CEO, Emerald Technical Solutions

Dondre Lawson is the founder and owner of Emerald Technical Solutions, where he leads the company’s mission to deliver innovative, secure, and mission-focused cloud, cyber and AI solutions to commercial and government clients. Emerald Technical Solutions, a C3PAO, 8(a), SDVOSB, delivering digital engineering and technical services supporting federal and commercial customers. Mr. Lawson has spent much of his career supporting Army and Navy mission systems, working directly with military and government teams to design, secure, and operate enterprise and cloud driven environments. His experience spans into engineering, cybersecurity implementation, cloud migration, and infrastructure modernization in support of operational missions. Beyond his technical endeavors, Mr. Lawson is an advocate for STEM education and workforce development. He founded Defense Interns, a nonprofit program designed to provide Maryland high school students with hands-on exposure to the defense industry by rotating interns through three defense contractors for four-month periods. The program provides free technical certification training and vouchers while equipping students with practical technical skills while strengthening the pipeline of technical ready talent for the defense sector. Mr. Lawson holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from the University of Maryland University College, a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Towson University, and an Associate of Applied Science in Network Technology from Catonsville Community College. His academic training provides the foundation for his work in STEM outreach and educational endeavors equipping him to design and lead initiatives that expose students to practical technology skills and meaningful career pathways in the defense and cybersecurity fields. Mr. Lawson’s service extends beyond entrepreneurship. He has served for more than fifteen years in the U.S. Army and Maryland National Guard and currently serves as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer assigned to the joint staff, where he continues to lead in support of mission and community. His combined military experience and technical expertise have made him a trusted contributor to efforts supporting the modernization of the Maryland National Guard’s technical infrastructure. Driven by entrepreneurial vision and operational excellence, Mr. Lawson has guided Emerald Technical Solutions through rapid growth and sustained success. His hands-on leadership approach, coupled with his military background, enables the company to anticipate and adapt to evolving government requirements in a highly competitive environment. Under his direction, Emerald has established itself as a trusted technical partner, recognized for quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction.