Smoothstack Named Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise

The award, established in 2007, celebrates creativity and innovation.

McLEAN, VIRGINIA – SEPTEMBER 26, 2024 – Smoothstack and John Akkara, Chief Executive Officer, have been named a winner of the 2024 Top 100 MBE® Award by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC).

This award recognizes minority business owners in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia who have demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial accomplishments, professionalism, and significant contributions to their communities.

John Akkara, Chief Executive Officer of Smoothstack, said on the award: “I am beyond proud to be recognized among this outstanding group of entrepreneurs. Since its founding, Smoothstack has set out to provide rewarding IT skills to anyone. This latest recognition is a testament to our success in achieving that vision.”

Sharon R. Pinder, President and CEO of CRMSDC, expressed her congratulations: “Our Board of Directors, corporate members, and business community celebrate the outstanding achievements of the 2024 Top 100 MBEs®. Your dedication and hard work truly make a difference.”

The awards will be presented at CRMSDC’s 39th Annual Leaders and Legends Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at the MGM National Harbor.

About Smoothstack

Smoothstack is an IT staffing solutions services provider with a unique ability to create net-new talent through its hire-train-deploy (HTD) approach. Its experienced team provides strategic consulting, project support, and talent development in the areas of Application Development, Cloud, Digital Platforms, Data Engineering & AI, and Cybersecurity to F500 companies and government agencies. With AI embedded throughout its vetting and training process, Smoothstack skills high-aptitude software engineers on leading technologies aligned to their clients’ unique tech environments. For more information visit www.smoothstack.com.

About the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC)

CRMSDC is a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to fostering growth in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia through programs and services designed to enhance the diversity and innovation of corporate supply chains. We connect corporate and government members with certified minority-owned business enterprises, ensuring these businesses thrive in a competitive marketplace.

We achieve this by rigorously certifying MBE suppliers who are at least 51% owned, controlled, and operated by ethnic minorities, providing education and advisory services to certified businesses, and facilitating strategic opportunities for corporate members and certified MBEs to engage in mutually beneficial partnerships. CRMSDC’s certified MBEs generate $7 billion in annual revenue and employ over 60,000 people in the region.

Founded in 1972, CRMSDC is one of 23 regional affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the only nationally recognized MBE certifying authority. Headquartered in Maryland, we also operate an office in Northern Virginia.

Additionally, CRMSDC manages two programs funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) grants: (1) The Virginia MBDA Business Center and (2) the Capital Readiness Program (CRP). These initiatives empower minority-owned firms to create jobs, compete globally, secure contracts, and grow their businesses.

Together, these three entities form the CRMSDC MBE Business Consortium, the region’s largest provider of MBE support services. For the last five years, the Washington Business Journal has recognized CRMSDC as one of the largest business advocacy organizations in the Greater Washington Region.