XLA CEO Gary Slack is no stranger to entrepreneurship and working for what you want. In fact, he got the business bug around the age of 8, and it stuck with him ever since. In this episode of Humble Beginnings, the Northern Virginia native shares a bit about his family ⏤ his father who didn't graduate high school and worked at a nearby naval research center, and his mother who worked in retail ⏤ and how his upbringing shaped him. Slack's family was comfortable, as his parents worked hard to provide what they needed. Still, Slack decided to start working for those "extras." He sold donuts as a kid, took on a paper route and worked throughout college. Slack's future father-in-law would also heavily influence his interest in business at a young age. 

Eventually, Slack's drive and business acumen opened doors and opportunities ⏤ ultimately, leading to his position as CEO.  

In this episode, Camille Tuutti is joined by Luwanda Jones, the deputy chief information officer in the Office of Strategic Sourcing at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Luwanda's story takes us on a fascinating journey marked by unexpected twists,  transformative moments and turning points. 

If you look up the definition of "resourcefulness," you may find Ed Swallow's story. Today, he's senior vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer/treasurer of The Aerospace Corp.; yet the White Plains, New York native didn't have a clearly defined path. It's largely the reason why he's adamant about mentorship and provides early career advice to students at universities.

Tune in to hear how Swallow's country club upbringing shifted after his parent's divorce and the recession of 1972. He began helping his family financially at the age of 15, working at pizzerias, gas stations and even roofing on the weekends, thanks to his stepfather's business. To afford college, he declared emancipation, joined ROTC and even started his own roofing business ⏤ at times, redoing roofs for professors. Fast forward two bachelor’s degrees from two separate universities, a master's degree and active duty Air Force experience, and Swallow is inspiring the next generation of diverse talent into the space workforce.   

To learn more about these efforts as Swallow discuses them in this episode, visit Space Workforce 2030.

For the first time publicly, Stan Sims, senior vice president and chief security officer at CGI, shares his story of growing up in the rural south as an African American during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The son of sharecroppers in Arkansas, Sims began working and helping his family by the time he was elementary school-aged. In fact, he has worked most of his life. During his adolescence, Sims asked his father ⏤ who had never graduated from high school ⏤ what he needed to do to get off the farm and do something else. "He said: 'Son, you need to get an education. If you don't want to do what we're doing, you want to have a better life, then you need to get an education,'" Sims shares. 

Tune in to hear how Sims took that advice to heart, used his strong work ethic, perspective and ambition to eventually graduate with a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees; earn the title of a decorated combat veteran with more than 36 years of combined military and public service experience; and later, rise the ranks in the corporate world.  

While many recognize him as the former CEO of Avantus Federal, few may know Andy Maner’s early beginnings in Lansing, Michigan. From running his own lawn care service to working in a cherry processing plant, Andy learned the importance of hard work and determination from an early age. Although he didn't have a clear vision during college, an internship in Washington, D.C., ignited his passion for politics and public affairs. This led him to the White House, where he worked alongside President George H.W. Bush. 

Throughout his career, Andy embraced risks, seized opportunities and prioritized continuous learning. He strongly emphasizes the value of reliability, fostering meaningful relationships and the transformative role of mentors. All of these principles stem from his Midwest upbringing and enduring values. Join us as we uncover Andy’s inspiring journey, filled with resilience, ambition and a commitment to making a difference.

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we chat with Rick Driggers, Accenture Federal Services' cyber practice lead, as he candidly shares his personal and emotional story of family, loss, resilience and pivotal experiences. Driggers talks about his upbringing in Florida, admittedly from an at times difficult family. In his early teens, he spent most of his time working on a cattle ranch for his grandfather for $1.00 an hour. This strong work ethic would later manifest in resilience and perseverance. 

Driggers joined the U.S. Air Force right out of high school and was selected into the special forces. He was deployed all over the world, and as a young airman, was on a team of four divers that recovered the remains of Spirit 03, an AC-130 Gunship that was shot down during Operation Desert Storm. Later in life, he would learn he had a 5-year-old nephew in custody with the Department of Children’s and Families. Driggers took custody of his nephew in November 2001, changing his priorities and leading him to domestic career opportunities in government and later, industry.  

Tune in to hear about these experiences, and other personal and professional life moments, from Driggers himself. 

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we chat with Anna Sever, president and CEO of Magellan Federal, about her upbringing in North Carolina, and how losing her father at a young age changed her family dynamic and outlook on life. Her mom now working to support the family, Sever decided at the age of 14 that she could, too. She shares stories about her first job teaching swim lessons to police officers in a public swimming system that still had vestiges of segregated pools; and how this experience taught her the meaning of participatory leadership. 

Later, Sever became a supervisor for child welfare -- a state job in Idaho -- in an office that had never had a female supervisor before. She was quickly identified as a leader and was promoted almost every 18 months. Tune in to learn how Sever takes her over 20 years of healthcare and social services experience to spearhead growth and new business initiatives with federal contractors, and the lessons and values she continues to lead with today. 

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we chat with Vishal Desai, a president and board member at SilverEdge Government Solutions, about how the experiences throughout his life have help shape his perspective and the type of leader he is today. Desai takes us through key moments and memories; like growing up in India, moving to the U.S. at the age of 15, assimilating to American culture in New York and what led him to study engineering at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Overcoming cultural, financial and personal barriers ⏤ including receiving over 300 job rejections after college ⏤ Desai landed a job at NASA and received his Master’s of Science in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He'd go on to lead NASA’s Next Generation Enterprise Management effort, but when it came time to manage larger programs, Desai ⏤ in his late 20s ⏤ wanted to start his own company instead. Knowing nothing about business, he chose to invest in himself. Tune in to hear how Desai founded, built and grew the Savli Group; the cultural fundamental values and learnings he carries with him today; and what ultimately led him to SilverEdge Government Solutions. 

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we chat with Shannon Miller, an executive vice president and president of the global Divergent Solutions business at Jacobs, about her upbringing in a small town in western Colorado and how her surroundings and father's geologist career influenced her. Eventually, Miller made her way to the Colorado School of Mines, found a love for chemistry and thermal dynamics (as well as other extracurriculars that rounded out her college experience), and landed at Jacobs right after college at the local Coors Factory.

Jacobs ⏤ and Miller's own curiosities and willingness to take on new challenge and roles ⏤ would take her around the country and world for various assignments. She went on to lead businesses in Canada and Australia; sought out lateral career moves for the sake of experience; landed in departments she had no prior experience in; and said yes to opportunities that would enhance her career. Tune in to hear how Miller navigated a male-dominated field and what ultimately led her to Dallas.

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we chat with ICF's Michael Jung about the unpredictable path he took to executive director of the company's climate center. Jung, born in Korea, shares the story of the first American his father met and how it influenced him to pursue medicine. When Jung and his family came to the States, they landed in Appalachia Kentucky after a few extreme climate-related incidents moved them out of other areas.

Eventually, Jung went to Yale and studied environmental science and East Asian studies. His passion and interest in the environment stems from many aspects of his life, from essentially being a climate refugee to his time in boy scouts. An immigrant mentality also drove lots of his extracurriculars. Jung didn't just have hobbies, he excelled in them. He tells us about being a U.S. Fulbright Fellow, a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, a former competitive ballroom dancer, a backpacker and more. Plus, hear how he snagged a career with ICF after it was the "one that got way" right after college, and what landed his family in Oregon.