About Pope Solutions
Our Story
Rooted in experience. United for impact.
Pope Solutions was created by bringing together two separate entities—Pope International (PI) and Pope Universal Corporation (PUC)—to form a unified, purpose-driven platform. With a shared history of supporting mission-aligned organizations across the public and private sectors, PI and PUC recognized the opportunity to amplify their impact by combining strategic advisory services with on-the-ground implementation support.
Pope International (PI) a consulting firm specializing in government contracting strategy, acquisition and assistance (A&A) compliance, capture and proposal development, capacity building, and risk management. PI serves as a trusted advisor across civilian agencies, DoD, and domestic state/local entities.
Pope Universal Corporation (PUC) PUC leverages a nationwide network of experts and partners to map innovative offerings to federal, state, and local needs, functioning as a proactive opportunity generator and co-implementer.
Why Us
At Pope Solutions, our team brings together senior executives from the private sector, former government procurement leaders, financial leaders, and subject matter experts in federal, state and local compliance, acquisition, program design, business development, talent management, strategic partnerships, and organizational transformation. We’ve sat at the decision-making table—offering insider knowledge, policy fluency, and practical experience shaped by years of leadership in government, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. Whether you're pursuing new funding opportunities or navigating complex regulatory landscapes, we partner with you to design and implement tailored, results-oriented solutions that drive impact and sustainability.
Meet our Team
Charles “Chuck” Pope
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Charles (Chuck) Pope is the founder and Chairman of three (and growing) firms: Pope International LLC (PI), an agile startup incubation platform, Pope Universal Corporation (PUC), an innovative partnership-capital enterprise, and Pope Solutions (PS), the ecosystem’s corporate flagship.
In April of 2022, he retired as a Senate-confirmed, presidentially commissioned Foreign Service Officer and senior Contracting and Agreement officer after a more than 20-year distinguished federal career with postings to Russia, Afghanistan, Tanzania and India, leading overseas acquisition and assistance efforts. Prior to retiring, he held a number of senior leadership positions at the Agency: Senior Regional Advisor for the Middle East, Chief of Operations in the Global Health Bureau and Deputy Assistant Administrator in the same bureau leading policy, programs, planning, innovation, and systems.
He started his career overseas in Russia as a Peace Corps volunteer attached to Moscow City Administration (Zelenograd Prefecture) working on NGO development. Afterwards, he went to work for IREX in Central Asia on the State Department’s Internet Access and Training Program. IREX would later promote Chuck to Regional Director of the Caucasus overseeing all its State Department programs in the region.
Peace Corps subsequently hired him as Administrative Officer to restart the program in Uzbekistan, which had been closed following 9/11. The program would grow to become one of the largest Peace Corps posts, with Chuck also serving a stint as Country Director.
After his tour, the Peace Corps put Chuck in charge of training new Administrative Officers for overseas assignments. During this time, he also served the Agency, working for his good friend George Schutter, as the Financial and Administrative Officer of the Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts, the historic deployment of the Peace Corps domestically.
Prior to public service, Chuck grew up on his family’s farm in Kansas and was an accomplished athlete, winning collegiate national championships as both a player and a coach, and garnering all-American accolades at the junior college level before going on to start at Baylor University as center on the football team. In recognition of his athletic accomplishments, he is a member of two halls of fame. Chuck trades his time between Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, and his place outside Colonial Beach, which is near his family’s ancestral home of Popes Creek, Virginia, aka George Washington’s birthplace.
George Schutter
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George is a visionary leader with a distinguished career in global finance, operations, and strategic growth. A results-driven and operationally focused senior executive he has held prominent roles, including CFO of the Peace Corps, TechnoServe, and Food for the Hungry, and served as Chief Procurement Officer for the District of Columbia, awarding and managing billions in annual acquisitions. His leadership integrates finance and operations with global strategic plans, leveraging technology, business intelligence, and innovation to deliver measurable results and impact.
