Every summer we embed interns in our Karsun Innovation Center (KIC) to work alongside our technology experts, prototyping solutions to support our customers. Sanjana M Moodbagil’s internship projects ranged from no-code/low-code apps built using Google AppSheet to synthetic data and exploratory data analysis (EDA). In the interview below, she describes how her work improved career development resources, drove insights and contributed to the machine learning (ML) pipeline.

First please tell us about yourself. Where are you going to school? What are you studying? What do you like to do in your free time?

Hi, My name is Sanjana M Moodbagil. I’m a graduate student at University of Southern California, Los Angeles majoring in Computer Science. In my free time, I like to play basketball, badminton or go swimming. I also like to experience new things. Since coming to the US, I’ve gone surfing, paddle boarding, ballroom dancing, skiing, a few hikes, etc.

Could you share a little bit about the project you worked on as part of this internship? What challenges does it solve? What technologies and tools are you using?

Initially, I worked on creating a career path app using AppSheets for KIC Konnect. The purpose of this app is to keep track of career paths and transitions at Karsun.

For most of my internship, I worked on a Data Synthesizer project. I worked with a team to create a web application that generates fake data which is an accurate and scalable replacement for real-world records. The purpose of this is to generate PII anonymized synthesized data for AI/ML use cases. I mostly worked on the backend part of the project using Python, MySQL, Synthetic Data Vault (SDV) library, seaborn and matplotlib. I worked on data collection and preprocessing, created synthetic data models for time series data, automated the generation of metadata for relational databases required for modeling and performed Exploratory Data Analysis to understand and compare the structural and statistical properties of original and fake data. I worked with AWS services like AWS S3 bucket and AWS CLI to test the backend.

Towards the end of the internship, I worked on creating dashboards for the IT department on Google Data Studio. I gained experience working on API integration of Google Admin and EZOfficeInventory with App Scripts.

What is your favorite part about working with the Karsun Innovation Center? Is there a weekly meeting or ritual you enjoy? The opportunity to learn more or get a new certification?

I enjoyed the biweekly ‘show, don’t tell’ meetings where I learned about other ongoing projects at KIC. I was introduced to new ideas and tools. I was given the opportunity to work on a project in my area of interest. Working on the project with a small team allowed me to contribute to the entire ML pipeline. Despite working with people who were highly experienced, I was able to put forth my opinion with ease and I was always heard. Apart from the project, I was given access to many resources on AWS partner network to learn and to get certifications.

What is the biggest takeaway from your experience as an intern at Karsun?

My biggest takeaway from my experience is to be motivated, bold, and have ambition. This pushes you to think creatively, ask more questions, speak up about your ideas, take initiative and be authentic. There was so much research that had to be done initially, I had to define and discuss my own findings, explore alternate approaches and set of requirements based on analysis and results that align with end goals.

Sanjana was advised by Judewin Gabriel, Practice Advocate for the Karsun Innovation Center DevSecOps Practice.

Recently awarded Best Company Washington, D.C. 2022 by the employee rating site Comparably, we are hiring nationwide for remote roles.  Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia our modern software development, cloud and data solutions teams are repeatedly recognized for culture. In 2021 we won both Comparably’s Best Company Culture (a nationwide ranking!) and Top Workplaces USA’s Top Workplace Technology.

A seven-time Inc. 5000 honoree we are also one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. We want you to be part of that growth!  Our remote roles range from Architect to Software Developer in Test.

New Karsun team members not only join a rapidly scaling technology company, they also become enterprise modernization experts through resources provided by our Karsun Innovation Center. Every team member has access to emerging technology developed through our in-house research and development team in addition to workshops, brown bags and certification programs through our Karsun Academy professional development program. The Innovation Center also hosts dedicated practice advocates through our Data, Development, DevSecOps, Lean and Solution Practice Areas.

Join the 400+ experts that Do Extraordinary for government customers at agencies including FEMA, FAA and GSA. Apply for one of our 40+ open positions at KarsunCareers.com. No time to search? Check out our hottest jobs below!

