Opposite page, from bottom left: Ted Leonsis, Don Graham, Bobbie Kilberg, and Aneesh Chopra all

shape the world of Washington technology.

Our tech scene is the hottest its been since the dot-com glory days of the 1990s, with big investment by government in IT, surging green-energy programs, growing biotech research, and start-ups such as LivingSocial. Here are the people who are making this region grow.
Gov 2.0 and Politicos
Curtis Bob Burns, social-media analyst, Gov 2.0

Transportation Security Administration. Writing under the handle Blogger Bob, Burns helps pen TSA.govs official blog, which is regarded as the best in the government and one of the few with both a devoted readership and a thoughtful policy discussion. Sheila Campbell, manager, General Services Administrations USA.gov. Working with her colleague Bev Godwin, Campbell is a key player helping to move the federal government online. Aneesh Chopra, US chief technology officer, and Vivek Kundra, US chief information officer, the White House. The two men, both with local ties, are helping the nation spend its $80 billionplus annual IT budget more wisely and inventively. Linda Y. Cureton, chief information officer, NASA. The Howard graduate is a leader in the governments push for cloud computing services. Regina Dugan, director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Trained as a mechanical engineer and an expert in explosives detection, Dugan in 2009 became the first woman to lead the Pentagons elite Clarendon-based technology, Skunkworks. Ed Felten, chief technologist, Federal Trade Commission. The Princeton computer-science professor and data-privacy expert started earlier this year as the first technologist within Jon Leibowitzs FTC, which

Keith Alexander, director, National

Security agency. The head of the Defense Departments cybersecurity efforts, alexander leads a workforce that includes some of the best mathematicians and technologists on the planet.
is taking a larger role in regulating and policing the Internet. Julius Genachowski, chairman, Federal Communications Commission. The appointment of Genachowski, a veteran of the DC venture-capital world, was a signal to techies that the Obama administration was going to elevate and engage with technology policy. Bob Goodlatte, US congressman from Virginia. The ten-term Roanoke Republican is cochair of the Congressional Internet Caucus and a leader on high-tech issues. Todd Park, chief technology officer, Department of Health and Human Services. The cofounder of Athenahealth, Park is at the forefront of the nations discussion about moving health-care information online. Macon Phillips, White House director of new media. Since day one of the Obama administration, Phillips has been building an impressive team to bypass the White House press corps and speak directly to citizens. Alec Ross, senior adviser for innovation, Department of State. The driving force behind much of States digital-communication initiative and Hillary Clintons Net freedom agenda, Ross cofounded the nonprofit One Economy. Patrick Ruffini and Mindy Finn, cofounders, Engage. The two GOP operatives scored big in the fall elections, helping several teaparty candidates to victory. Theyll likely be at the center of the Republican 2012 presidential race. Nick Schaper, digital strategist, US Chamber of Commerce. House speaker John Boehners former top digital strategist is starting a new job boosting businesss use of new media. Phil Weiser, senior adviser to the director for technology and innovation, National Economic Council, the White House. The Presidents point person on winning the future, Weiser is a key liaison to the tech community.

dealmakers
Politico

Mark Warner, US senator from Virginia.

The former governor and venture capitalist has made technology a centerpiece of his agenda since the beginning of his career, when he made buckets of money helping to launch the cell-phone industry.
66 | Washingtonian may 2011

director, National Science Foundation. The grantmaker, who focuses on small businesses, has been a consistent presence on the local scene, including participating in DC Lean Startup Circle. Peter Barris, managing general partner, New Enterprise Associates. Through a score of companies, including Vonage, Barris has an eye for worthwhile investments, but his
may 2011 Washingtonian | 67

