Employee rating site Comparably.com announced Karsun Solutions CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan was among the Top 100 small and medium sized business leaders named to its 2022 Best CEOs for Diversity list. The ranking which is based on reviews from BIPOC employees comes as Comparably also featured Karsun for growth and flexibility throughout the pandemic. The recognition follows the company’s commitment to an employee-centered workplace.
Comparably’s Best CEOs for Diversity award recognizes organizations with highly rated CEOs by diverse groups. Eligible companies were rated on Comparably.com, an anonymous public rating site. Sundar also received the award in 2021.
Building a Flexible, Open Culture
Sundar’s founding vision created a place where all employees may collaborate and do extraordinary things. Comparably’s Workplace Insider blog recently featured Karsun’s flexible approach to remote work. Karsun hosts monthly hybrid Innovation Town Halls, workshops and Coffee with Leadership events. Embracing a transparent, employee-centric culture, all team members submit ideas, feedback and solutions through these open forums.
Not only does this framework allow team members to share their ideas in various ways, it is also available to both remote and hybrid employees allowing everyone to receive recognition for their contributions regardless of their work location. Moreover, this flexibility allows teams to introduce innovative technology while addressing the challenges in complex government programs. Teams’ solutions are implemented at agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Federal Aviation Administration, and General Services Administration.
Growing Communities With Karsun
In addition to creating a vibrant, collaborative community at Karsun, Sundar leads efforts to support diverse small and startup businesses. In 2018 he was recognized for both his business acumen and community involvement with the Washington Business Journal’s Minority Business Leader Award.
Karsun’s leaders mentor other organizations planning to graduate from small business. In addition to ranking a second year in a row on the Washington Business Journal Corporate Diversity Index, Sundar’s immigrant journey was featured in the publication. He and co-founder Kartik Mecheri were also honored this year by the US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce with the Fast 50 award for growth. Awarded during the CelebrASIAN conference, Sundar later appeared on a panel for small businesses. Under his guidance, Karsun’s reaches back to support small businesses and entrepreneurs through programs with TiE DC, ACT-IAC, and USPAACC, among others. Vaidyanathan also serves on the board of College of Engineering Guindy Alumni Association of North America (CEGAANA), an organization supporting the career development of both students and alumni.
Karsun’s Award Winning Team
This year Karsun additionally received both the Best in Washington, D.C.and the Best Company Outlook awards from Comparably. It was named a 2021 Technology Industry Top Workplace by Top Workplaces USA. In support of its ongoing growth, its teams are hiring for remote roles nationwide. Apply for tech careers including Full Stack Developer, Data Engineer, SDET and Business Analyst at KarsunCareers.com.
About Karsun Solutions
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 with 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.
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.
HERNDON, VA – Karsun Solutions, the Enterprise Modernization Experts, announced it was awarded Best CEOs for Diversity by Comparably.com. Based on employee reviews, the award recognizes organizations with highly rated CEOs by diverse groups. Eligible companies were rated on Comparably.com, an anonymous public rating site. It also previously received both the 2021 Best in Washington, D.C.and the Best Company Outlook awards from the site. Serving agencies throughout the government, Karsun was recently named a Technology Industry Top Workplace.
“A sense of community. Open communication – No hidden agenda, no secrets. Everyone is valued, trusted, and gets a fair opportunity to grow. New ideas are always welcome,” begins one employee review on the Karsun Solutions work environment.
CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan and Chief Architect Kartik Mecheri co-founded Karsun Solutions in 2009. Early on the pair introduced openness and transparency as a hallmark of the company’s corporate culture. Karsun’s Coffee with Leadership is among its most popular programs. It invites small groups of employees to meet with its co-founders and senior management once a month. These relaxed, intimate conversations were so popular Karsun expanded the program to include Brunch with Leadership which allows mid-level managers the same opportunity to connect with the executive team.
Karsun continued investment even as it expanded into one of the fastest growing companies in the country. It recently won several new contracts serving the General Services Administration in addition to work supporting the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration. This includes work in Modern Software Development, Cloud Solutions and Data Solutions. To meet the increasing demand for technical talent Karsun is currently hiring for IT and development roles nationwide. The latest job openings and career information is available at KarsunCareers.com.