• Developer (Front End, Full Stack, .NET, Drupal, ETL, Java/Webservices)
• DevOps/DevSecOps
• Business Analyst
• Data Engineer
• Lead Solution Architect
• UI/UX Lead
• Development Lead
• Technical Architect – Mulesoft
• Software Developer in Test
• Test Automation Engineer

Transform your career with the company transforming possible for the government. Join the workplace where the only limit to your potential is the limit of your curiosity. Thrive in a community that empowers software development, cloud and data experts. At Karsun, explore every possibility and turn your bold ideas into reality. Expand your career potential with dynamic development resources like Karsun Academy and sponsored technical certification courses. And joining a growing enterprise means as we grow, so do your career opportunities. Take your career to the next level and play your part in powering new possibilities for federal agencies. Join us at KarsunCareers.com.

In a recent FedScoop interview, Data Practice Director Shaunak Ashtaputre discussed accelerating innovation through data-led migration. Leveraging AWS, his team found they were no longer required to prioritize the quickest migration time. Instead, using a data-led approach, they focused on maximizing data value while minimizing the time to transform that data.

In the interview, he recalls a recent data platform modernization project. Addressing mismatched tooling and services, Karsun added capabilities as part of the data-led migration process. This included enhancing the centralized data lake, consolidating data through newly created pipelines and establishing quality baselines. Using automated data recipes, the new platform reduced the time to prepare data. This reduced the lead time from weeks to hours. While improving data latency, the team also transformed the process from a batch approach to a fully integrated analytics platform with transparent lineage, models and recipes. The solution was end to end, from ingest to dashboard.

Optimizing with Cloud Runways

Key to the team’s success was Cloud Runways, Karsun’s answer to complex data-led migration modernization projects. These toolkits accelerate cloud migration through fit-to-purpose transformation playbooks. These enable incremental migrations which adapt to unique customer requirements and constraints.

Karsun begins by building a holistic view by determining the agency’s intended approach to the cloud and data ecosystem. Using a Data-Led Migration Runway, the team assesses the existing integration landscape and identifies future needs. This includes understanding the needs of the analytics users of that data. Next, the team uses Karsun’s proprietary multi-criteria decision support framework to perform a robust assessment of available solution providers. These include vital characteristics such as interoperability, flexibility, SLAs and security to optimize provider selection.

As an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner with a Migration Competency, its customers may also utilize Karsun’s access to AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) resources. This program packages best practices, tools, expertise, financial incentives, and the AWS Partner Network (APN) to simplify cloud adoption. Supporting customers investigating migration solutions, these financial incentives subsidize the three key steps in the migration process (Assess, Mobilize, and Migrate and Modernize). When applicable, Karsun implements these financial incentives as part of its Cloud Runways toolkit.

For those new to complex data migration projects, the Karsun Innovation Center also offers Immersion Days. In these workshops, Karsun cloud experts introduce customers and colleagues to enhance their practice. Additional innovation initiatives are driven through employee-centric Solution, DevSecOps, Lean, Development and Data practice areas. To get started, visit Karsun’s AWS Data-Led Migration Solution.

About Karsun Solutions

Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative enterprise modernization firm. Recently awarded Best Company Culture by Comparably.com, its teams deliver modern software development, cloud, and data solutions to customers at government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and General Services Administration. Leveraging GoLean, Karsun teams drive digital transformation and help its government customers Do Extraordinary. Learn more at Karsun-LLC.com.

Promote Transparency is one of the three Ethical Governance Principles in the Federal Data Strategy. This 10-year vision statement drives agencies across the government to build better tools to bring valuable insights to decision makers and citizens. Nowhere is this clearer than in government dashboards and data visualizations which must clearly communicate complex information in a meaningful manner for their users.

Modernizing Legacy Dashboards

Leveraging its business intelligence and visualization expertise, Karsun recently engaged in such a dashboard modernization project with one of its government customers. This customer was charged with delivering a dashboard that provides insights to both internal stakeholders and key decision-makers outside the organization. The goal was to allow users to access the dashboard for data-driven decision-making while enhancing transparency and adhering to the Conscious Design principles outlined in the Federal Data Strategy.

