Stats: Est. in 2018 | 4 employees, including 3 U.S. Dept. of Labor registered apprenticeships for additive manufacturing technicians | 2-4 interns from Santa Fe Community College & Northern New Mexico College

Mission: To train the New Collar Workforce in 21st century technology skills that are now ubiquitous across industries by providing jobs that diversify New Mexico’s economy.

What makes your company or organization unique? We invest in creating workforce training programs whose digital badges are issued by the New Collar Network, a North American non-profit I helped found that is part of the MIT Fab Lab Network.

Is your business growing and do you plan to hire in the next 6 months? We expect to have two more registered apprentices start in May or June, and in addition, our digital badge program is expanding throughout North America.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? We were able to successfully transition to building PPE due to my medical device background (owning the company that invented and manufactured the laser for LASIK, among other products). More importantly, we experimented with taking our instructor-led digital badge program online to great success last summer.

Share a goal you set for 2021: We have a collaboration with MatterHackers, a 3D Printer distributor, for bundling our digital badges with their machines, which will allow us to offer self-paced training online that I plan to have up and running in early 2021.

Describe where you see technology in year 2030. Technology, like 3D Printing, robotics, AI, predictive analytics, and more are starting to enter non-technical industries like retail, healthcare, and agriculture. By 2030 these disruptive technologies will have altered work to the point that workers in every field will need digital New Collar skills. Somebody will have to fix the robots!

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? All of the above!!

Keep up with Fab Lab Hub:

Thank you to our Community Partners!

Story: In 2008, I worked with four students who were interested in becoming STEM entrepreneurs to use their Competitive Robotics experience to develop the company using a Peer Teaching model. COVID helped us increase the number of online programs that we are now teaching to kids all over the nation! Myself and a number of our alums and students run the organization on a part time basis with a special interest in innovative opportunities and partnering with local leaders.

Mission: Come for the learning, be amazed by the experience! Cultivate Curiosity at B>, where we offer the best in STEM learning.

What makes your company or organization unique? We are run for kids, by kids and are leaders in Tech Ed, a rapidly growing industry. We specialize in emerging technologies such as 3D printing, robotics and drones. This is where kids find their people and discover their life’s passion.

Is your business growing and do you plan to hire in the next 6 months? We are excited about several partnerships set for 2021 that will add significant growth. Our “Give the Gift of Learning” program is designed for STEM employers to invest in their workforce families. In partnership with Electric Playhouse, we will be launching Battling Bots robotics leagues. These, and several other programs including our podcast, STEM Southwest, will aid in our growth and we will be hiring as well as helping others hire our amazing students to fill the STEM workforce pipeline.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? It has allowed us to take our brand to the global marketplace as the area of Tech Ed grows exponentially!

Describe where you see technology in year 2030. If disruption is the ultimate innovator, COVID has been that across the board in every industry. We will continue to see growth in Tech Education that will impact the way that future generations learn and work. We will continue to see the impact of COVID by new technologies leading to global partnerships that were once unfathomable. Finally, we believe in the power of youth and that our young learners will become leaders of the future creating technology like no generation before them! 2030 predictive tech will be crazily accurate; IoT sensors with associated apps will be ubiquitous in everyday life/work; 10-12 foot TVs will be commonplace; a useful cooking robot will be available for home use.

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? Green, always.

Keep up with B>:

Stats: Est. in 2015 | Six employees

I started Ingenuity Software Labs in 2015 while running the Deep Dive Coding Bootcamps at CNM. We spun our company out as a private company in 2017, and we’re still partners with CNM with a mission of graduate success. We currently have six employees (three Deep Dive grads) as well as other contractors we work with.

Mission: To craft high-value custom software and sites that help companies better serve their customers and their bottom line.

Vision: A thriving software company that builds the best products anywhere, treats people well, stays curious, and has a positive impact on our world.

What makes your company or organization unique? We’re a software firm. And we’re also experienced business folks who are committed to deep learning about our clients’ business so we can build software and sites that match their needs.

Is your business growing and do you plan to hire in the next 6 months? Thankfully, we have been growing and do hope to hire again soon.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? Other than having to vacate our office for the first few months of COVID, we’ve been used to remote work for years, so luckily that part wasn’t a huge challenge for our team and our customers.

Describe where you see technology in year 2030. 2030 predictive tech will be crazily accurate; IoT sensors with associated apps will be ubiquitous in everyday life/work; 10-12 foot TVs will be commonplace; a useful cooking robot will be available for home use.

Share a goal that you’ve set for 2021: A business goal is to increase revenue by 30% this year, and a personal goal is to get back to Mexico for a vacation sometime soon.

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? Definitely Christmas!

Get in touch with Ingenuity Software Labs:

Stats: Est. in 2019 | Three employees

Mission: GSC is committed to providing guidance to companies seeking to optimize supply chains, control costs, and operational leadership allowing them to focus on what matters.

What makes your company or organization unique? GSC was founded by a native New Mexican with experience working with some of the largest tech companies in the world. GSC wants to bring those methodologies to help give smaller companies the knowledge to bring their costs in line.

