Minnesota IT Services and Commissioner Baden Honored at the 2017 Tekne Awards
11/16/2017 2:36:20 PM
November 16, 2017
St. Paul, MN: The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) has named Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) as the recipient of the 2017 Tekne Award in the Community Impact award category. Minnesota IT Services’ Commissioner Thomas Baden was also presented with a Public Service Award, recognizing his work in advocating for state cybersecurity initiatives. Held November 15 at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the Tekne Awards honor organizations and individuals who have played a significant role in developing new technologies that positively impact the lives and futures of people living around the world.
Minnesota IT Services received the Community Impact Award for its work in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to develop the Food Business Licensing and Food Safety Wizard, a web-based tool that enables anyone wanting to make or sell food in Minnesota to more quickly get a food license. By walking through a simple series of questions presented in plain language, users can quickly find out which license they need, and the next steps for starting their new food business. The tool is available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong and formatted to fit mobile screens to make it easy-to-use and accessible.
Food businesses are a popular entry point for entrepreneurs, especially for new Minnesota citizens, and food business licensing is a complex topic that defies easy answers. This tool cuts through the complexity and makes it easy for budding entrepreneurs to navigate the rules and regulations they must follow to safely make and sell food.
Commissioner Thomas Baden, Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, was also one of three recipients of MHTA’s Public Service Award at the Tekne Awards celebration. Honored for providing outstanding leadership to advance technology and innovation in Minnesota at the State, Commissioner Baden has worked to raise awareness about cybersecurity issues in state government.
In 2015, Thomas Baden was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to serve as Commissioner and Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the State of Minnesota.
“State systems and Minnesotans’ data are increasingly under attack, and those attacks are growing more sophisticated. Commissioner Baden’s technical expertise and leadership has helped Minnesota IT Services elevate the subject of cybersecurity at the State Capitol. We are grateful for the work he has done on behalf of this critical issue, and we will continue to move this agenda forward in 2018,” said Minnesota IT Services’ Chief Operating Officer, Thomas Schaeffer.
Tekne Awards were presented to 13 of Minnesota’s most influential companies and recognized innovations in software, healthcare, STEM education, workforce development, Internet of Things, cybersecurity, and more.
“Minnesota continues to be a national leader in technology and science, and this year’s Tekne Award recipients are clear evidence of that,” said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, president and CEO of MHTA. “We are honored to recognize Minnesota IT Services and Commissioner Baden for their innovations and achievements.”
This year’s Tekne Awards ceremony was emceed by meteorologist and entrepreneur Paul Douglas. A list of 2017 Tekne Award recipients and finalists is available online.
Minnesota IT Services works to protect citizen’s personal information and keep state systems running. Minnesotans can visit the MNIT website to learn more.
Minnesota IT Services, led by Minnesota’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. Minnesota IT Services builds, maintains, and secures the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. We work to set IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.
MHTA is an innovation and technology association united in fueling Minnesota’s prosperity. We help bring together the people of Minnesota’s technology ecosystem and lead the charge in directing technology issues to Minnesota’s state capitol. MHTA is the only membership organization that represents Minnesota’s entire technology-based economy. MHTA members include organizations of every size − involved in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Minnesota. Find out more on the MHTA website.
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