Karsun Solutions is not only recognized by its employees but also by leaders across the IT contracting industry. The Washington Business Journal ranked it fifth on its 2021 Corporate Diversity Index and Vaidyanathan received the Minority Business Leader Award from the publication in 2019. Company leaders engage frequently as mentors in the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council’s (ACT-IAC) Professional Development Programs.
About Karsun Solutions
Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative, enterprise modernization firm. Recently named a Technology Industry Top Workplace, 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. 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 holds ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications.
About Comparably.com
Best Leadership is one of several annual awards presented by Comparably.com, a compensation, career and culture monitoring site. To qualify for its annual awards, companies must meet a minimum threshold of ratings from employees that have left anonymous public ratings on their company’s Comparably.com page within a 12-month period. To leave a rating, employees can visit comparably.com/companies, search for their company, and click on the “Rate your Company” button.
HERNDON, VA- Karsun Solutions announced six key promotions within its Leadership Team. These promotions come as a result of achievements in exponential growth, excellence in customer delivery, and continued progress with innovative solutions. These promotions include:
- Terry Miller to the position of Karsun’s President
- Badri Sriraman to Senior Vice President of the Karsun Innovation Center
- Ben Marglin to Senior Vice President of Client Solutions
- Rajaji Bellamkonda to Portfolio Vice President
- Jay Kondapalli to Portfolio Vice President
- Juan Robles to Senior Director of Growth
The news follows a series of contract wins. This includes the GSA Fleet Modernization Contract with a ceiling value of $75 million and the GSA Enhanced Checkout (GECO) Modernization under the COMET BPA.
Now with more than a decade in operation, Karsun is rapidly scaling to meet its explosive growth. This includes new awards of over $278 million within 2020 resulting from both new wins and organic contract growth.
Karsun’s Innovation and Growth teams also evolved throughout 2020. In addition to its in-house research and development team, the Innovation Center expanded to include five employee-centered practice areas.
Karsun’s co-founders Sundar Vaidyanathan and Kartik Mecheri expressed excitement about the promotions. “We are proud to announce the next generation of leaders to take Karsun to even greater heights. We recognize their deep commitment to the company and look forward to their leadership,” stated Mr. Vaidyanathan.
For a complete list of Karsun executives and senior leadership bios visit https://karsun-llc.com/leadership/.
About Karsun Solutions
Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative, enterprise modernization firm. 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. Its teams deliver modern software development, cloud solutions, and data and analytics solutions to customers at government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, and General Services Administration. It possesses a DCAA Approved Accounting System, CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal, and AWS Government Competency.
The College of Engineering Guindy Alumni Association of North America (CEGAANA) named Sundar Vaidyanathan its 2020 Chairman of the Board. Vaidyanathan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Karsun Solutions, an enterprise modernization firm specializing in innovative software development, cloud solutions and advanced analytics. It serves customers at agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and General Services Administration.
CEGAANA’s aim is to unite the CEG Alumni as a community. The association strives to make networking, reaching out, or even just catching up with fellow CEGians as easy as possible. CEGAANA also exists to support CEG alumni’s educational and career management goals.
Vaidyanathan is a graduate of the College of Engineering Guindy (CEG). As the CEGAANA Chair, he is committed to making the organization a self-sustaining entity. His ultimate goal is strengthening collaboration between students, the college and the alumni network. To this end, he envisions maturing the association’s organizational processes, operational infrastructure and leadership succession plans so it can continue to evolve.
He has also taken the lead in refining best practices in other IT industry organizations. As a board member of the non-profit organization the American Council of Technology – Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC), he transformed the association to meet metrics-based outcomes. In addition to previously serving as Vice Chair at Large on its Industry Advisory Council’s Executive Committee, he also served as both a Vice Chair and Chair of its Partners professional development program and expanded leadership within ACT-IAC’s Small Business Alliance. In addition to his work with ACT-IAC, he held various roles in other organizations including AFFIRM, AFCEA, NVTC and PSC.
Following Vaidyanathan’s lead, several Karsun executives hold leadership positions or participate in mentoring/professional development programs through industry associations. The in-house Innovation Center hosts monthly knowledge-sharing events. Here every team member has the opportunity to act as a subject matter expert. The Innovation Center also sponsored senior capstone projects at nearby George Mason University. Flowing down, employee-led teams give back to their local communities through neighborhood clean-up, donation drives and running clubs.
