Bryan Dawson

Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer

Bryan Dawson is a tech entrepreneur and strategic leader with a passion for applied innovation. His career spans diverse industries—from cloud infrastructure and manufacturing to information technology, public affairs and digital advocacy—driving transformation across both public and private sectors.

In 2022, Bryan founded The Virtual Citizen, a next-generation advocacy platform delivering innovative digital advocacy solutions and managed services for mission-driven organizations. Before that, he served as Head of Partnerships at Phone2Action (now Quorum), a pioneer in civic technology, where he led strategic implementations for top-tier public affairs, nonprofit, and enterprise clients including Nestlé.

Following a successful exit, Bryan co-founded BuildWithin, a startup that helps employers launch and scale modern tech apprenticeship programs. As Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, he played a key role in aligning workforce development with industry needs.

Notably, Bryan led global business operations for Dell Technologies' Hyperscale Data Center Solutions, managing a $1B P&L and delivering custom hyperscale rack systems and modular data centers to Dell's largest channel partner, Microsoft. He directed a 60-member cross-functional team, overseeing the full product lifecycle and supply chain—from engineering, manufacturing, and procurement to international logistics, RFPs, field deployment, and post-sales support.

Bryan also led the design, installation, and management of the Department of Justice's Litigation Technology Service Center (LTSC)—the world's largest litigation support operation. At T-Mobile (Sprint Nextel), he created data models and ontologies and developed a novel secure data transfer solution for multiple trading partners. As founder of IT staffing and solutions firm Webenetics, he led multiple projects at clients such as The Smithsonian, the World Bank, and the Naval Air Systems Command.

A seasoned public speaker and published writer, Bryan has authored work on national security, renewable energy, public policy, communications, history, eDiscovery, and cybersecurity. He has hosted televised panels, delivered international seminars on communications, management, and leadership, and is fluent in Hungarian and Spanish.

He studied International Relations at Florida International University and pursued graduate studies in International Affairs at The George Washington University, with concentrations in U.S. national security policy, Central and Eastern European politics, and international business.