The October 5 event brought together university, government, and business leaders, including U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10); George Mason University President Gregory Washington; Costello College of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé; and Sumeet Shrivastava, rector of George Mason's Board of Visitors.
The naming builds on a longstanding relationship between Sharma, TSCTI, and George Mason. Sharma serves on the President's Innovation Advisory Council and the George Mason University Foundation Board of Trustees, while TSCTI has supported the Center's Patriot Pitch Competition over multiple years. The Center was renamed in recognition of a personal gift from Anil and Anupama Sharma intended to expand opportunities for students and aspiring founders and strengthen Northern Virginia's innovation economy.
The Sharmas envision the Center as a place where students can access the mentorship, technology, talent, connections, and capital needed to move ideas from the classroom or laboratory into viable businesses. The goal is to create an ecosystem that brings together academia, industry, government, investors, and founders while helping advances in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, biotechnology, and other emerging fields move into real-world applications.
"Putting our name on this Center is not about the name. It is about putting our values into it – education, innovation, entrepreneurship, service, and creating opportunity for others," Sharma said. "We want this Center to help build a local Silicon Valley right here in Northern Virginia, where a student can walk in with an idea, get mentorship, technology, access to the ecosystem, and capital, and turn that idea into a real business. If this Center helps students build companies, create jobs, and then create opportunities for others, that would be the greatest achievement and honor for us."
Sharma came to the United States from India in 1997 and founded 22nd Century Technologies later that year. Since then, TSCTI has grown into a national IT systems integrator with more than 6,000 professionals. Sharma has cited education and the opportunities he found in the United States as central to his and Anupama's decision to support the Center and help create similar opportunities for the next generation.
Established in 2014, the Center supports students as they develop ideas, gain practical experience, and build new ventures. George Mason has publicly described the naming as a significant milestone for both the Center and the Costello College of Business. In announcing the Sharmas' support, Costello College Dean Ajay Vinzé said it would strengthen the region's innovation ecosystem, expand opportunities for students, alumni, and community members, and help create long-term value and opportunity.
The October 29 celebration will take place at Fuse at Mason Square in Arlington, George Mason's innovation hub designed to connect university researchers and students with industry, government, founders, and other partners.
About 22nd Century Technologies
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, 22nd Century Technologies is a Certified National Minority Business Enterprise providing IT, cybersecurity, cloud, and digital transformation solutions to federal, state, and local government agencies across all 50 states, Canada, and Mexico. The company employs more than 7,000 people nationwide, including more than 600 cybersecurity subject matter experts.
SOURCE 22nd Century Technologies, Inc
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