Errol Arkilic, industrial-innovation program

Photographs by Chris Leaman; Steger by Jim Stroup/Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Knapp by William atkins/George Washington University

firms investment in the Chicago-based company that spawned Groupon might make his backers the richest. John Burton, managing general partner, Updata Partners. The cofounder of the Reston growth-stage venture-capital firm is head of the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association. Brooke B. Coburn, managing director, the Carlyle Group. David Rubensteins Carlyle Group, a private-equity firm, remains one of the regions biggest pocketbooks. Carol Thompson Cole, CEO, Venture Philanthropy Partners. The onetime DC mayoral aide now heads the prestigious philanthropy group founded by Mario Morino. Chris Darby, CEO, In-Q-Tel. Not many government agencies have their own venture-capital firm, but the CIA doesand if Darby spots promising technology, he has deep pockets to play with. Miles Gilburne, managing member, ZG Ventures. A key ally of Steve Case, Gilburne a former AOL vice presidenthas a particular interest in biotech and life sciences. Mike Lincoln, partner, Cooley Godward Kronish. Working with his colleague Adam Ruttenberg, Lincoln is the key mergers-andacquisitions and venture-capital lawyer for Northern Virginia. Art Marks, general partner, Valhalla Partners. Marks, who now works at Valhalla with cofounder Gene Riechers, has spent more than 25 years in local venture-capital circles and is still active in many deals. John May, managing partner, New Vantage Group. One of the only local angels

Dealmaker

Don Rainey, general part-

ner, Grotech Ventures. a longtime Washington investor, Rainey has his fingers in many pots, from military projects to LivingSocial, a move that will make his partners at Grotech a lot of money.
who provide key early-stage funding to startups, May is a must-meet for any budding entrepreneur. Nigel Morris, former president and COO, Capital One. The cofounder of the creditcard powerhouse has moved on to being one of the regions most prolific dealmakers and negotiators. Kim Shanahan, Korn/Ferry. The leading headhunter for the Northern Virginia tech industry, Shanahan has many top executives on speed dial. Ralph Terkowitz, general partner, ABS Capital. The former CTO/CIO of the Washington Post Company hosts regular dinners that bring together a whos who of the local tech scene.

ing LivingSocial), Case and his right hand, Tige Savage, are key drivers and funders of many projects. John Crupi, CTO, JackBe. The rest of the companys motto, nimble and quick, underscores what it sees as the key to Presto real-time business intelligence on the companys custom dashboardswhich has helped the governments own stimulus Web site, Recovery.gov. Tom Davidson, CEO, EverFi. Fresh off $11 million in Series A funding from New Enterprise Associates and others, Davidson is set for a big expansion of his financial-literacy programs. Mark D. Ein, founder and CEO, Venturehouse Group. The tech entrepreneur has a variety of projects, from the Kastle Systems security company to the pro tennis team he has named after itthe Washington Kastles. Raul Fernandez, CEO, ObjectVideo. After taking his company Proxicom public and selling it for nearly $450 million, Fernandez is busy with his video-analytics company and his co-ownership of the Wiz-

11

12 3 6 10

Here are those who might very well make the next Tech Titans list
1. Michael Edson, director of Web and new-media strategy, smithsonian institution. the 20-year veteran of the nations attic has helped launch its first blog and adapt some of its collection for an alternative-reality game. 2. Sean Glass, venture partner, novak Biddle. a former game-company founder backed by Richard Branson, glass is seen as a leader of the next generation of local venture capitalists. 3. Ginny Hunt, head of public-sector projects, google. People inside and outside of government are coming to know hunt as googles DC fixer. 4. Clay Johnson, creator, Big Window Labs. a veteran of the howard Dean presidential campaign and the sunlight Foundation, Johnson has launched an incubator for companies hoping to disrupt whats core to Washingtonpolitics, government, and media. 5. Charles W. Steger, president, Virginia tech, and 6. Steven Knapp, president, george Washington University. Both universities are making big tech plays, with gW increasing the size of its Loudoun research center and Virginia tech expanding into a large Ballston facility focused on health technology and cybersecurity. 7. Jim Long, cameraman, nBC news. By day hes a mild-mannered cameraman, but on twitter and at tech conferences he transforms into @newMediaJim, one of the areas favorite tech thinkers. 8. Catharine McNally, founder, Keen guides. Deaf since she was eight months old, Mcnally worked at the Kennedy Center and the Freer and sackler galleries before starting a company focused on captioned video tours. 9. Robert Musslewhite, CEo, advisory Board Company. While the David Bradleyfounded company is known for its health-care consulting and best practices research, its pushing to become more of a software company. 10. Chitra Ragavan, senior counselor, Palantir. a former legalaffairs reporter for U.S. News and an nPR correspondent, Ragavan is helping sell one of silicon Valleys most intriguing companies backed by PayPal founder and Facebook funder Peter thielas it expands into providing analysis and software to the intelligence community. 11. Katharine Zaleski, Digital news Products head, Washington Post. one of the original staff at the online huffington Post, Zaleskiwho spends her free time crisscrossing the country rockclimbingis helping to speed the Post into the digital age. 12. Christine A. Varney, assistant attorney general for antitrust, Justice Department. the respected former head of hogan & hartsons internet-law division, Varney is at the center of the discussion about whether google is too large. 13. Frank Baitman, chief information officer, social security administration. the former iBM business strategist is rethinking how one of the governments biggest programs and data sets can be more efficient, responsive, and useful. 14. Adam Sharp, twitter. the microblogging sites first Washington hire, formerly an executive producer at C-sPan, is just months into his new role guiding politicians and policymakers through the site.
may 2011 Washingtonian | 69

