As founder and CEO of ATS+Partners, Aquila E. Leon-Soon has built a career on leveraging diverse experiences to create opportunities. From working in New York City government under Mayor Michael Bloomberg to conducting international projects with the late President Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Leon-Soon brings a global perspective to her consulting firm, which specializes in change management, workforce development, leadership development, and technology transformation.
Founded in 2013, ATS+Partners has grown organically over the past 13 years, working across the United States from Kansas City to Los Angeles. While the company’s work was primarily domestic for its first decade, Leon-Soon has strategically positioned the firm to expand its global footprint, a pivot that has proven timely given current disruptions to traditional federal contracting.
“I really thought about all the experiences I had when I worked with the government,” Leon-Soon explains. “It’s a culmination of so many different things that I’ve been able to do over the years.”
That culmination now includes partnerships to establish operations in the UK, Philippines, and Japan through Maryland’s Department of Commerce Soft Landing program, a resource Leon-Soon has championed within the SBAIC community. The program offers up to $10,000 in assistance for flight, lodging, transportation, and co-working space for companies expanding internationally.
“For any SBAIC member who has international experience, it felt like low-hanging fruit,” Leon-Soon says. “If you were already doing work in Ireland, for instance, you have past performance. Going to a soft landing program is an easy way to sell the work that you already know how to do.”
Leon-Soon has made this knowledge actionable for other members. After arranging for Maryland’s Soft Landing program director to present to SBAIC members in December, she’s seen firsthand how these resources can create new pathways. She recently led a webinar for companies impacted by federal 8(a) program changes, receiving feedback from one company that was reinstated as a direct result of the information shared.
Her message to fellow small businesses is clear: leverage existing international experience and relationships. Whether it’s work previously performed for USAID, mission trips through state programs, or consulting networks built over years, these connections represent past performance that can be applied to new markets.
For ATS+Partners, this strategy has already yielded results. The firm recently completed market research in the UK for a long-standing U.S. university client and is close to hiring its first UK-based employee. Through networks developed in-country, the company is now pursuing opportunities in Ireland, Japan, Germany, and France.
Leon-Soon joined SBAIC three years ago on the recommendation of a USAID Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business official. She wondered if she needed “a big international project” under her belt before joining. The official’s response: “Just join. It will give you access to information.” That advice proved invaluable. Now serving on SBAIC’s procurement committee, she’s focused on being a resource to other members.
Her broader vision reflects both realism and optimism about the current environment. While acknowledging that some small businesses may struggle, she sees opportunity for those willing to pivot strategically, particularly toward mid-market partnerships and alternative funding sources.
As ATS+Partners positions itself for international growth in 2026, Leon-Soon’s call to action for the SBAIC community is rooted in mutual support: “This is a time that we lean on each other as a community, and that’s the real value at the end of the day.”
