History

Evolved from its beginnings in 2006, what is now Exerceo, started as our Co-founder, Brian Walsh's desire and commitment to give back to the community. Brian tirelessly taught and mentored people living in his Howard County MD community. His original focus on high school students quickly expanded to college students and adults of all ages looking to begin careers in the IT field. Brian's IT services business, Sofiac, Inc. was used as a vehicle to offer unique hands on experience to the people he mentored and trained.

Over the next 7 years, 3 important developments occurred:

1. Brian captured the process that brought so much success to his efforts in a model called "Cultivation". It is a 6-step discipline for identifying and mentoring tomorrow's superstars by immersing them in a positive, collaborative, and empowering environment that encourages learning and career development. Cultivation encourages sharing of these personnel across teams where they continue to grow their career while influencing others through collaboration, mentorship and knowledge sharing.
2. Brian's training efforts gained popularity so the proprietary curriculum was codified specifically for software development and systems administration. 7-week training course began to run 3-4 times a year and its participants began referring to the groups as "Working Groups".
3. Through experience and refinement of Cultivation and training via the Working Group model, Brian and others began to see a broader need and application the learning and mentoring model into many other industries and everyday living.

In 2012, Jason Faust, then working for the Anne Arundel Workforce Investment Board, joined Brian and Sofiac to promote and refine the Cultivation concept and together they created Cultivate Maryland, a movement to focus the training and mentoring success of Sofiac on a broader scale. They created partnerships with AAWDC and the State's CyberWorks initiative, funded by a Maryland DLLR EARN grant award. CyberWorks was an industry-led, workforce development program designed to help Maryland companies fill their cybersecurity needs with qualified candidates, while simultaneously helping individuals start careers and improve Maryland's economy.

In 2013, Sofiac received the Friends of Education award from Howard County – the award was established in 2001 to salute exemplary volunteer contributions of time and talent that directly support academic achievement and safe learning environments for the Howard County School System (HCPSS). Later that year, Sofiac was awarded the prestigious Governor's Service Award, from Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.

In November 2014, Brian and Jason incorporated Exerceo and received its 501(C)(3) non-profit status from the IRS. Exerceo, Latin meaning to train, cultivate, keep at work, exercise, practice – as an organization, we exist to lead and inspire others to transform society by extending relevant learning and mentorship into everyday lifestyle. Exerceo, with its partners Sofiac and Interclypse continue to offer training in IT, but it has set its sights much higher. Learning, development, training and mentorship are and should be intertwined with everyday life, work and personal. If business and society are to truly stand behind claims that people are its greatest assets, then mentoring and nurturing the skills necessary to be competitive in a global economy can only be the top priority. Exerceo aims to have the tools and resources there for those so committed.

Today, Exerceo is working with private enterprise, large and small, State and local workforce and economic development agencies, private and academic research laboratories and education to find ways to make organizations and people more competitive, better prepared and happier in life.