Top Company 2019: Software

Software (and these companies) are changing the world

Lisa Ryckman //September 4, 2019//

Top Company 2019: Software

Software (and these companies) are changing the world

Lisa Ryckman //September 4, 2019//

woodridge software

In its 32nd year, ColoradoBiz's Top Company honors the Colorado companies that have drive, determination, a vision and a plan and are ultimately making the state a better place to live and work. These two companies – one winner and one finalist – represent the 2019 Top Companies in Software.

WINNER

Woodridge Software

Golden

Companies with software challenges often end up at Woodridge, where finding solutions is job one.

“We turn down building things like websites or simple apps, and find more challenging products that require our higher level of development talent,” CEO Kaj Gronholm says. “Clients often find us after they have tried other avenues or development resources. Woodridge thrives on technical apps that have dozens of API integrations, challenging connection issues like financial integrations, and cybersecurity, education and health-care problems.”

Woodridge launches a new innovative product for a client about every 60 days.  These products are in many industries, including fintech, security, education and even psychology. These products are both innovative in the services they deliver, such as a psychological screener to help school systems identify students with behavioral and emotional needs, but also innovative in the software and technologies used to build them.

The company recruits most of its software developers out of the Colorado School of Mines, and nearly half its staff is female. “We feel like this gives us a great competitive advantage, both technically and in managing projects and we value the diversity of perspectives we have across our entire staff,” Gronholm says.

Employees give back by volunteering, teaching and speaking at Boulder Startup Week, Junior Achievement, YouthBiz, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Center for Bright Kids, Destination Imagination and various youth sports clubs.

FINALIST

PAIRIN

Denver

P​AIRIN aims to make education relevant and hiring equitable through its suite of products that personalize career exploration, hiring and professional development. PAIRIN Pathways, PAIRIN Curriculum and PAIRIN Hiring and Pro work across the entire talent pipeline to revolutionize how companies hire and how educators prepare the future workforce. Using these tools, employers can switch to competency-based hiring to lower turnover, increase diversity, remove unconscious bias and provide career opportunities to people with non-traditional backgrounds. PAIRIN partners with a wide variety of organizations helping the underserved, including Skillful, CareerWise Colorado, Worklife Partnership, Zero Dropouts, Hope House for teen moms, Upstream Impact, Activate Workforce Solutions, YUPRO, GOAL Academy, Jefferson County School District, New America Charter School Network, Cross Purpose, Launch High School and Turing School of Software Design.

This article is part of the 2019 ColoradoBiz Top Company Awards. Read more about all the winners & finalists: 
ADVERTISING & MARKETING DIGITAL MARKETING ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING CONSUMER BUSINESS ENERGY FINANCIAL SERVICES HEALTH CARE MANUFACTURING NONPROFIT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES REAL ESTATE STARTUP TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TOURISM & HOSPITALITY