Tech firm leader helping turn brain drain into brain gain

After earning his degree from Mississippi State University, Jonathan Hollingshead built a successful career working for some of the world’s leading tech companies. Now, he’s bringing that expertise back home–transforming a small Mississippi tech brand into a national contender and creating opportunities for the state’s top talent.

Through the Hollingshead Family Endowed Scholarship in the Bagley College of Engineering, he is supporting undergraduate students majoring in Computer Science and helping cultivate the next generation of innovators.

Hollingshead’s company, Business Communications, Inc., does a full spectrum of technical work and support, but cybersecurity is one of their specialties and one of their most sought-after skills. They partner with Fortinet for the task — Fortinet’s products occupy more than 50 percent of the world’s firewall market — and Fortinet oversees certifications for professionals like those at BCI who deploy their products. Among the roughly 140 individuals worldwide who hold Fortinet’s highest certification, only 11 are in America. Five of those are employed by BCI. No other company in the nation has more than one.

Hollingshead graduated from Mississippi State University in 1992 with a double major in math and computer science. He worked for many of the largest technical companies in the world, then moved to Business Communications, Inc., a small firm whose primary location is in Ridgeland, Miss. 

“I found that I really loved working with Mississippi companies directly,” he said.

He first worked for the company, then purchased it from its founder seven years ago.  When Hollingshead bought the business in 2018, the company had approximately 40 employees. Since then, the business has more than tripled its customer base, and it has increased its number of employees accordingly. Today, the company does technical work for more than 1,200 clients.

BCI’s employees are based at offices in Ridgeland, Hattiesburg, and Little Rock, Ark., with more locations soon to follow. They have remote workers as well, employing people in 14 states.

“If we get six people in a city, we open an office,” he said. “Our culture is very collaborative, which is critical. Having people around you who are experts in their fields really speeds up your ability to grow your knowledge. If you’re remote, it’s not nearly as easy to learn something new.”

Maintaining a healthy work culture is very high on Hollingshead’s list of priorities.

“Instead of making office attendance a mandate, we try to make it a magnet,” he said.

“In economic development circles, you hear a lot about people leaving the state — the brain drain,” he said. “I realized I wasn’t doing my part to educate the people here. People are leaving the state to do cybersecurity in other states when they could stay here in Mississippi and work for those same companies.”

Through his scholarship and commitment to workforce development, Hollingshead is ensuring more Mississippi students can build thriving tech careers without ever leaving home.