August 29, 2023
Award Recognizes Companies Founded by Virginia Tech Entrepreneurs
Towson, Md., August 29, 2023 – Vistant, a Maryland-based firm that delivers international development, advanced healthcare solutions, and mission support services to federal and state government clients, gained recognition as a 2023 Lunch Pail 100 organization.
Each year, Lunch Pail honors 100 companies founded by Virginia Tech alumni entrepreneurs that have successfully grown revenue, investment dollars, and/or employee counts.
“It truly means the world to me to be recognized as one of the fastest growing companies started by my fellow Hokies,” said Walter Barnes, III, Vistant’s president. “My four years at Virginia Tech shaped who I am as an entrepreneur and leader, and it’s an incredible honor to be recognized among my fellow alums.”
Barnes founded Vistant in 2008 to support government missions in the U.S. and abroad. Over the last 15 years, the company has grown from a single-office operation into an organization that has worked across four continents with more than 170 employees.
Barnes earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial systems and engineering from Virginia Tech in 2000 and has since been a committed supporter of the institution. He funded a $100,000 endowment with the College of Engineering to help the school increase minority representation. He is chair for the Industrial and Systems Engineering advisory board as well as a member of the APEX Center for Entrepreneurship board, which fosters startups among undergraduates.
A complete list of Lunch Pail 100 honorees, including company profiles, can be found at https://lunchpailventures.com/.