Ellie Nazemoff emigrated from Iran to the United States in 1977 seeking opportunities not available to women in her native country. She began her career 24 years ago as a college student studying computers at Southeastern University in Washington working as a programmer for one of her professors. After earning a master’s degree from Strayer University, she started her own consulting business, marketing an office management software program for doctors that she designed and developed. Marketing brought the realization that many doctors did not yet have computers in their offices, so she bundled hardware and software together and began to sell packages.

Four years later in 1989 she started seeking out federal contracts for her business. She was forced to subcontract instead since she had no track record with the federal government. It was not easy for a woman business owner in the information technology field. Nazemoff learned the pitfalls of subcontracting when DataTech lost a number of contracts after the prime contractor it was working with lost its contract or was acquired by another firm. By 2001 DataTech had built up sufficient credentials to become a prime contractor on state and federal contracts. However, the business suffered a setback after the 9/11 terrorist attacks when the federal government cancelled some of its contracts with DataTech. Ellie applied for and received an SBA loan and went after new contracts, redirecting the firm’s emphasis to include security technology. This strategy paid off, and the firm was ranked No. 2 in the Fast Growth 100 for the 12 months ending June 30, 2004.

Also in 2004, the firm was certified under the SBA 8(a) Program. The firm is an SDB (Small Disadvantaged Business) and HUBZone certified. The SBA 8(a) Business Development Program is an essential instrument for helping socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs gain access to the economic mainstream of American society. SBA has helped thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs over the years to gain a foothold in government contracting. Participation is divided into two phases over nine years: a four-year developmental stage and a five-year transition stage.

Today DataTech Enterprises, Inc. has grown to 15 employees and reported over $2 million worth of business last year. DataTech now has a string of contracts to its credit. Their clients include the Pentagon, U.S. Postal Service, Defense Logistics Agency, the Dominican Republic, and the Federal Aviation Administration. The firm’s mission is to provide premier information technology, engineering and product sales and support to DataTech’s clients with maximum return on investment.

Nazemoff credits the firm’s success to passionate dedication to customer service and her talented, dedicated staff. The company is qualified to provide work in a number of fields, but specializes in project management and has developed several software programs to help businesses in the Fredericksburg area.