About Bidwell Solutions.

Co-Founder

Nicole Tripputi

Nicole spent 25 years in the U.S. government, including service as an Air Force officer and unlimited warranted Contracting Officer. She has done every part of the job: sat with customers to develop requirements, evaluated proposals, trained the next generation of Contracting Officers, signed the awards and everything in between. She knows the process because she's lived every step of it.

She's also been on the other side. Nicole has held senior roles in industry, leading SBIR technology transitions and Phase III execution firsthand. She knows what it looks like from both chairs.

Today, Nicole advises CEOs, executive teams, and growth-stage companies on the highest-stakes decision in the SBIR lifecycle: how to get from proven technology to signed Phase III contract. She brings contracting-officer-level judgment to strategy, documentation, and every conversation with the government, because she's in the room with you, not on the sidelines.

Nicole founded Bidwell to solve a problem she saw from both sides: brilliant technology stalling because no one could bridge the gap between innovation and acquisition. She's that bridge.

Co-Founder

Chris Tripputi

Chris brings over 15 years of experience helping organizations clarify their message and communicate with purpose. He has a sharp eye for how a business presents itself, not just visually, but strategically, and has partnered with companies across industries to align how they operate with how they show up in the market.

As co-founder of Bidwell, Chris is focused on building the business from the inside out, shaping how the company serves its clients, strengthening the systems behind the work, and ensuring that every engagement reflects the standard Bidwell sets.

His background in brand strategy and business development gives him a unique lens on what makes an organization credible, consistent, and built to grow.

Vice President

Jessica Steinhoff

Jessica Steinhoff is a government contracting strategist and operations executive with over 26 years of leadership experience across the U.S. Air Force, innovation-driven startups, and public-private ecosystems. A former unlimited warranted contracting officer, she brings senior-level acquisition expertise that enables executive teams to navigate complex federal procurements with confidence.

Since transitioning to industry in 2022, Jessica has leveraged deep expertise in FAR/DFARS compliance, federal acquisition strategy, and dual-use technology transition to help secure over $300 million in government awards across more than 60 contracts with agencies including DoD, DHA, DHS, DOE, FBI, and DARPA. She has led multi-client proposal strategies and built scalable systems supporting success across SBIR/STTR, GSA MAS, OTA, IDIQ, and grant programs, while serving as a trusted advisor to startups and executive teams.

Director of Operations

Michelle McCann

Michelle McCann brings over two decades of operational excellence to the team, with deep expertise in compliance, government contracting, system administration, and workflow optimization. With a proven track record in both startup and tech environments, Michelle has led the development of scalable systems, automated internal processes, and managed mission-critical compliance protocols across departments.

Her accomplishments include navigating and mastering a wide range of government systems, and successfully submitting over 800 government proposals on behalf of more than 200 tech companies. Michelle also excels in coordinating cross-functional teams, building standard operating procedures, and integrating tools like Microsoft Planner, HubSpot, and PandaDoc for streamlined business operations.

Human Capital & Performance Expert

Marc Esposito

Marc is a retired and decorated Air Force Special Tactics Officer with over twenty years of leadership in high-risk, no-fail environments. He specializes in human performance optimization and the systems that support it: wearable analytics, musculoskeletal imaging, metabolic analysis, cognitive performance technologies and more.

Marc advises advanced technology companies building solutions for military, first responder, and elite athlete populations. He leads business development and market strategy for organizations working to get their human performance technology adopted by the Department of Defense and federal agencies, from readiness assessment and return-to-duty protocols to pioneering work in osseointegration for military amputees.

His partnership with Bidwell bridges the gap between breakthrough human performance technology and the acquisition pathway that gets it into the hands of the people who need it most.

Strategic Messaging & Brand Communications

Rebecca Leroux

Rebecca brings over 15 years of experience turning complex ideas into clear, compelling messages. She specializes in helping small businesses and government contractors say the right thing to the right people. Beyond the federal space, Rebecca helps innovators tell their story to the commercial market, translating deep technical work into messaging and visuals that make investors, partners, and buyers pay attention.

Her philosophy is simple: content without strategy is noise. Rebecca builds messaging frameworks and targeted campaigns that make your organization stand out, and she tracks every campaign to make sure it's working. Her partnership with Bidwell connects federal contracting strategy with professional brand execution, so clients show up with a credible, cohesive presence wherever it matters most.

Fractional CTO

Justin McKelvey

Justin is a fractional CTO with 15 years building software products and internal operations systems for growing firms. He leads Bidwell's technology and digital infrastructure — the workflow automation, internal tooling, and the systems behind bidwellnow.com — so the advisory team's time stays on the work that requires judgment.

Based in Austin, TX.