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Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, has been named for the fourth year in a row to the “Virginia 500 2023 Power List” by Virginia Business. Featured on the list are the Commonwealth’s most influential leaders across sectors, including business, government and education.

“I am honored to be named to the Virginia 500. I am blessed to work with an incredible group of professionals and together we build upon the leadership of Chairman Jeff McKay, the County Board of Supervisors and the County Executive who have consistently focused on the long-term investments that have made Fairfax a world class environment for growing companies and thriving communities,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “I am grateful and humbled to be included in this list of powerful change makers such as Jason El Koubi, CEO of Virginia Economic Development Partnership whose work across the Commonwealth of Virginia is invaluable.”

According to Virginia Business:

“Hoskins is well known in Virginia for the leading role he played in bringing Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion-plus HQ2 East Coast headquarters to Arlington County, where he previously led economic development. In 2019, he moved next door to lead Fairfax County’s authority. His wins so far have included last year’s announcement that hotelier Hilton Worldwide Holdings would expand its Fairfax County corporate headquarters, creating 350 jobs. Similarly, he’s helped the county gain the North American headquarters for StarKist and retain Volkswagen Group of America’s headquarters.

An advocate for regional economic development cooperation, Hoskins has emphasized job opportunities for military veterans and oversaw the launch of workinnorthernvirginia.com, a website to help people find jobs and workforce training.

In March, Hoskins received accolades for his volunteer work, receiving a Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from The White House. A graduate of Dartmouth College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hoskins was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Washington, D.C., district office with a Director’s Partnership Award in 2022.

Trained as an urban planner, Hoskins previously was deputy mayor of Washington, D.C. He serves on the George Mason University President’s Innovation Advisory Council and the Washington Airports Task Force board.”

Click here to see the list of all of the Virginia 500 honorees.

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15 Fairfax County Companies Cited as Best Employers

Fifteen Fairfax County companies were named by Forbes on its “America’s Best Employers by State” list. Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey 70,000 workers at companies (minimum of 500 employees) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Participants were asked if they would recommend their employer to others, and to evaluate their employer based on working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, potential for development, company image and more. Participants also assessed employers beyond their own. All surveys were anonymous to encourage candor, according to Forbes.

Here’s the list of Fairfax County companies:

VA HQ Rank	Name	Employees	CEO	City
1	Navy Federal Credit Union	14,700	Mary McDuffie	Vienna
2	Hilton Worldwide Holdings	159,000	Christopher J. Nassetta	Tysons
6	Capital One	55,943	Richard D. Fairbank	Tysons
7	Inova Health System	20,000	J. Stephen Jones	Falls Church
10	BAE Systems	93,100	Charles Nicolas Woodburn	Falls Church
11	SAIC	26,000	Nazzic Keene	Reston
12	Northrop Grumman	95,000	Kathy J. Warden	Falls Church
16	Booz Allen Hamilton	29,300	Horacio Rozanski	Tysons
17	ICF International	9,000	John Wasson	Reston
21	General Dynamics	89,460	Phebe N. Novakovic	Reston
28	Fairfax County	12,000	Bryan Hill	Fairfax
29	Fairfax County Public Schools	24,839	Michelle C. Reid	Falls Church
42	Leidos	41,000	Thomas A. Bell	Reston
45	George Mason University	7,200	Gregory Washington	Fairfax
47	CACI International	22,000	John S. Mengucci	Reston

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Weekly Business News Digest

Critical enabler for the burgeoning new space economy: Reston-based SpiderOak, a provider of zero-trust cybersecurity and resiliency software for space systems, has successfully deployed and demonstrated its OrbitSecure technology aboard the International Space Station, reported Intelligence Community News. This milestone, achieved using Herndon-based Amazon Web Services Snowcone edge computing device provided by Axiom Space, completed a critical step in SpiderOak’s plan to demonstrate increasingly complex orbital flight demonstrations. This successful demonstration positions SpiderOak as a critical enabler for the burgeoning new space economy, which heavily relies on the secure transfer of data and mixed workloads across hybrid platforms in space. “The future of space is undeniably software-defined,” said John Moberly, SpiderOak’s senior vice president for space. “Our successful demonstration shows that it’s not just possible, but effective and secure, to run containerized workloads in modern orchestrated environments with secure data channels from orbit to ground and vice versa.” Click here to read FCEDA’s recent interview with SpiderOak CEO Dave Pearah.