Entrepreneur

Tim OShaughnessy,

entrePreneurs
Sid Banerjee, cofounder and CEO, Clar-

Dealmaker

Philip Bronner, Novak

Biddle Venture Partners. Since Jack Biddle and Roger Novak founded it in 1997, NBVP has established itself as the areas top venturecapital firm, and Bronner is the go-to for local start-ups, including approva, Clearspring, and Webs.
68 | Washingtonian may 2011

abridge. The customer-feedback-mining start-up led by Banerjeeone of the first employees of MicroStrategyis a big hit, as was his previous venture, Claraview. James Bankoff, CEO, SB Nation. Bankoff is a former AOL executive and senior adviser at the private-equity powerhouse Providence Equity Partners. SB Nation has a network of more than 300 blogs that dominates the online sports conversationand he hopes itll be global as he moves into European soccer. Aaron Batalion, cofounder and CTO, LivingSocial. The head technologist for this rapidly growing company is a big local presence and is helping to push the start-up scene forward. Steve Case, CEO, Revolution. With his fingers in lots of deals and boards (includ-

CEO, LivingSocial. The Georgetown grad is on top of the hottest thing to hit the local tech world since aOL, with an ever-growing valuationhelped recently by a $400-million venture-funding roundand a staff thats been expanding by six a day.
ards, Capitals, and Mystics. Peter LaMotte, president, GeniusRocket. Under CEO Mark Walsh, LaMotte, a veteran of the Corporate Executive Board, is the power behind the curated crowdsourcing site, which helps connect creatives and businesses. Robert S. Marshall, CEO, Earth Networks. Best known for his Germantown-based companys WeatherBug, the University of Mary-

 Entrepreneur

Ted Leonsis, entrepreneur/investor.

Now owner of the Verizon Center and its teams, Leonsis is a fan favorite for his stewardship of the Capitals and perhaps the biggest player in the local tech communityfrom his SnagFilms start-up to fast-rising Groupon, in which he invests.
land grad operates the worlds largest weather and lightning observation system. Hooman Radfar, cofounder and CEO, Clearspring. After some growing pains, the McLean-based firm has seen its social-sharing widget, AddThis, make it one of the largest Web sites in the worldand one that possesses an enormous amount of valuable data on user behavior and preferences. Michael J. Saylor, founder and CEO, MicroStrategy. The long ride of MicroStrategy hasnt been steady for Saylorwho lost billions when the tech bubble burstbut its going gangbusters now and looking the best it has in years, thanks in part to the hard work of COO Sanju K. Bansal. Chris Schroeder, CEO, HealthCentral. The Washington Post Company has helped launch many a career locally, and the former Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive CEOs is one. His health-care information provider has an A-list team of backers, from Barry Diller to Sequoia Capital to the Carlyle Group.
Pete Snyder, founder and CEO, New Media Strategies. The Rosslyn-based communications firm has been singled out for its success by Virginia governor Bob McDonnell and continues its recent hiring spree. Daniel Yates, founder and CEO, Opower. His Arlington-based energy-efficiency startup, perhaps more than any other outside of LivingSocial, seems poised for a big IPO down the road.

