Isaac Barnes is the founder and president of Eminent Future, a technology company focused on digital products and innovation for the federal government.
Barnes’ path into government technology began in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he became a computer programmer and worked in the Department of Defense environment. He later worked for a government contractor before launching his own company.
Eminent Future has since supported organizations across the federal government, including branches of the U.S. military, the Department of State and federal executive operations.
In 2019, Eminent JV, a joint venture involving Eminent IT, was selected as one of 20 contractors for the U.S. Air Force’s Small Business Enterprise Application Solutions (SBEAS) program.
SBEAS is a multiple-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract vehicle with a ceiling of approximately $13.4 billion.
The 10-year vehicle allows selected contractors to compete for individual task orders covering areas including software development, cybersecurity, data services and enterprise technology.
For Barnes, securing a position on the vehicle followed a deliberate decision to pursue larger federal opportunities.
In our conversation, he explains how he entered government contracting, the relationships that helped him pursue the SBEAS opportunity, his approach to winning government business and why he believes trust and timing are critical in the federal market.
We also discuss technology, entrepreneurship, blockchain and the importance of increasing Black participation in the technology industry.
