Jason Sgro Named Union Leader’s 40 Under Forty

Originally Posted on Union Leader

Managing Partner, Head of Cybersecurity & Human Privacy, ATOM

Birthplace: Lowell, Massachusetts

Family: Parents, Joseph and Deborah Sgro; daughters, Alexis and Victoria; significant other, Lene Marie

High school: Manchester High School West Class of 2000

College/post grad degrees: Graduate, Northeastern University

What is the best career advice you ever received?

As a leader, there is no right way to do the wrong thing. No matter how great the deal is, how big the win is, or how elegant the solution is, if the kernel of the idea you are striving to achieve doesn’t align with your values, it’s the wrong thing to do. And no matter how much you tweak the implementation to compensate for that misalignment, it will remain inherently, the wrong thing to do.

What motivates you to give back to your community?

Building and supporting the New Hampshire community should be part of everything we do. It’s easy to get caught up in the things that only affect ourselves, our families, and our businesses. But if we broaden our perspective, our impact will be greater, not just for ourselves, but for the world we live in. Our best ideas start with seeing the linkage between our actions and the world around us and then building and nurturing those connections.

What advice would you give your 22-year-old self?

My grandfather used to say that if you took care of things that they will last. At the time I didn’t realize he wasn’t just talking about some old tools. That lesson applies to teams, relationships, companies, families, and community – everything. The things you take care of will last.

What would make New Hampshire more attractive to young professionals?

New Hampshire needs to continue our investment in supporting robust arts, technology, and health care infrastructures. Changes in the way we work now allow young professionals to live in places where they can thrive as individuals and as families. We need to continue the path of supporting them in starting businesses, cultivating artforms, planning families, maintaining physical and mental health, and connecting to highly rewarding careers from all around our state by showing them we value these things and will support them as a community with both our time and capital.

Volunteer activities: Board of Directors for FBI InfraGard National Member’s Alliance (NH), Virtual Learning Academy Charter School.

Last major achievement: Founded the New Hampshire Office for Cooperation in Cybersecurity in 2021, which offers free and discounted services to law enforcement, municipal governments, health care institutions, not for profit associations serving New Hampshire, and community mental health organizations to further protect the security and privacy of the residents of New Hampshire and the organizations that serve them.