As it celebrates its 10th anniversary, OrangeSlices caught up with RELI Group Founder and President Mohammad (Sam) Elias to learn more about the company’s growth, what’s next as the company transitions from a small to mid-tier business, its culture of giving back, and why its partners sit at the table with clients.
Founding Mission
RELI Group Inc. was founded with a culture of inclusion and mutual respect, and the basic principle that no matter what work the company took on, RELI would always deliver quality work that supported its clients’ missions.
“There may be other companies that can do what we do, but we do it better because of our passion, because we do good work, and because we go beyond expectations in delivering to our customer.”
For RELI, that means delivering beyond a defined scope of work for customers if the time and funds are available. “If a scope of work is 80 or 90 percent defined and something else comes up that is needed that we can do, why wouldn’t we go the extra mile for our customer?”
Building a Team
Fulfilling this mission means building a company with the right employees, and for RELI, that means someone with a spirit for respect, collaboration and growth. At the end of the day, Elias hopes his employees will learn during their time at RELI and leave better equipped than they came. “We encourage everyone to pursue training, both on skills they need and things they are interested in. We cover the costs and if there are projects that can use those other skillsets, they have the chance to try something new.” Building training goals into performance reviews and sharing expertise across sectors encourages employees to gain and apply new skills.
Open Doors
Growing from that supportive environment comes an open-door policy for employee questions, concerns or ideas. “We take any concerns seriously and will address challenges, work to ensure we are meeting employee expectations, and consider new views that are brought forward. “By leaning into the value each employee brings and giving them the trust and confidence to speak up, this method has led to changes throughout the organization, from benefits to employee relations.”
Giving Back
RELI also aims to make the community at large a better place. Part of its leadership’s DNA, RELI is guided by a strong commitment to giving back. Sam and his wife, Rebeka Sultana, created the Elias & Sultana Foundation as a way of formalizing their commitment and ensuring their legacy of giving would live on. Focused on the most vulnerable – people experiencing domestic violence, poverty, food insecurity, homelessness and related programs – that same notion of legacy and commitment permeates throughout RELI through its model of corporate responsibility.
Offering multiple ways to get involved, from virtual options to in-person volunteer opportunities, ensures employees have the opportunity to support their communities andgive back to their neighbors. “We want people to focus not just on their own success and career development, but to have eyes on their community and ways they can help. We had an employee in Des Moines who knew a school did not have any funding for extracurricular activities. They reached out to me, and we made sure they had what they needed.”
RELI is equally focused on taking care of its team, offering benefits like a free subscription to the mental health app CALM,. Equally important is a sense that employees are not just permitted to, but are encouraged to take time off. “Get outside, go for a walk. If you are having a stressful day, end it early. There is no reason you have to be working all the time.”
Partnering
Not just a partner to employees or clients, RELI commits to a true partnership with subconsultants and primes alike. “When we shake hands, we honor that commitment – delivering what we promised, honoring our workshare agreement and treating our partners like they’re part of our company. If we cannot maintain our integrity, there is no relationship, no team.”
Rare in the Beltway, RELI brings partners to the table with them to meet with clients, ensuring they have the chance to develop their own relationships and partners get credit for the good work they bring to the team. Rather than worrying that someone will capitalize on a relationship, RELI is focused on building mutually beneficial partnerships that grow by bringing trusted partners to the table.
10 Years and Beyond
As it marks its 10-year anniversary, RELI is also poised to move from a small to mid-sized business, adding subject matter experts and seeking thought leaders who will help position them for next stages in their growth. “As we narrow the focus of the capabilities we are building – data analytics, governance, management consulting, cyber, and program integrity – we are looking for talented, like-minded people who want what we have to offer, who want to work the way we work.”
Understanding its clients’ missions and recognizing that everything federal agencies do serves populations that include themselves, their friends, and their families, RELI is seeking to grow its team with individuals who recognize it is not about any one person’s contribution but about the value they can bring to the team and the way they can help improve on delivery to the customer.
About RELI Group
RELI Group Inc. is a management consulting firm that supports federal, state and local programs in the health, safety and security sectors. Since our inception in 2013, RELI has provided innovative technological and security solutions that serve and improve the lives of American citizens. RELI has successfully supported prime contracts at federal agencies including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Transportation Security Administration. RELI employs more than 600 experts across 37 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, including more than 150 employees in HUBZone areas.
RELI has won several awards for our services and ethical commitment, including the 2020, 2021 and 2022 HIRE Vets Platinum Medallion Award and the American Express Contractor of the Year Award (2019). RELI also ranked on Inc. 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and was recently recognized (2/16/23) by the National 8(a) Association and HUBZone Council as a “National 8(a) Business of the Year.”
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