Noah Vasquez,
Executive Director & Founder
The Foundation: Reaching the Treasures
Noah’s story does not begin in a boardroom, but on the streets of Brooklyn and Chicago. As the son of a 1970s cab driver and an aspiring social worker, he saw firsthand the gap between the life people hope for and the reality they endure. By age fifteen, he was a homeless high school dropout, a G.E.D. recipient living in a Chicago youth rehabilitation home with no clear vision for a future and a heart heavy with anger. The turning point arrived in 1996 when he joined Victory Outreach, a ministry that provided him more than just a place to stay—it provided a purpose. Living by the motto "Reach the Treasures of the Darkness," Noah spent his formative years performing chores, praying, and working alongside people on the streets. This period of radical stewardship taught him that greatness is often hidden in the places others choose to ignore. It was here that he replaced anger with faith and developed the resilience that would define his executive career.
Service & Discipline: The Air Force Journey
In 2001, Noah made a pivotal decision to move from the world of finance at Citibank to serve his country following the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Enlisting in the United States Air Force, he brought the same work ethic he honed in the ministry to the military. While many see life as something that simply evolves, Noah believed in driving it forward through sheer discipline. While deployed to Sather Air Base in Baghdad, he didn't just fulfill his duties; he excelled, earning the rare distinction of being promoted "Below the Zone." Despite the pressures of a combat environment, he remained a lifelong learner, simultaneously pursuing the advanced degrees that would prepare him for leadership. He transitioned out of the service as a decorated veteran with 70% service-connected disabilities, but with a refined understanding of how to lead multifunctional teams under the most grueling conditions.
High-Stakes Impact: Managing the Complex
The transition to civilian service saw Noah take on the mantle of a Contracting Officer (KO) with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). This was a role of immense responsibility, where he was tasked with supporting multifunctional teams and facilitating the execution of more than $2.5 billion in complex requirements and source selections across the Department of Defense. It was during this era that Noah mastered the "unique risk-based engagement framework" that would later become a hallmark of his consulting career. His time at DISA proved that the young man who once prayed with people on the street now had the technical and strategic acumen to safeguard the interests of the nation’s defense infrastructure. He became a bridge between government necessity and technological possibility, proving that a steward’s mindset is as valuable in multi-billion dollar acquisitions as it is in community outreach.
Entrepreneurial Vision: The Transformational Journey
In 2011, Noah departed civil service to build a mission-oriented management and technology enablement practice. This venture, Competitive Range Solutions (CRS), was born from a desire to provide more than just hardware and software—he wanted to provide value-added solutions that actually solved client problems. His entrepreneurial journey was quickly recognized by industry giants; he received a scholarship from Cisco Systems to attend the prestigious UCLA Anderson School of Management's MDE Program. By 2016, his impact on the business community was undeniable, leading to his selection as one of the St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. His story became a beacon for other founders, illustrating how a "transformational journey" from a Chicago youth home to a CEO's office is built one disciplined step at a time.
The Legacy: Stewardship as the Tinder
Today, Noah’s focus has returned to the "treasures in the darkness" through his work with Fed Tech Cares, a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging students and veterans to engage in science, technology, and entrepreneurship. He believes that "when stewardship is the tinder, the fire of possibility shines bright." Beyond his business interests, he spends his time mentoring founders and leaders, drawing on his 18+ years of experience to help them navigate their own moments of desperation to find their greatness. He remains active in youth ministry, working to ensure that the next generation of high school dropouts or veterans with disabilities know that their history does not dictate their trajectory. For Noah, the ultimate goal isn't just to watch life evolve, but to actively invest in those who are willing to invest in themselves, creating a legacy of service that far outlasts any single contract or accolade.
Board Members
Vanessa Vasquez,
DirectorVanessa Vasquez is an accomplished executive and mother of two who holds a Bachelors degree, with a focus in Business Management, from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.
Vanessa has over 15 years of professional experience leading Information Technology business operations, sales, financial management, business process optimization, enterprise relationship management, and IT Value-Added Reseller (VAR) growth. Vanessa has leveraged strategic resources to develop and manage a unique strategy to produce successful organizational performance, growing company revenues through periods of year over year exponential revenue, profit, human capital, and overall market share growth.
Vanessa has not only led the development and growth of various management and technology consulting firms over the past decade but has a long history supporting and enabling inner-city outreach through education, training, and faith-based life skills programs in service to men, women, and children.
Vanessa and her family moved from Los Angeles to the city of Chicago in 1991 when she was 10 years old to establish an inner-city outreach ministry in Chicago’s North Side (Humboldt Park). It was in Humboldt Park that Vanessa and her family opened their home to men and women seeking food, shelter, and a new way of life free of drugs, gangs, and domestic violence. Eventually, these outreach services extended from her parents’ home through newly established separate rehab facilities for men, women, and youth. These homes hosted bible studies, street rallies, and other social programs aimed at enabling those seeking rehabilitation to achieve it. It was in one of these youth rehabilitation homes that Vanessa would meet, and eventually marry, her future husband Noah.
Vanessa and Noah met in 1996 at a bible study in the very youth rehabilitation home founded by her parents. They would later go on to build Competitive Range Solutions, LLC and today have decided to relaunch Fed Tech Cares alongside a growing board of like-minded men and women who believe that education, training, and entrepreneurship can be as transformational to young people as it has been for her and her family.
Sara Byrd,
DirectorA two-time recipient of the FedHealthIT 100 award, Sara has built a vast network of both industry and government contacts. She has earned the trust of leaders in government and industry by embracing responsibilities entrusted to her and applying prudent guidance to complete the mission. Sara has a knack for using her professional connections to pair clients together to create dream teams built to win.
Steering business development and IT initiatives across both commercial and Federal health, defense and intelligence agencies, she has managed robust portfolios for several firms. As a senior leader and officer, she developed growth plans, managed multiple sales and support teams, and shaped marketing strategies. She also focused on the development of staff, mentoring key individuals for their growth and success. Her work has resulted in successful strategy implementation, restructurings, IT and cyber security improvements, and Agile development initiatives for the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Military Health System, and the Intelligence Community. Previously, as a client executive and technical recruiter, she directed major accounts for Fortune 500 companies, mid-size commercial markets and small businesses, generating new business, fostering process improvements, and boosting team efficiency.
Bolstering her knowledge and networks that benefits her clients, Sara sits on the board of directors of FedTechCares, a nonprofit providing educational programs and events for Federal IT stakeholders to generate awareness and raise funds for local charities. Her commitment to giving back continues, as she also serves on the Advisory Board for Best Buddies International, National Capital Region, helping create inclusion opportunities and lifelong friendships for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.