Deborah H. Alderson, president, SAICs Defense Solutions Group. While she oversees a workforce of 12,500, Alderson has made mentoring women a focus of her energies and developed SAICs Womens Network. Anne Altman, general manager, Global Public Sector, IBM. The experienced IBM leader continues to rise, most recently taking over all of the giants public-sector work. John Becker, CEO, Approva. The company has embraced a lighthearted marketing campaign targeting control freaks with its access-control software, which has become the industry standard for most of the large audit firms.

entrePreneurial couPles
Phillip and Caren Merrick. The cofounders of

Entrepreneurial Couple

Jen Consalvo and Frank Gruber, founders,

Tech Cocktail. Their startup, which began as a local networking group, has become a national gathering point for budding entrepreneurs, attracting thousands at the South by Southwest Interactive conference.
70 | Washingtonian may 2011

webMethods, which was the most successful software IPO of its time, have their own projects nowwith Phillip overseeing the online rsum site VisualCV and Caren running for the Virginia state Senate. Bradley and Sheryl Schwartz. The husband-and-wife team that runs Blue Canopya government-tech contractor founded in 2001 that has twice made Inc. magazines list of the 500 fastest-growing private US companiesboth came to the start-up with extensive corporate backgrounds. Amy Senger and Steven Mandzik. Founders of the consulting firm 1X57, theyve become influential in Gov 2.0 circlesand have helped usher the CIA into the age of social media. Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova, founders, Imangi Studios. Their small-game development company has churned out a number of popular iPad and iPhone apps, including the game Harbor Master. Jesse Thomas and Leslie Bradshaw, cofounders, Jess3. The creative geniuses behind one of the regions hottest agencies, they helped an astronaut check into Foursquare from space and helped C-SPAN establish itself as a digital innovator.

Industry Leader

Donald E. Graham,

CEO, Washington Post Company. as a regular Facebook user, a board member of the social-media powerhouse, and overseer of the print newspaper businesss transition to a multi-platform media experience, Graham is at the forefront of technological change. Products such as Trove, built by his team and led by CDO Vijay Ravindran, are causing excitement in media circles.
Wes Bush, CEO, Northrop Grumman. The decision by the new head of Northrop to move the companys headquarters to the Washington areacreating a bidding war among Virginia, Maryland, and the District, eventually won by Falls Churchwas a coup. It was also a recognition of the importance of the government IT sector, where Linda Mills heads Northrops $8.4-billion-a-year information-systems business. Edward J. Casey Jr., CEO, Serco (North America). A former energy executive, Casey has led Serco through two successful acquisi-

tions since 2006 and has grown the company into more than a billion dollars in revenue. Michael L. Chasen, CEO, Blackboard. The education-services provider continues to grow, allowing Chasen increasing flexibility to involve himself in other local start-ups and deals. Pablo Chavez, managing policy counsel, and Mike Bradshaw, director of Google Federal, Google. Googles presence is expanding yearly in Washingtonits $5.2 million in lobbying expenses last year was up by nearly a third from 2009. Chavez, a former John McCain aide, is one of the leading Silicon Valley voices on Capitol Hill, and Bradshaw is the face of Google in the federal sector. Lynda Clarizio, CEO, Invision. The former head of Advertising.com for AOL and a onetime Arnold & Porter lawyer, Clarizio is among the foremost experts on digital advertising. James F. Coakley, CEO, Power Loft. The Prince William County data center is one of the areas largest storage facilities and a green model for similar projects. Matthew J. Desch, CEO, Iridium. As head of one of the worlds largest mobile-satellite companiesrelied upon by mariners, explorers, and even the Defense Department Desch helped take the company public in 2009. Amr ElSawy, CEO, Noblis. The nonprofit consulting firmwhich traces its history to MITs World War II efforts to help the government solve complex problemsremains a force in federal circles. Nelson M. Ford, CEO, LMI. The health-care

Thinker

Andy Carvin, social-media strate-

gist, NPR. Beloved in the local tech community, the prolific tweeter has become a worldwide resource as the hub of firstperson accounts about the unrest and revolution across the arab world.

