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Two Six Technologies Celebrates New Office in Herndon

Two Six Technologies, a high-growth, technology-focused provider of products and expertise to U.S. national security customers, hosted an opening ceremony to celebrate its new office in Herndon, on May 23, 2024.

The new office, part of the Coppermine Commons complex at 13865 Sunrise Valley Drive, includes more than 27,000 square feet of offices, labs, and specialized equipment that was custom designed for Two Six’s teams. This new office highlights Two Six’s trajectory of rapid growth and strategic expansion, especially in support of Intelligence Community (IC) customers in Northern Virginia, according to Two Six.

“I’m delighted to celebrate the opening of our new facility at Coppermine Commons in Herndon,” said Joe Logue, CEO of Two Six Technologies. “Thanks to the great work by our internal team and excellent partners, this unique facility confirms both our dedication to supporting the missions of our IC customers and our investment in the talented people of Two Six.”

The opening celebration included a ceremonial ribbon cutting and Two Six’s appreciative acknowledgement of the Two Six teams and project partners who executed the successful project, including Cannon Hill Capital Partners, JLL, Bognet Construction, Structur Management, OTJ Architects, NASK Inc., and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, according to Two Six.

Two Six, which operates more than 25 facilities in eight different states, already plans further investment in Coppermine Commons, including the build-out of an additional 28,000 square feet of offices and labs later this year across the Department of Defense, including U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Cyber Command and DARPA; Department of State; the Intelligence Community; and civilian agencies.

Two Six was formed in February 2021 by global investment firm The Carlyle Group. Two Six is headquartered in Arlington, Va. and employs more than 800 professionals working in 36 states across the country.

For more information, visit twosixtech.com.

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Future Space Industry Talent Needs Focus of Recent Virginia Tech Workshop

“New Frontiers in Space and the Future Workforce” was the focus of a workshop held at The Center for Space Science and Engineering Research at Virginia Tech (Space@VT) at Virginia Tech’s Arlington campus location on April 23. The workshop was jointly organized by The Aerospace Corporation, based in Chantilly, and the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement. A focus of the workshop was how industry – in particular small businesses, government, universities – and K-12 education can work together to develop a workforce able to meet the future needs of the emerging space economy.

“There are many new ways to utilize space coming online. The future is very exciting,” said Scott Bailey, Director, Space@VT. “But there are challenges too, one of them being the need for a workforce that is ready to bring the many new ideas to fruition. Students have their choice of exciting new technologies and fields to pursue, with space being just one. Universities need to provide experiences that engage the students and prepare them for their role in what will be an industrial revolution in space.”

Some of the many topics touched on during the workshop included companies’ roles in the space industry, the importance of experiential learning, and the need for space to have a more consistent presence during the K-12 years.

“Experiential learning through projects-based opportunities in schools and at the university level provides critical exposure to new career pathways and builds student confidence in tackling industries of the future,” said Afroze Mohammed, associate director for strategic alliances at the Center for Economic and Community Engagement.

The welcoming speakers at the event were Scott Bailey, Director of Space@VT, Virginia Tech; and Kevin Leclaire, Chairman of the Industry Advisory Board, Space@VT and Founder and Managing Director, ISDR Consulting.

The panel sessions and panelists at the workshop were as follows:

SESSION 1:  New Frontiers in Space

• Eric Ingram, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, Scout Space (Reston)
  
• Robert L. Ganim, Director of Government Affairs and Business Development, Starburst Aero
• Kara Cunzeman, Director of Strategic Foresight Center for Space Policy and Strategy, The Aerospace Corporation (Chantilly)
• Robbie Robertson, CEO and Co-founder, Sedaro Corporation (Arlington, Va.)

Moderator:

• Maria Bothwell, CEO, Toffler Associates (Arlington, Va.)

SESSION 2: Ensuring the Right Talent to Meet Workforce Needs

• Jackie Kendall, Chief Knowledge Officer, Science Systems and Applications Inc. (SSAI) (Lanham, Md.)
• James Fishenden, General Manager of the Advanced Technology Division, The Aerospace Corporation (Chantilly)
• Erica Rodgers, Director of Advanced Programs, NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (Washington, D.C.)
• Stephanie E. Goldfarb, Systems Director, In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM), The Aerospace Corporation and Academia Caucus Facilitator – Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC)

Moderator:

Afroze Mohammed, Associate Director for Strategic Alliances, Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement (Arlington, Va.)

