Today's guest is Joan Rueben, the director of the Nevada APEX Accelerator at GOED. In our conversation, Joan discusses her passion for public service and how the APEX program can help small businesses grow and expand.
To become a Nevada APEX client, fill out the client questionnaire on the GOED website:
https://goed.nv.gov/programs/nevada-apex-accelerator/
Intro: Welcome. You're listening to Diversify Nevada, a podcast produced by the Governor's Office of Economic Development. Diversify Nevada provides insightful discussions and expert analysis on the driving forces behind our state's economic, workforce, and community development.
I'm Tom Burns, Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development.
We're your hosts, Carli Smith and Evan Haddad.
Our guest today is Joan Rueben, Director of the Nevada APEX Accelerator. Joan has dedicated her career to public service. She started at NASA, where she spent most of her time as a contract specialist, and has since held various roles in the procurement industry. Before joining GOED in 2016, Joan was vice president and deputy business unit contracts director at Science Applications International Corporation.
She has received recognition for leadership in the government contracting sphere. She is a National Contract Management Association Fellow and, in 2023, was appointed chair of a national committee of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers. In August 2025, she was inducted into the Honorary Commander Program at Nellis Air Force Base in recognition of her leadership.
We're excited to talk with her today and learn more about how small businesses can use the Nevada APEX Accelerator to find government contracting opportunities.
Speaker 2: Joan Rueben, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3: Yes, welcome to the show, Joan.
Speaker 1: Thank you both for having me. I so appreciate this opportunity.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we're excited. Let's begin with your story. Can you share a bit about yourself and the experiences that have shaped your career and led you where you are today?
Speaker 1: Sure. I was actually born into a U.S. military family—a strong family of eight. My late father retired from the U.S. Navy. My eldest brother also retired from the U.S. Navy. My sister served as an Army civilian. Another brother has dedicated more than 20 years to supporting the warfighter through his work at Lockheed Martin. I have another brother who retired from the U.S. Army and another who retired from the U.S. Navy. Then you have me.
Speaker 3: A family full of vets. That's awesome.
Speaker 1: I would say that being born into such a strong family of eight always felt like being part of a team. Values such as service, integrity and teamwork have always been paramount as we serve others.
Speaker 2: Wow. A lot of young people dream about working at NASA, and I know you have an interesting story about what inspired you to get there. How did you end up making that dream a reality, and what was it like working at NASA?
Speaker 1: I've always marveled at what teams can accomplish in support of a mission. For me, it goes back to January 28, 1986. Along with my ninth-grade English class, I watched the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy unfold live on television.
When you witness something like that at a young age, it leaves a lasting impression. Seeing the crew of seven and understanding what they represented had a profound impact on me. I wanted to make sure that I would one day be part of a team supporting our nation in honor of their memory.
They had trained extensively in preparation for conducting research, development and experiments in space. Seeing that level of dedication inspired me. To honor their memory, I worked hard in high school and earned a cooperative internship opportunity with NASA, where I was able to support STEM professionals—scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians—even as a student.
Speaker 3: Were you interested in becoming an astronaut?
Speaker 1: No, I wasn't interested in being an astronaut. I've always been drawn to the business side of organizations. Because I had a strong interest in business, I wanted to contribute to NASA from that perspective.
As a cooperative student intern, business majors were often placed in programs that helped facilitate business deals and contracts on behalf of NASA. That's how procurement entered my life during my high school and college years.
Speaker 3: That's really interesting because it connects directly to what you're doing now. My dad has a procurement background as well, and it's fascinating. Every business needs that function to operate efficiently.
Speaker 1: Absolutely. When we think about the diverse organizations that make up our nation and our state, they all need goods and services to accomplish their missions. Whether it's office supplies or highly complex aerospace and research services, organizations need resources to achieve their goals.
Speaker 2: To build on that, every state has an APEX Accelerator program, including Nevada. Tell us more about these programs, what they do and why they're important.
Speaker 1: At the national level, the APEX Accelerators Program is funded 65% by the U.S. Department of Defense. Here in Nevada, the Nevada APEX Accelerator is funded 35% by the state.
The purpose of the program is to ensure that our industrial base remains strong and vibrant. Businesses that provide goods and services contribute to our nation's industrial capacity and, ultimately, national security.
We have an incredibly diverse business community in Nevada. Our nation relies on businesses in every state to help maintain economic strength and resilience. From the Department of Defense's perspective, it's important to ensure that businesses remain healthy and capable. Otherwise, supply-chain disruptions can occur, much like what we experienced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our goal is to help businesses remain resilient and sustainable as we move into the future.