An on-premise legacy application added complexity to the modernization project. Moreover, the previous dashboard was built by different vendors with a mix of features and functionality. As a result, Karsun’s customer needed to provide a new, user-friendly dashboard. It also strove to limit human error with the data submission and ingestion process while seeing a decrease in operations and maintenance costs. Using a modularized approach, the customer wanted one, coherent dashboard. The customer envisioned a streamlined data submission process while reducing the time required for making new data sets available and improving speed-to-insight.

Combining Design and Data Expertise

The Karsun Data Practice uses DataOps to bring together data platform and engineering with business intelligence and visualization expertise. In doing so, it worked with its customer to deliver a solution that not only used DataOps principles but also incorporated best practices for usability and visualizing data within the dashboard.

Working with the on-premise application and within the requirements set by another project partner, Karsun built the data objects. Backend microservices utilizing RESTful API fetched data from an API service call and prepared the visualization using the Python Plotly visualization library. Those visualizations are then delivered as a JSON object.

An additional component to dashboard modernization is user experience. The President’s Executive Order on Customer Experience compels the government to design and deliver services “with a focus on the actual experience of the people whom it is meant to serve.” As practitioners, this order draws the spotlight to a range of design methodologies intended to enhance transparency and the overall experience for all users.

This project used human centered design (HCD), putting user needs, desires, and abilities at the center of the process. This also uses iterative feedback from each step to inform the analysis. Seeking clarity at each step, it transitions the dashboard away from a mixed experience that’s difficult for users to navigate and hard for the customer to maintain.

It uses a three step process. The first step is Demand Side Analysis. This engages users at the earliest opportunity through interviews and surveys. The team also conducts a Prior Usage Analysis. Next, they design a User Centered Service Delivery Model. This incorporates Design Thinking, Service Design, and Detailed Design. Finally, they again Engage Product Users by introducing Mock-Ups, Prototypes, and Wireframes. After iterating through these three steps, the team identified and built an application layer on a PHP/Drupal framework allowing for easy content manipulation without requiring technical knowledge.

User Friendly, Data Driven Insights at Lower Cost

This modernization project sunsetted legacy infrastructure and reduced high-cost maintenance. The new dashboard application further streamlined data collection, introduced omnichannel distribution of IT data, and improved the overall user experience. Moreover, by improving the process through human centered design, the customer improved the user’s ability to make evidence based decisions.

This project not only enhanced user experience it also supported requests for better data-driven decision making in government. While modernization projects frequently address high maintenance costs, human centered design adds an additional element. Improved user experience not only saves money, it enhances transparency, delivering better government to all.

This month we’re sharing success stories from our Data Practice. Follow us on LinkedIn for more insights. Check out our Data Solutions section for more from our Enterprise Modernization Experts.

Karsun Solutions modernizes enterprise systems enabling agencies to make the next technological advancement their next opportunity to elevate mission capability. IT solutions from Karsun are tailored to meet agencies’ unique needs and optimize operations. These solutions adapt and stay relevant to current trends while using secure, digital architecture built to last. It is a proven modernization partner whose expertise elevates agency capabilities and ensures every next opportunity is within reach.

Update: Since this article was published Karsun was named among the Top 100 Companies for Culture by Comparably.com.

Karsun received its first workplace and culture awards this year. These include both Top Workplaces USA’s Top Technology Industry Workplace award and Comparably’s Best Company Happiness, Outlook and in Washington, D.C. The awards honor the growing enterprise modernization company serving customers at government agencies such as DHS, FAA and GSA. They also netted mentions in Business Insider, iHeartRadio’s CEOs You Should Know, Human Resources Director and on employee ranking site Comparably. Covered in stories on flexibility, mentorship and workplace happiness, Karsun stands out as a company where team members are empowered and ready to Do Extraordinary.

Awarded for Growth, Awarded for Culture

These new achievements for culture and workplace reflect what many industry groups and publications also recognize, Karsun Solutions is a premier IT consulting firm. This year it earned its seventh consecutive Inc. 5000 award and additional recognition from Inc. as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Washington, D.C. region. The Northern Virginia Technology Council also awarded Karsun its third consecutive Tech 100 award. Meanwhile, Comparably, which bases its awards on the ratings of current employees, selected Karsun for both Best Company Outlook and Best Company Washington, D.C. awards.

