), within the OSDBU at the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) from December
2011 to November 2015. As the Principal of the only Federal Government program that audits and verifies ownership and
control of Veteran-owned businesses for the Department of Veteran Affair, and other federal agency contract set-asides,
CVE enabled $3.8B contract set-asides making the Department of Veterans Affairs the leading supporter of Veteran small
businesses. Under her leadership, CVE was certified as one of three ISO- 9000-1 registered organizations in the entire
Department of VA. Further, she successfully led the historic transformation of the new CVE to achieve historical
precedence: 100% of applications processed within the Veterans First law timelines for the “first time” in the history of the
Veterans’ First Program. The CVE program is known within the supplier diversity and veteran small business communities
as VetBiz.gov and is recognized as the “Gold Standard” for Veteran Small Business certifications.
Ms. “G-I” is a highly decorated Air Force Veteran and a retired Colonel, having served 20+ years supporting Veterans,
military troops, and their families. Before creating her own small business, G-I Strategic Solutions LLC., an advisory and
consulting firm, she held numerous executive-level positions. Her experience spans customer-centric business operations,
training, consulting, strategic collaboration, and directing award-winning complex global operations. One of her most
significant leadership roles was as the Commander (Senior Vice President) of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service
(AAFES). Pacific Region, where she led a $1.8 billion-dollar retail, food, and services business, with full profit-loss
responsibility, employed 7000+ associates who provided goods and services to over 350,000 military, U.S. government
civilian, and State Department patrons and their families. While in command, her leadership led to the top highest grossing
military exchanges in the world two years in a row. AAFES is the U.S. military’s largest retail operation.
Ms. “G-I’s” personal mission is to be “About the business of America’s Veterans – serving those who continue to serve
America.” Ms. “G-I” has a unique perspective in that she has never been without a military ID Card. She is a Veteran and a
military spouse, but she grew up in an Army family. Her father and Vietnam Veteran, Colonel Arthur Gardner, commissioned
her. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama, and a master’s degree from Troy State
University, Troy, Alabama. She is a graduate Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth Executive Program, Dale Carnegie and
John Maxwell, leadership coach/trainer. She lives in the Washington DC Metro area. She is married and has two children.