Very deliberate unicorn jumps: Herndon cybersecurity company Expel is a “unicorn” status – a private company with a value of over $1 billion – during the height of the venture capital funding boom early in the pandemic. The company has nearly doubled its number of employees, to roughly 500, over the last two years, but it’s facing a vastly different macroeconomic and venture capital environment than it was when it first closed a $140 million Series E round in November 2021, Washington Business Journal reported in an article for subscribers. Like many of its venture-capital-backed peers, Expel is closely watching its spending as it plots its next move, be it a sale, an initial public offering or a return to the VC market, according to the article. Specifically, it’s tapping the brakes on hiring and international expansion to preserve capital and chart a path toward profitability, CEO and co-founder Dave Merkel said in an interview with the Journal. “We’re being very deliberate in how we manage in this moment and watching our customers’ behavior,” Merkel said.

Broadening a network: Tysons-based e-commerce software company Aravenda, which targets consignment shops and resellers, has landed a spot in the latest women’s founders cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator, reported Washington Business Journal in subscriber-only content. Aravenda CEO Carolyn Thompson, who founded Aravenda in 2018, said the coveted 10-week virtual program will help broaden her network and find access to capital outside of D.C. “As a nongovernment contractor in Washington, we don’t get a lot of attention because everybody wants to buy something that’s cybersecurity,” Thompson said. “They want to invest in things that support the government.”

Refugee and immigrant entrepreneurship: Buoyed by a $1.5 million donation from a local tech executive, Fairfax-based George Mason University is launching a training program for aspiring entrepreneurs from refugee and immigrant backgrounds, the first phase of its inclusive entrepreneurship training initiative, DCINNO reported in subscriber-only content.  The donation from Sumeet Shrivastava, former president and CEO of Fairfax-based government technology services firm Array Information Technology, will fully fund the RISE (Refugee and Immigrant Success through Entrepreneurship) Program at GMU, the largest public university in Virginia. WJLA has more.

Expanding in-flight connectivity: Air Canada is expanding its in-flight connectivity (IFC) deal with Tysons-based Intelsat, ordering Intelsat’s IFC solution for nearly 100 more aircraft, reported Avionics Today. Intelsat and its IFC predecessor, Gogo, have worked with the flagship Canadian air carrier for 14 years. Intelsat currently operates in-flight internet on 240 aircraft on Air Canada, Rouge, and Air Canada Express. The new program includes IFC installations on three types of Air Canada aircraft including 40 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which will be equipped starting this year with Intelsat’s 2Ku IFC system. Intelsat’s 2Ku solution includes a low-profile, fuselage-mounted antenna that is less than three inches tall. The antenna interoperates on both Intelsat’s family of Geostationary (GEO) satellites and on London-based OneWeb’s, which bases its U.S. headquarters in Tysons, constellation of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

Another pillar: Fairfax-based 3Pillar Global acquired N.J. and India-based digital engineering firm Chenoa Information Services. Chenoa was an early entrant into the low-code and no-code development market that is estimated by Gartner to be $27 billion in 2023. The acquisition augments 3Pillar’s deep experience in providing cloud-native product development with Chenoa’s low-code and no-code development services while building greater scale in AI and machine learning capabilities across the combined entity. Chenoa’s expertise in banking, financial services and insurance further enhances 3Pillar’s extensive expertise in these sectors, citybiz reported. The acquisition of Chenoa will add 425 team members to 3Pillar’s growing global footprint across nine countries.

Evolving landscape: Tysons-based Bridge Core Federal, a provider of visual intelligence and technical offerings to the federal government, has acquired Haymarket, Va.-based GeoYeti, a data science and analytics firm focused on the government. Bridge Core, acquired by private equity and holding company NewSpring Holdings earlier this year, said the acquisition will strengthen its data and analytics capabilities. “As the data landscape evolves, the human element – our analysts, data scientists, and engineers – becomes increasingly critical in transforming raw data into precise, actionable insights,” said Chad Kim, the CEO of Bridge Core. “Our collaboration with Bridge Core and GeoYeti underscores our commitment to nurturing talent that can innovate and excel in this complex arena. We’re not just backing technology; we’re investing in people who will set new benchmarks for analytics and mission impact.” Washington Technology has more.

Teaming up: Fairfax-based MAG Aerospace is partnering with Cary, N.C.-based artificial intelligence specialist SAS to compete for U.S. Space Force data analytics contracts, SpaceNews reported. MAG Aerospace is one of 18 vendors the Space Force selected in March for a five-year $900 million contract overseen by the Space Systems Command. The contract seeks new ways to employ data analytics tools to turn data collected by tracking radars and other sensors into useful intelligence and distribute it to users around the world.

Timely, data-drive decisions: Reston-based Science Applications International Corp. announced the launch of ReadyOne, a rapidly deployable digital engineering ecosystem that offers an end-to-end digital thread for consistent, traceable and complete engineering solutions, according to Intelligence Community News. “This offering brings together an organization’s technical data, engineering tools and management processes into one environment enabling engineers to start solutioning on day one, saving time and cost,” said Josh Sorkin, senior vice president, digital engineering, at SAIC. “Stakeholders need the freedom to focus on the mission at hand. ReadyOne allows the user to worry less about administering and connecting engineering tools while allowing them to ask, “what if?” and make timely, data-driven decisions.”

Joining forces: Loudoun County-based REI Systems, which has a Chantilly location, has formed a joint venture with Herndon-headquartered software company TechSur Solutions to provide information technology products and services to U.S. government customers, reported ExecutiveBiz. FusionEdge Solutions was established through the Small Business Administration’s Mentor-Protege Program as an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business supporting the civilian, defense and health sectors, REI Systems said. The joint venture will combine resources from REI Systems and TechSur Solutions to help customers, including the Department of Homeland Security, advance their digital transformation strategies. “In joining forces with REI Systems, we’re combining our industry-leading expertise with their proven track record of successful government IT implementations,” said Rupinder Yadav, president of TechSur Solutions.

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Contract Wins

Leidos (Reston) won a 10-year, $7.9 billion contract from the U.S. Army to provide hardware systems, system management solutions, components, customizable sustainment strategies, non-personal service and continuous technology upgrades. Virginia Business

Raft (Reston) obtained a contract from the U.S. Air Force to establish a software factory in support of the service branch’s cyber operations. ExecutiveBiz

Science Applications International Corp. (Reston) scored a $574.5 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to maintain ground-based radar sensors used for missile warning and space surveillance. SpaceNews

QinetiQ’s U.S. (Tysons) booked a five-year, $224 million Space Development Agency contract for systems engineering and technical services. ExecutiveGov

Maximus (Tysons) won a seven-year, $50 million contract from the Office of Personnel Management to run a health insurance customer service center for U.S. Postal Service employees, annuitants and their families. GovConWire

SES Space & Defense (Reston) booked a multi-year contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to test an approach for military personnel to access commercial broadband services from multiple constellations with a variety of frequency bands. ExecutiveBiz

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September 19 — Hire Vets Now Networking and Hiring Fair. This in-person event at Fort Belvoir Community Center is a networking reception and career fair offering transitioning service members, military spouses and veterans the opportunity to connect with Virginia employers looking to hire military talent. Participating employers are offering career opportunities in IT, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, defense, government, law enforcement and more. Resource Providers will be on hand to assist with resume writing, and  SkillBridge internships and mentorships. A complimentary lunch will be provided. Click here to register.

September 21 — Northern Virginia Space & Satellite Summit. Join the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce’s International Business Council at their Space & Satellite event at Womble Bond Dickinson in Tysons. Speakers will include: David Bettinger, CEO, Axta Space Team; Dennis Gatens, CEO and Founder, LEOCloud; George Nield, President, Commercial Space Technologies; and Stephen McCall, Director of Government Relations, Firefly Aerospace. The main objectives of this seminar are to provide insights about the current ecosystem of space and satellite assets and industry in the Dulles region; and to delve into the aspects of the commercialization of the space sector and discuss challenges and opportunities. Click here to register.

September 21 — GovFuture Forum. Attend GovFuture Forum, a monthly demo and panel event where government innovators, technologists, thought leaders, movers-and-shakers, government ecosystem partners, and interested people see showcases on cool new technology in a demo format, learn from innovators in high-value panels, and interact with each other. Click here to see the agenda, featured speakers and to register.

September 21 — Digital Transformation: Accelerating Change through Mobility. Join NVTC’s Digital Transformation Community of Interest as they engage in a lively panel discussion bringing together federal, county, and industry IT and security leaders to explore mobility’s unique role in driving digital transformation. Click here to register.

September 26-28, 2023 – Quantum World Congress 2023. Quantum World Congress 2023 will once again bring together leaders from across the quantum ecosystem around the globe to address pressing challenges and emerging trends and share insights that help to accelerate and commercialize quantum technologies. Programming will take many forms — from presentations and panels to fireside chats and networking sessions. QWC will enable relevant, timely, and industry-leading information sharing and relationship building across these formats to foster a responsible environment for quantum growth. QWC 2023 will be held at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia. Click here to register.