Leadership Begins Within

Leadership and professional development programs start with the Karsun Innovation Center (KIC). The KIC leverages an in-house research and development unit, employee-centric practice areas and Karsun Academy which supports certification and training. The R&D team prototypes new technologies and is often the starting point for participants in Karsun Internship Program. This year’s intern class experimented with tools supporting asynchronous workdays. It was also featured by Comparably for companies offering flex internships. Many interns later transition to support client and delivery work at Karsun.

Practice Areas not only act as centers of excellence supporting initiatives like Karsun’s recent AWS Migration Competency but also empower teams through resource libraries, access to industry experts and opportunities to share experiences outside their team or organization. One popular program is Karsun’s Brown Bag series which includes both technical topics and sessions on soft skills like mentorship and virtual presentations.

Preparing Industry Leaders

Brown Bags, in addition to Karsun Academy’s Dojo workshops, serve as training grounds to prepare experts to present at outside events. The KIC’s Data Practice hosts the DataOps NoVa Meetup which previously included presentations from Karsun delivery team members, interns and experts. Government and public sector technologists may now also join practice experts for Karsun led AWS Immersion Days. And as hybrid and virtual industry events dominate calendars speakers from Karsun appeared at events like All Day DevOps.

In addition to events featuring our practice leaders, Karsun corporate leaders also shared their experience scaling and growing with Karsun. Senior Vice President Ben Marglin presented on this topic as part of an ACT-IAC panel. He later spoke on Acquisition Innovation at the organization’s annual Executive Leadership Conference (ELC). Senior Director Raminder Saluja was recognized at the same event as Karsun’s 11th graduate of the organization’s prestigious Partners professional development program. Director Jason Marceau likewise continued his ongoing relationship with the University of Southampton. Here he participated in a series of talks on the growing data field while sharing with students opportunities to grow in their tech and data careers.

Internally and externally Karsun’s dedication to building a workplace where teams grow with it was reflected in a series of workplace awards this year. With employees and industry rating it highly it truly is among the premier technology contractors serving the federal government. With growth expected to continue throughout 2022 new team members can join the journey now. Karsun’s hottest jobs include Data Engineers, Full Stack Developers, SDETs and UI/UX Designers. Apply for open positions at KarsunCareers.com.

Karsun experts and innovators took the stage at Imagine Nation Executive Leadership Conference (ELC) 2021. The annual conference for the American Council for Technology – Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) is the organization’s marquee event. In addition to graduating Karsun’s 11th ACT-IAC Fellow, Raminder Saluja, Karsun Senior Vice President Ben Marglin joined a panel on Exploring the Next Generation of Acquisition Innovation. Also an event sponsor, Karsun is a longtime supporter of ACT-IAC. Its leadership acts as mentors, experts and participants in its industry programs.

Raminder Saluja Graduates from the Partners Program

In a recognition ceremony held at ImagineNation ELC, Karsun Solutions Senior Director Raminder Saluja graduated from the prestigious Partners Program. Over the last two decades, the Partners Program has been ACT-IAC’s premier professional development program. Participants are selected among rising senior executives. Karsun boasts one of the largest cohorts of Partners alumni in the industry.

At Karsun, Saluja leads the modernization strategy for its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) portfolio. He internally steers technical delivery teams to leverage AWS and Azure infrastructure and DevSecOps frameworks. With over two decades of technology experience, he is also well versed in working with agencies within NATO, the Intelligence Community, and Immigration services. His core belief is that innovation and technology are tools to solve business problems and not constraints around which processes are reorganized. This often resonates with customers seeking modernization and upkeep of their legacy systems.

Ben Marglin Explores Next Generation Acquisition Innovation

Earlier at the conference, Karsun Solutions Senior Vice President of Client Solutions Ben Marglin spoke during the panel discussion on Exploring Next Generation Acquisition Innovation. Adopting the overall theme Adventures in Change, the conference examined the impact of innovation on the federal IT industry. This talk was included as part of the Changing the Way We Work track. The collaborative session examined if accelerating IT modernization and innovative acquisition practices supported agencies’ goals to meet mission critical needs faster, cheaper and more efficiently.