Is your business growing and do you plan to hire in the next 6 months? We are still in our bootstrap phase so we are planning on growing and hiring based on contracts.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? We have seen challenges with companies that seek our types of services but are reluctant to given the current economic environment.

Describe where you see technology in year 2030. There will be much more enterprises with a hybrid cloud approach. Companies will find that they will need some services that are managed directly and others that can be in the cloud.

Share a goal that you’ve set for 2021: GSC is setting goals to make a positive impact within the tech community in NM.

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? We love the sweetness of the Red but Green is definitely our favorite.

Keep up with Global Supply Chain Associates:

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Stats: Est. in 2012 | 16 employees

Mission: To provide predictable IT results for small and medium businesses.

What makes your company or organization unique? Our teamwork and unique proactive approach to managing IT.

Is your business growing and do you plan to hire in the next 6 months? Growing! We plan 1-2 hires in the next 6 months.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? Bigger emphasis on secure remote access to business infrastructure.

Describe where you see technology in year 2030. Remote and cloud will take an even bigger role.

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? Not Christmas, but red for eggs on tortilla chips (migas) and green for eggs on toast.

Keep up with Steady Networks:

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Stats: Est. in 2014 | 99 employees, 91 based in NM

Mission: Create and maintain a collaborative environment at the forefront of the latest scientific research and technological developments; Provide our customers with innovative engineering solutions for current and future challenges with an emphasis on quality, timeliness and cost-effectiveness; Value high-performance employees and foster an environment that both inspires and empowers all to achieve their maximum potential.

What makes your company or organization unique? We promote a culture that creates opportunities for the individual, benefits for the community, and strength and stability for the enterprise. We seek to maximize the mutual joy in developing technical solutions that meet tomorrow’s needs.

Is your business growing and do you plan to hire in the next 6 months? Yes and yes. 

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? Far higher percentage of distributed working, but we always set ourselves up to provide schedule and venue flexibility for our team (just didn’t know it would be for a pandemic).

Describe where you see technology in year 2030. Sky’s the limit.

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? Christmas!

Keep up with Verus Research:

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ABQ engineering firm wins one of its largest government contract awards yet

Verus Research, an Albuquerque engineering firm, has won a multi-million dollar government contract award.

The company, founded in 2014, received a $23.4 million award with the Army on Sept. 15, according to an Order for Supplies or Services obtained by Business First. Read more.

Stats: Est. in 1951 | 134 employees across NM, CO and AZ

Slogan: Provide engineering solutions to serve our clients and enhance our communities.

We strive to utilize systems that are cost-effective, sustainable and easily managed after construction. We enjoy the process of working together to find the best approach for each project.

 How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? B&P is continuing to support our clients, owners and communities even as the COVID-19 pandemic forces us to work remotely. We are using electronic means to communicate between team members and have in place software and network support of this arrangement. Our staff has put extra effort into finding unique ways to continue the flow of information, and our email and voice systems remain a key way to conduct business.

We value our client’s missions, safety and health by following the State and CDC’s requirements/recommendations for any in-person interface. We understand the importance of our role and small piece that plays in the economy of each community.

The following are comments from our Technology Design Team:

Stats: Est. in 1955 | 40 employees

Slogan: Technology Excellence.

What makes your company or organization unique? Founded in 1955, HOLMANS, a Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), is a technology Value-Added Reseller and is unique from competitors in the following ways:

• Delivering Extraordinary Service. Whether working with our sales or technical teams on a solution, to working with our distribution team to ensure timely delivery and communication, HOLMANS ensures that our team is focused on our customers having an extraordinary experience.
• Addressing Pain Points. HOLMANS sales and technical process is to understand our customers pain points and point to technology options that help alleviate those concerns.
• Narrow Niche with Strategic Solutions. HOLMANS has over 2.1 million SKUs, however, HOLMANS focuses also on key strategic technology solutions that allow us to partner with key manufacturers that achieve high rankings in Gartner and Forrester.
• Cause Marketing. Anthony D. Trujillo, CEO of HOLMANS USA, established Sophia’s Foundation for Autism https://sophiasfoundation.com/ in 2013 to increase public awareness of autism, recognize deserving teachers, and provide needed technology for autism specific classrooms in public schools. Sophia’s Foundation is inspired by Mr. Trujillo’s beautiful daughter Sophia who was diagnosed with autism at an early age. The foundation works hand-in-hand with classroom teachers who have developed special curriculum using this technology. Our Tradition: Sophia’s Foundation for Autism has a rich tradition of giving back to our communities with a primary focus of helping autism specific programs in our public-school systems. Our mission is to increase public interest & awareness of autism, recognize deserving teachers, & provide needed technology for autism specific classrooms.

Is your business growing? Yes, plan on hiring sales and technical staff for the SLED & Commercial division.

