Upper Marlboro, Md. — Melwood today announced its support and celebration of Enabled Intelligence’s (EI) recent award of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s new contract for AI/ML Data Labeling-as-a-Service. The SEQUOIA contract will support data labeling activities for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) AI and machine learning (AI/ML) capabilities across multiple programs and directorates within the NGA enterprise and members of the broader Department of War (DoW) and Intelligence Community.
The contract will create as many as 100 new jobs for people with disabilities in Northern Virginia, advancing both national security and disability employment inclusion.
Enabled Intelligence, a leading provider of scalable, secure AI data solutions for mission-critical applications, has built a reputation for precision and innovation by employing a majority-disabled workforce, including neurodivergent individuals. Since its founding, EI has partnered closely with Melwood to develop and sustain this uniquely talented team. Through training bootcamps and workforce development programs hosted at Melwood’s Arlington campus, dozens of people with disabilities have gained specialized skills in AI data labeling and annotation for defense and intelligence applications.
“This contract is more than a business win—it’s a win for the disability community in Northern Virginia and beyond,” said Larysa Kautz, President & CEO of Melwood. “Enabled Intelligence’s success demonstrates the immense untapped talent within the disability community and shows how this often-overlooked segment of our workforce can excel in the most technical, high-stakes fields, including AI and national security.”
Melwood and EI’s partnership began with Melwood Community Services’ abilIT program, a 14-week training initiative launched in 2019 in partnership with Cybrary. Designed for people with disabilities and injured veterans with a foundational knowledge of IT, the abilIT program combines industry-recognized technical certifications with soft skills development, job search assistance, and placement in IT, cybersecurity, and tech-adjacent fields.
Many of EI’s first hires came directly from abilIT, and the success of those employees helped shape EI’s workforce model. Together, Melwood and EI expanded this pipeline by hosting Geospatial Data Labeling Bootcamps, training participants to annotate satellite imagery by labeling train tracks, vehicles, aircraft, and other features to support computer vision models. To date, over 130 participants have graduated, with dozens moving into paid internships and long-term roles at EI.
Data labeling for AI requires intense focus, visual-spatial recognition, and pattern identification—skills that are often natural strengths of neurodivergent individuals. By building teams around these abilities, EI has achieved accuracy rates exceeding 95%, while also reducing bias in AI models and creating meaningful employment opportunities for underrepresented populations.
“This contract shows the federal government that inclusive hiring isn’t just good for communities—it produces the highest quality results,” said Peter Kant, CEO of Enabled Intelligence. “Melwood has been a vital partner in identifying, training, and supporting this incredible workforce. Together, we are proving that inclusion and excellence go hand in hand.”
Media Contact:
Jewelyn Cosgrove
Vice President, Government and Public Relations
[email protected]
About Melwood
Melwood is a family of companies with a shared vision of a world where people with disabilities are fully included. As one of the nation’s leading disability employers and advocates, Melwood provides job training, employment, life skills, and support services to more than 3,000 people each year in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Through programs like abilIT, Melwood continues to break barriers to employment in IT, cybersecurity, and AI, connecting untapped talent to critical workforce needs.
About Enabled Intelligence
Enabled Intelligence, Inc. is a small business specializing in secure, highly accurate AI training data, models, and AI solutions for U.S. government agencies and commercial enterprises. With over 50% of its workforce identifying as people with disabilities, EI has created a culture of inclusion that leverages neurodiverse strengths to deliver exceptional results in data labeling and model training for mission-critical applications.