SESSION 3:  Building the Pipeline: K-12 Initiatives in STEM

• Robin McDougal, Chief Exploration Officer, Interstellar Dreams Space Center (Reston)
• Chris Carter, Director, Virginia Space Grant Consortium (Hampton, Va.)
• Nene Spivy, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation (Ashburn)

Moderator:

• Jim Egenrieder, Director, STEM Education and Workforce Development, Virginia Tech (Arlington, Va.)

After the panels, Dennis Paul, Senior Project Leader, Space Enterprise Evolution Directorate, The Aerospace Corporation, provided a summary of the discussions and talked about next steps for addressing the future talent needs for the rapidly growing space industry.

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11 Fairfax County-based Asian-American, Pacific Islander Owned Companies Top Washington Business Journal List

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority proudly notes that  Fairfax County has the most Asian-owned firms in the Greater Washington region, with more than 6,050 Asian-owned businesses, with a combined $10.9 billion in revenue.

Below we highlight the 11 Fairfax County-based companies that Washington Business Journal identified as Asian-owned on its list of “Largest Companies Owned by People of Color in Greater Washington,” ranked by total company revenue in 2023. (Total revenues for the companies posted below are for 2023, per Washington Business Journal.)

Tysons-based IT Concepts CEO Pinakin Patel, whose company ranked on the list, commented: “At IT Concepts (ITC), we take pride in being headquartered in Fairfax County, aligning closely with the county’s mission to partner with communities, families, and individuals to provide opportunities that promote equity and create positive outcomes for people of all ages and abilities. Our vision resonates with Fairfax County’s goal of fostering connected communities where all individuals and families are supported and empowered to thrive.”

“Our journey has been marked by strategic expansion into new offices throughout Northern Virginia and achieving operational excellence, spurred by our proximity to GovCon giants like Booz Allen, SAIC, Leidos, and others. This advantageous location, with access to cutting edge talent and expertise, enables us to secure over 50 prime contracts spanning more than 20 federal agencies, solidifying our presence in the federal landscape. In the spirit of Fairfax County’s commitment to providing opportunities and empowering others to thrive, we are dedicated to innovation, investing over $10 million in R&D annually,” Patel added.

Here is the list of the top 11 companies, based on Washington Business Journal data:

1. Ampcus

Chantilly-based information technology consulting company Ampcus was ranked no. 1 on Washington Business Journal’s list for Asian-owned companies. With Ann Ramakumaran as CEO, the company has 18 locations, employing 2,310 people, and had $165 million is total company revenue.

2. IT Concepts

Tysons-based IT Concepts was ranked no. 2 on the list for Asian-owned companies. With Pinakin Patel, CEO, IT Concepts has 463 employees, and the total revenue of $160.05 million.

3. Karsun Solutions

Herndon-based Karsun Solutions is a federal IT contractor. With Sundar Vaidyanathan as CEO, the company has 444 employees, and a total revenue of $143.05 million.

4. Harmonia Holdings

Tysons-based Harmonia Holdings is a federal IT contractor. With Jai Saboo as CEO, and Pallabi Saboo, as Founder and Executive Chair, Board of Directors, the company has 370 employees, and $91 million in total revenue.

5. Unissant

Herndon-based Unissant is a data analytics company. With Manish Malhotra as CEO, the company employs 126 people, with total revenue of $69.58 million.

6. NVE

Reston-based NVE is focused on facilities services, program and administrative support and security. With Myrian Villarin, CEO and Neil Villarin, President, NVE employs 330 people and has a total revenue of $62.6 million.

7. Electrosoft Services

Reston-based Electrosoft Services is a government contractor focused on cybersecurity. With Sarbari Gupta as Founder/CEO, the company employs 175 people with $45.4 million in total revenue.

8. Sky Solutions

Herndon-based Sky Solutions is focused on IT services and consulting. With Anil Boinapalli, Principal, Sky Solutions employs 150 people with 37 million in total revenue.

9. T and T Consulting Services

Falls Church-area based T and T Consulting Services is an IT services company. With Sophia Tong as President/CEO, the company has 142 employees and $32.61 million in total revenue.

10. INADEV

Tysons-based INADEV focuses on enterprise software application development. With Jitesh Sachdev, CEO and Vikrant Binjrajka, CTO, the company has 500 employees and $28.5 million in total revenue.

11. Navitas Business Consulting

Herndon-based Navitas Business Consulting focuses on information technology, cloud, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Agile PMO. With Srini Bayireddy, Founder/CEO and Sandy Bayireddy, president, the company employs 160 people and has a total review of $26 million.

For more information on minority-owned businesses in Fairfax County, please contact Karen Smaw, Director, National Business Investment and Entrepreneurship, FCEDA, at kmsaw@fceda.org.