Describe where you see technology in year 2030. A 10-year forecast is a bit more challenging to make, as the recent pandemic demonstrated. Practically overnight, the entire concept of business continuity drastically changed. The tech industry continues to lead by having the ability to pivot quickly. End-user computing, applications and mobile technology strategies need to stay competitive. We will see trends shaping our future workplaces such as:

• Hybrid Cloud strategies
• Increased VDI and DaaS
• Increased emphasis on security
• VPN refinement
• Expanded remote solutions
• Increased Artificial Intelligence
• Blockchain transparency
• Sensors
• 5G and satellite constellation networks

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? Most of our staff is working remotely. Increased need for technology with our customers.

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? Christmas. We love all chile in NM!

Keep up with HOLMANS USA: 

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Stats: Est. in 1963 by Ralph Roberts | 600+ employees in New Mexico | 140,000+ nationwide

Mission: Comcast creates incredible technology and entertainment that connects millions of people to the moments and experience that matter most.

What industry does your company represent? Telecommunications, media, and technology.

What makes your company or organization unique? As connectivity becomes the epicenter of our connected lives and businesses, we are reinventing what it means to have a great internet experience. From providing the connections students need to school from home, to delivering the entertainment experience to bring families together on movie night, we’re working every day to deliver connectivity and entertainment moments that matter.

Is your business growing? Our team consistently offers new career opportunities. Check out jobs.comcast.com to view current opportunities.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? 

Like many businesses, we changed the way we do business because of COVID-19. We quickly adapted our operating model due to the pandemic, and implemented a variety of new procedures to keep our employees and customers safe and connected:

• We made work from home options as broadly available as possible and enhanced safety protocols for customer-facing employees.
• We committed $500 million to support our employees through continued pay and benefits where operations were paused or impacted.
• Our engineers and technicians micro-monitor our network reliability and performance constantly, running 700k+ diagnostic speed tests most days.
• Xfinity WiFi hotspots located in businesses and outdoor locations across the country are available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity internet subscribers – through the end of the year.
• We provided thousands of hours of free educational programming into an education destination for Xfinity video customers to support remote learning for kids K-12

Through the end of the year, eligible new customers will receive 60 days of complimentary Internet Essentials service, which is the nation’s largest, most comprehensive internet adoption program for low-income households. For more information, visit internetessentials.com.

With our Internet Essentials Partnership Program, we’re collaborating with school districts and nonprofit partners across New Mexico to quickly connect large numbers of students and families to broadband access at home.

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? Green!

Keep up with Comcast: 

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Thank you to our Community Partners!

On January 1, 2018, Evolent Health purchased the CO-OP health plan’s commercial business and established True Health New Mexico. True Health New Mexico began offering employer-sponsored coverage as a for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of Evolent Health. Evolent Health is a healthcare technology company and national value-based care partner providing integrated clinical and financial capabilities to health systems and providers.

What industry does your company represent? Health Insurance.

What makes your company or organization unique? As a physician-led health insurer, we focus on improving our members’ health and helping them navigate the often-confusing healthcare landscape. We combine technology with personal outreach to identify at-risk members and work proactively with them, their providers, and their caregivers to help members access the most appropriate services and to keep them away from high-cost services, such as emergency room visits and unnecessary hospital admissions.

True Health New Mexico recognizes that behavioral health and physical health are integrated. Thus, most of our plans offer a $0 copay for behavioral health office visits, including substance abuse. We encourage our members to become established with a behavioral health provider just as they should a primary care doctor.

Another way we differentiate ourselves in the health insurance marketplace is by offering $0 copays for generic drugs for several common chronic conditions. When we remove financial barriers to maintenance medications, members are more likely to take the medications they need to help them stay well and out of the emergency room. Our list of $0 copay generic drugs extends far beyond the Affordable Care Act’s preventive drug requirements.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you do business? True Health New Mexico has stayed focused on providing resources and support for members while working mostly remotely. Our office is open reduced hours, from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We are reaching out to our members and other partners through virtual communication. We are also increasing our communications about the behavioral health resources we provide at no-cost for our members to help support them in managing stress during this pandemic.

Describe where you see technology in year 2030. By 2030 we anticipate expanded utilization of electronic medical records (EMR). Providers will easily be able to access EMRs for all their patients to have a complete history. Imagine your Specialist having access to the same knowledge as your Primary Care Physician (PCP) to assist in creating the best treatment for the patient. It is also reasonable to predict that with the continued expansion of cloud computing technology, anonymous data from EMRs can be analyzed to assist providers in predictive modeling of potential health issues. And we can’t leave out the patient. With the expansion of EMRs, patients will also have access to their own records, no more paying a provider to make paper copies or scanned copies of your records for you. The availability of knowledge should assist our population with increased positive health outcomes.

The way cost and benefit information is shared will have evolved, with more real-time information sharing and interoperability between various stakeholders in the industry. Information will be more readily accessible to providers, members, policy makers, etc. in usable formats. 2030 we will mostly likely also see more real time claim processing on the medical claim side.

Where does your team stand: Red, Green or Christmas? We’re New Mexico born and bred so we love it all, not just the chile. Count us in for all our local sauces and condiments: red, green, Christmas, posole, salsa, guacamole, queso… and of course, sopaipillas with honey to top everything off!

Keep up with True Health New Mexico: 

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