During the panel, Marglin briefly described Karsun’s novel approach to enterprise modernization with its acquisitions customers. Karsun’s Acquisitions Modernization domain is not only one of its most innovative, it is one of its original offerings. Past solutions include analytics platform modernization, cloud migration and legacy application modernization from an on-premise database. Karsun currently performs work acquisition innovation under the GSA COMET BPA.

About Karsun Solutions

Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative enterprise modernization firm. Recently awarded Best Company Culture by Comparably.com, its teams deliver modern software development, cloud, and data solutions to customers at government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and General Services Administration. Leveraging GoLean, Karsun teams drive digital transformation and help its government customers Do Extraordinary. Learn more at Karsun-LLC.com.

After winning several new contracts in 2020 Karsun Solutions continued its rapid expansion. It recently ranked for the seventh year in a row on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies. Sharing his plan to include employees in that growth Karsun Solutions CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan joined I Heart Radio’s CEOs You Should Know.

“When we grow, they will grow,” Vaidyanathan says in this short fifteen-minute snapshot into the growing IT modernization firm.

Throughout the interview, he underscores Karsun’s investment in a people-first experience. He discusses the company’s employee journey process which emphasizes key touchpoints throughout team members’ careers at Karsun. This journey mapping is integral to his vision for the future of the company.

Vaidyanathan explains how Karsun integrates core values into the employee experience.
With more than 270 employees based in the DC area and a total headcount including subcontractors topping 700 people, he recognizes Karsun’s growth comes as a result of the innovative work performed by its teams. Indeed, innovation, teamwork and fun are all core values supported through activities like company picnics, group recognition events and innovation center town halls.

To fuel this ongoing growth Karsun is currently hiring IT professionals across the country. Most positions are available both locally in the Washington D.C. region and remotely. From wellness classes to workshops on the latest technologies the company ensures teams stay connected regardless of location through its Karsun Konnect employee app. Current job openings may be found at KarsunCareers.com.

Listen in on M&T Bank Presents CEOs You Should Know.

About Karsun Solutions

Awarded for culture and driven by innovation, the Enterprise Modernization Experts at Karsun Solutions deliver innovative technology solutions to customers throughout the government. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Business Journal and Inc. all recognize us among the fastest-growing companies in the Washington, D.C. region. Our modern software development, cloud, and data solutions are found at agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, and General Services Administration. For the latest job openings visit KarsunCareers.com.

Karsun Solutions, the Enterprise Modernization Experts, announced the rollout of Konnect Anywhere. Konnect Anywhere is an employee-centric approach to today’s adapting work environment with an emphasis on collaboration, innovation, and delivery excellence.  This new approach enables multiple options for Karsun employees. Team members may remain remote, utilize Karsun collaborative workspaces in Northern Virginia, continue onsite support for specific customers or use a hybrid approach.

The Karsun Solution Headquarters is scheduled to re-open as a collaborative space in September 2021. Employees opting to spend part of their time in the office may reserve workstations using a hoteling tool included as part of the Karsun Konnect employee app. Teams may also reserve collaborative spaces. Video conferencing-equipped rooms include access to digital workplace tools created by the Karsun Innovation Center (KIC) designed to support mixed remote and in-person teams.

Karsun Teams have been remote since March 2020. Over the past year, Karsun invested heavily in digital workplace innovations to support its new remote-friendly environment. The Konnect Anywhere initiative represents a long-term commitment to supporting flexible, remote work for modern software development, cloud and data solution teams. It is also an extension of the 2021 #GrowWithKarsun program, an employee-centered professional development initiative. This program, when combined with the new Konnect Anywhere initiative, allows team members in any location to share and participate in Innovation Town Halls, Karsun Academy training workshops and Practice Areas lead by experts embedded with frontline delivery teams.

As part of this commitment Karsun will also continue its virtual recruiting program. As one of the region’s fastest growing companies it is hiring nationwide for both IT and development roles. From job fair to interview a Talent Acquisition specialist will guide prospective candidates throughout the virtual recruitment process.

Karsun currently hosts several Virtual National Open House events throughout the year. Prospective team members may receive information about upcoming virtual events by registering for the Talent Community located at KarsunCareers.com. Candidates may also browse the careers site for positions ranging from Full Stack Developer to Cloud Data Architect.

