2023 Notable Leaders in Technology

From building out a solid tech infrastructure to integrating AI to brainstorming new products, this year’s 14 notable leaders in technology keep their respective companies and organizations on the cutting edge.

Methodology: The individuals featured did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials. This list is not comprehensive; it includes only people who were nominated and accepted after editorial review. To qualify for this list, individuals must have at least five years of experience in their field and have shown the ability to effect change in their roles or areas of practice.

To nominate other best-in-class executives in their fields, click here.

2023 Notable Leaders in Technology

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Scott Carpenter

Scott Carpenter

Co-founder, BoundaryCare
A tech entrepreneur and educator, Scott Carpenter took the mission of disrupting the traditional caregiving model to heart when his wife was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Frustrated with the
Andrew Dulka

Andrew Dulka

Chief information officer, Restaurant Technologies
Andrew Dulka leads all technology operations, change, and strategic transformation for Restaurant Technologies (RT). Based in Mendota Heights, RT is a cooking oil management and clean hood systems solutions company
Ben Erickson

Ben Erickson

Executive vice president of customer service, Vivacity Tech PBC
Ben Erickson has a track record of developing sales and customer service teams with top skills in the K-12 ed-tech industry, driving Vivacity Tech PBC to become the second-fastest-growing computer
Justin Grammens

Justin Grammens

Founder/CEO, Lab651
Justin Grammens channels his passion for software development and artificial intelligence into entrepreneurship and education. That includes Lab651, a technology services company that helps business leaders build and launch their
Zach Hughes

Zach Hughes

Vice president of information technology, CHS Inc. 
Zach Hughes leads development, operations, and digital customer product teams at CHS Inc., an Inver Grove Heights-based energy, grains, and foods company and the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the U.S.
Jason Kirton

Jason Kirton

Vice president of engineering, Dispatch
Jason Kirton joined Dispatch in its foundational days in 2019 and helped the Bloomington-based delivery platform evolve from sales-oriented software to a broader tech focus. In the past four years,
Jim Newman

Jim Newman

President/CEO, HRIZONS
A collaborative leader who has worked in several successful businesses, Jim Newman launched HRIZONS in 2006 with a vision of bridging HR and technology, helping companies understand how to work
Aaron Nielsen

Aaron Nielsen

Vice president of information technology, Mall of America
Aaron Nielsen leads a team focused on everything IT, from maintaining infrastructure to managing cybersecurity at Mall of America. Keeping innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration top of mind, Nielsen and his
Andy Peat

Andy Peat

CEO, Fitness On Demand
New Zealand native and tech fitness expert Andy Peat has a track record of high growth and innovation. Just a month into his tenure as CEO at Fitness On Demand,
Jamie Thingelstad

Jamie Thingelstad

Senior vice president/chief technology officer, SPS Commerce
When Jamie Thingelstad joined SPS Commerce in 2013, his leadership within the technology teams steadily grew the systems management firm’s retail network to become one of the largest in the
Travis Thul

Travis Thul

Director of operations/senior fellow, Technological Leadership Institute
Travis Thul helps oversee the Technological Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota, leading the academic division, HR, finance, IT, and student services units. That’s in addition to overseeing five
Manny Villafaña

Manny Villafaña

CEO/chairman, Medical 21, Inc.
Med-tech entrepreneur Manny Villafaña is on his eighth medical device startup company, Plymouth-based Medical 21. The startup is developing and marketing what it calls the “holy grail” cardiac medical device:
Joe Welu

Joe Welu

Founder/CEO, Total Expert
Joe Welu fosters a culture of learning and innovation at Total Expert, a customer engagement platform for financial enterprises. Under his leadership, the St. Louis Park company expanded its offerings
Glenn Zerbe

Glenn Zerbe

President/CEO, Nuvera
Over the past four years, Glenn Zerbe pushed transformation to the forefront at Nuvera, a telecommunications company in New Ulm that operates across southern Minnesota. In a time of rapidly