From employee teams to industry initiatives learn how Karsun Solutions enables collaboration at Karsun in the Community.
About Karsun Solutions
Karsun Solutions is a fast-growing, innovative, enterprise modernization firm serving the U.S. government. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Business Journal, and Inc. all recognize Karsun Solutions among the fastest growing companies in the Washington, DC region. Karsun Solutions is an established firm, with a DCAA Approved Accounting System, CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal, and AWS Government Competency as well as ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications.
HERNDON, VA – Capitalizing on rapid growth across its portfolios, Karsun Solutions, an enterprise modernization firm serving the U.S. government, announced the appointment of multiple IT industry leaders to key business development and client solutions roles. Those appointments include industry veterans Neal Smith to Senior Director of Digital Transformation, PJ Henry to Director and Megan Mattingly to Capture Manager. Karsun Solutions also announced an expansion of Director Jason Marceau’s responsibilities into the firms expanding Business Solutions Practice.
Karsun Solutions serves customers at agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Transportation (DOT) and General Services Administration (GSA). The firm won multiple $100 million plus contracts growing its revenue by more than 1500% over its first ten years. In September 2019 it moved into a new 75,000 square foot headquarters, a reflection of the more than 2400% growth in headcount.
“As a rapidly growing company, Karsun Solutions exists in a space different from more established firms with similar-sized contracts,” said Senior Director of Business Development Juan Robles. “Growing our capture and solutions teams gives Karsun the ability to leverage resources not typically available to smaller organizations.”
With a strong pipeline, leadership at Karsun Solutions is prioritizing the growth of its capture and solutions infrastructure as it launches into the next decade. The Karsun Solutions Capture Team adds industry veteran PJ Henry. Henry, a 25-year industry veteran, joins as a Director of Business Development. With extensive public sector experience, his resume includes time as a capture lead for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and Department of Transportation at Booz Allen Hamilton. Henry was also previously a senior business development lead for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and the State Department at LMI.
In addition to a growing capture infrastructure, Karsun Solutions has also named Neal Smith a Senior Director of Digital Transformation in its Business Solutions Practice. Smith is a seasoned digital transformation executive. Prior to Karsun Solutions, he served at Salient CRGT and Maga Design. Smith has over 23 years of experience in IT services sales, delivery. Smith brings together customer focus and technical innovation to solutions for the federal government.
Megan Mattingly also recently joined Karsun Solutions as a Capture Manager. Bringing nine years in capture and business development, her background includes deep experience in Mergers and Acquisitions.
About Karsun Solutions
Karsun Solutions serves customers at agencies including DHS, DOT and GSA. It is guided by an innovation-based and performance-driven culture. Its teams deliver extraordinary software development, cloud and advanced analytics solutions to its customers.
In November 2019 GSA awarded the company a spot on its COMET BPA. It also has work at GSA under the $35 million Database and Middleware Systems (DMS) Task Order awarded in October 2018. Last year the company also began work in its FEMA GMM program. DHS awarded Karsun Solutions this five-year single award BPA with a ceiling value of $80 million. It was the first award won by Karsun Solutions under a Full and Open Competition. The company also continues to work under the FAA SSD contract, a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a $145 million ceiling value.
Growth across the firm’s public sector portfolios resulted in a bevy of national and regional awards. This includes both repeated recognition on the Inc. 5000 and in the Washington Business Journal. Its commitment to quality includes a DCAA Approved Accounting System, AWS Government Competency, a CMMI Level 5 – DEV appraisal plus ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications.
Continuing the momentum from the celebration of its first ten years in operation, Karsun Solutions’ leadership laid out its 2020 vision at a recent employee All Hands event. Employees gathered at the company’s new 75,000 square foot headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Speaking to groups gathered in the new training rooms Co-Founder Kartik Mecheri and Sundar Vaidyanathan, along with the Karsun executive team, detailed an ambitious plan for 2020.
In their introduction the Mecheri and Vaidyanathan praised Karsun teams, observing they were responsible for the company’s rapid growth. They revealed organization-wide headcount grew by over 2400% and just over 1600% by revenue since its founding ten years ago. In preparation for the next decade, they discussed the company’s expanding senior leadership, strengthening of infrastructure, and planned roadmap.
