Biography of Kim Harwell (brief)
Kim Harwell is a consummate entrepreneur. He maintains more than thirty years of business and
technological expertise in the government, telecommunications, and marketing fields. Kim has founded
and led organizations that have generated an aggregate of several billions of dollars in revenue. Kim
regularly writes articles for United States Cyber Security Magazine and has written articles for numerous
other publications. Also, Kim has written numerous E-Books on government contracting and is in the
process of writing his new book, “The Blueprint to Government Contracting”. Kim Harwell is a highly
sought after speaker, trainer, sales coach and expert in the areas of sales, business, government
relations, and technological advances.
Kim is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of National Bid Network (NBN) and its subsidiary
GovPurchase. NBN’s mission is to provide user friendly research tools, business training, consulting
services, and B2B business development tools for commercial businesses, government contractors, and
government officials, in a profitable manner, at an affordable price. The results will be to save billions of
tax dollars for the American people, provide more opportunity for small business, which in turn, will
create more jobs, and boost the US economy. One of the primary ways we achieve this is by owning and
providing the most comprehensive government contracting online data tool. GovPurchase is the largest
databases on government contracting (www.govpurchase.com).
GovPurchase assists thousands of companies worldwide in doing billions of dollars annually in federal,
state and local prime contracting, subcontracting, teaming and commercial business. This is performed
via the GovPurchase online tool (www.govpurchase.com), the world’s largest database on government
contracting, combined with excellent customer training and support. Corporations such as Bosch, Bose,
Colt Defense, Exide, Smith and Wesson, SAIC, DB Consulting Group, and thousands of other large, mid-
sized, and small businesses worldwide count on GovPurchase for critical government contracting
business development and research information. Government agencies such as the Department of
Homeland Security, The Department of Justice, TSA, The Army, The Navy, and others use NBN to locate
and verify government contractors for set-aside and other opportunities.
In addition to Harwell’s companies serving thousands of government contractors, and the federal
government, he hosts a weekly television show called Procurement Weekly. Procurement Weekly was
originally designed to help businesses survive, and even thrive, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now it
has become a hit in the government contracting industry and beyond. Harwell’s company, GovPurchase,
also publishes a daily newsletter called Procurement Daily.
In 2023 Harwell became the CEO of Native Detroiter Magazine. Native Detroiter is the preeminent
magazine for all things business, social, educational and political for native Detroiters worldwide. It has
been in publication for 37 years.
In 2017, Harwell’s company, National Bid Network, was awarded as the Capital Region Minority Supplier
Diversity Council’s (CRMSDC) Supplier of the Year. In 2018, NBN was awarded the National Minority
Supplier Development Council’s Regional Supplier of the Year. Also, in 2018, Harwell was voted Detroit
Small Businessman of the Year, by native Detroiter Magazine.
In 2014, National Bid Network was nominated for the Maryland Business of the Year, by the Maryland
Chamber of Commerce and the Maryland Office of Military Affairs. Also in 2014, GovPurchase was a
finalist for DC business of the year and Kim was a finalist for DC Businessman of the Year as nominated
by the DC Chamber of Commerce.
In 2017, Harwell’s company won the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC)
Supplier of the Year
In 2018, Harwell’s National Minority Supplier Development Council Regional Supplier of the Year
Also, in 2018 Harwell was recognized as Native Detroiter Magazine Businessman of the Year
Harwell has recently launched Procurement Weekly. Procurement Weekly is quickly becoming one of
the most watched shows on government contracting.
Kim has one son, Kim, a graduate of Northwestern University and Detroit Country Day. Kim was also a
four-year starting wide receiver at Northwestern and had some professional football experience.
Previous Experience:
1990-Led the nation in small business sales for U.S. Sprint
1990-Co-founded Linetel Communications-Led company to 250 employees, including 100 in Montego
Bay, Jamaica office, which Harwell opened and managed.
1992-Awarded AT&T Small Business of the Year-Linetel Communications
1993-Awarded Detroit Regional Chamber, Future Fifty
1993-1996-Represented AT&T, Sprint, MCI, and other commercial telecommunications companies to
Congress, The White House, and to the FCC to create a fair resolution to the competition question.
These efforts, along with the efforts of so many others resulted in the passing of the Federal
Telecommunications Act of 1996. Harwell was featured in full paged ads nationally, including 20
consecutive weeks in the Washington Post, with the caption” When it Comes to Competition, Kim
Harwell can Teach the Bell Monopolies A Few Things. Harwell was present when President Bill Clinton
signed the act at the Library of Congress.
1993-2001 -Led one of the largest AT&T resellers (Telenet) to $20M in annual sales with more than 100
employees.
1994-1996-Lobbied Capitol Hill on behalf of AT&T, MCI, and Sprint for an equitable federal
telecommunications act
1996-Awarded Lifetime Achievement, Telenet Communications
1997 -Acquired Marketline Communications
1998-Acquired Metropolitan Interconnect
2000-Awarded SBC Presidents Club
2001-Sold Telenet Communications
2001-Became Shareholder in Atwater Group. Eventual 20% owner of Motor City Casino
2004- Atwater bought out of Motor City for $450,000,000.00
2010-Founded National Bid Network-www.nationalbidnetwork.com
2013-Launched GovPurchase-www.GovPurchase.com
2013-Laumched Capital Professionals-http://nationalbidnetwork.com/capital-proffesionals
2014-DC Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Finalist
2014-Launched DB Commercial Group-www.DBCommercialGroup.com
2015-Maryland Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Finalist
2015-Launched National Cloud-http://nationalbidnetwork.com/product-launch
2015-Launched Realtime Management-
2016-Acquired Political Productions-www.PoliticalProductions.com
Founder of the Association of Government Contractors
2017-Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC) Supplier of the Year
2018-National Minority Supplier Development Council Regional Supplier of the Year
2018-Native Detroiter Magazine Businessman of the Year