The White House Office of Management and Budget and General Services Administration announced that G. Nagesh Rao was named a recipient of the Gears of Government Awards.

Rao, the director of Business Technology Solutions at the U.S. Small Business Administration and a 2016 USA Eisenhower Fellow, received the award for his work and accomplishments at the SBA.

The Indian American technologist received the award in two categories, including the Council Award for SBA’s IT Modernization Efforts; and the Agency Award for his prior leadership and work on the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition and SBIR/STTR Programs, in particular around the SBIR.gov digital platform, according to a news release.

The Gears of Government Awards mission is to recognize individuals and teams across the federal workforce whose dedication supports exceptional delivery of key outcomes for the American people, specifically around mission results, customer service, and accountable stewardship.

Nagesh was featured in a story by the White House as part of their announcement of the winners on Feb. 26.

According to the announcement, Rao uses advancements in science, technology, innovation and economic empowerment to help businesses work better, faster and cheaper.

It said he “revolutionized the SBA’s approach to supporting entrepreneurs in innovation, startup and technology fields.”

The “proud geek” and his cutting-edge approaches have helped small businesses more easily access $2.5 billion each year in research and development funding, it said.

|