Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™.
Washington, D.C., has long been a hub for Black individuals seeking community and opportunity. Known affectionately as “Chocolate City,” the area is home to a thriving population of Black professionals who live, work, and play in the region. D.C. is not only the home of prestigious HBCUs like Howard University but also serves as the political heart of the United States, with most career opportunities tied to government work. Companies such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Deloitte offer consulting roles that bridge the gap between the private sector and government. As interest grows from both the government and the technology industry to strengthen their collaboration, career opportunities at the intersection of these sectors — at the federal, state, and local levels — are expected to rise. This is an emerging opportunity that aspiring professionals should pay attention to. In this article, I’ll discuss how the federal government and tech industry have worked together in the past, why the startup community is increasingly focusing on creating tech solutions for the government, and highlight some exciting GovTech companies.
Since the Obama administration, the federal government has worked to foster a closer relationship with the tech industry. For example, Jennifer Pahlka, former deputy chief technology officer of the United States (2013-2014), established the U.S. Digital Service within the president’s executive office. She aimed to create a U.S. digital organization comparable to the United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service. The U.S. Digital Service hires professionals from tech fields such as product, engineering, and design for four-year terms to help modernize the federal government’s technical infrastructure. In 2020, during the pandemic, Pahlka co-founded the U.S. Digital Response, which brought together technology volunteers to assist state and local governments with tech challenges they couldn’t meet due to the pandemic. One of my favorite launches from this initiative was the California vaccine record, which allowed residents to download their vaccination status and store it in their Apple Wallet. Innovations like this highlight the potential for technology to address governmental challenges when resources are available.
Beyond government agencies, the military has also seen the value in bringing senior-level tech talent into its ranks. The Pentagon has been recruiting chief technology officers to join the reserves and contribute to projects ranging from data analytics to cybersecurity on an as-needed basis while retaining their full-time jobs. This initiative benefits both the military and the tech industry by fostering valuable relationships and technical knowledge in the growing field of defense tech.
Historically, the startup community viewed the government as a difficult customer to acquire, primarily due to the long and complex procurement processes companies had to navigate. The tech industry also lacked the institutional knowledge and connections needed to thrive in this space. However, two companies — Palantir and Anduril — have changed how investors view the sector. Founded in 2003, Palantir works with the government to analyze data collected by intelligence agencies, helping them make national security decisions. At the time of its founding, the government sector was largely untapped, but now Palantir is worth $164 billion. Anduril, founded by Palmer Luckey (who sold Oculus to Meta for $2 billion in 2014), focuses on developing autonomous technology for the U.S. military and is now valued at $14 billion. These companies’ successes have encouraged investors to explore new opportunities in defense tech, particularly as traditional B2B software for white-collar industries appears to be reaching its potential.
The success of Palantir and Anduril has paved the way for more startups aiming to make the government their primary customer. The process of winning government contracts is competitive, so there is a growing interest in using AI to streamline and simplify bidding. Sweetspot, a company backed by the startup accelerator Y Combinator, raised $2.2 million to create a “TurboTax for government contracting.” Promise, led by Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, is building a suite of tools to help local and state governments run their operations more efficiently, such as payment plans and relief distribution.
The government is increasingly ready to embrace technology as a partner in solving some of its most pressing challenges. Most of us have interacted with government services and witnessed firsthand the inefficiencies that can complicate daily life. If technology can help reduce these inefficiencies, I’m all for it.
