Blake Newman
Co-founder of Agileana, Blake leads the company strategy, growth, and business development.
Blake Newman is the CEO of Agileana, a digital support services company specializing in web strategy, human-centered design, Drupal development, and web operations and maintenance. As the strategic leader of the organization, Blake oversees business development, compliance, financial management, public sector engagement, and risk management.
Blake’s career journey has been shaped by a diverse set of experiences. He began his professional life in the U.S. Army, enlisting as an infantry paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division at 17. While studying at Georgetown University, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Reserves, eventually attaining the rank of Infantry Captain.
Transitioning into the tech world, Blake started as a software engineer before joining the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) as a computer specialist. In the early days of the internet, he embraced entrepreneurship, launching Photographer.com—a venture that flourished before digital disruption changed the industry. This entrepreneurial spirit led him to explore various industries, including real estate, finance, and insurance, before focusing on sales and marketing.
In 2007, he founded inQbation, an incubator and accelerator for tech startups. However, following the economic downturn in 2008, he returned to public service, working for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and later the World Bank. In 2016, he rebranded his company as Agileana, reinforcing its commitment to lean and agile software development.
Blake’s career has been profoundly shaped by three pivotal experiences: his military training, witnessing inefficiencies in large-scale government IT projects, and his tenure at DHS, where he championed the adoption of open-source content management systems in federal agencies. These experiences solidified his belief in agile methodologies and cost-effective, impactful digital transformation.
Blake draws inspiration from thought leaders such as Stephen Covey, Gino Wickman, and Dr. Barry Boehm. His leadership is guided by principles of agility, efficiency, and continuous improvement, reflected in Agileana’s approach to solving complex digital challenges.
