Geeks and Nerds (GaN) Corporation started by Jonn Kim (Ph.D.’99) has been chosen as one of 100 award winners representing the best in American small business.
GaN Corporation, whose headquarters is in Huntsville, Ala., will receive a 2014 Blue Ribbon Small Business of the Year Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. GaN also received the national Chamber’s Blue Ribbon award last year.
“As the business community has worked hard to do its part in moving the country forward economically, small businesses have continued to be the driving force responsible for much of our progress,” U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue said. “Our Blue Ribbon Award winners are the best of the best—growing and succeeding despite significant challenges.”
GaN will be recognized in June 11-14 in Washington, D.C. at America’s Small Business Summit where an overall winner will be announced.
Jonn Kim
Kim, who earned a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering at Vanderbilt, said the award wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated GaN employees and the support of GaN customers.
“I am humbled by the support of our customers, U.S. Small Business Administration, Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, and, most of all, our employees who work hard to make us better each day. Without them, we would not be the company it is today. I am so grateful,” Kim said.
Kim, president and CEO of GaN, has more than 20 years of experience in engineering and management for the federal government, commercial industries and academia. He holds multiple patents. Kim is a member of the Industry Advisory Committee of Vanderbilt’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department.
Kim founded the Geeks and Nerds Scholarship to establish financial aid for deserving students at Vanderbilt as well as at University of Alabama – Tuscaloosa and Huntsville campuses, Alabama A&M University, Athens State University, Vanderbilt University, Auburn University, New Mexico State University, Central Texas College, Texas A&M, Cochise Community College, University of Arizona, Pima Community College, Calhoun Community College, and University of Texas-Austin.
GaN was incorporated in 2004 in Huntsville and now has employees in Ft. Hood, Texas, and Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. The company has grown to more than 150 employees in nine years. In 2009, the Inc. 500® Annual Report listed GaN as the 59th fastest-growing government services company nationwide. In 2011, GaN won the Torch Ethics award from BBB for marketplace ethics, and won the 2012 Technical Company of the Year award from the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce.
GaN provides technical and management services to government and commercial customers in the areas testing, evaluation, system analysis, distributed computing, information technologies, architecture, hardware and software development, modeling, simulation and more. Kim said
GaN’s near-term plans include design and productization of devices for medical, automotive, security, and energy industry. GaN’s customers include NASA, Redstone Test Center, Space and Missile Defense Command, Missile Defense Agency, Army Test and Evaluation Command and others.