Ben Marglin, Vice President Client Solutions, emphasized Karsun’s continued commitment to its customers across the U.S. government. Current customers include the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, and General Service Administration. Marglin praised delivery wins in all of the organization’s portfolios. He highlighted continuing growth among the delivery teams and the strength of Karsun’s staffing pipeline. He concluded with a commitment to support these core programs through the expansion of the Innovation Center and PMO resources.
Terry Miller, Chief Operating Officer, outlined plans for investment in Karsun’s next growth phase. The company continues to lead with a competency-based approach. This places capabilities in modern software development, cloud solutions, and advanced analytics at the forefront of the firm’s strategic vision. To grow these areas the organization plans to nurture proposal, capture, and solutions units including ramping up staffing and training initiatives.
Included in this competency-based plan is a continued commitment to the Karsun Innovation Center (KIC). Badri Sriraman, Vice President Innovation Center, concluded the session by delving into new campaigns from each of the center’s five practice areas. As of 2019, Karsun announced publicly two practice areas, Data and DevSecOps. Under the new plan, KIC will establish an additional three practice areas Lean, Solution, and Development. Each of these is employee-centered, offering Work from KIC days, monthly Innovation Town Halls, and employee-led training. In order to connect all employees to the wealth of resources available through the KIC, participants were invited to take a quiz, pairing them with their ideal practice area.
As it cements its place among the contracting community, Karsun Solutions continues a commitment to enterprise modernization expertise. Beyond its founders’ broad vision it has a dedicated commitment to quality and innovation. In 2019 it was appraised at CMMI Level 5- DEV, a feat achieved by just over 50 teams at the time of its appraisal. It was also recognized by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Business Journal, and Inc. for continuous year over year growth. As an emerging player, it was named to the Northern Virginia Technical Council Tech 100 and in early 2020 G2xchange’s NXT UP 2020 list. With continuing confidence in its key practice areas, Karsun Solutions is poised to Do Extraordinary in 2020 and beyond.
HERNDON, Va.- Karsun Solutions, an IT modernization firm serving the U.S. government, named Ben Marglin as Vice President of Client Solutions. Marglin has over 20 years of professional experience. He will be responsible for building trusted long-term relationships with senior Federal clients and leading Karsun delivery teams to achieve high-quality results.
“Ben’s deep knowledge and connection to the federal IT sector is invaluable,” said Karsun Solutions Co-Founder and Chief Architect Kartik Mecheri. “His presence on our executive team ensures the needs of our customers continues to guide Karsun decision making.”
Marglin previously worked as a Principal/Director at Booz Allen Hamilton for over 17 years, serving in leadership roles for the Digital team within the Strategic Innovation Group (SIG) as well as in the Civil/FED market, leading teams of 200 plus staff and agency portfolios with approximately $100M in annual revenue for clients such as General Services Administration (GSA) and National Science Foundation (NSF.) He served as Booz Allen’s corporate representative to ACT-IAC and also led collaborative projects with the Partnership for Public Service. Prior to his career with Booz Allen, he worked for American Management Systems (AMS) providing IT management and consulting services to state and local governments.
“Our high performance teams already deliver exceptional outcomes to our clients.” said Marglin. “I look forward to fortifying Karsun’s delivery framework as awareness of our innovative approach to IT modernization permeates the public sector.”
Marglin joins as the organization adds leadership infrastructure to support their rapid growth. In early April they announced the award of the $80 million FEMA Grants Management Modernization BPA to Karsun Solutions. In March KHS, a Karsun Solutions/Mindcubed Mentor Protégé, announced they were selected for the SEC One IT contract vehicle. In addition to their recent contract wins, their fast expansion earned them a spot on Inc. 5000 four years in a row. The firm currently has over 100 open positions ranging from Project Management to DevOps, Data and Security Engineers.
“Ben’s presence comes at a critical time for Karsun,” said Chief Executive Office Sundar Vaidyanathan. “He joins as we meld innovation, customer experience, and employee growth into our expansion strategy.”
Karsun Solutions is a premier IT modernization firm delivering a portfolio of services to its federal and commercial customers. Its core competencies include Modern Software Development, Cloud Solutions, and Advanced Analytics. The organization’s quality, development, and information security practices include CMMI Level 5 DEV, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 20000:2011 and ISO 27001:2013 certifications.
