Access toDecision-makers
Months spent pitching people who can’t say yes.
The future of networking is now
You’re closer than you think.
The person who can change your business may be just one connection away.
Tap anywhere in the network to trace a new path.
YOU→CONNECTION→MEETING→OPPORTUNITY
Technology finds contacts. Relationships open doors.
Your next customer, partner, investor or opportunity may already be within reach. We help you find the path.
01 The problem
The right people. The wrong approach.
Every company has an opportunity it can’t quite reach. In a world overflowing with AI, CRMs and automated outreach, reaching people has never been easier. Getting their attention has never been harder.
Access to
Access toStrategic relationships
Without the right connections, doors stay closed.
Access toOpportunities
By the time you hear about them, the deal is already taking shape.
02 The C5BDI Six Degrees Network
One network. Countless possibilities.
Six degrees of connection says anyone can be reached in a handful of introductions. In our network, the person you need might only be a few connections away. Relationships built over a decade span government, defense, commercial markets, technology, capital, sports and innovation.
Government
Defense
Commercial markets
Technology
Capital
Sports
Innovation
One NetworkHow the network is built
Nodes, bridges and targets.
We map every request the same way. It tells us how far you are from the person you need and which relationship gets you there fastest.
The people we know
Leaders, buyers, founders and operators we have worked with directly over the past decade.
The people who connect worlds
Trusted contacts who sit between sectors, such as a defense leader with ties to capital or a sports executive with ties to technology.
The people you need
The buyer, partner, investor or decision-maker you named. We work backward from them.
Track record · Since 2015
Ten years of relationships and results.
$1.5B+Government contract value
669+Wins
2015Founded
Our advantage isn’t a database.
It’s knowing who to call.
About C5BDI
Ten years building the network.
C5 Business Development Innovations started in 2015 as a business development firm for government contractors. Over 669 wins and $1.5 billion in contracts, one lesson kept repeating. Success wasn’t only about what we knew. It was about who we knew, and the trust we had built with them.
AI and automation can find almost anyone’s name. They can’t make that person take the meeting. So we rebuilt C5BDI around what can’t be automated: the relationships themselves.
- 2015
C5BDI is founded to bring disruptive innovation to business development for government contractors.
- The Last Decade
The C5ISR BD Process™, Backwards BD, briefings to Congress and DoD leadership, originating the conceptual idea and rollout of AFWERX’s first Open Topic SBIR, and work alongside all 4 major professional sports leagues.
- 669+ wins
More than $1.5 billion in government contract value supported for clients of every size.
- 2026
C5BDI officially launches USAIL and the Six Degrees Network, offered directly to companies that need access to the right people.
Trusted Where It Counts
Our Relationships. Your Competitive Advantage.
An introduction is only as good as the reputation behind it. These are the rooms that our team has worked in.
Acquisition reform
Congress & DoW Leadership
Briefings and industry thought leadership for Congress and Department of War leaders on streamlining federal acquisition.
Defense innovation
AFWERX
The conceptual idea and rollout of AFWERX’s first Open Topic SBIR started with our team.
Allied defense
Allied Ministries and NATO
Briefings on Non-Traditional Contracting (NTC) to Senior U.S. Defense Officials, Allied Defense Ministries & NATO.
Sports & entertainment
NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL
We work alongside all 4 major U.S. Sports Leagues.
03 How it works
Tell us who you need to reach.
Most business development starts with a list of names and works forward. We start with the person you need and work backward to the relationship that gets you there. A pathway, not a contact list.
From request to relationship
What happens when you reach out.
Every request is reviewed by a person on our team. We only promise a path after we’ve confirmed one exists. If one does not exist yet, we create it.
- 1YOU
Choose your destination in Find Your Connection.
- 2REQUEST
Share your company and the person or organization you need.
- 3REVIEW
Our team evaluates possible paths and fit.
- 4INTRODUCTION
Qualified, warm introductions are arranged.
- 5OPPORTUNITY
Meetings, next actions and outcomes are tracked.
04 Beyond the introduction
An introduction is just the beginning.
Qualification
We confirm fit, timing and who truly decides.
Meeting facilitation
We set the agenda and prepare both sides.
Strategic Follow-Through
We keep momentum after the first meeting.
Opportunity development
We shape the need into a pursuit you can win.
Execution support
Hands-on help to close, scaled to your engagement.
An introduction opens the door. What happens next creates the opportunity.
05 Three ways to engage
Connect. Activate. Accelerate.
The more we work beside you, the more of the network we put to work. We’ll recommend the right level once we understand the requested path.
Open the Right Doors
Best when you know who you need to reach. We open the door and set up the first conversation.
- Network access
- Strategic introductions
- Opportunity identification
- Meeting facilitation
Work Alongside Your Team
Best when you want a partner in the work. We join your team to find and pursue opportunities in one market.
- Everything in Connect
- Hands-on opportunity sourcing
- Focused market development
- Execution in one vertical
Fully Integrated Partnership
Best when growth is the priority. We put the whole network to work for you, across every sector we reach.
- Everything in Activate
- The full network, every sector
- Integrated execution
- A true partnership
Want the full picture?
Request our Capabilities Deck. We’ll set up a short call and send you private access.
06 Find Your Connection
Who do you want to meet?
Choose your destination. We’ll assess the pathways in our network and come back to you personally.
Connection request received
We’ll assess potential pathways.
Thank you. Our team will review your request (destination, outcome), look for the relationships that could get you there, and contact you directly.
- A member of our team reviews your request.
- We look for paths through our network and confirm fit.
- We contact you to talk through what we found and the right level of engagement.