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Weekly Business News Digest 

Making waves: Tysons-based Booz Allen Hamilton, the largest government IT contractor by revenue, ended its fiscal fourth quarter with what it called its best fiscal year since its initial public offering 14 years ago, reported Jeff Clabaugh on WTOP. Booz Allen also continues to bring more IT professionals onto its payrolls, with continued growth of its contracting backlog. Booz Allen had $2.8 billion in fiscal fourth quarter revenue, up 13.9 percent from a year earlier, and net income of $128 million. For its full 2024 fiscal year, the company had $10.66 billion in revenue, up 15.2 percent. Full year net income was $605.7 million, more than double fiscal 2023 profits. Booz Allen ended the fiscal year with 34,200 employees globally. Its client staff head count was 2,200 higher than a year earlier. That’s an increase of 7.4 percent, with the company adding 400 new jobs in the final quarter of the fiscal year. Booz Allen is one of the largest employers in the D.C. region, with 14,000 consultants and other employees here.

Reimaging GMU’s performing arts venue: Fairfax-based George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts received a $5 million gift to support a “reimagining” of the performing arts venue, reported InsideNoVa. The donor was the Peterson Family Foundation, a regular supporter of the college. “The Peterson Family has stood behind so much of our success in building an exceptional community of artists…at George Mason,” GMU President Gregory Washington said in a press release. “This latest expression of visionary generosity makes possible a much needed reimagination of our beloved Concert Hall, magnifying George Mason University’s standing as the artistic and cultural hub of Northern Virginia.”

Supporting people with disabilities: Tysons-based Maximus, a government services provider, was awarded a contract from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to provide program and contract administration services for the state’s Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP), called “California Connect,” which provides communication and telecommunication services and equipment to eligible Californians with hearing, vision, cognitive, mobility, and speech-related disabilities. “We bring deep experience in operating and overseeing statewide programs that serve populations in need of essential services. We also help governments achieve outcomes that increase people’s independence and self-sufficiency,” said Laura Rosenak, Senior Managing Director, Maximus. “As we work with the California Public Utilities Commission to provide potentially life-changing services, we will leverage our expertise to best support people with disabilities.” Yahoo Finance has more.

New spin on things: Reston-based Applied Information Sciences has formed Word Exploration Technologies (WordX) , a new spinoff company dedicated to offering a generative artificial intelligence co-pilot designed to accelerate proposal development planning and writing, according to ExecutiveBiz. WordX will operate as a separate entity from AIS but will maintain close collaboration on the development of new AI-powered tools, according to AIS.

Streeteries in Herndon: The Herndon Town Council voted 6-0 Tuesday night to bring “streeteries” for outdoor dining back to the town, FOX5 reported. Since it was approved, Herndon will become home to the same type of streeteries seen in Alexandria and Bethesda. This would initially be a pilot program that will last six months. Several streets in Herndon are going to be closed to traffic, paving the way for folks to dine out, walk, bike, and more. Supporters say it will bring more foot traffic to the area and ultimately more business.

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Contract Wins

22nd Century Technologies (Tysons) won a $47 million contract to provide information technology and management services in support of the military branch’s human resources platform. ExecutiveBiz

SAIC (Reston) received a $29.3 million requirements contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide information technology services in support of a tactical data exchange system used on airborne platforms. ExecutiveBiz

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June 6, 2024 — Internships: Connecting Business with Emerging Talent. Join the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s Filling the Tech Talent Gap Community of Interest and Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) to learn about resources to help your company leverage state resources to start or enhance your company’s internship program. Click here for more information and to register.

June 11, 2024 — Digital Transformation: Shaping the Cities of 2030. Join the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s Digital Transformation Community of Interest for a lively panel discussion with industry thought leaders who will explore the future of smart cities in Northern Virginia. Click here for more information and to register.

June 20, 2024 — 10th Annual Wharton DC Innovation Summit. The Wharton Club of DC presents the 10th annual Wharton DC Innovation Summit. With FCEDA as a strategic partner, this event is set to unfold at the state-of-the-art Valo Park Conference Center in Tysons. All are welcome. Whether you attended Wharton or Penn, or elsewhere, everyone who wants to leverage the power of innovation should attend the event. The theme, Create an Innovation Ecosystem: Maximize Your Results, is based on the premise that “a rising tide raises all boats.” Amidst challenges like global economic upheaval, rising interest rates, and geopolitical strains, the summit stands as a beacon for collective advancement. Click here to find out more, see the list of speakers, and to register.