Abir Ray founded Expression while still a college student and never stepped away from the technical core of the company he built.
Nearly three decades later, he serves as both CEO and CTO, guiding Expression’s growth while remaining deeply involved in the software architecture behind complex Defense Department programs.
In this Q&A, Ray reflects on building a GovCon company from the ground up, why electromagnetic spectrum management became a personal mission and how technical leadership, entrepreneurship and public service have shaped his approach to growth, innovation and impact.
Can you provide a brief overview of your professional background and career progression? What ultimately landed you in your current role?
In 1997, while still a college student from Northern Virginia, I founded Expression along with three friends. That early start as an entrepreneur set the foundation for my career. Over the years, I pursued formal education in parallel – earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and master’s degrees from Harvard and Cornell and a doctorate from George Washington University – which helped deepen my technical expertise as I grew the company. My career progression has essentially been the evolution of Expression from a small startup to a leading provider of software and data analytics solutions for federal agencies.
Today, as CEO and CTO of Expression Networks, I serve as the principal software architect for major Department of Defense programs like the Joint Spectrum Data Repository and the Electromagnetic Battle Management system. In other words, I landed in my current role by building this company from the ground up and continuously steering its technical vision.
Under my leadership, Expression has achieved significant milestones, such as being recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies every year since 2018 and being named Washington Technology’s #1 Fast 50 growing small business in 2018.
Each step of this journey – from launching a startup in my teens to managing large-scale defense technology projects – has been a natural progression toward my current position.
Why was this the path you chose, and how influential was it to your career?
The decision to start my own technology company in the government contracting space was driven by both passion and purpose. I have always been fascinated by technology and problem-solving, and from a young age I enjoyed challenges (I was even a mathlete in school). By launching Expression, I saw an opportunity to directly apply my skills to solve complex real-world problems.
I was also influenced by my upbringing in a family that valued public service – my father worked for the U.S. State Department – which inspired me to focus on supporting government and defense missions through innovation. Choosing the entrepreneurial path allowed me to chart my own course and work on projects that I found meaningful. This path has been hugely influential to my career: it forced me to grow quickly as both an engineer and a leader.
Building a company from scratch in the GovCon industry taught me invaluable lessons in resilience, adaptability, and leadership. In hindsight, I’m grateful I chose this route because it gave me a chance to shape my career around my interests and make a tangible impact, which continues to motivate me every day.
Do you have a personal connection to the current mission you support?
I do feel a personal connection to the mission that my team and I support. As I mentioned, coming from a family with a tradition of public service instilled in me a strong sense of duty to give back. That background makes the work we do at Expression very meaningful to me, because our software directly helps those serving in the military and federal agencies.
For example, when we improve electromagnetic spectrum management tools, we’re essentially helping warfighters communicate and operate more safely and effectively. Knowing that our technology can impact national security and even save lives in critical situations gives me a deep sense of purpose. It’s not just a job or a business for me – it’s a mission.
I’ve also had the privilege of representing the Department of Defense in industry forums and even to allied governments , which reinforced how important our mission is on a broader scale. In many ways, my personal values and background align closely with the goals of the work we do.
What are your current top priorities and responsibilities? How do these relate to your company’s overall mission/growth strategy?
Currently, my top priorities revolve around leading our technical teams and delivering on key federal programs. In my role as CTO, I oversee all of Expression’s technical efforts across various government projects – including those with the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and Department of State. A major focus right now is the modernization of spectrum operations for the DoD. We’re automating processes like spectrum certification and joint electromagnetic spectrum operations to make them more efficient.
Another priority is continuing to innovate our data fusion and analytics capabilities to provide better situational awareness tools for our users. These responsibilities tie directly into our company’s mission and growth strategy. Expression’s core mission is to make electromagnetic-spectrum management more efficient and effective for our customers , and every project I lead is in service of that goal.
By advancing the state of the art in spectrum management – for example, delivering a common operational picture of the spectrum environment that gives our military a strategic advantage – we not only fulfill an urgent mission need but also position the company for growth. Successfully executing on these priorities strengthens our reputation and helps us expand into new areas where similar challenges exist, thereby driving our company’s growth.
