8-koi Joins Forces with Women in Defense and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office for the Holidays

Sheena Heitzman’s SUV was packed with toys and gifts when she arrived at Cocoa Village on December 1st. She came dressed in the holiday spirit with her co-workers from 8-koi, Maidilia Rilo and Carlos Badillo, to deliver the load to the Great Brevard Toy Drop. Carlos channeled his best Santa under the Central Florida sun to show support for the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Charity. The gifts will be given to infants, children, and teens throughout Brevard who are in-need of a little cheer this Christmas season.

8-koi’s Sheena Heitzman and Maidilia Rilo deliver toys and gifts to the Great Brevard Toy Drop in Cocoa Village

8-koi’s team of elves helped to collect the toys that were donated by other employees at the company’s three locations and by members of the community across Brevard. They worked to ensure that the goodies were delivered with care to the community event at Riverfront Park in time for the “Reverse Parade” to begin and follow the countywide route to pick up more toys.

“This was truly a team effort,” says Carlos Badillo, 8-koi’s Corporate Recruiter. “Our COO Dean Rosenquist received donations from business associates across the community and brought in a box full of toys the night before the Drop. Our engineering project coordinator Sheena did a wonderful job orchestrating the overall operation, and my fellow recruiter Maidilia was instrumental in coordinating with the Sheriff’s Office and establishing our collection point at our new headquarters building in Suntree.”

8-koi Corporate Recruiter Carlos Badillo having fun with Cocoa Police Officers at the Great Brevard Toy Drop

8-koi’s Melbourne and Merritt Island offices also served as collection points for the donation drive that was supported as a community initiative of the Space Coast Chapter of Women in Defense. 8-koi President Inga Young serves as the 2021-22 SCWID Board President and Sheena is Past-Treasurer.

“This was a fun endeavor and gave each and every one of us far more than we contributed. It truly captured the spirit of the season and embodied our company’s ‘human touch’ to business and to community outreach,” reflects Carlos.

8-koi delivers holiday smiles to the Great Brevard Toy Drop

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8-koi Honored with HIRE Vets Gold Medallion

On November 10th, 8-koi was recognized during a virtual ceremony as a Gold Medallion Awardee for the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans (HIRE Vets) Medallion Program by U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh. A total of 849 organizations across the United States received awards.

Implemented by the requirements of the HIRE Vets Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-31), the HIRE Vets Medallion Award is the only federal award recognizing exceptional achievement in veteran employment. By meeting the criteria required for a Gold Medallion Award, 8-koi “demonstrated both patriotism and recognition of the value veterans bring to the workplace.”

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Students and Lifelong Learning a Priority for 8-koi, Helping Interns Startup

“My parents set a strong example for me,” says 8-koi Founder and President Inga I. Young. “They emigrated from China and earned advanced degrees with scholarships that eventually led them to make careers working at NASA. They met at the University of Texas in Austin where my dad was obtaining a PhD in Electrical Engineering and my mom a Master’s degree in Chemistry. I never had to pay for my education or take out a loan.”

Mr. and Mrs. Young during their college years at the University of Texas Austin

“It’s important for me to pay it forward and give back what I can so that others can do the same.” 

Inga Young

This is the premise that guides Inga in deciding to support local scholarship funds and organizations that value education on behalf of her government contracting business. In 2021, the company gave financially to no less than four college scholarship funds and contributed to other notable local non-profits providing support to students in need of educational support. 

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8-koi Purchases 20,000 SF Headquarters Building in Suntree

“I was thinking about a new building a few years ago,” said 8-koi Founder and President Inga Young. “I wasn’t sure if I should buy an existing building or buy land and build one, but I knew that the company would need room to grow. This was even before we acquired CDE.”

Inga started her consulting business from her small single-story block home near the airport in Melbourne. After several years of working knee-to-knee with her few employees in the home office, she was fortunate to land a lease agreement for a 1,400 SF space in the professional building across the street. “I felt very lucky to have such a nice office so close to home. My commute was literally walking across the road,” Inga recalls.

8-koi spent the next handful of years quietly winning more work and hiring a few more people for administrative positions to help run several government contracts. Things fit well for a time, but when Inga had the opportunity to buy Cape Design Engineering Co. in 2019, a well-established contracting partner on Merritt Island, the operation changed quite a bit. Her commute was more than just a walk across the street.

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8-koi Selected for Streamlined Technology Acquisitions Resources for Services III (STARS III) Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACS)

8-koi is one of 426 small businesses awarded the General Services Administration Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resources for Services III (STARS III) Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs). The contract vehicle is an effort to provide agencies with more emerging technology options, completing the first phase of awards for the 8(a) STARS III GWAC, with a contract ceiling of $50 billion.

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Voting is OPEN for 8-koi Best of Small Business Award

The Best of Small Business Awards™ is America’s most prestigious honor that recognizes and celebrates the BEST Small to Mid-Sized Business Visionaries. 8-koi is a nominee in the “Small Business of the Year Award” category that recognizes the many achievements of a Small Business that demonstrate exceptional growth in the marketplace, diversity, A+ Customer Service, leadership, a positive workplace environment and a profitable business model. 

Public Voting is OPEN through December 10, 2021. 

Read more about The Best of Small Business Awards and register to cast your ballots for 8-koi!

8-koi Founder Inga Young: 13 Things I’ve Learned About Business

President Inga I. Young founded 8-koi on August 8, 2008. The number 8 represents the cyclic nature of systems. The koi fish represents embracing adversity through persistent focus on positive outcomes. Inga built the company to be different – to do better than others, and to offer an easier and more efficient option to the government. With her decades-long background in DCAA-compliant contract accounting, Inga’s astute knowledge of finance allows her to perform more cost-effectively across multiple disciplines with consistent quality-driven results. Since startup, 8-koi has increased its revenue every year and employs an effective team of highly qualified personnel around the globe.

This year, 8-koi celebrates its 13th Anniversary and Inga has learned some things along the way. Read on to find out more about her reflections on her entrepreneurial journey…

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8-koi Exhibits at Navy Contracting Summit June 24-25

8-koi is a virtual exhibitor at the Southwest Defense Contracting Summit June 24-25, 2021. We are joining hundreds of prime contractors, subcontractors, military officials, contracting officials, financing experts, and defense agencies from throughout the country at this year’s Navy Contracting Summit with Defense Leadership Forums.

Sign-up for our quarterly newsletter before June 30th to be entered in a random drawing for a $100 cash card. Join at 8-koi.com.

We stand ready to partner in capturing a portion of the new Pentagon and Navy contracts resulting from the $740 Billion 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Our design engineering and construction capabilities include post-catastrophe response, BIM modeling, energy simulations, underground, infrastructure, safety planning, communications, and logistics.
Not limited to buildings and infrastructure, 8-koi contributes to developing public health resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic with healthcare-related capabilities to include direct care, medical supplies (PPE), logistics, training, administration, and contract support services.
Be sure to visit our virtual booth at the Summit and we look forward to connecting with you on LinkedIn!