Marc Engelson’s path into government contracting started with a chance introduction to Blackbird Technologies — and solidified somewhere over the Atlantic on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. He’d just touched down when the first plane hit, and by the time he got to a screen, his sense of purpose had changed for good.
A developer by training, Engelson spent nearly a decade in product data management before that pivot. Since then, he’s built a career at the intersection of complex problems and emerging technology, moving through executive roles at Novetta, SCATR and Eqlipse before landing at Crimson Phoenix as chief innovation officer. There, he’s merged technology, business development and marketing into a single team, all in service of getting mission-critical solutions to customers faster than they expect.
In this Q&A, Engelson talks about how Crimson is rethinking internal innovation, what government customers actually need right now and why mentorship in GovCon isn’t optional.
Can you provide a brief overview of your professional background and career progression?
I was recruited directly out of college as a developer and solution architect for large-scale Product Data Management Systems, at SDRC (then acquired by EDS). After nine years, I was introduced to Blackbird Technologies, where I launched my government contracting career and steadily advanced to the role of Executive Director of the Product Development Group. Following the company’s acquisition, I focused my time with several mission-focused companies before joining Novetta as Vice President of Product Solutions.
After Novetta was acquired by AFS, I was recruited as Chief Operating Officer of SCATR, a high-tech-zero trust software company, where I successfully led the organization to exponential growth. I then shifted my focus to a new platform company, Eqlipse, and following its merger with BlueHalo, I had the opportunity to connect with Ross O’Rourke, Chief Executive Officer at Crimson Phoenix and assume the role of Chief Innovation Officer.
At the time, Crimson’s team was just four months into developing Godspeed’s latest platform. I was immediately attracted to the energy, the talent, and the meaningful work being accomplished. As Chief Innovation Officer, I brought Technology and Innovation, Business Development, and Marketing into a single, cohesive, solutions-driven team.
Why was this the path you chose, and how influential was it to your career?
From day one, I’ve been attracted to the intersection of complex customer challenges and cutting-edge technology. I thrive using both to solve our customers’ hardest problems. That drive has guided my entire career, ultimately leading me to focus on supporting government customers and ensuring their mission success.
Do you have a personal connection to the current mission you support?
I was in the air and just landed before the first plane hit on 9/11, and from that moment, I knew I wanted to focus my career on supporting the government through GovCon.
What are your current top priorities and responsibilities? How do these relate to your company’s overall mission/growth strategy?
My current top priorities are developing innovative, technology-enabled solutions while empowering the growth of our people. To support both priorities, Crimson operates a state-of-the-art Crimson Innovation Labs (CIL). Our CIL breaks down the barriers of traditional internal research and design methods.
What makes our CIL unique is that every Crimson team member has a seat at the table. Anyone can bring a hard problem forward and collaborate on solving it. It’s a space where technical and operational minds can connect, exchange ideas, and envision what’s next. Or just hang out and play video games!
Where do you and your team see growth opportunities in your current field or portfolio you support, or what do you anticipate to be your customers’ top pain points?
We see and observe several pain points for our customers. One of the primary issues is quick delivery. Customers don’t have time to wait for us to develop a solution, they want it ASAP! They are looking to leverage more commercial solutions to solve their hard problems.
How are you and your team planning to address/prepare for these opportunities?
We believe that speed in delivery and being forward-leaning with tech-enabled solutions will prepare us for future opportunities. We accomplish this through our own internal products as well as partnering with key commercial tech companies. Crimson has been leveraging this model for years, and it has proven successful with numerous prime wins.
How important is mentorship & networking in GovCon? Were they influential to your career?
Mentorship is not only beneficial, but I believe it should be mandatory. GovCon presents unique challenges and opportunities, and having a strong network and a good set of mentors will help you achieve your goals and your company’s objectives and goals faster and effectively.
What is something most people don’t know about you personally?
I love to have fun at work, play jokes and make people smile. For example, at one of our Monthly Business Review meetings, I walked in wearing a golf shirt that had our CEO’s face printed all over it. At a later meeting I used AI to make three-year-old pictures of our entire leadership team. Each slide had one picture and throughout the meeting we guessed who was who.