188 comes from the number of Afghan citizens manifested on our chartered flight out of Afghanistan in August of 2021. Our flight was the last civilian plane to leave Afghanistan before the US military redeployed. Once the plane landed in its layover in Abu Dhabi, we learned the flight had 362 personnel on board, with citizens, crew, and local officials taking advantage of the last opportunity to get out their family and friends. Our tie to the 188 in our Foundation name winks at the idea of numerical accuracy in a crisis.

At Concentric, our team is made up of prior service members, government servants, and non-profit enablers that have personal and direct ties around the world. When the fall of Afghanistan became imminent in August of 2021, it was personal to many of us. We knew that we should–and could–assist in the larger response, and are proud of what small contribution we were able to make to the larger efforts. This event was the culmination of years of knowing there was a space for the private sector in these world wide events through a philanthropic solution. Our ethics and values are part of the DNA of Concentric; it’s what retains our talent, attracts our clients, and leads the security industry. We know we can make a difference, so we have decided to do just that.