Global Alliant, Columbia, MD
Following a successful career in bioscience research, Dr. Natarajan spent many years in public service, serving as Maryland Deputy Secretary of State and Maryland Commissioner of Transportation. He was the first Indian-American in Maryland history appointed to such high positions within state government. During his tenure as public servant, he introduced and implemented policies that fostered success among small and mid-sized businesses. Working so closely with small businesses, Dr. Natarajan was intrigued by the volume of charity work done by entrepreneurs, how involved they were in their communities and the large number of people they employed. He took a leap of faith and created Global Alliant.
Global Alliant is an information technology consulting and software development firm based in Columbia, Md. They specialize in turning business problems into innovative and cost-effective solutions. The team at Global Alliant achieves this “simply by assigning the right people for the right solutions for the right price,” says Natarajan. His formula works and led to Global Alliant’s remarkable success. In less than four years, Dr. Natarajan has added 60 employees and seen sales skyrocket to over $9 million.
Obtaining SBA’s 8a certification and Maryland minority small business certification were key elements of Dr. Natarajan’s business plan. Utilizing these certifications, Global Alliant has been able to secure government contracts with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Department of Human Services, among others, and most recently received a 5-year, $64 million contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
As an entrepreneur, Dr. Natarajan now has the flexibility to fulfill his true passion of helping others and to give back to the community. In cooperation with the University of Maryland, he founded The Natarajan Family Scholarship for underprivileged high school students and serves on the board of the Asian-American Youth Leadership Empowerment and Development, an organization supporting low-income and underserved Asian Pacific American youth through educational empowerment and leadership opportunities.
Dr. Natarajan was named the SBA Baltimore District Office’s Small Business Person of the Year 2022.