More than two decades ago, three George Mason University students launched a company from their dorm room with a belief that technology would drive change in the federal government.
Today, that company—MetroStar, a venture-backed leader in AI enabled services—has come full circle. The company is proud to announce a multi-year strategic partnership with George Mason, solidifying a shared mission to empower the next generation of tech leaders and public servants.
Through the agreement, MetroStar will support students and programming across George Mason. It will become a Costello Corporate Partner in the Donald G. Costello College of Business and an Industry Partner in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC).
Through these partnerships, MetroStar will launch a scholarship for undergraduate and graduate students with preference for those minoring in government contracting or management information systems, and a Clearance Ready Scholarship for students interested in obtaining a national security clearance.
“MetroStar’s investment in the Costello Corporate Partners program aligns closely with our strategic priorities, particularly in fostering innovative business collaboration and advancing career readiness,” said Ajay Vinzé, interim provost and Costello College of Business dean. “Their support will expand access to education in government contracting for our students and strengthen the academic offerings of the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting, the first university-based center in the nation focused on the business, policy, and regulatory dimensions of this vital sector.”
MetroStar will also support academic initiatives through the Dean’s Excellence Funds in CEC and Costello, in furtherance of strategic academic initiatives. “This gift from MetroStar, which will support the education and training of our students who are interested in serving our nation as federal employees or as employees of our government contractors,” said CEC Dean Ken Ball. “The partnership will also enhance our clearance ready programs by developing additional experiential learning opportunities, including internships and applied research projects involving classified technologies that protect our nation.”
The philanthropic commitment deepens MetroStar’s long-standing relationship with its co-founders’ alma mater while advancing workforce readiness and innovation aligned to national priorities.
MetroStar’s CEO and co-founder Ali Reza Manouchehri, who earned a BA in philosophy from George Mason in 1999, is the 2025 Winter Commencement Speaker, a privilege that shows his enduring connection to the university and his passion for inspiring the next generation of innovators.
“This is more than a corporate partnership. It’s a personal return,” said Manouchehri. “George Mason is where we built the foundation for MetroStar. We’re investing in students who will one day shape the digital future of government just like we dreamed about doing back then.”
Manouchehri started MetroStar with fellow Patriots Robert Santos, BA International Relations ’99, who became the company’s president, and Pirooz Javan, BS Systems Engineering ’02, who served as its chief operating officer from 1999 to 2006.
A Vision for the Future Federal Workforce
The three-year partnership, running through 2028, creates a new model of agile collaboration between academia and the public sector, bridging the fast-paced world of government innovation with the grounded mission of education. It reflects the growing need under the new federal administration to build talent pipelines that are not only technically skilled but clearance ready and public service minded.
Earlier this year, George Mason released its plan for advancing a responsible approach to harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and driving societal impact. Through AI²Nexus, the university is building a nexus of collaboration and resources on campus, in partnerships like the one with MetroStar, and across the state.
As federal agencies embrace AI, digital transformation, and faster acquisition models, companies like MetroStar are reinforcing the importance of the human side of innovation, ensuring that the workforce of tomorrow is built on a foundation of collaboration, education, and civic commitment.
From College Campus to National Service
The partnership extends into the university’s forward-leaning spaces, places where creativity, entrepreneurship, and service intersect.
MetroStar’s partnership will fuel the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX), a hands-on incubator for student-driven ideas, and power events like PatriotHacks, the university’s high-energy hackathon that challenges students to solve real-world problems with code and courage.
“Our partnership isn’t about one-off contributions but investing in people and the future of civil servants who will protect and guide the nation,” said Manouchehri. “We’re creating deliberate pathways from campus to cleared service, from idea to implementation, and from classroom projects to real-world impact.”