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2026 Forty Under 40: LEON BURNS
PRESIDENT AND CEO | OPEN TECHNOLOGY GROUP | HERNDON
Virginia Business //April 28, 2026//
2026 Forty Under 40: LEON BURNS
PRESIDENT AND CEO | OPEN TECHNOLOGY GROUP | HERNDON
Virginia Business //April 28, 2026//
A Hampton University graduate, Burns joined his father’s Open Technology Group in 2012 and now serves as president and CEO of the Herndon-based IT government contractor serving federal agencies. He has funded STEM programs reaching more than 850 minority students and helped raise more than $250,000 for the LUNGevity Foundation, supporting lung cancer research in memory of his father, Leon Burns Jr. He has also personally invested more than $100,000 in scholarships for underserved students pursuing business and STEM fields and has become an advocate for mental health, especially for Black men in leadership.
KEY TO MY SUCCESS: Keeping my eye on the prize and refusing to lose sight of the larger mission. My philosophy is simple — climb higher so I can open doors for others.
WHERE I SEE MYSELF IN 10 YEARS: I see myself in academia, helping shape the next generation of tech leaders.
