Geek Magnet, Inc.
Capabilities statement
Information technology consulting for government agencies and K–12 education. Founded in 2014 and led by a technologist with 20+ years of experience. Illinois BEP-certified, woman-owned business (WBE).
Overview
Geek Magnet, Inc. is an Illinois-based, BEP-certified woman-owned (WBE) information technology consulting corporation. Since 2014 it has provided professional technology consulting to Illinois government agencies and to private entities in several states. Consultants have led and staffed mission-critical rewrites, legacy data conversions, implementations, maintenance, and continuous integration, with a concentration in Illinois education agencies.
Core competencies
- Systems architecture. Architecture for agency systems, including mission-critical rewrites and new implementations.
- Software application design. Application design for public-sector programs, from functional needs through a design the development team can build.
- Software application development. Web and software application development. Documented delivery includes .NET web development for agency systems.
- Quality assurance. Quality assurance as part of full-lifecycle system delivery and ongoing maintenance.
- Testing. Testing across the software development lifecycle. The firm lists all facets of testing among its consulting services.
- Azure DevOps. Azure DevOps automated deployments and repository control.
- Database administration. Database administration, relational database design, and conversion of legacy data. On WINS, the firm’s president was the key architect of the SQL database design and the legacy data conversion.
- Business requirements. Business requirements, including product requirement gathering and documentation with agency stakeholders.
- Functional design. Functional designs that connect business requirements to the system being built.
- Webinar training presentations. Webinar training presentations for the systems and programs the firm supports.
Differentiators
- Illinois BEP-certified, woman-owned (WBE) firm that has worked as a prime vendor and as a BEP subcontractor.
- Founded in 2014 and led by Kristin Boster, a practicing senior consultant whose public-sector technology experience dates to 2000.
- Education-agency work that includes the USDA-sponsored Web-based Illinois Nutrition System (WINS) and related Illinois State Board of Education systems.
- Full-lifecycle delivery: requirements, architecture and design, development, data conversion, testing, training, implementation, and post-implementation support.
- Documented work on interagency file exchange with Illinois human-services, comptroller, revenue, innovation, and federal tax agencies.
Certifications
- Illinois Business Enterprise Program (BEP) certified
- Woman-owned (WBE)
Past performance
On the documented Illinois State Board of Education engagement, the record lists a contract start of January 5, 2005, continuous resources for 18 years, a prime-vendor role and subcontract roles, and staff assigned to multiple mission critical projects. The corporation was founded in 2014.
Illinois State Board of Education: Web-based Illinois Nutrition System (WINS)
USDA-sponsored Web-based Illinois Nutrition System for the National School and Child and Adult Care Food Service programs. Geek Magnet was selected as the primary vendor and sourced the majority of the development team, including the senior lead developer and subject matter expert.
Resources provided: five experienced senior and mid-level .NET web developers.
Illinois State Board of Education: Web-based Illinois Nutrition System (WINS)
The past-performance record also lists a WINS engagement awarded to Ashbaugh & Associates as prime. Geek Magnet participated as a BEP subcontractor.
Resources provided: the business analyst and two senior web developers.
Illinois State Board of Education: Educator Licensing System (ELIS)
Educator Licensing System. The RFP was awarded to Ashbaugh & Associates as prime, and Geek Magnet participated as a BEP subcontractor.
Resources provided: an experienced web developer.
MTW Solutions: Harvest Child Nutrition Management System
Harvest is a child nutrition management system. MTW Solutions developed it as an off-the-shelf SaaS product for USDA nutrition programs, for the Vermont Agency of Education. Geek Magnet was contracted as subject matter expert and IT system architect advisor.
Resources provided: an expert in USDA nutrition programs and IT system architecture.
Illinois Student Assistance Commission: Multiple projects
The past-performance record describes the work as multiple projects. The RFP was awarded to IO Datasphere as prime, and Geek Magnet participated as a BEP subcontractor.
Resources provided: web developers.
Contact
Kristin Boster, President
kristin@geekmagnetinc.com
Girard, Illinois
geekmagnetinc.com