Serial entrepreneur and longtime Bend, Oregon resident Douglas Layman is best known as the founder and former president of Kadix Systems, an information technology and security firm serving the U.S. federal intelligence community. Launched in 2002 with just $100, Kadix grew under Layman’s leadership into a four-location, 350-employee organization generating more than $50 million in annual revenue. The company twice earned a place on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies in America and received multiple federal commendations for excellence and innovation.
Layman led the successful capture of several major federal contract vehicles, including the $3 billion DHS EAGLE program, the NSA NSETS II, and the $30 billion GSA Alliant Small Business contract. In 2008, Kadix Systems was acquired by Dynamics Research Corporation in a deal recognized by the Association for Corporate Growth as that year’s Deal of the Year under $100 million.
Before Kadix, Layman founded CareerRewards, an early HR technology company recognized by HR Executive Magazine as one of the top ten new HR products of 2000. The venture secured $12.5 million in funding and was acquired by Manpower International. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Verizon, where he directed large-scale customer care and billing systems, and spent nearly a decade at Accenture working with Fortune 500 clients.
Today, Layman is a managing partner with Arve Capital Advisors, where he focuses on angel investing, strategic advisory work, and helping emerging entrepreneurs navigate the early stages of growth.
But his story extends far beyond the boardroom. After selling Kadix, Layman made a dramatic life pivot—stepping off the traditional executive ladder to pursue a life centered around adventure, travel, and meaningful human connection. He lived for a decade in Chamonix, France, climbing mountains and exploring the Alps, and now splits his time between Bend, Oregon and Baja Sur, Mexico. His days are filled with kiteboarding, mountain biking, canyoneering, scuba diving, and the kind of travel that turns into stories shared for years.
A graduate of Oregon State University and Georgetown University, Layman is also active in community and philanthropic support. He has contributed to various grassroots initiatives and enjoys mentoring younger founders—often encouraging them to chase curiosity over convention, just as he did.
Whether he’s exploring remote trails, competing in pickleball, or diving shipwrecks in the Mediterranean, Douglas Layman continues to embody the philosophy that guided his transition from entrepreneur to adventurer: live boldly, stay curious, and take the scenic route whenever possible.