Election Technology Firm More than Tripling the Size of Its Space
St. Louis-based election technology firm, KNOWiNK, known for its flagship product Poll Pad®, is tripling the size of its office in a new headquarters in Creve Coeur, Mo. The new 16,000-square-foot office has debuted with the renovation of the former American Heart Association building at 460 North Lindbergh Boulevard. It is designed to support KNOWiNK’s continued innovation of voter check-in /registration technology and facilitate the recruitment and retention of its professional staff to better serve election jurisdictions throughout the country. KNOWiNK employs 154 companywide, including 60 based in St. Louis.
KNOWiNK’s national voting check-in/registration technology solutions currently serves more than 1,700 election jurisdictions in 36 states and Washington, D.C., accounting for more than 50 percent of registered voters in the U.S. It is also a primary election technology vendor for the Province of New Brunswick and the city of Winnipeg in Canada.
“Our products have become the heartbeat of elections throughout the country and we are thrilled to have a new headquarters that reflects our commitment to innovation and growth,” noted KNOWiNK CEO & Founder Scott Leiendecker.
“The new office is designed as a collaborative and innovative high-tech space to further develop and refine our voting management platform, benefiting our national clientele,” added Leiendecker. “These assets will energize KNOWiNK’s future growth, allowing us to attract and retain the best workforce.”
“In our state and across the country, KNOWiNK has built a reputation as a trusted and reliable source for election technology,” noted Missouri Governor Mike Parson. “I want to congratulate KNOWiNK’s CEO Scott Leiendecker and his entire team on their new headquarters and commitment to helping grow our state’s economy and workforce.”
“We are working every day to attract and retain businesses and jobs here, and KNOWiNK’s high-tech, good-paying jobs are exactly what we have worked for in St. Louis County. Voting is one of our citizens’ most fundamental rights,” noted Dr. Sam Page, St. Louis County Executive. “As County Executive I have worked to break down barriers to voting. Our voters want a more efficient voting process and shorter lines at the polls, and they also want greater integrity and faith in our elections. For years, KNOWiNK has helped St. Louis County deliver these results for voters. We congratulate KNOWiNK on its expansion and new headquarters in St. Louis County.”
“Fostering business development in the St. Louis area is crucial to building our economy and ensuring that our state remains a destination for businesses and jobs,” said Missouri U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt. “Congratulations to KNOWiNK and their team on their new headquarters, and thanks for expanding your business in the great state of Missouri.”
Designed by Remiger Design and built by ISC Contracting, the two-level headquarters is an industrial modern design with a collaborative open office space. The main level features some private offices, huddle rooms, and space for sales and marketing, product development, quality control and client training. The lower level features a game room, break room, a town hall gathering space for company-wide meetings, a professional services and customer support office and a small warehouse. It also includes an outdoor deck for company functions.
The office is replete with St. Louis artwork to honor the roots of its founding. Industrial concepts are found throughout the interior including exposed duct work and the interior wall cladding that emulates that of shipping containers outside of offices.
The building has received a significant upgrade in audio/visual and information technology infrastructure to support technology lab functions and create a communications hub for KNOWiNK’s nationwide workforce.
“In 2012, my county became the first client for KNOWiNK,” noted Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers, “Long lines for voters to check in and arduous paper pollbooks were inefficient for our workers and the voters we serve. I knew Scott had the best interests of the voters and our election professionals at heart. Most importantly, I knew Scott’s dedication to the integrity of our elections. I was excited to be his first client to use this secure and innovative product and have never looked back. Today, thousands of my election peers also trust KNOWiNK to help serve their voters. I’ve been proud to watch this company grow and flourish through the years and bring greater faith and trust in our elections.”
“KNOWiNK’s products are helping expand and protect voting rights in our community and across the country,” said John Bowman, president of the NAACP of St. Louis County. “The Vote is Precious. It is our most powerful non-violent tool in a democratic society, and we must use it.”
“KNOWiNK continues to do outstanding work partnering with local election authorities across the country to help protect the integrity of our elections,” said former U.S. Senator Roy Blunt. “The collaboration between the private sector and local election authorities is key to enhancing the safety and security of our elections. This is one of the reasons I asked Scott Leiendecker to testify before Congress as Chair of the Senate Rules Committee when we examined election security preparations. I congratulate KNOWiNK on its new headquarters and ongoing work to advance the integrity of our election process with new innovations.”
Leiendecker, a former elections director for the City of St. Louis, founded KNOWiNK in 2011 with the goal of introducing innovation and technology to facilitate enfranchisement by improving election management. KNOWiNK’s Poll Pad technology allows for quick, digital voter check-in and verification on election days, improving the election experience for voters and those managing elections. In 2020, the firm ranked as the fastest growing private company in St. Louis by the St. Louis Business Journal. In 2021, Leiendecker was named a 2021 Ernst & Young (EY) Entrepreneur of The Year® (EOY).
Since its founding 12 years ago, KNOWiNK has grown through a series of strategic acquisitions and investments. In early 2021, it acquired Fort Pierre, South Dakota-based BPro, Inc. and its voter registration software, which also provides election jurisdictions with election night reporting (ENR) tools.
In addition to KNOWiNK’s electronic Poll Pad, the firm’s technology platforms include:
· ePulse, which facilitates election management by allowing administrators to monitor elections in real time;
· iTrack, which tracks election inventory equipment;
· Election Night Reporting (ENR) Live, which provides election day reporting; and
· Poll Print, which facilitates the accurate processing of early voting.
Learn more at www.KNOWiNK.com.