Inc.com Lists Top 10 Black Entrepreneurs, Half in Tech Sector

Inc.com recently featured the “Top 10 Black Entreprenuers of 2010″ from its annual Inc. 5000 list. If you’re unfamiliar with the listing, to be included on the list a company must have exhibited a certain level of growth between 2006-2009 to be included on the list. The list was comprised of  many different industries including management and consulting. Of the companies mentioned, half were involved in the technology sector. Of those five companies, four are in the IT industry and the remaining works in the government sector. The following is a listing of Inc’s 2010 top techprenuers.

Tracey E. Barnes (Entap) – Located in Indiana, Entap is an IT-consulting firm that provides information technology solutions to a number of entities including government and higher education institutions. Over a three year period Entap has grown586% and earned $4.1 million in revenue. Since its start in 2004, President and CEO Tracey Barnes has used his extensive expertise in Information Technology to forge relationships across the globe including the United Kingdom.

Richard Lewis (RTL Solutions) – Founded in 2002, RTL Solutions provides a full range of IT services, including storage, security, and network maintenance. They are also a reseller of IT hardware and software. Their client list includes the White House, NBA, and the Department of Agriculture. The company has grown 901%, posted $15.3 million in revenue, and is listed as 25th in its industry. President and CEO Richard Lewis is a formidable leader, combining his experience as a former Air Force captain with his past senior management position at Cisco and Qwest to construct a winning strategy for his company.

Karen Cooper (SmartIT Staffing) – “Intelligent Staffing, Exceptional Results.” The tagline says it all, SmartIT Staffing is more than a “body shop,” sending out entry level temps to do grunt work. SmartIT Staffing provide IT professionals that cover a wide range of expertise including Help Desk Operations, Data Center Operations, and Knowledge Management, just to name a few. In addition the company also provide managed payroll services. Over a three year period, SmartIT Staffing has grown 788% with a 2009 revenue of $9.7 million. President and Owner Karen Cooper continues the company’s expansion adding 80 employees, investing $480,000 in the move.

Dennis Christmas (Enterprise Solutions Realized) – ESR provides software development and system integration services to clients in both the private an public sector. The company’s primary client is the federal government. Drawing inspiration from the events of Hurricane Katrina, ESR strives to create a interoperability system that is able to operate when other systems are comprised. In 2009, the company earned $4.8 million with 2408% growth over a three year period.

Andrew Harold, Jr. (A. Harold and Associates) – Located in Florida, A. Harold and Associates is a technology training services firm that provides its services to all levels of government. In addition to  the government, AHA also works with the private sector as well. In addition to training, AHA also provides logistics and manufacturing services.  The company has reported a three year growth of 1564% and a 2009 revenue of $4.3 million. AHA CEO and President Andrew Harold, Jr. brings 17 years of program and project management experience the business and is a former Navy helicopter pilot.

About the Author
Sherri is a freelance writer that has a love of all things fun and geeky including gadgets, gaming, anime, and comics. When she isn't writing or out on the town living it up, she loves doing 10-12 hour marathon sessions on her Xbox 360 or one of her older consoles. It's not an addiction, it's a way of life!
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