TWP 12.7.25 - Flipbook - Page 18
MIDSIZE COMPANIES
NO.1
INTELLIGENESIS
All-for-one culture
During the government shutdown, employees
at cybersecurity firm rallied to help colleagues
BY MIKE KLINGAMAN
When the government shutdown put 15 of
its software engineers out of work, employees
at IntelliGenesis, a cybersecurity firm, rallied
to their aid. Colleagues at the Columbia-based
company donated portions of their own banked
leave to their laid-off co-workers to help them
make ends meet.
“We all have the attitude that we’re here to get
through [crises] as a team,” said Guy Howard,
43, a chief AI engineer who gifted a portion of
his accrued leave to the cause. “These are people
we see at company events, parties and meetings,
and we wanted to help out.”
That cohesive, one-for-all culture has helped
make IntelliGenesis a top workplace in the
metro area for three of the past six years.
Founded in 2007 by Angie Lienert, an Air Force
veteran, the firm handles sensitive defense
industry contracts. Seventy percent of employees are veterans, and most of the hierarchy is
female.
“It feels like family,” said Sara Britt, 41, a
principal software engineer. “Management is
constantly looking for ways to bring employees
together, both during work and after.”
Besides annual picnics and festive gatherings,
IntelliGenesis offers an array of programs —
from bowling parties and movie nights, where
the firm rents an entire theater, to interactive
STEM workshops for staffers’ children in the
company’s own labs.
There are virtual events, such as wine- and
whiskey-tasting nights, where employees
receive assorted spirits at their door and then
discuss their tastes on Zoom.
Britt, of Ellicott City, has worked there for 13
years; Howard, of Gambrills, for 17. Both cite the
company’s benefits package and management’s
accessibility as perks. IntelliGenesis covers
80% of workers’ medical, dental and vision
18 | 2025 | TOP WORKPLACES
insurance; those with outside coverage receive
an annual $10,000 allowance.
The company also matches 401k contributions by as much as 10%.
Other yearly benefits include five weeks’ paid
leave, 12 holidays, a $1,200 personal technology budget and a $600 “wellness benefit” (gym
membership, massage therapy, etc.). Employees
are privy to a $2,500 student loan repayment
and full tuition and training reimbursement
to further their graduate education. Maternity
leave is covered (12 weeks), and the company
contributes $5,000 toward home adoptions.
Moreover, pet lovers are gifted $250 toward
acquiring an animal from a local shelter.
“We are always seeking creative new benefits
to make employees’ lives better,” said Kendra
Gears, director of human resources. In 2017, to
mark its 10th anniversary, IntelliGenesis treated
its staff to four days at a resort in Mexico; the
20th gala awaits.
For those engineers who work at remote
government-related venues, management holds
monthly breakfasts at those sites to exchange
ideas, and often swag. Feedback, pro and con, is
welcome.
“I’ve seen the rank-and-file stop at [Lienert’s]
office and say, ‘Hey, Angie, have you got a
minute?’ She’s always willing to talk, and to
listen,” Howard said. “That’s big.”
Britt said she has been there, done that:
“There are times when I know that I’m asking
the impossible, but I know that what I’m saying
isn’t falling on deaf ears.”
No one needs to feel like they’re stuck in a rut,
Howard said.
“They get you ready to advance your career.
There’s a lot of support for people learning
new skills and wanting to move up,” he said.
“Management is constantly asking us, ‘Where do
you want to be in five years, and how can we get
you there?’ “
Twelve years ago, Howard broached Lienert
IntelliGenesis’Jessica Butler,
program control administrator,
left, Chuck Mosser, executive
vice president and chief financial
officer; Angie Lienert, president
and CEO; Jeremiah Jensen, chief
operating officer; and Jason
Hwang, IT administrator, gather at
the company’s offices in Columbia.
LLOYD FOX/STAFF
with a personal goal in mind.
“I told her that, someday, I’d like to have a
leadership role. She said, ‘Well, let’s get you
working towards that.’ She began putting me in
lead positions on projects. She said, ‘I’ll do my
part, but I need you to earn your master’s degree,
so we have your [accomplishments] on paper.’
“She pushed me to go to school [at Johns