About Karsun Solutions

Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative, enterprise modernization firm recently named a Technology Industry Top Workplace and one of the Best Places to Work in Washington D.C. Its teams deliver modern software development, cloud and data solutions to customers at government agencies such as DHS, FAA and GSA. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Business Journal, and Inc. all recognize Karsun Solutions among the fastest-growing companies in the Washington, D.C. region. It is an established firm with a DCAA Approved Accounting System and CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal, plus both the AWS Government Competency and AWS Migration Competency designations. It also holds ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications.

When our leadership revealed its vision for the next decade at the start of 2020 they could not anticipate the challenges of a global pandemic. Nevertheless, even then Karsun had already created the infrastructure to allow our teams to grow remotely together. This year we celebrated continued recognition as one of the fastest-growing companies in the country. As we scaled in this remote environment we also affirmed our commitment to team member development welcoming new intern cohorts, sponsoring professional development programs, and introducing virtual training programs.

Longtime Programs Adapt to Virtual Work

Through New Remote Program Interns Grow with Karsun

Through our Karsun Innovation Center (KIC) Internship Program each of our interns has a voice in the future of our company. These interns support the Research and Development teams rolling out new tools and processes across our organization. Interns learn and grow during their time with us. Shadowing team members in our Innovation Center and customer delivery teams, they participate in cross-functional projects, sharing their insights with teams across the company.

Coffee with Leadership Goes Online

Launched in 2017, Coffee with Leadership is a longstanding monthly tradition at Karsun. During this open discussion, executive leadership hosts a small gathering with frontline team members. In this open forum anyone may share their experiences, make suggestions or discuss opportunities to improve work at Karsun. This year saw a transition to a remote format for Coffee with Leadership and the addition of a second monthly Brunch with Leadership group expanding the breadth of feedback across management levels. We included these breakfasts in Karsun’s new remote environment to ensure all employees have the opportunity to contribute to our vision for growth.

DataOps NoVa Launches Virtual Series

Hosted by Karsun’s Data Practice, DataOps NoVa is a monthly Meetup designed to introduce best practices and tools to the data, analytics, and IT community. Its DataOps 101 series was among the last of Karsun’s in-person training events at our Herndon, Virginia headquarters. This first series included discussions and demonstrations from DataOps vendors and an introduction to data encryption using middleware components presented by our Innovation Center.

After taking a short break from in-person events, the Meetup returned virtually in August. The new series will cover topics like data fabric, analytics foundations for MLOps, and vendor demos. The new format also allowed the team to expand outside Virginia hosting data experts from around the world. These new virtual sessions are published on the DataOps NoVa Meetup Page.

Karsun Leaders Grow Through Industry Groups and Fellowships

Karsun Executives Recognized as Industry Leaders

As Karsun celebrated its tenth year in operation and its tenth year supporting the American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) our President, Terry Miller, was recognized in part for his leadership within the organization. In March 2020 Miller was named to FCW‘s prestigious Federal 100 list. This list includes 100 men and women who personify what’s possible in federal IT. He also served as the 2019 Industry Chair of ACT-IAC’s highly regarded Partners Program. This training and professional development curriculum pairs “rising star” leaders from government and industry. New under Miller’s leadership, the group formed three challenge teams to provide direct solutions to government agencies (GSA, NASA, SBA). He is also a graduate of the Partners Program and was the Chair of the Management of Change (MOC) event in 2013.

Also early in 2020, the College of Engineering Guindy Alumni Association of North America (CEGAANA) named Karsun CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan its 2020 Chairman of the Board. Sundar is committed to making the organization a self-sustaining entity. His ultimate goal is strengthening collaboration between students, the college and the alumni network.

Satish Alluri Graduates from Selective Fellowship Program

Meet Satish Alluri, the Deputy Program Manager for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Grants Management Modernization initiative. He graduated in 2020 from the selective ACT- IAC Voyagers Professional Development fellowship. In September we spotlighted this longtime Karsun team member. Over the course of his career he grew from a Senior Business Analyst to a leader in both our DHS FEMA and GSA programs. Learn how Satish grew with us here.

