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John Akkara

CEO at Smoothstack
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On paper, I’m an immigrant who studied finance at a D1 university on a full-ride tennis scholarship, who would go on to become an entrepreneur.

What that sentence leaves out? Begging my parents, risk-averse missionaries in India, to let me go to the US. A community college professor who saw me as more than my after-school job at Wendy’s, and used his connections to get me in front of admissions at that D1 school. The teammate who reached out to his network to land me an internship. Right place, right time investments that paid off, funding my early ventures that set the stage for my future.

My success is a result of the generosity of others who created opportunities for me, and the work I put in to ensure that opportunity wasn’t wasted. Those experiences ultimately shaped my entrepreneurial mission: to create opportunities that drive impact around the world.

Today I’m the founder and CEO of two amazing companies, Smoothstack and Gold Coast IT Solutions. I’m passionate about creating opportunities for those entering the IT industry, and ensuring it creates a ripple effect of positive change for entire communities.

My role at Smoothstack is to shape and further our mission to transform lives by creating access, building equity, and launching technology careers to serve the world's best companies and agencies. Smoothstack has grown to become one of the premier tech talent incubators. Our team has trained and deployed 2,500+ consultants at 50+ companies and federal agencies, with a 98% consultant retention rate.

  • 2025 Workforce Mobility: Skill Shortages, Not Talent Shortages
    John suggests that while workforce mobility may increase, the real issue is skill shortages in high-demand sectors. He emphasizes, "Retention hinges on proactive investment in continuous learning." Companies must embed development into the employee experience to retain top talent and prevent demoralization by offering upskilling and reskilling opportunities.