Page 76 - Delaware 222 - 2025

William Strickland
William Strickland
L&W Insurance/DE Turf
L&W Insurance/DE Turf
SPORTS TECHNOLOGY
SPORTS TECHNOLOGY
SPORTS TECHNOLOGY
William Strickland, the president of
William Strickland, the president of
L&W Insurance, has been one of the
L&W Insurance, has been one of the
main champions of the Delaware Turf
main champions of the Delaware Turf
complex in Frederica as the board of
complex in Frederica as the board of
directors chair. Since the DE Turf ’s
directors chair. Since the DE Turf ’s
conception, the $25 million project
conception, the $25 million project
has 12 athletic fi elds in Frederica,
has 12 athletic fi elds in Frederica,
off Delaware Route 1 as a main draw
off Delaware Route 1 as a main draw
to bring fi rst-class competitions to
to bring fi rst-class competitions to
the fi rst state, fi rst starting with fi eld
the fi rst state, fi rst starting with fi eld
hockey and today and USA Lacrosse
hockey and today and USA Lacrosse
men’s and women’s national teams for
men’s and women’s national teams for
exhibition games in 2021. Th e booming
exhibition games in 2021. Th e booming
success of the DE Turf Field has led
success of the DE Turf Field has led
Delaware to follow suit and invest in
Delaware to follow suit and invest in
other sports facilities across the First
other sports facilities across the First
State. Now entering its ninth year, the
State. Now entering its ninth year, the
DE Turf Complex is embarking on a
DE Turf Complex is embarking on a
new expansion to add bleachers to
new expansion to add bleachers to
grow capacity to 2,000 attendees.
grow capacity to 2,000 attendees.
Zakiyyah Ali
Tech Council of Delaware
ALMA MATER:
ALMA MATER:
BOARDS:
BOARDS:
Q&A:
Q&A:
Desa Burton
Zip Code Wilmington
Desa Burton has served as lead counsel
on intellectual property for InterDigital
in Philadelphia, tasked as the lead on
research and development, technology
innovation and government contracts.
In 2019, she was selected as the next
leader of Zip Code Wilmington, a
nonprofi t focused on off ering 12-week
courses in software development
and data engineering. Over the last
eight years, Zip Code has successfully
trained more than 600 software
developers who cumulatively have
earned $131 million in wages. In the
future, Zip Code plans on opening a
brick-and-mortar place in Seaford to
continue to serve students in Southern
Delaware and is exploring a medical
assistant program.
ALMA MATERS:
BOARDS:
Q&A:
74 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
74 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
74 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
74 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
74 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
74 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
74 DELAWARE 222 | DelawareBusinessTimes.com
In March 2023, the Tech Council of
Delaware offi cially launched and
Zakiyyah Ali was named its fi rst
leader. Its precursor was Tech Hire
Delaware and the Delaware IT
Council under the Rodel Foundation
umbrella. Ali spent years as a
workforce development consultant
in Wilmington, and before that, she
served as a director of Philadelphia's
city workforce development. Th e
Tech Council strives to draw more
tech career professionals, businesses,
education resources together to
make Delaware a tech hub. Initiatives
include an online membership
platform, routine training programs,
information panels, lobbying eff orts,
and collaboration between industry,
education and government.
ALMA MATERS:
BOARDS:
Q&A:
Patrick Callahan
LabWare
With partners, Patrick Callahan
developed CompassRed in 2012,
as a company to analyze data to help
guide an organization's future with
new strategies. Th e company was
repeatedly named to Inc. 5000 list of
fastest growing private companies.
In March 2022, CompassRed was
acquired by LabWare, a veteran
laboratory information management
provider headquartered in Alapocas.
Th e transition made Callahan the
head of LabWare’s data analytics
and product development fi rm with
a global reach. Earlier in his career
Callahan was a co-founder of Th e
Archer Group, a digital agency and
held positions at Andersen Consulting,
Hesta Data Systems, and Proximitree.
ALMA MATERS:
BOARDS:
Q&A: