304: From Zero GovCon Experience to Buying a 20-Year Federal Contractor with Mario Antwine

On this episode of the GovCon Giants Podcast, Eric sits down with Mario Antwine, Yale and Howard grad, M&A strategist, and new owner of Pearl Interactive Network, to break down how a finance guy bought an eight-figure federal contractor and is now scaling it like a private equity platform. Mario shares why he targeted GovCon specifically, how he acquired Pearl sight unseen, and the operational upgrades he's made to modernize a 20-year-old business process outsourcing company serving HHS, DOD, VA, and DHS.

You'll hear how he thinks about systems, advisors, and culture, why he's aggressively hunting small-business teaming partners, and why the future of GovCon belongs to companies that pair mission-driven work with tech-enabled innovation. 

Key Takeaways:

• Buy, don't just build: Mario used acquisition—backed by strong advisors and a clear thesis—to enter GovCon and rapidly step into large, long-term federal contracts instead of starting from scratch.

• Teaming as a growth engine: Pearl is actively looking for small-business partners in digital transformation, cloud/ServiceNow, behavioral health, automation, and IT help desk across HHS, Defense Health, VA, and DHS.

• Platforms > one-off contracts: The winners in the next phase of GovCon will be those who build repeatable systems, tech-enabled delivery models, and mission-focused platforms that agencies and primes can't imagine operating without.

Learn more: https://federalhelpcenter.com/ https://govcongiants.org/ 

Encore Funding: https://www.encore-funding.com/ 

Join the bootcamp: https://govcongiants.org/bootcamp 

Tony's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-gray-mba-bdp/

Website: https://www.gbdassociation.org/