Dawayne Whittington, Founder

Founding and Mission

Strategic Evaluations was founded by Dawayne Whittington in 2002.

Over the past two decades Strategic Evaluations has been known for helping institutions apply for, win, and sustain funding for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) grants.

Providing Critical Support for Low-Resourced Institutions

Dawayne’s passion to use his professional skills to help his community in a niche he identified, grew into a unique business that utilizes the profit margins from his team’s low-touch, high-technology support solutions to help Strategic Evaluations remain an affordable option for low-resourced institutions thatotherwise would have trouble securing custom-designed, longer-term exemplary support. SEI’s work isn't just about closing a funding gap; it's about unlocking the full potential of their national STEMM workforce, starting with the rich talent pool at HBCUs.

Addressing the STEM Workforce Gap

Strategic Evaluations sits at what some would point to as the epicenter of the current economy - science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Studies show that over the next decade, the United States is expected to need more than 1 million additional STEM professionals, which would require an annual increase of 34% in undergraduate STEM degrees over the next decade to meet the projected need. Central to meeting this deficit is the strategy for elevating the STEM educational and training experiences across all tiers, with a spotlight on HBCUs.

Prioritizing Faith, Family, then the Work

Strategic Evaluations is unique in that they prioritize people over profit. As the company began to grow, Dawayne aimed to develop a work culture that allowed team members to comfortably have the commitments to their faith as their top priority, their families as their second priority, and the work of the company as their third priority. While he understood that at times work needed to take precedence over other areas, team members are constantly reminded (in the big picture) to keep faith and family commitments higher. This approach has cultivated a healthy culture and a team of people committed to being relevant and impactful to a community of institutions that are important to our overall progress as a nation.

Encouraging Community Contributions and Impact

Supporting the community is an important commitment to Dawayne as the leader. He believes this support begins with him setting a nurturing work context that positions team members to have a balanced quality of life that further affords them the time and money to contribute meaningfully to the community. This context includes paying all employees a salary above the living wage. In addition, employees annually receive 160 hours of paid vacation, 18 paid holidays including their birthday and election day to encourage civic engagement. Lastly, all employees annually receive 16 hours of paid time to volunteer at a community organization of their choice. The above combination (along with the ability to work 100% remotely) has facilitated the SEI team’s ongoing community support. This current support includes co-organizing community food drives, packing diapers and hygiene products to support women, serving on a social justice committee at a local church, and helping to lead a non-profit that focuses on helping justice-involved individuals as they transition from crisis to stability in all areas of their lives. In addition, Dawayne makes the choice as a leader to contribute his time and a portion of the company’s fiscal resources to nurturing the next generation of leaders. For example, for the past three summers SEI has hosted an internship program to teach teenagers more about their industry, and Dawayne has recorded a podcast episode as a contribution to a local community college’s STEM career series on utilizing math to create a business.  The company also contributes fiscally to a range of other community interests. An analysis of their QuickBooks records shows that across their 20-year history, SEI has given more than $20k to community causes. These causes have included cash donations to community-based groups, education institutions, and faith-based organizations.

Achieving Excellence, While Empowering the Overlooked

The Strategic Evaluations team has carved out niche by collaborating with institutions and organizations that are typically overlooked, such as HBCUs / MSIs and small organizations with limited resources. They have followed a savvy business plan and grown into a business that was recognized in Fall 2023 by the Triangle Business Journal as the 11th largest minority-owned business in the NC Triangle area.