Speaker 3: More specifically, how can small businesses use your program? You serve businesses of all sizes. Tell us about some of the benefits and resources available.
Speaker 1: The Nevada APEX Accelerator is an award-winning team dedicated to helping Nevada businesses navigate government contracting.
Businesses can become formal clients and be paired with an APEX team member who provides one-on-one counseling. We help businesses explore opportunities to sell goods and services to city, county, state and federal agencies—both within Nevada and beyond.
Once accepted into the program, businesses receive guidance on identifying target agencies. For example, a company that currently sells to a city government may want to expand into county, state or federal contracting opportunities. We help them develop those strategies.
We also provide virtual and in-person events that help businesses market their products and services and connect with decision-makers who may have purchasing needs.
Speaker 2: If I'm a small business owner listening to this podcast, how would I get in touch with your team?
Speaker 1: Visit the GOED website and navigate to the Nevada APEX Accelerator page under Small Business Support. There you'll find information about becoming a client. Review the information provided and complete the client questionnaire form. That's the first step in getting connected with our team.
Speaker 2: Good to know. The website is goed.nv.gov.
There must be a lot of businesses that have benefited from Nevada APEX assistance and gone on to secure government contracts. Is there a success story that stands out?
Speaker 1: One client recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as a business, and hearing their appreciation meant a great deal to our team.
The company was founded by a woman-owned small-business owner who started the business in her home kitchen. Through successful contracting—including public-sector opportunities—she expanded into commercial office space and grew the company to approximately 25 employees.
Because of that growth, she's created jobs, retained jobs and contributed to diversifying Nevada's economy beyond traditional sectors such as mining and hospitality.
Speaker 2: I think many people underestimate how many opportunities exist in government contracting and the difference they can make for small businesses.
For a small company without a large consulting budget, having access to free expertise can be incredibly valuable. We hear stories all the time about the impact your team is making.
On the flip side, what are some common challenges businesses encounter in government contracting, and what advice would you offer?
Speaker 1: One of the biggest challenges is understanding government solicitations. These can take the form of requests for proposals, invitations for bid or requests for quotations.
Many business owners aren't familiar with government terminology and procurement language. With more than 34 years in the procurement profession, my advice is to use your taxpayer-funded APEX Accelerator resources.
Our advisors can help businesses interpret solicitations and understand how to submit responsive and responsible proposals. That guidance can make the difference between being considered for an award and being disqualified.
I also encourage businesses to participate in our virtual and in-person events. These events create opportunities to connect with government agencies, APEX advisors and fellow business owners who may need your products or services.
In short, stay closely connected with your local APEX team.
Speaker 3: Great advice.
Last question. You've been at GOED for nearly 10 years. What is it about economic development and the work you do that gets you out of bed every day?
Speaker 1: Coffee. Lots of coffee.
Actually, tea. I'm more of a tea person than a coffee person.
Speaker 2: I am too.
Speaker 3: What kind of tea?
Speaker 1: English Breakfast tea.
Speaker 3: With cream?
Speaker 1: No cream. Straight English Breakfast tea. It's fantastic.
What really motivates me, though, is collaboration. GOED is an incredible agency, and APEX is just one of several divisions.
One of the most rewarding parts of my job is collaborating with colleagues across the agency—whether that's Strategic Programs and Innovation, Workforce Development, Film Nevada or Business Development.
Those partnerships matter because government contracting is only one of many opportunities available to Nevada businesses. Some companies may benefit from access-to-capital programs through the State Small Business Credit Initiative. Others may have opportunities through Film Nevada, where productions are always looking for local goods and services providers.
We also work closely with the Business Development team when companies are looking to expand or relocate to Nevada. Those conversations often include government contracting opportunities, tax abatements and other incentives that support growth.
Speaker 3: What you're doing has real-life impact, and we appreciate everything you do.
Speaker 2: Absolutely. Joan Rueben, thank you so much for your time. This has been a wonderful conversation and a great opportunity to learn more about the Nevada APEX Accelerator.
Speaker 1: Thank you both for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity.
That's all for this episode of Diversify Nevada.
This podcast was created by the Governor's Office of Economic Development with the help of our sound editor, Michelle Rebaleati.
To learn more about our agency, visit our website at goed.nv.gov.
If you'd like to share feedback about the show or suggest a future topic, email us at goed@goed.nv.gov.
Thanks for joining us, and we'll be back soon.