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Lorenzo Downing

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Lorenzo Downing enlisted in the Air Force immediately following high school during the height of the Vietnam War. After he finished his enlistment, he went to the University of South Carolina where he joined the ROTC program, earned a degree in business administration and reentered the Air Force as a commissioned officer.

Downing commanded the Air Force Honor Guard and retired from active duty after 24 years of service. He later obtained his master’s degree from Harvard University.

After success and thriving in leadership roles in senior management, he decided to challenge himself further. Downing decided to launch his own company because he wanted to create something from the ground up.

Through hard work and leadership skills he honed in the Air Force as well as in corporate America, Downing created Spartan Business and Technology in 2010. Since its inception, Spartan Tech has grown each year and is projected to continue on this path.

In 2014, Downing became the first minority to win the National Veteran-Owned Business Association’s Vetrepreneur of the Year award.