Industry Leader

Teresa Carlson, vice

industry leaders
Reggie Aggarwal, founder and CEO,

Cvent. A leader in the Indian high-tech world, he heads an 800-plus-person eventmanagement software company that has helped put together more than 275,000 events worldwide.

president, global public sector, amazon Web Services. The move of the influential vice president of microsoft Federal Services to amazon in December showed how seriously the retailer took cloud computing.

executive turned undersecretary of the Army now heads the nonprofit management consultancy born of Defense Secretary Robert McNamaras frustration with the Pentagons business practices 50 years ago. Linda Gooden, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions. With more than $10 billion in annual sales, Gooden oversees a business roughly the size of Cambodias GDP. Walter P. Havenstein, CEO, SAIC. The newish leader of the regions biggest government-technology contractor, with 17,500 local employees, is seen as a breath of fresh air, raising employee morale. Hes also a leader in education, chairing the nonprofit FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Fred Humphries, vice president, US government affairs, Microsoft. The top representative of the Redmond, Washington, software giant is, along with Ed Ingle, a powerful voice in DC. Sudhakar Kesavan, CEO, ICF International. The green-tech consulting firm perhaps best known for helping launch the Environmental Protection Agencys Energy Star programhas developed into a global leader under Kesavan, who has worked at the firm since 1983 and is now vice chair of NVTC. Jeong Kim, president, Bell Labs. More than a decade after he made many millions on the sale of his tech start-up to Lucent Technologies, Kim has settled into his role as head of the storied Bell Labs. Bruce Klein, senior vice president, US public-sector theater, Cisco. One of the largest providers of networking products to the government, Klein manages an extensive portfolio. Marne Levine, vice president, global public policy, Facebook. The arrival of Larry Summerss chief of staff from the National Economic Council as the social-networking sites lead policy person shows how seriously the company is now taking Washington. Mark D. McLaughlin, president and chief executive officer, VeriSign. The Web-security firms relocation last summer to Northern Virginia was a sign of the energy in the

tech sector regionally. Donna Morea, president, CGI US, Europe, and Asia. Just about the entire world except Canada now falls under the purview of this 25-year veteran of the IT industry. Matthew OConnell, CEO, GeoEye. Highquality satellite images once were the exclusive domain of a handful of governments, but now

Community Leaders

Zvi Band, founder of skeevisarts, and Michael Mayernick, cofounder of

Giv.to. Hoping to spur more collegiality among the local community, the two energetic techies launched a Web site, Proudly made in DC, that showcases start-ups.

GeoEyes work is provided through Google, Yahoo!, and Bing to any computer user in the world. Gary Shapiro, CEO, Consumer Electronics Association. The longtime head of the powerful trade association is taking a bigger role in policy, arguing in his new book, The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream, that the United States needs to rethink its strategy for economic competitiveness. David W. Thompson, cofounder and CEO, Orbital. The commercial space-launch company, which has its own space facility off of
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are not talking about a bunch of eggheads in tweed jackets and pipes. We are talking about real people in your district who not only share our broad views but who are financially supporting us. Feulner is all but a cheerleader when it comes to talking about Heritages new profilewith the added presence and savvy, he is quick to note, of Addington. Its footprint on Capitol Hill is growing. The think tank not only is housed in two spacious buildings on Massachusetts Avenue, a few blocks from Senate office buildings and the Capitol, but it also purchased a building in 2008 on Pennsylvania Avenue, Southeast, spitting distance from the House office buildings. We are not halfway downtown like Cato, Feulner says. We are not all the way downtown like AEI or out Embassy Row like Brookings. I am not saying necessarily that particular factor makes us better, but I am saying it makes us different because we know precisely what our primary target audience is, and it is right over there, meaning Capitol Hill. That is another reason Addington is such a neat, integral player and [fits into] what we are about because he has been on both the House and Senate staff and he knows how that works as well as knowing how downtown works. Addingtons second act dovetails with Heritages effort to be more muscular on Capitol Hill. We want independent thinkers who are also team players, and this guy is the perfect combination, Feulner says. In the confines of his office, he tells it to me straight out, but when our board comes to a decision, he is a great colonel in the Army. He salutes and says, Forward march, and on we go. Addington makes clear that success in his first year can be measured in a tangible way. Three of the think tanks priorities fall in his area of responsibility: to win substantial cuts in federal spending, to succeed in repealing Obamacare, and to make the temporary tax cuts passed during the Bush administration permanent. Success is defined as all three, he says. Progress is defined as two. As for Addingtons take on where he is now after the fights hes taken on over the years, just for a moment he allows an outsider in and becomes a little introspective: The meaningful life. Somehow, youre 80 and rocking on the front porch and thinking about what did you do with your life. The best you can hope in the end is that you lived it properly and accomplished something useful. That so much outweighs the ups and downs and in-between W struggles.
Kirk Victor has covered the White House and Congress for National Journal, collaborated with Senator Ernest Fritz Hollings on Hollingss book, Making Government Work, and currently is a contributing writer at the Fiscal Times and a contributing editor at National Journal. He can be reached at kirkvic@gmail.com.
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Tech Titans