Where do you and your team see growth opportunities in your current field or the portfolio you support, or what do you anticipate to be your customers’ top pain points?
In the arena of electromagnetic spectrum management and advanced analytics, we see several growth opportunities emerging. One key area is the increasing need for real-time spectrum situational awareness and decision support. As military and civilian communications become more complex, our customers are facing pain points around congested and contested spectrum environments.
For instance, defense agencies need to rapidly ingest and analyze huge volumes of spectrum data in near real time to ensure their radios, radars, and other systems can operate without interference. This is a significant challenge (and opportunity) that we’re poised to address with AI-enhanced data fusion and automation. Another growth area is helping different agencies share and coordinate spectrum usage more efficiently – there’s growing demand for tools that break down silos and provide a unified picture across organizations.
Additionally, the rise of new technologies like 5G and the Internet of Things means there will be even more devices competing for spectrum, which will likely be a top pain point for our customers. We anticipate that our clients will need solutions offering better predictive analytics and optimization to manage these complexities. In summary, the biggest opportunities for growth align with solving our customers’ hardest problems: handling the data deluge in the electromagnetic spectrum and maintaining operational superiority in a crowded digital environment.
How are you and your team planning to address/prepare for these opportunities?
We are actively preparing to seize these opportunities by investing in innovation and staying closely aligned with our customers’ needs. On the technology front, we’re continuously advancing our platform – integrating cutting-edge capabilities like artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve how we process and interpret spectrum data (for example, using AI/ML to optimize spectrum use and mitigate interference in contested environments). Through our work on programs such as the Electromagnetic Battle Management system, we’ve developed robust tools for real-time data fusion and visualization that we are now enhancing even further. We also prioritize internal R&D, often prototyping new features and experimenting with emerging tech to stay ahead of the curve.
Another aspect of our preparation is collaboration. We engage in public-private partnerships and industry groups to anticipate where the field is heading. Being part of communities like the National Spectrum Consortium allows us to collaborate with government and industry leaders on innovative solutions and align with future requirements.
Additionally, we have bolstered our resources and team to be ready for growth – for instance, partnering with Enlightenment Capital has provided us with strategic investment and support to scale our capabilities.
Ultimately, by focusing on innovation, collaboration, and strategic investment, my team and I are positioning ourselves to tackle our customers’ future challenges head-on and capitalize on new opportunities as they arise.
How important is mentorship and networking in GovCon? Were they influential to your career?
Mentorship and networking are extremely important in the GovCon (government contracting) world. This is an industry where trust and relationships often determine success. Personally, I’ve been fortunate to have mentors and advisors who guided me at various stages of growing Expression Networks. Their advice on everything from navigating federal procurement to scaling our business was invaluable.
Networking has also been a huge factor in my career growth. Many of our early opportunities came from building a strong reputation and connections within the defense tech community. By engaging with industry peers and attending forums, I was able to learn from others’ experiences and also make our capabilities known to potential partners and customers.
These relationships often open doors – whether it’s teaming up for a contract bid or getting a referral for a project, the connections you foster can propel your company forward. Because of how influential mentorship and networking have been for me, I now make it a point to mentor up-and-coming professionals in tech and GovCon.
I also encourage my team to actively network and build relationships. In GovCon especially, no one achieves success alone; it’s a collaborative ecosystem where people helping each other ultimately leads to better outcomes for everyone.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
One thing that might surprise people is that I’m a big squash fan – so much so that actually support and sponsor professional squash players around the world. It was a rewarding experience to support the sport in whole, and it often surprises colleagues to hear that I have that connection to the sports world.
On a related note, I’ve always loved competitive activities; during high school I was not only involved in academics (as a mathlete) but also played as a varsity lacrosse goalie. Those personal interests might seem unrelated to running a tech company, but I think they taught me a lot about teamwork, strategy, and perseverance – qualities that definitely carry over into my professional life.