• E-Newsletter

Reston-based ScienceLogic Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary: Interview with CEO Dave Link 

Reston-based ScienceLogic recently celebrated its 20^th anniversary at an event for employees, customers, and partners. At the event, co-founders Dave Link and Richard Chart shared some of their favorite memories, looking back at two decades of ScienceLogic’s success as a pioneering software and services provider.

Back in 2003, Link and Chart, along with third co-founder, Christopher Cordray, launched ScienceLogic in Link’s Falls Church garage with an innovative multi-tenancy model – unique in its ability to let customers get complete IT visibility and manage their infrastructure with a single service provider.

Dave Link, CEO, ScienceLogic, sat down with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to talk about the founding of the company, its growth, and why Fairfax County, specifically Reston Town Center, is the perfect place for ScienceLogic.

Click here to read the FCEDA’s interview with Dave Link.

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5 Reasons Why Your Company Should Attend the V3 Workforce Summit

Whether you are a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) certified company, or are interested in becoming one, please join us at the V3 Workforce Summit on Thursday, March 28, from 10am – 2pm EDT at the Inova Conference Center, 8100 Innovation Park Drive, Fairfax, Virginia.

Here are 5 great reasons to attend this not-to-miss event:

1. Gain Competitive Edge in Talent Acquisition: The V3 Workforce Summit offers unique insights into tapping into the veteran workforce – a pool of individuals who are exceptionally skilled, educated, and diverse. By attending, companies can learn how to stand out in a competitive job market by effectively attracting this top-tier talent.
2. Learn Inclusive Hiring Strategies: The summit will provide practical guidance on creating an inclusive workplace culture that appeals to veterans. Companies can discover how to leverage veterans’ unique skills and experiences, enhancing their overall workforce diversity and strength.
3. Access Expert Knowledge and Best Practices: Industry experts at the summit will share valuable strategies for marketing job opportunities to veterans and executing recruitment processes that position your company as an attractive employer for military talent.
4. Optimize Hiring and Retention Processes: Learn how to refine your hiring process to not only attract but also retain veteran talent. The summit will offer strategies for establishing employment initiatives that encourage veterans to stay and grow within your organization.
5. Network and Collaborate with Like-Minded Businesses: The summit is an excellent opportunity for both V3-certified companies and those aspiring to certification to network, share experiences, and collaborate on best practices in veteran employment, fostering a community of businesses committed to supporting the veteran workforce.

Questions? Contact Roderick Williams, Program Manager, Military and Diversity Outreach, Talent Program at the FCEDA at 571.536.4688 or rwilliams@fceda.org.

Click here to register for this FREE event now. Space is limited.

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Fairfax County, George Mason University Co-launch Accelerate Business Pitch Series

Fairfax County and George Mason University announced the launch of a new entrepreneurial pitch program – called the Accelerate Breakfast Series – that will regularly bring together local entrepreneurs to pitch their startups to investors. The program, modeled after the quarterly Grubstake investor breakfast that ran for more than 20 years, will build upon the annual Accelerate Investor Conference, to be held on Oct. 23-24, 2024.

Entrepreneurs pitching at the Accelerate Breakfast Series are expected to be actively seeking capital in the amount of $500,000 to $2 million. Fairfax County announced that it will provide $450,000 in funding over a three-year period to start the program. The first breakfast event will be held on April 12 at the MITRE office in Tysons; the application deadline for companies interested in pitching at the first event is March 22, 2024.

“Fairfax County has always been a destination for business, and by strategically utilizing our economic opportunity funding to sponsor forums like Accelerate we can be a catalyst for startup formation, venture investment, and job creation,” said Chairman Jeffrey C. McKay, Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

Click here to find out more.