continued from page 71

Marylands Eastern Shore, will grow only more critical as NASA wraps up the spaceshuttle program. Steve Trundle, CEO, Alarm.com. The onetime MicroStrategy CTO now runs a hot security company that allows users to connect to their home security systems remotely. John B. Wood, CEO, Telos. The head of the cybersecurity firm is proving a key booster of Loudoun County growth with his formation of the local CEO Cabinet to advise policymakers on economic-development issues.

thinkers
Technology & Innovation Foundation. With innovation becoming a major policy area, Atkinson has been at the forefront of pushing it as a cornerstone of economic development. Rod Beckstrom, CEO, ICANN. The body that governs Internet addresses and names (such as .com and .us) is headed by Beckstrom, an author and entrepreneur. Edward Black, CEO, Computer & Communications Industry Association. Head of one of the industrys top trade groups since 1995, Black was involved with the State Department and is active in other government projects on tech policy. Vint Cerf, vice president and chief Internet evangelist, Google; Steve Crocker, board-ofdirectors vice chair, ICANN; and Robert E. Kahn, president, CEO, and chairman, Corporation for National Research Initiatives. Not too many people can claim to have invented the Internet (and Al Gores not one of them), but these three can. Decades later, all are still leaders in the industry. Leslie Harris, CEO, Center for Democracy & Technology. The Georgetown Law grad turned policy wonk has helped establish CDT as a key resource for privacy rights online. Walt Mossberg, personal-tech columnist, Wall Street Journal. Mossbergs reviews are considered definitive by many, and his expanding empire of projects, such as AllThingsD, keep him influential. Lynn St. Amour, CEO, Internet Society. Her organization, based in the United States and Switzerland, works on increasing Internet access to developing countries and setting standards to ease communication.
Robert D. Atkinson, president, Information

tys top cheerleaders and boosters, helping to forge connections, deals, and friendships. Mark Bisnow, founder, Bisnow on Business. His networking schmooze-fests and speaker series, a spinoff of his e-newsletters, have been a big success. Phillip J. Bond, CEO, TechAmerica. For nearly 20 years, Bond has moved back and forth between government and the private sector. He now leads one of the most powerful industry voices. Allyson Kapin, founding partner and executive creative director, Rad Campaign. Kapins Women Who Tech conference and her boundless energy helped lead Forbes to name her one of the top 30 women entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. Alan Merten, president, George Mason University, and Bob Templin, president, Northern Virginia Community College. The IT world continues to hunger for employees, and these two higher-education leaders are

Community Leader

Bobbie Kilberg, CEO,

Northern Virginia Technology Council. Kilberg has led the regions most influential tech trade group for more than a decadeand her Hot Ticket awards event, hosted at her mcLean house, is the communitys event of the year.
providing thousands of educated students. Shireen Mitchell, CEO, Digital Sisters/ Sistas. University of the District of Columbia graduate Mitchellwho goes by the name Digitalsista onlineworks to deliver technology to underserved women and children. Jill Stelfox, founder and president, Accession Point. The serial entrepreneur now runs a consulting firm to encourage others ideas and is respected for her energy W and connections.
Editor Garrett M. Graff can be reached at ggraff@washingtonian.com.

community leaders
Shashi Bellamkonda, director of social media, Network Solutions; Peter Corbett, founder, Twin Tech; and Justin Thorp, community

manager, Clearspring. Online and offline, these three are among the tech communi-