Jay Challa is an accomplished business leader, technology executive, and entrepreneur. In his notable career spanning 30 years in information technology (IT) and engineering consulting, he co-founded and sold Ace Info Solutions (AceInfo), an IT services firm that serves Federal agencies. As CEO, Jay grew AceInfo from the basement of his home to a workforce of 1,000 employees. He played a pivotal role in the company’s two major acquisitions within two years: AceInfo was acquired by Dovel Technologies in 2019, and the merged entity was acquired by Guidehouse in 2021.
Leveraging his extensive expertise in operations, business development, capture management, project management, and technical leadership, Jay currently provides strategic management and consulting services through his firm, Shivar Consultants. Additionally, he brings his business acumen and technology insight to his appointed role on the Virginia Small Business Commission.
Jay’s contributions have been widely recognized through numerous prestigious awards, including The Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Virginia Fantastic 50 Award (two consecutive years), Smart CEO Magazine’s GovStar Award for Large Business, The TiE DC ELITE Award, Executive of the Year Finalist – Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards, U.S. Department of Commerce National Director’s Award, Minority Business Enterprise Network’s Fifty Influential Minorities in Business Award, The Lifetime Achievement Award in Business, American Telugu Association, and Small Business Contractor of the Year, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Jay is a PMI-certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a certified Professional Engineer (inactive) in multiple states, including Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. Prior to founding AceInfo in 2000, Jay worked at leading consulting firms including KPMG, BearingPoint, EarthTech (a Tyco International Company), and Ed Zublin AG. He began his career as a staff engineer, working on military family housing projects in Germany and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Within two years, he was promoted to project manager on the account.
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