Karsun Concludes 2020 with Virtual Team Recognition Events

Both our FEMA and KIC celebrated successes transitioning from in-person to virtual work through team recognition at the end of 2020. While our FEMA program hosted team lunches, our Innovation Center recognized our Karsun Academy and Practice Area mentors during an Innovation All Hands event in November.

As an organization Karsun Solutions also celebrated with a holiday lunch in December 2020. Every team member had lunch delivered to them as Karsun looked back on contract wins, team events and other small victories throughout the year. It was a final opportunity for our leadership to say “Go Team Karsun! Thank you for all your hard work!”

At its final All Hands event, Karsun Solutions celebrated the more than 1400 hours of training, professional development, and certifications earned by its team members in 2020. This incredible accomplishment was driven by the Karsun Innovation Center (KIC) and its newly launched Practice Areas. These employee-centered teams introduced a series of Dojos, Brown Bag, and certification workshops to ensure all teams had the experts they need to Do Extraordinary while Defying Assumptions.

The KIC was first introduced as an in-house Research and Development unit. Later, in 2016, it added Karsun Academy, a professional development program aimed at supporting team member technical certifications. In 2018 it introduced the first of five Practice Areas. These currently include Solution, DevSecOps, Lean, Data, and Development Practice Areas.

These areas span Karsun offerings with a dedicated lead for each and a core set of practice advocates in every delivery program. They also drive excellence through the creation of reusable assets and toolkits, the establishment of guidelines, industry certifications and technology partnerships, and the enablement of active collaboration among employees. It is through these industry partnerships, with vendors like Red Hat, AWS, and StreamSets, that the center offers a full training curriculum designed to familiarize teams with the latest enterprise modernization technologies and solutions.

Subject Matter Experts Share Experience in Multiday Dojos

Karsun Practice Leads introduced Dojos as a format to deliver multiday, hands-on training to delivery teams. These in-depth workshops bring team members up to speed on best practices and emerging methodologies. While initially created as in-person events, the Innovation Center quickly enhanced its digital workplace tool suite, Karsun Konnect, to offer these events in a remote environment.

DevSecOps Practice Adapts Ansible 101 to Virtual Workshop

Karsun is a long-standing Red Hat Ready Partner. Karsun Academy previously hosting multiday in-person workshops led by Red Hat experts. This year the KIC adapted some of this training into an Ansible 101 Digital Dojo. Led by Samir Bham, the Director of the DevSecOps practice, this virtual workshop allowed team members to log in remotely, gain hands-on experience with a subject matter expert all while learning best practices.

Employee to Employee Sharing in Weekly Brown Bags

Brown Bags, hosted by any Karsun team member, spotlights team member expertise in short, one-hour presentations. The training and professional development team introduced these shorter sessions to augment Karsun Academy certification courses. Today, sessions cover a range of professional development topics from new vendor solutions to soft skills.

Lunchtime Workshop Focuses on Migration & Disaster Recovery

Madhu Chellappa, of Karsun’s DevSecOps practice, led one such workshop on Migration and Disaster Recovery. This short, one-hour session discussed a solution using Cloud Endure. This highly automated rehosting solution from AWS simplifies and expedites migration.

Certification Programs Ensure Expert Teams Ready on Day One

Certification programs formed the original backbone of Karsun Academy. This provided employees with industry-standard certifications. Through this program, for instance, the Innovation Center ensured over 40 Karsun team members are AWS certified!

DataOps NoVa Hosts StreamSets Certification Workshop

The Innovation Center also hosts DataOps NoVa through its Data Practice. Members in that Meetup group attended a three-day data engineering workshop from StreamSets alongside Karsun team members. Participants enhanced their data pipelines skills with a combination of vendor-led presentations and hands-on challenges using the StreamSets DataOps platform. After the workshop, most participants had the opportunity to be fully certified as Expert StreamSets Developers.

Karsun Solutions is repeatedly recognized for growth by publications like the Washington Business Journal and Inc. Magazine. Innovation Center Practice Areas ensure team members will continue to Grow with Karsun. These programs in turn create a pipeline of Enterprise Modernization Experts ready to solve difficult government transformation challenges. To learn more about how Karsun’s modern software development, cloud solutions or data solutions complete the form located here.