George Mason Univ Will Rename Entrepreneurship Center After Anil & Anupama Sharma

India-West News Desk

FAIRFAX, VA – George Mason University’s Costello College of Business will rename its Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in honor of Northern Virginia entrepreneur Anil Sharma and his wife, Anupama, recognizing the couple’s support for education and entrepreneurship.

The Sharmas’ gift will help expand opportunities for students, entrepreneurs and others involved in the region’s innovation community.

Sharma, CEO of 22nd Century Technologies, came to the United States from India in 1997 with $100. Later that year, he founded the McLean-based company, which began as an IT consulting business and has grown into a $600 million government contracting firm.

22nd Century Technologies provides IT, cybersecurity, cloud and digital transformation services to federal, state and local government agencies across all 50 states, Canada and Mexico. The company is a Certified National Minority Business Enterprise and employs more than 6,000 people nationwide, including more than 600 cybersecurity subject matter experts.

Sharma is also an active angel investor and has invested in and mentored several startups and small businesses. He has been involved with George Mason’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and its Patriot Pitch Competition, an annual event where students and recent alumni present business ideas and early-stage ventures.

Although neither Anil nor Anupama Sharma attended George Mason, the couple said they believe in the university’s ability to create opportunities for students and help strengthen the community.

Their gift will allow the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to expand its work beyond individual programs, including the Patriot Pitch Competition, the Honey Bee Initiative and the SOAR Initiative. The center will bring students, faculty, entrepreneurs and partners together to collaborate, provide mentorship and develop new ventures, according to the university.

“Today’s college students are graduating at one of the most transformative moments in modern history,” Sharma said, noting the changes being brought by artificial intelligence, automation and digital transformation.

He said students will need to learn quickly, adapt continuously, think critically and remain resilient as industries change.

Costello College of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé called the renaming a significant milestone for the college and the center. He said the Sharmas’ support will expand opportunities for students, alumni and community members while helping strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

For Sharma, the decision to give back comes from his own experience building a business in the United States.

“Building a business taught me that success is never only about one person,” Sharma said. “People give you opportunities, people trust you, people teach you, and communities create the conditions in which you can grow.”

He said he and Anupama hope the center will help create similar opportunities for others.

George Mason plans to hold a formal naming event and celebration this fall to recognize the Sharmas’ gift and mark the future of the Anil and Anupama Sharma Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.