Richard Lewis; Air Force and tech industry vet finds success with IT firm.

• Author: Bronikowski, Lynn
• Position: EXECUTIVE [edge] - Interview of Richard Lewis - Interview

As a kid Richard Lewis rigged a doorbell to his bedroom and built an electric generator from an old vacuum cleaner.

"I was always tech-minded," said Lewis, who in 2002 founded RTL Networks Inc., a multimillion dollar Denver-based technology solutions firm that employs 35. "I would confiscate anything with a motor and make something out of it."

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Lewis lived in several cities, as his mother advanced her career with the Social Security Administration.

"Whenever she had an opportunity for promotion she went and was a role model in a way," Lewis said. "We didn't know we were poor, and I always dreamed of being a physicist."

So when his high school history teacher in Williamston, N.J., suggested the Air Force Academy, Lewis listened up.

"As soon as I saw the brochure with the mountains, the planes, the Air Force falcon, I made up my mind that I wanted to go there, and that was the only school I applied to," said Lewis, 41, who graduated from the Academy in 1989. "The Academy is designed to be impressive and challenging--it was competitive and tough--but after the first day you're so invested that there's no turning back."

Following graduation, he spent 10 years in the Air Force as a commissioned officer, traveling the world and working 12-hours days, seven days a week, as part of Operation Desert Storm. His Air Force career shaped a work ethic that today includes long days at the office, serving on boards of community organizations and raising his 10-year-old son, Tyler, who is the "T" in RTL.

"When your job is to defend the country, you cannot fail, so there are no excuses," said Lewis, recalling a rare day off during Desert Storm. "If something doesn't work, you need to think differently and sort through...