OXON HILL, MD- The Washington Business Journal honored Karsun Solutions Chief Executive Officer Sundar Vaidyanathan at the 12th annual Minority Business Leader Awards. Held on March 28th, 2019 at the MGM National Harbor, honorees are among the Washington region’s top 25 minority business leaders. The award recognizes entrepreneurial drive, creativity and success.
Vaidyanathan co-founded Karsun Solutions with Kartik Mecheri, the organization’s Chief Architect. They founded Karsun as an IT consulting firm with an agile mindset. This vision centered on challenging the tradeoff between cost and quality through innovation. The Karsun Innovation Center, an in-house research and development unit, was an early investment dedicated to solving difficult customer problems. .
Vaidyanathan merges this innovative spirit with a drive toward high performance and quality outcomes for Karsun’s customers. During his tenure, Karsun Solutions won multiple hundred million dollar plus contracts as the prime contractor. Beginning in 2015, it earned a spot four years in a row on the Inc. 5000.In its first eight years the organization saw twenty-fold growth in employee headcount. These growing teams, located primarily in the DC and Oklahoma City regions, currently serve customers throughout the federal government.
“As we grow, it is critical that Karsun maintains its agile roots, especially customer access to our leadership, while leveraging the experience and quality found at a large company,” said Vaidyanathan, commenting on his current vision for Karsun Solutions.
Maintaining an open company culture is also important to Vaidyanathan. Under his guidance, Karsun implemented Coffee with Leadership and other programs to connect team members directly to executives. Observing the role of the teams powering Karsun’s growth he added, “We want our team members to join us for the journey, to grow with us.”
As part of this commitment to ongoing organizational improvement, Karsun Solutions software development practice was recently appraised at CMMI Level 5 DEV. At the time of appraisal, less than 50 organizations nationwide were rated at this level. In addition to software development, Karsun has robust cloud solutions and advanced analytics practices.
In addition to recognition at the award ceremony, the Washington Business Journal compiled a short bio on Vaidyanathan. Here he shares additional background and inspiration. Read the complete profile, along with the profiles, of the 24 other honorees at The Washington Business Journal.
Terry Miller, Chief Operating Officer at Karsun Solutions, will serve as Industry Chair of the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council’s (ACT-IAC) 2019 Partners Program. ACT-IAC is a non-profit educational organization created to encourage collaboration between industry and government. In its 22nd year, the Partners Program pairs leaders from both government and industry. Participants are selected among rising senior executives. The program is one of three fellowship programs from ACT-IAC.
Support for ACT-IAC’s professional development programs has long been a component of Karsun Solution’s support for the federal IT contracting community. Terry is a graduate of the 2010 Partners Program and was the Chair of ACT-IAC’s Management of Change (MOC) event in 2013. Graduates of the program automatically become ACT-IAC Fellows. Additional Karsun Solutions ACT-IAC Fellows include CEO Sundar Vaidyanathan (2010), Badri Sriraman (2015), Rajaji Bellamkonda (2016), Juan Robles (2017), Jay Kondapalli (2017) and Chae Song (2018). Sudhir Duggineni is a current member of the 2019 ACT-IAC Voyagers Program.
About Terry Miller
Terry is the Chief Operating Officer of Karsun Solutions. Terry works with the operations, business development, and technology teams to prepare Karsun for customer delivery excellence. Prior to joining Karsun, Terry served as the Public Sector COO for Visionary Integration Professionals. He also held various leadership positions at CSC and Harris Corporation. Prior to joining private industry, Terry served as the Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at The White House. In this capacity, he was the liaison between the President and state and local government elected officials.
About Karsun Solutions
The federal IT modernization experts, Karsun Solutions enables enterprise transformation for its government customers. Premier customers include the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, and General Services Administration. An innovation-based and performance-driven culture, Karsun Solutions delivers extraordinary outcomes for their customers. Team members are empowered by Autonomy, Accountability, and Advancement. Karsun Solutions is an established firm, with a DCAA Approved Accounting System, CMMI Level 3 – DEV appraisal, and ISO 9001, ISO 20000 and ISO 27001 certifications. Partnering with Karsun Solutions ensures the nimbleness, agility, and access to decision makers of a small business without sacrificing the scalability, capabilities, and experience in modern software development, cloud solutions and advanced analytics of a large firm.