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Avascenturian Profile: Beno Picciano

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Page 1: Avascenturian Profile: Beno Picciano

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Page 2: Avascenturian Profile: Beno Picciano

Beno Pic

Written by Marissa Wilson. Photo by Kaila Rovine.

On a characteristically hot and sticky

summer day, Analyst Beno Picciano

and I settle into the modern white low

back chairs in the company lobby to

chat. With an affable demeanor and

natural ingenuity, he shares about how

he ended up at Avascent and what he

loves about his life in DC.

Page 3: Avascenturian Profile: Beno Picciano

Beno Picciano

Marissa Wilson (MW): You’re from the other side of the country. How was the adjustment from West Coast to East Coast?

Beno Picciano (BP): Switching coasts was certainly a bit of an adjustment. On my first day at Georgetown, my roommate asked how far away Seattle was from Washington state. I always enjoy educating folks on the good old Pacific Northwest.

MW: How does the weather compare?

BP: Seattle gets a bad rap for the rain, but it tends to be overcast with a nice drizzle, whereas, in DC, when it rains it pours! It’s kind of a pride thing not to use rain gear, so I still don’t own a rain jacket. I had to buy an umbrella for the first time in my life after joining Avascent. I had a client briefing and I didn’t want to show up looking like I had just jumped in the reflecting pool.

MW: I’ve heard you like to run. What are some of your favorite routes?

BP: Running is a fantastic way to explore the city, and DC’s got some great routes. I enjoy running through Rock Creek Park and then looping up through the zoo (to check out the River Otters on the way!) or the Potomac Heritage trail on the other side of the river if I’m in the mood for an adventure. I got to run the Army Ten Miler with Avascent, which was an awesome event with a lot of great hooah spirit.

MW: You got a certificate in Arab Studies at Georgetown, and spent a semester in Jordan. How did you get interested in that?

BP: Because the Middle East was in the news when I was growing up, I had always wanted to learn more about that part of the world. Arabic language and culture is so beautiful. Some of my favorite times in Amman were the taxi rides – just sitting down with a total stranger and

sharing your perspectives and thoughts on the world and events happening around you. Through those kinds of discussions about current events, I became interested in state actions in the region and the role of the defense industry.

MW: How did your last job prepare you for what you do now?

BP: The last job I had before joining Avascent was as a barista at an on-campus coffee shop. Crushing a line-up of lattes at rush hour taught me about staying cool under pressure, buckling down, and creating a system that works for you to get the job done.

MW: What do you like about your work at Avascent?

BP: At Avascent, I use the analytical skillset I learned at previous positions and Georgetown to guide companies in the tricky environment of government-driven industries. I love parsing through the political, technical, business, and social factors to help our clients find solutions and build systems that shape the world. I think that’s very exciting. In the words of Larry David of Curb Your Enthusiasm, I’d say that our work is pretttt-ay, pretttt-ay, pretttt-ay cool.

MW: You like to listen to music while working. What’s on your playlist?

BP: I like to use music to zone in when I need to knock out some work. I’m generally listening to one of two playlists: Spotify’s “Upbeat Country” or my own personally crafted west coast hip-hop mix. It gets me in trouble sometimes because, when a manager stops by, I don’t notice and get startled when they tap me on the shoulder. I learned a good lesson one time when I pulled the earphones out by accident and Katy Perry started blasting out of my speakers. I found out later that the incident was tweeted by @avascenturians. #peopledontforget