ODU Roommates Turn Dream Into IT Success By Jennifer Mullen It is said that college is an environment for the exchange of ideas. Two former students found that to be true and turned their inspiration – dreamed up in Old Dominion’s Rogers Hall – into a successful information technology company that’s now one of the fastest growing firms in Richmond. Ken Ampy ’90, who received a bachelor’s degree in computer science, and Sam Young were roommates at ODU in the late 1980s. They had many things in common – Dallas Cowboys fans, sci-fi junkies, movie buffs and computer science fanatics. “One late night, while watching old movies, we kicked around the idea of starting a business one day,” Ampy recalled. By fall 1991, while working full-time jobs for other companies, inspiration became reality. The pair launched Automation Concepts, taking on small jobs at night while continuing their day jobs. From building computers to printing wedding invitations, they developed quite a business. “After about six years of working with our company part time, we thought we had two options: either get serious about a career as an IT professional with a Fortune 500 firm, or get serious about [Automation Concepts] and take a shot at being entrepreneurs. We chose the latter,” Ampy explained. In 1997, Automation Concepts was incorporated and Young, now COO, became the lone full-time employee. Ampy, the firm’s CEO, followed suit in January 1998. Today, the booming company, since renamed Astyra Corp., boasts 47 employees and has a presence in Washington, D.C., and Louisiana. Named one of the fastest growing companies in Richmond in 2003 by the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce and KPMG, the firm offers technology integration, project planning and management, outsourcing and business/market development solutions to a variety of clients. While the rest of the country was suffering from the dot-com crash, Astyra flourished, thanks to several contracts within the health care industry. Said Ampy, “During the ‘dot bomb’ era, the health care industry was one of the few that was not only sustaining itself, but exploding. Every health care provider, insurance company, state government and pharmacy had to make its systems HIPAA- (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant. That meant work for consultants with specific skills. We were blessed to have the resources to snag some of that business.” Ampy credits part of their success to the thought-provoking teaching of Dennis Ray, a lecturer in ODU’s computer science department. “He caused me to look at problems differently. Computer programs are merely the solutions to elaborate word problems. He challenged us to solve the problem efficiently, but also creatively.” Astyra and its founders have won accolades from many organizations. Ampy and Young were named 2003 Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council and Ampy was named to National Register’s “Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals 2004-05.” Out of the office, Ampy is “passionate about the community.” His volunteerism includes coaching his son’s sports teams, serving on boards, and providing in-kind technology services to youth-oriented and economic development-centered nonprofit organizations.