About Athreon

Driving Excellence Through Innovation Since 1988

Our Story

In 1988, Athreon embarked on a journey to transform business processes, starting as “Second Opinion, Ltd.,” a medical billing and transcription company. The vision was promulgated by Alanna Duckett, a practice administrator at Georgetown University, who saw the pressing need for an efficient, outsourced medical billing and transcription business. Alanna’s entrepreneurial spirit led to the establishment of Second Opinion, bridging a critical gap in the healthcare landscape of the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

Leadership Evolution

In 1998, Alanna made a pivotal decision, hiring Sterling Garde to oversee operations. Sterling’s leadership and dedication became instrumental, leading to Alanna’s retirement and the transfer of the business to Sterling. In 2000, the company rebranded as “MedGarde,” setting the stage for its transformation. Sterling then brought in Magnus Garde as CEO and, subsequently, Portia Garde to address evolving technological needs. The resultant success of MedGarde’s acumen in medical transcription gave rise to further expansion of its speech-to-text solutions in industries outside healthcare, thus resulting in a branding evolution to “Athreon” in 2012.

Expanding Horizons

The name “Athreon” not only derives its essence from the wisdom of Athena and the navigational prowess of Orion, two iconic figures in Greek mythology, but it also stands as a testament to the company’s evolution and adaptability in meeting modern challenges. Notably, in 2015, Athreon expanded its service offerings by introducing HIPAA consulting, aligning with Athena’s virtues of wisdom and strategy to help clients navigate the complex regulations surrounding healthcare information. And, in 2020, much like Orion navigating through the dark, Athreon further broadened its scope to include cybersecurity services, addressing the critical need for secure data handling in an increasingly digital world. These added dimensions enhance Athreon’s core commitment to delivering intelligent, secure, technologically innovative, and comprehensive outsourcing solutions across multiple verticals.

Our Mission and Vision

Mission: At Athreon, we seamlessly blend human expertise with innovative Artificial Intelligence technology, specializing in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) with a keen focus on speech-to-text and cybersecurity services. Our mission is to enhance business processes, bolster security, and maximize Return on Investment (ROI) by eradicating operational delays and amplifying productivity. We are dedicated to guiding our clients through their digital journey with utmost efficiency and security, ensuring a smooth and secure operational flow. Our meticulously crafted, customizable solutions span audio and video capture, transcription, virtual scribing, advanced analytics, compliance, and breach mitigation, each designed to address our clients' unique needs and challenges. Athreon is a beacon of secure, compliant, and efficient workflow management, ensuring our clients navigate their digital journey optimally, efficiently, and securely.

Vision: Envisioning Athreon as a global leader in BPO and KPO innovation, we are committed to pioneering solutions that navigate complex, mission-critical challenges for organizations of all scales and sectors. By harmonizing human expertise with advanced AI technology, we aim to deliver unparalleled ingenuity in our services, crafting a future where our solutions empower businesses to operate with optimal efficiency, security, and innovation.

Our Values

At Athreon, values are the foundation of our operations:

  • Ethical Integrity: Conducting our business with transparency and ethical diligence in every transaction.
  • Unwavering Accountability: Upholding responsibility and accountability in all our actions and decisions.
  • Client-Centric Approach: Actively listening to and implementing feedback from our clients to enhance our services.
  • Respectful Collaboration: Treating all team members with utmost respect and fostering a collaborative work environment.
  • Community Support: Actively supporting and contributing to the well-being of the communities where we operate.
  • Resourceful Stewardship: Allocating our resources responsibly to ensure sustainable and efficient operations.
  • Innovative Excellence: Embracing and driving innovation to meet the ever-changing requirements of our clients.

Executive Leadership Team

Meet our dedicated leadership team:
MAGNUS GARDE
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Magnus Garde leads Athreon with a visionary approach and a steadfast commitment to excellence. With extensive leadership experience, including prior leadership roles as an officer in the US Navy and working at ExxonMobil Corporate Headquarters, Magnus is dedicated to ensuring that Athreon remains at the forefront of business innovation while cultivating the performance excellence of Athreon’s staff. He follows a forward-focused corporate vision centered on exceeding client expectations while fostering a culture of collaboration, growth, and discovery.
STERLING GARDE
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Sterling Garde plays a crucial role in the operational success of Athreon. Sterling's leadership and strategic thinking ensure that our operations are efficient, effective, and aligned with our overall organizational goals and business best practices. His commitment to operational excellence is evident in the seamless delivery of our services and solutions and the company's loyal client base. Sterling plays a key role in modeling and implementing the company's operational vision, which has become a significant cornerstone of Athreon's successes throughout his tenure with the company.
PORTIA GARDE
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Portia is the technology visionary and systems mind behind Athreon. Her expertise in cutting-edge technologies drives the continuous improvement of our services and solutions. Using systems engineering, mathematics, and technology leadership, Portia ensures that Athreon remains a leader in the industry, consistently delivering exceptional value to our clients. She is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management.

Our Commitment to a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace

At Athreon, we wholeheartedly believe in the transformative power of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Our commitment to DEI goes beyond words; it's ingrained in our culture. We celebrate our employees' diversity, welcoming perspectives spanning race, ethnicity, gender, age, abilities, and more. Equity is the cornerstone of our policies, ensuring equal opportunities for everyone to thrive. We cultivate an inclusive environment that encourages open dialogue, active listening, and collaboration. Through education and accountability, we empower our team to champion DEI both inside and outside our organization.

What Our Clients Say


“Athreon has consistently provided us with a high level of customer service by routinely responding to all requests in an expedient manner. Thank you so much for all of your assistance and attention throughout our working relationship!”

— Valerie, Office Manager Alexandria, VA

“Athreon has a great customer service team; they are always willing to help and are fast and efficient with a terrific turnaround time. If we ever need a letter within 24 hours all I have to do is call and they make sure I have it.”

— Shawn, Practice Manager, Waldorf, MD

“The doctor felt that the dictations were PERFECT with no mistakes!!!”

— Sherrie, Practice Manager, Washington, DC

Join Our Journey

Athreon’s journey is one of continuous evolution, innovation, and unwavering commitment to excellence. We invite you to join the Athreon community, share in our values, and be part of a company that values innovation, integrity, accountability, and the well-being of our clients, employees, vendors, and communities.

Contact Us

Ready to explore how Athreon can transform your business processes? Contact us today.
Thank you for trusting Athreon as your partner in driving excellence through innovation.