Shepherd Strategies was built on a simple idea: when businesses understand how to work with government—not around it—they unlock new growth potential. Our team helps companies tap into non-dilutive capital, public-sector programs, and strategic partnerships that drive innovation without giving up ownership.
This firm is about being intentional and providing data and consulting information – without lobbying. It’s about helping clients define what’s possible, drive their strategy, and deliver results that last by responding to policy and capitalizing on opportunities.
We believe smart strategy and public investment can work hand in hand — and that the businesses who understand that will lead the next era of growth.
We operate far beyond transactional government relations. Shepherd provides insight-driven advisory and strategy for complex environments:
• Message architecture
• Reputation and narrative shaping
• Political risk analysis
• Government engagement strategy
• Crisis and rapid-response communications
• Executive positioning and visibility
The federal government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world. State governments collectively spend trillions more. Since 2024, our team has helped clients capture more than $2 billion in federal contracts and secure tariff relief for U.S. manufacturers.
Shepherd turns policy awareness into measurable growth. We guide organizations through the full lifecycle of site selection and incentive strategy, capitalizing on funding available at the state, local, and federal levels. Our team has secured more than $1 billion in incentive funding and helped create over 3,500 jobs nationwide for companies relocating, expanding, or establishing new headquarters.
Grants, tax credits, and government loans can fund growth without giving up equity or control. Shepherd identifies non-dilutive capital across every level of government and manages the process from application to award. We believe informed strategy and public investment can work together, not by chance, but by design.
As a corporate executive, Dr. William McGann has led teams of hundreds of employees and multiple new technologies to achieve profitability, efficiency, and success worldwide. He has worked in applied technologies across 63 countries, serving the global physical security and detection markets.
Dr. McGann, Ph.D., is a molecular physicist specializing in magnetic resonance and excited state dynamics. He holds 27 patents in ultrasensitive detection and conducted early work in optical magnetic resonance detection.
He served as the Chief Executive Officer at Quantum Computing Inc, Chief Executive Officer at Implant Sciences, Chief Technology Officer for the Security, Detection, and Automation business at Leidos Corporation, the Chief Technology Officer at L3Harris Technologies, the Chief Technology Officer at General Electric Security, and the founder of Ion Track, which developed one of the first explosives trace detection technologies in the USA in the 1990s.
Before retiring from running publicly traded companies, Dr. McGann served as CEO of Quantum Computing, Inc. (QUBT), where he led a team of passionate physicists and engineers to establish nanophotonic systems for quantum computing and quantum-entropy machines. During his tenure, the company secured millions of dollars in financing and created shareholder value by raising the stock price from less than $1 to over $20.
Jessica focuses on leading policy research initiatives and securing federal, state, and local non-dilutive capital for multinational corporations. She also advises startups and small to mid-sized enterprises on how to successfully engage with government, navigate regulatory environments, and access public-sector opportunities.
As a trusted advisor to C-suite executives, she continues to lend her expertise through strategic counsel, policy analysis, and guest speaking engagements. With experience spanning multiple Presidential and Gubernatorial Administrations, Jessica brings a rare depth of institutional knowledge to her work.
Jessica recently retired as Chief Executive Officer of A10 Associates, the nation’s largest woman-owned lobbying firm. Under her leadership, A10 became a truly bipartisan powerhouse, known for navigating complex political landscapes with precision, credibility, and results. The firm helped create more than 1,500 jobs nationwide through economic development initiatives and secured over $1 billion in combined state, federal, and local funding for its clients. Prior to A10, she worked at three top-tier lobbying firms, building a reputation for strategic insight, coalition-building, and policy execution.
Jess is a government affairs and public policy professional with hands-on experience navigating the legislative process and advancing policy priorities. Before joining Shepherd Strategies, he served as a policy analyst in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. There he worked closely with legislators, committee staff, and state agencies on legislative and budgetary matters, providing analysis and strategic support across a wide range of issues.
Jess has built his career in two very different political environments. He came to Boston from Arkansas, where he earned his degree and started his professional career. Working in both states gave him a practical understanding of how policy moves in places with different priorities, leadership, and legislative cultures. He approaches each issue by looking for common ground and building working relationships on both sides of the aisle.
Before the State House, Jess held client-facing roles in media and business development, including as an account executive with Nexstar Media Group in Little Rock. He managed advertising campaigns and client budgets and drove new client acquisition. That work sharpened the communication and relationship-building skills he brings to Shepherd Strategies clients today.
Jess holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in public relations, advertising, and political science from the University of Arkansas.
Jessica Beeson Tocco joined over 100 aesthetic medicine providers at the Aesthetic Medical Providers of New Hampshire annual fundraising event in Bedford, NH, participating on a panel focused on government strategy, regulatory outlook, and legislative predictions for the industry heading into 2027. The aesthetic medicine industry is valued at over $17 billion and growing by […]
When Boston Mayor Michelle Wu visited our client at Greentown Labs, the conversation didn’t stop at the lab door. Shepherd Strategies turned one visit into a growing pipeline of city connections and a foundation for national expansion.
Shepherd Strategies helped a Massachusetts municipal utility navigate overlapping state and federal regulatory frameworks to secure a critical Water Management Act permit.
Our team has actively managed and participated in over $3.5 billion in transactions across five strategic mergers & acquisitions, ranging from startups to Fortune 50 businesses.
Our team has actively managed and participated in over $3.5 billion in transactions across five strategic mergers & acquisitions, ranging from startups to Fortune 50 businesses.