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Weekly Business News Digest

Workforce collaboration: Fort Belvoir Garrison Commander Col. Joe Messina, collaborated with more than 60 community leaders, educators, and local politicians at the Fort Belvoir Officers’ Club, Feb. 28, about finding creative ways to find, attract and retain some of the best talent available in the region, according to a U.S. Army article. Col. Messina was joined by Maj. Gen. Trevor Bredenkamp, Commanding General, Joint Task Force – National Capital Region, and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.  “It’s a symbiotic relationship between the Department of Defense and the local and state governments,” Bredenkamp said. “It’s just a critical relationship to have, so it’s great to see this big turnout today. We rely on being able to benefit from the community, writ large, to fill critical positions here on Fort Belvoir and other installations, so thank you.” At the event, Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the FCEDA, explained the success that FCEDA has garnered while collaborating with Fort Belvoir in not only jobs fairs, but also in educational events to promote opportunities for scholarships, on-the-job training and transitional programs available to the area’s service members departing the armed forces.

Fusing Talent: Amazon Web Services (AWS), which maintains its east coast headquarters in Herndon, has partnered with George Mason University in Fairfax County, to launch a new renewable energy lab, reported Data Center Dynamics. The lab will be located within Fuse at Mason Square, an R&D facility run by the university for its students. It is also launching a companion curriculum concentration in sustainable data center engineering this fall. “Investing in expanded laboratory experiences for students is critical,” Nicholas Lee-Romagnolo, program lead of workforce and economic development at AWS, said. “George Mason students from all disciplines will have access to real-world technologies and hands-on simulations. This type of immersive learning complements the breadth of new programs offered to students and helps ensure they have the opportunity to develop the skills needed to fill high-demand jobs across the region.”

Keeping time: Washington Dulles International Airport was ranked by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, as the most on-time international airport worldwide in February. Of more than 15,000 domestic and international flights last month, Washington-Dulles had an impressive on-time departure rate of 89.95 percent, Travel + Leisure reported. Dulles has seen enormous growth over the last year, including new international routes from carriers Play, Norse Atlantic Airways, ITA Airways, and WestJet.

Space-based coalition: Tysons-based Aireon, a provider of space-based air traffic management data solutions, announced it is leading an initiative with the establishment of the Aireon Space-Based VHF Coalition. Comprising organizations such as: Tysons-based Iridium; Ottawa, Canada-based NAV CANADA; Fareham, U.K.-based NATS; Dublin, Ireland-based AirNav Ireland; Rome, Italy-based ENAV; and Kastrup, Denmark-based Naviair, the coalition aims to develop the concept of operations for space-based VHF voice and data communications within the aviation sector, Military + Space Electronics reported. Discussions are ongoing with additional Aireon partners, anticipated to join the coalition soon. This move follows Aireon’s introduction of space-based ADS-B surveillance to remote and oceanic airspace operations five years ago.

Significant milestone: Little Diversified Architectural Consulting moved into a new office in Pinnacle Towers in Tysons, reported FFXnow. The 7,500-square-foot space is hosting the firm’s 37 D.C.-area workers, who were previously split between offices in Arlington and Sterling. “This move marks a significant milestone, allowing our growing team to collaborate more closely, innovate together, and better serve our clients,” Little marketing and business development manager Lillian Parker said.

Suicide prevention donation: Reston-based global procurement, construction and project management company Bechtel will donate $7 million over five years to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to step up efforts to battle suicide, which takes many more lives of construction workers each year than on-the-job fatalities, Construction Dive reported. The donation is the largest the AFSP has ever received, and the highest in the Bechtel Group Foundation’s history, according to the announcement. The funds will be used to set up programs that reach 500,000 U.S. construction workers. Bechtel CEO Brendan Bechtel noted that the construction industry has the second highest rate of suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ringing the closing bell: Macerich, which owns, operates and develops retail and mixed-use properties in top markets, including Tysons Corner Center, marked its 30th anniversary as a public company by ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Jack Hsieh, who took the reins as Macerich President and CEO on March 1, 2024, was joined by a number of Macerich senior executives to ring the bell. “I’m so pleased and proud to lead the next chapter in Macerich’s exciting story as we continue to densify and diversify our Class A portfolio to add even more value for stakeholders,” said Hsieh. “Thirty years ago, when Macerich launched as a public company, the mall business was very different. While we know that physical retail is here to stay, this is a pivotal time for Macerich as we continue adding new uses and experiences to ensure that our well-located properties remain sought-after destinations for retailers, shoppers and communities for many years to come.” Yahoo Finance has more.

