When founder Praveen Singalla set out to create his company, Diaconia, which literally means ‘to serve with care and empathy’, he knew he wanted to create something different.
Diaconia’s mission is to serve colleagues with dignity and inclusion, clients with dedication and integrity, and the community with diligence and impact.
The organization provides state-of-the-art cloud, data science, advanced analytics (artificial intelligence and machine learning), and cybersecurity services to government and private companies – but there is an exceptional difference in its core mission.
Praveen Singalla, Founder & CEO
“My parents were both Indian missionaries, and so when I founded this company, I wanted it to be a platform organization that serves the purpose of giving back to the community.” As a first-generation immigrant, Singalla came to Montgomery County 20 years ago. “This is where I started my career and raising a family. So, for me to start and grow an organization, I couldn't find a better spot.
But Montgomery County is not just a sentimental location for Singalla. It is also a highly strategic destination – and a hub for emerging technologies. “We moved to the county as part of the MOVE Grant program, Singalla explains. “Montgomery County has been very generous and very supportive of our company. That in and of itself has been significantly helpful for a small organization trying to build here in the DC metro area.”
Diaconia partners with customers to solve problems and overcome challenges, with innovation – and with dignity and inclusion at its core. Singalla adds, “Every individual at the company has an opportunity and equity to contribute as a team, irrespective of their background, irrespective of where they come from, their degree or even the role they play in the organization. That's one way we maintain diversity with a focus on inclusion.”
In addition to serving federal and private customers, Diaconia supports the county's talent pipeline through M.A.P., a program for universities that pairs students with industry leaders. M.A.P includes hands-on practice to foster the next generation of innovators. And Diaconia's efforts giving back to the community don't stop there. The organization also supports the Diaconia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established to support other nonprofit organizations and directly the community in the areas of providing STEM education to underprivileged kids, Veterans Support and building infrastructure(schools, orphanages, etc) to support and promote economic growth. In fact, a percentage of Diaconia's profits go directly to the Diaconia Foundation.
Creating an environment where innovation, high performance and disruptive thinking are encouraged and rewarded is rarely easy. His advice? “Think about what kind of impact you can make for someone else. The moment you have an idea that’ll make a difference for someone else, that’s a sign of you being an entrepreneur.”
Visit https://diaconia.com/ to learn more.