Today we’d like to introduce you to Momodu Gondo.
Hi Momodu, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Four years ago, I was sitting in a prison cell. Today, I run a company built on what I learned in there.
In 2017, I was a Baltimore City detective. I was arrested as part of the Gun Trace Task Force case, one of the biggest police corruption scandals in the country. I pled guilty and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison.
I made a decision early in that sentence: I wasn’t going to let it define me, I was going to let it refine me. I leaned into my faith. I used fitness to build discipline back into my body, one rep at a time, when everything else felt out of my control. And I started working alongside the prison chaplain, supporting other incarcerated men who were losing hope. That’s where I found my purpose again.
I was released early in 2024, after serving 82 months, for good conduct. My sentence was ending, but my purpose was just beginning. I founded Vargon Consulting Group because I know firsthand how difficult it is to rebuild a life without guidance. Our team of attorneys, mentors, and leadership advisors provides the support, advocacy, and direction I wish I’d had. It’s never too late to rewrite your story. I’m living proof.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has been anything but smooth. I lost my father on December 29, 2016. Two months later, on March 1, 2017, I was arrested. Seven months after that, I lost my mother too. I buried both of my parents within ten months, in the middle of the darkest season of my own life.
During my incarceration, I made a decision: my circumstances would not define my future. I leaned into my faith, and I used fitness to rebuild discipline in my body when everything else felt out of my control. I worked alongside the prison chaplain, mentoring other incarcerated men who were losing hope.
After my release, rebuilding wasn’t easy. I worked overnight shifts at UPS, loading trailers that hit 120 degrees in the summer heat, making $25 an hour, part time. Personal training opened doors to mentors and business leaders who challenged me to think bigger and invest in myself.
We’ve been impressed with Vargon Consulting Group, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Vargon Consulting Group is a strategic advisory and leadership consulting firm, working with government agencies, law enforcement, corrections, and education institutions on accountability and decision making under real pressure, the kind of pressure that ends careers when it’s handled wrong. I know that pressure personally, which is exactly why this firm exists.
We’re a Certified Business Enterprise in Washington, DC, currently bidding on a multi-year government contract worth $5.1 million. It hasn’t been awarded yet, but a few years ago I was sitting in a federal prison cell. Today I’m a founder in the room for a contract that size. That distance is the story of this company.
What sets us apart is who’s in the room. My team includes a former Fortune 10 vice president, three attorneys from top law firms, a doctorate in curriculum design, and mentors who bring their own lived experience alongside professional certifications. We don’t just teach accountability. We’ve lived the consequences of poor decisions and understand what it takes to lead with integrity when the stakes are high.
Vargon isn’t theory. It’s proof that accountability, done right, is a skill you can build a career on instead of a mistake that follows you forever.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up the son of Sierra Leonean immigrants. My parents left Freetown in search of better educational opportunities for their children, and education became the foundation of our family.
At 15, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Multiple surgeries, months of illness, and being homeschooled instead of attending my freshman year taught me resilience early in life.
My dad often told me, “When you start making money, don’t waste it on a car or anything else that loses value. Buy a house.” That advice still shapes my financial decisions today.
I also loved real estate, basketball, and dressing sharp for church. As a quarterback and free safety, I learned leadership, quick decision-making, and accountability, lessons that continue to shape how I lead today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://momodugondo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momodugondo
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/momodu-gondo-863099336
- Twitter: https://x.com/MomoduGondo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MomoduGondo
- Other: https://www.vargonconsulting.com
