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Chamber Insider Blog

Black Business Month: Biff W. Clark & Dennis Moore

by Andrea Winey

Thank you to Biff W. Clark & Dennis Moore, Co-Owners of Coefficient Technologies, LLC, for answering our questions! Learn more about the Chamber’s DEIA Committee and get involved here.

  1. Where were born and raised and, if it was someplace else, when and why did you come to Loudoun?

    • Dennis Moore, Co-Owner, Coefficient Technologies, LLC

      Biff Clark – Born and raised in Omaha, NE. I travel between California and Loudoun County every other month.

    • Dennis Moore – Born on Maxwell AFB, AL and raised in Iowa and Nebraska. Dennis has lived in the DC metropolitan area since 1988, moving to Loudoun County in 2016.  Dennis needed to be closer to Dulles Airport since he was traveling a lot during that time and Loudoun County reminded him of his time in Iowa and Nebraska.
  2. When did you launch your first business and how did you get into your current line of work?
    • We launched Coefficient Technologies, LLC in 2004
    • Dennis and I saw a need for information technology and cybersecurity expertise for subcontractors in the DMV area. Particularly SMB startups and those businesses that could only afford to hire employees that understood the work and services they provided to Primes and government agencies. Usually, hiring IT personnel comes later unless it’s required by the Prime or on the government contract. We decided that offering managed services for IT support was a smart business model back then.
  3. Have you had any special mentors or inspirations that influenced your career?
    • Biff spent more than a decade working for GSK, a Fortune 500 company. I was hired by a leader that eventually became my mentor. He was instrumental in teaching me how to read people, read the room, and refining my skills of managing a customer relationship. Both require you to spend more time listening and observing than talking. Body language, silence, a persons’ energy, can tell you more about a problem or opportunity than the conversation. Lastly, he taught me that leadership starts with service. You must be willing to emulate the qualities you want to see in others. Whether it’s working long hours and or rolling up your sleeves to pitch in, people respect and emulate those that lead by example.
    • Dennis, as a junior officer, spent several years in the Air Force providing IT and cybersecurity guidance and direction to support various military missions.  Dennis was able to lead teams to develop and deploy various solutions.   He was able to work with brilliant leaders and exposed to leading edge technologies.   This is where he learned that many of these solutions can be provided to small to midsized companies to gain and maintain competitive advantages.
  4. What is the best part of your job and why?

    • Biff W. Clark, Co-Owner, Coefficient Technologies, LLC

      Helping a customer solve a problem or address a pain point. We get paid to alleviate or control a potential crisis. This could be a cyberattack, a breach, a regulatory requirement, an audit, etc. It’s best when we can address it before something happens, but the reaction and appreciation is immediate once you have solved it.

  5. What is it like owning/running a business in Loudoun?
    • Loudoun County is a growing technology hub in the DC metropolitan area. We have enjoyed and appreciated the relationships we have formed over the years. We love the growth in the county and the opportunities to collaborate with other businesses as well. We are committed to the area and see a very bright future for our Managed Security Services as Loudoun County continues to grow.
  6. What does Black Business Month mean to you?
    • An opportunity to be recognize for your contribution to the economy. We are a business that happens to be run by two educated black men. We pay taxes, vote, volunteer, help our neighbors, support other black and brown business, and provide quality products and services. The America dream should be available to anyone that is willing to do the work and thrive to build a business that feeds and supports their family. The fact that we are Black is personally important but secondary when it comes to our work. We have to be good at what we do to survive and succeed in this industry.
  7. What are some of your favorite things to do when you are not working?
    • Biff is an avid cyclist. It’s his therapy. Dennis is big on aerobics because of his military background. Our days can be intense so, exercising and having a chance to decompress is a top priority. Biff and his wife are big fans of jazz music. They look for any opportunity to listen to live music or attend a music festival. By the way, exercise is a requirement because we are both foodies.

Learn more about their company by visiting their website here.