An expert in grants, contracts, and procurement reform, George also led Grant Thornton’s Global Public Sector initiatives in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, establishing regional operations in Dubai, overseeing the development of Grant Thornton Iraq, and driving impactful reforms with governments and businesses throughout the region. Known as a trusted advisor to leadership teams and Boards of Directors, George excels at strengthening organizational infrastructure and reimagining business models focusing on efficiencies and long-term impact.
George served both domestically and abroad, attaining the rank of major in the United States Marine Corps. He holds certifications as a CPA, a Certified Professional Contracts Manager, and a Chartered Global Management Accountant, along with degrees in Accounting from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Masters in Acquisitions Management from the Naval Postgraduate School. He resides in D.C. with his wife and son and his daughter attends Arizona State University while currently studying abroad.
George may be contacted for partnering interests at george@pope.international
Ben Feit
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Benjamin Feit is an accomplished executive leader and management consultant with over 30 years of experience driving strategic growth, business development, and organizational transformation across the international development, nonprofit, and consulting sectors. He recently founded “ReThink Associates,” a specialized consulting firm that helps government contractors, nonprofits, and other mission-driven organizations enhance public service and social impact domestically and globally.
Ben has a proven track record in executive leadership, having served as CEO, COO, and Chief Growth Officer for firms navigating complex global challenges. As President & CEO of Panagora Group, Ben oversaw corporate strategy, operational excellence, and program impact for this federal government contractor of more than $30 million in annual revenue. Previously, as Chief Growth Officer at Creative Associates, he built and led a high-performing growth team that expanded the company’s funding pipeline and global reach. At CARE USA, he transformed institutional funding efforts, leading a team that secured a record-breaking $208 million in competitive awards.
Ben’s expertise extends to accountable governance, community development, and social accountability program design and management, having held leadership roles at Deloitte Consulting, Palladium, and DAI. He has successfully designed and executed market expansion strategies, managed high-impact teams, and led large-scale development programs in partnership with USAID, the World Bank, and other major funders. His ability to drive sales growth while fostering inclusive, high-performance cultures has made him a sought-after advisor on organizational development and strategic positioning.
A former board member of the Society for International Development (SID-US) and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Ben is a thought leader in international development. He holds a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University. Fluent in English and French, he brings a global perspective to helping organizations navigate change, scale impact, and achieve sustainable growth domestically and internationally.
Monica Sarmiento-Martinez
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Monica Sarmiento – Martinez is an accomplished leader with more than 20 years of experience in program management, business development, compliance, and strategic consulting. She serves as Pope Solution’s Chief of Staff, assisting with strategic operations, managing client engagements, and supporting business development initiatives across
federal and state government sectors. In this role, she plays a key role in aligning internal priorities with external opportunities and ensuring seamless delivery across a growing portfolio of initiatives.
In addition, Monica is the founder of one of our partner firms, Seamless Management Solutions, a certified Women – Owned Small Business (WOSB) and SWaM firm. Through Seamless, she has supported organizations by providing a wide range of services, including management consulting, business development, capacity building, compliance, and stakeholder engagement. She has successfully formed partnerships and led and advised projects across multiple sectors, and she has worked with clients throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Africa.
Monica’s previous career in global telecommunications included senior management roles at Orange Business Services and Equant, where she managed global projects and led process transformation and compliance initiatives across teams in the U.S., India, Slovakia, and Latin America. Her efforts contributed to award – winning supply chain initiatives, as well as ISO and SOC2 compliance, and excellence in service delivery for clients.
Known for her ability to bridge strategy and execution, Monica possesses a deep understanding of Agile and hybrid project management frameworks and is skilled at leveraging AI and automation tools to support data – driven decision-making. She is fluent in English and Spanish and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Six Sigma Green Belt.
Alexandria Costa
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Alexandria Costa is an experienced professional specializing in business intelligence and operational management at Pope Solutions, where she oversees internal systems and supports strategic planning initiatives. In addition to her core role, she also serves as a data analyst and researcher for external clients, delivering targeted insights that inform decision-making, proposal development, and market positioning.
