- Three decades in national security tech inform Lash’s approach to leading a nonprofit research organization
- No shareholders, no profit motive — Lash says that structure lets Riverside prioritize long-term government partner needs
- First 90 days focus on customer engagement as Riverside works through its 2027 annual operating planning cycle
Tom Lash spent nearly 20 years at SAIC, helped steer engineering integration during the 2016 merger of Leidos and Lockheed Martin‘s Information Systems & Global Solutions business, then ran national security and federal delivery at Amazon Web Services before becoming CEO of Vibrint in 2023. Last week, he added a new title: president and CEO of Riverside Research.
Lash spoke with GovCon Wire about the career path that led him to the nonprofit research organization, his early priorities in the role and what sets a not-for-profit government contractor apart from its commercial peers.
What Drew Tom Lash to Riverside Research?
Lash pointed to three factors behind his decision to join Riverside Research. The first, he said, took time to fully sink in.
“As a nonprofit company with no shareholders, it really allows us to pursue our government partners’ best interests without a fiduciary profit motive,” Lash said. “The result is our customers get unbiased advice and solutions, and we invest a lot into their missions through our IRAD [independent research and development] activities.”
The second draw was the organization’s technical bench, spanning autonomy, secure and resilient systems, and terahertz imaging. Lash described the organization’s mission as delivering technologies from the laboratory to the field — a mandate he said requires staying on the cutting edge while also getting those capabilities into the hands of end users, something he called rare in the industry. The third factor was the composition of Riverside Research’s board of trustees, a group of senior leaders drawn from government, industry and academia that Lash said he’s eager to work with more closely.
His path to that decision ran through some of the largest names in the sector. The Amazon stint, he said, sharpened his instincts for scaling and speed, while his years at SAIC and Leidos built the national security foundation that underpins Riverside Research’s work today.
Why Does End-User Access Matter So Much in GovCon?
Riverside Research’s emphasis on deployment — not just development — touches on a theme that surfaced repeatedly during the Potomac Officers Club’s recent Navy Summit, where panelists discussed the friction that arises when contractors can’t engage directly with the government personnel who will actually use their technology.
Lash said that dynamic cuts both ways. Companies gain insight into real mission needs, he noted, while end users get a clearer sense of what’s technically possible.
“I believe that’s that way bidirectionally,” Lash said. “The end users benefit from talking to companies like ours who can give them some sense of what the art of the possible is. And then, of course, we benefit from learning more about those mission use cases.“
He attributed much of the reluctance to open dialogue to fear of running afoul of acquisition regulations, a hesitancy he understands but believes is fading. “The momentum is shifting towards a more open dialogue, which I think is beneficial for the entire industry,” he said.
What Are Lash’s Early Priorities as CEO?
Lash said his first 90 days are focused on meeting Riverside Research’s key customers and identifying how the organization can better support their missions, as well as introducing government partners he’s worked with in previous roles to the company’s capabilities. The timing overlaps with Riverside Research’s 2027 annual operating planning cycle, which Lash said has accelerated his internal learning curve — aided, he added, by a leadership team that has been patient with him so far.
How Does Leading a Nonprofit Differ From a For-Profit Company?
Riverside Research operates as a 501 nonprofit, a distinction Lash was careful to draw from a federally funded research and development center, a structure the organization is sometimes mistaken for. Without shareholders to answer to, Lash said he can focus squarely on advancing government partners’ missions.
“This allows me to think longer term and to make investments where we know it’s the right thing to do,” Lash said, “and to invest in things that don’t require a near-term return on investment that we would if we had shareholders.”
What Advice Does Lash Have for Rising GovCon Professionals?
Asked what he’s learned across a career that has spanned a traditional systems integrator, a West Coast tech giant, an investor-backed startup and now a nonprofit, Lash pointed to the value of intentional variety.
“Not be afraid to try different things,” he said, “and be bold in their decision-making in terms of how they pursue their career and how they form their own career.”
Beyond his role at Riverside Research, Lash remains an adjunct faculty member teaching cloud computing at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies and has spent more than a decade as an ESG-focused investor and advisor to small businesses in education, acquisition and specialty food retail.
