Putting technology strategy to work.

Mind Thread is an independent IT development and consulting firm based in the Washington, DC area. Founded in 2009, we work with commercial and public sector clients on technology development, strategic planning, and growth.

01 / What we do

Five practice areas.

01
Emerging technology development
02
Software and data engineering
03
Software and AI/ML product development
04
Strategic planning and business development
05
Growth planning and business case development
02 / Why us

A coherent framework with a measurable plan.

Strategies that can’t be executed don’t help. Project-level work that ignores strategy doesn’t either. The first tends to be too abstract; the second, too narrow. Both produce results that don’t fit the organization or last beyond the engagement.

We aim for a coherent framework paired with a specific, measurable plan.

03 / How we do it

Four operating principles.

We don’t end an engagement without a concrete action plan. We take the time to understand the context in which the plan will be carried out, and we account for each client’s operating constraints and strategic priorities.

01 / Principle
Master the context.
Understanding how a business operates — how it processes information, communicates, and makes decisions — determines what is feasible and how quickly it can be done. Work plans need to fit within those constraints.
02 / Principle
Embrace reality.
Every organization has limits in strategy, process, policy, and resources. Working within those limits requires flexibility, good timing, and the ability to build trust with functional leaders.
03 / Principle
Tell the truth.
Avoiding facts, hiding data, or downplaying risks doesn’t help anyone. Direct communication is the only way to stay aligned on what needs solving and how.
04 / Principle
Get moving.
Every engagement should have a defined business outcome attached. Work in platform and API areas, and in crowded markets, requires focus, follow-through, and measurement.
04 / Client experience

Engagements across commercial and government.

Growth & market entry
DataXoom Market entry / business dev
Supported a strategic pivot, including tech solution portfolio development, commercial assumption testing, and deal and partner development.
AARP Consumer tech strategy / GTM
Developed and implemented a go-to-market plan to engage consumer electronics companies, mobile network operators, CSPs, and connected health brands on joint product and service offerings.
Teltech Communications SEO / eCommerce strategy
Set strategy and managed selection and implementation of SEO/SEM and eCommerce vendors to support online catalog sales and international market access. Supported deal development in Asia and Latin America.
LeapFrog Solutions Growth & marketing capabilities
Helped an organization expand its digital marketing capabilities, update its offerings, reach new commercial accounts, and improve account planning and execution.
Product & platform development
AiBUY Product strategy & advisory
Provided growth planning, product strategy, and board-level advisory for the relaunch of a shoppable media platform into the ad-tech market.
Hook Mobile Tier I carrier platform
Led preparation, development, and capture for multi-million dollar enterprise infrastructure projects, and developed a Latin American expansion plan for a new API messaging product line.
Onsite Digital Partners Portfolio & technical advisory
Built and launched a B2C platform to help small and medium-sized businesses improve operations, customer engagement, marketing, and fulfillment.
Novation Enterprises Strategic advisory / 5G
Defined and developed new business lines and market expansion plans covering fixed wireless services, mobile device management, distribution partnerships, and 5G network implementation.
Government programs
HHS Public affairs
Helped state, local, and tribal partners access resources and support for HHS programs serving their communities.
FEMA Program development
Worked to increase flood insurance policyholders, reducing government cost exposure, by developing partnerships with stakeholders and homebuyers.
Virginia.gov Health IT audit
Built, ran, analyzed, and published a statewide survey of health IT adoption among hospitals and health services providers. Assessed telehealth and connected health practices at the Veterans Administration and other healthcare organizations.
05 / Team

Team.

Randall Bapst
Advisor

Randy has been CEO of AiBUY, an ad-tech company, since July 2022. He has over 30 years of senior executive experience in business operations, financial management, strategic planning, and business development, and has served as a partner, advisor, investor, and board member at companies across technology, finance, and industrial sectors.

Before AiBUY, Randy was CEO of Equity Plus, a mortgage services company in the Washington, DC area that he grew to over $100 million in annual revenue and more than 500 employees. He also founded a technology company that developed an automated risk-scoring model for federal background checks, securing a multimillion-dollar contract and processing over 1.5 million leads daily.

Earlier in his career, Randy served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Crew Chief on Marine One, the presidential helicopter, under Presidents Carter and Reagan.

Jesse Richey
Advisor

Jesse is a technical program leader with over 12 years of experience developing and delivering technology solutions. He is currently Technical Program Lead at Node.Digital, where he manages cross-functional initiatives applying AI/ML to business problems across industries.

Before Node.Digital, Jesse was a Technical Program Manager at Amazon Web Services, where he led the design and deployment of federal partner prototypes in areas including cloud optimization, data integration, and secure AI applications.

Jesse holds a Master of Science in Software Engineering and an MBA in Business and Leadership, along with certifications in AWS, AI/ML, and project management. He lives in Wichita, Kansas, with his wife and three children.

Renzo Panzera
Advisor

Renzo is a business operations professional with more than 15 years of experience in technology. He focuses on identifying core issues, understanding the main drivers of a business, and building operational plans and business models that are clear and measurable.

His functional background covers financial planning and analysis (FP&A), project management, analytics, operations, marketing, and supply chain management. From 1998 to 2014, Renzo held senior operational roles at Nextel International.

Renzo has worked internationally and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, English, and Italian. He holds an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Prakash Yarlagadda
Advisor

Prakash is a technology executive with 19 years of experience in federal and commercial IT management and entrepreneurship. He has led teams on large-scale transformation projects, acquisitions, product development, and operational initiatives.

Prakash is the founder of Node.Digital, an AI and machine learning professional services firm. Before Node.Digital, he led mobile technology development at federal integrators including SAIC, CSRA, CSC, and DXC. His areas of focus include mobile technologies, cloud computing, IT strategy, mobile and enterprise application development, systems engineering, and architecture.

Prakash holds an MBA from Virginia Tech, an MS in Computer Science from the University of Mississippi, and a BS in Computer Engineering from Karnatak University.

06 / Contact

Get in touch.