Satellite service collaboration: Tysons-based Omnispace announced a collaboration with Johannesburg, South Africa-based MTN, the largest mobile network operator in Africa. MTN provides voice, data, fintech, digital, enterprise, wholesale and API services to over 290 million customers in 19 countries. This partnership will explore the use of S-band for satellite services to expand MTN’s portfolio of wireless service in their markets, according to Yahoo Finance. “This collaborative effort would offer access to secure, cost-effective, ubiquitous 5G mobile connectivity by seamlessly integrating our respective satellite and terrestrial networks,” said Ram Viswanathan, CEO of Omnispace.

Expanding satellite services across India: Tysons-based integrated satellite and terrestrial networks operator Intelsat, along with India-based Cloudcast Digital (CDL), a provider of satcom solutions and services, expanded satellite communication connectivity using Intelsat’s FlexMove to deliver land mobile services to customers in hard-to-reach locations throughout India, TelecomTalk reported. CDL’s technology services are managed by Planetcast Media Services Limited (Planetcast). “As an established industry leader, we will leverage our experience and investment to drive expansion for our customers. We welcome like-minded players such as Planetcast as strategic partners while providing services to newer business segments in India,” said Gaurav Kharod, regional vice president of Intelsat – Asia Pacific.

Expanding uncrewed underwater vehicle capabilities: Reston-based Metron has signed a partnership agreement with Canada-based Cellula Robotics to expand uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) capabilities for advanced operations in dynamic environments, according to Marine Technology News. The new agreement will leverage the expertise of both companies and address specific technical gaps in the UUV defense and offshore energy markets especially for long duration, multi-payload mission operations where communications are often denied or restricted. “This strategic collaboration signifies a major milestone in harnessing the expertise of Metron and Cellula to advance the frontier of long duration, multi-payload subsea capabilities. We are thrilled to collaborate with Cellula to deliver disruptive innovations that will enable greater capability and impact for U.S. defense and commercial clients,” said Van Gurley, CEO of Metron.

Tee time! Herndon-based Heritage Golf Group announced its purchase of Sarasota, Florida-based Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, according to Business Observer. Lakewood will be club No. 37 for Heritage Golf Group, and No. 8 in Florida. Additional recently announced acquisitions include: Oasis Golf Club and Conference Center in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Spring Creek Golf Club in Charlottesville, which is its third Virginia location, joining the Dominion Club in Richmond, and the 1757 Golf Club in Ashburn. Heritage Golf Group is a growing boutique owner-operator of upscale private country clubs and top tier daily fee golf courses.

Great for the community: SevaTruck Foundation, which provides free after school meals for students, has been granted permanent use of the Lewinsville Center’s kitchen for its food distribution operations, according to Tysons Reporter. The Fairfax County Board of  Supervisors approved a special exception on March 5 that will let the nonprofit continue making and providing free meals out of the senior center in McLean. “This has been a great partnership, a great thing for the community, and this is a very easy one [to approve],” Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said before the board’s vote. “This is good stuff.” SevaTruck began operating in Fairfax County in 2017, serving over 380,000 meals to date.

Sights & Sounds: A regional staple in the arts community is returning to Reston Town Center (RTC) this May, reported FFXnow. Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art is organizing the Tephra ICA Arts Festival — formerly known as Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival — on May 18 and 19, bringing more than 200 artists from across the country to RTC. Reston Town Center Association will also simultaneously launch its summer concert series — Reston Concerts on the Town — with a free public concert at the pavilion (1825 Discovery Street) on the night of May 18. Click here to see the full concert line-up. Free and open to public, with free garage parking on site.

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Contract Wins

Booz Allen Hamilton (Tysons) secured a ten-year contract worth $550 million to provide comprehensive support to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. Investing.com

Science Applications International Corp. (Reston) won a $444 million contract from the U.S. Space Force to help the Space Systems Command modernize space launch instrumentation. SpaceNews

Amentum (Chantilly) will support the U.S. Navy by providing research and development, systems engineering, testing, analysis and technology maturation and insertion support to help assess and improve microelectronics laboratories and facilities under a five-year, $245 million contract. GovConWire

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