A Path to Partnership: Certifications: Tips to Land the Big Contracts

Maya Ingram is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in government communications, marketing, HUB (Historically Underutilized Business), and procurement. With a career spanning various roles within the public sector, Maya has established herself as a leading expert in facilitating government contracts and supporting small businesses.

Throughout her tenure, Maya has demonstrated a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in procurement processes. Notably, she served as the administrator of the State Historically Underutilized Business program, where she oversaw the certification of over 16,000 HUBs and supported more than 200 state internal HUB programs. Her efforts contributed to the advancement of underrepresented businesses and the achievement of state HUB expenditure goals.

Maya's journey began at the University of Texas at Austin, where she gained invaluable experience working in positions within the State Senate, House of Representatives, and the State Comptroller of Public Accounts’ office. She further honed her skills in government affairs as a legislative assistant in a prominent lobby group in Austin.

After taking a hiatus to focus on raising her family, Maya returned to her passion for public service, dedicating herself to roles centered around public administration, procurement, and small business support. As the HUB Marketing Coordinator, she guided thousands of HUB vendors and state entity HUB Coordinators, implementing innovative education and outreach strategies to increase participation in state contracts.

In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, Maya demonstrated resilience and adaptability as the Manager of the Statewide HUB program. Under her leadership, the program continued to thrive, fulfilling its statutory responsibilities while also launching the HUB Talk series—an initiative aimed at providing essential resources and training to small businesses navigating the complexities of government contracting during unprecedented times.

Maya's commitment to efficiency and modernization was evident in her role as the contract manager for the certification system, where she spearheaded the transition from manual to online processes, streamlining operations and improving record-keeping accuracy. Additionally, her oversight of enhancements to the Statewide Expenditure reporting system paved the way for more robust and reliable reporting capabilities across numerous st

Carlos A. Balderas, a native Texan from Austin, serves CapMetro as Manager of Supplier Diversity & Civil Rights Compliance.