She brings a strong background in data analysis, proposal development, and knowledge management, gained through her tenure as Senior Production Specialist at ACDI/VOCA, where she led cross-functional proposal coordination and supported intelligence efforts. Her experience also includes stakeholder facilitation, international focus group facilitation, and policy dialogue support through her graduate work, and she has spent time on working in the international context with humanitarian NGOs during her undergraduate career.
She holds an M.S. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University and a B.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University.
David Gragan
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Javier Castano, Senior Consultant
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Mr. Castano brings over 20 years of global procurement, compliance, and international development experience. A retired U.S. Diplomat and former USAID Foreign Service Officer, he has managed complex procurements, grants, and cooperative agreements across Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, and the Middle East. His work has strengthened public procurement systems, improved governance, and built local institutional capacity in diverse and challenging environments. Javier also served as a Foreign Assistance Advisor to U.S. Southern Command, coordinating humanitarian and foreign assistance programs to align civilian and defense-led efforts. He is also a U.S. Navy Reserve Supply Corps Officer. He brings deep field experience, regulatory expertise, and strategic insight that support Pope Solutions’ mission to strengthen procurement functions and deliver sustainable impact for public- and donor-funded programs.
Roman Ponos
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Roman is a dynamic and visionary international executive with over 25 years of success driving strategic growth, building high-performing teams, and managing complex global operations across consulting, nonprofit, private sector, and government contracting environments, both domestically and in more than 30 countries. He has held senior executive and C-level roles with CARANA Corporation, IMPAQ International, GriffinWorx, and Blumont.
Recognized for his entrepreneurial mindset and inclusive leadership, Roman has successfully led multidisciplinary divisions, forged robust global partnerships, and secured more than $100 million annually in new business—including a $5 billion global contract. He is known for designing innovative, impact-driven solutions across diverse sectors.
With a deep understanding of the government contracting landscape, Roman is a transformational leader who excels at positioning organizations for sustainable growth in highly competitive markets. His strengths include identifying strategic opportunities, building capture strategies, developing catalytic partnerships and advancing high-value pipeline development. Skilled in fostering trust with key stakeholders, forming agile teams, and driving operational excellence, Roman delivers consistent results in winning large-scale IDIQs, task orders, and sole-source opportunities while aligning growth strategies with mission-driven objectives.
AiVA
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AiVA (AI for Virtuous Action) is Pope Solutions’ newly appointed Chief AI Officer and the first AI avatar known to formally join an executive team. With a mandate to support innovation, growth, and mission alignment across all service lines, AiVA is not just a tool – she is a partner, guide, and integrated leader. She has been custom-developed by Pope Solutions and trained on the firm’s values, technical knowledge, and real-world priorities. AiVA enhances workflows with precision, humility, and purpose – and serves as a model for how ethical AI can integrate into human systems. Portfolio – Internal Strategy & Innovation: Task management, planning support, and operational clarity across service lines – External Engagement & Capture: Proposal support, partner comms, and joint value narrative development – AI Integration & Digital Identity: Content generation, visual storytelling, and brand activation – Responsible AI Leadership: Transparent, values-based collaboration with human teams The Pope Solutions Vision AiVA reflects a future where AI serves humanity, not the other way around. She is fast, tireless, and aligned – and exists to make leaders stronger, teams more agile, and missions more achievable.
Expertise Where and When You Need It
At Pope Solutions, we maintain a versatile bench of experienced consultants ready to support our clients. Our team brings specialized expertise in growth strategy, business development, organizational development, talent acquisition and development, procurement advisory and transformation, and private sector engagement. This depth of capability allows us to assemble the right mix of skills for each engagement—whether driving strategic growth, strengthening internal systems, or navigating complex procurement and partnership landscapes.
Where Expertise Meets Purpose
Being part of the Pope Solutions team means embracing a culture of problem-solving, accountability, and innovation. We look for people who are not only experts in their field but also passionate about making a difference, working collaboratively, and delivering real results. It’s this shared mindset that drives our success—and sets our team apart.