Tag Archive for: Chris Baeten

Posts

Knight Federal Honored by GrowFL as One of 50 2018 Florida Companies to Watch Winners

, ,

Statewide Awards Program Recognizes Unique, Scalable High-Growth Companies

2018 Florida Companies to Watch Winner

Knight Federal Solutions has been named one of 50 Florida Companies to Watch℠ for 2018.  The winning 50 statewide companies are expected to see significant growth over the next several years by GrowFL, the Florida Economic Gardening Institute. More than 500 companies were nominated from across the state of Florida, vying for the prestigious title of being honored as one of this year’s 50 Florida Companies to Watch a statewide awards program managed by GrowFL, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation, a nonprofit organization championing entrepreneurship. Knight Federal’s management team, competitive market position and strong community involvement were among several factors evaluated for the award.

“We are honored to be among the 50 companies named to the 2018 Companies to Watch by GrowFL,” says Chris Baeten, CEO of Knight Federal, a small business providing support services to the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence community. “This recognition builds on several other recent achievements for Knight Federal, including the award of three new major contracts, as well as our recent launch of our nonprofit organization, the Purple Knight Initiative which provides paid internships to combat wounded warriors who are looking to learn a new career in fields that are conducive to their disabilities and desires for employment,” says Baeten. Knight Federal is one of the fastest growing companies in Central Florida, currently employing 90 staff. Baeten’s unique management style and informal approach has propelled the company on an impressive revenue track anticipating $12M in gross revenue this year, growing by 50% annually since inception.

“These stand-out companies are all led by entrepreneurs, and have demonstrated their capacity and intent to grow,” says Dr. Tom O’Neal, GrowFL executive director. “They also all have critical intellectual property or a niche position that gives them a competitive edge in their markets,” he adds.

The honorees represent a unique group of scalable, high-growth enterprises that are already located within Florida. These high growth enterprises are an important segment of our economy and their numbers have been steadily increasing, which contributed to Florida’s ranking of 24 on the 2018 Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship. Companies named to the list will be officially recognized on February 9, 2019 at the Straz Performing Arts Center in Tampa, FL. Tickets are on sale now for the awards ceremony. For more details, visit http://www.growfl.com/flctw18/about-flctw/

“This is a strong group of companies that deserve this special recognition given annually to the state’s top second stage companies,” said Dr. Chris Morton, GrowFL Chairman of the GrowFL Advisory Board, CEO of NanoPhotonica and a 2015

Second-stage companies are defined as those with 6 to 150 full-time employees and generate between $750,000 and $100 million in annual revenue. There are many programs and incubators promoting start-up businesses; GrowFL is the only Florida program that focuses exclusively on second-stage companies.

About GrowFL
GrowFL provides strategies, resources and support, including strategic research and peer-to-peer CEO mentoring and leadership development, to second-stage Florida companies. Created by the Florida legislature in 2009 and grounded in the philosophy of Economic Gardening® — growing existing businesses in a community, region or state — GrowFL is a critical component of the state’s economic development strategy and Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. GrowFL is certified by the National Center for Economic Gardening through the Edward Lowe Foundation. Website: growfl.com

About the Edward Lowe Foundation
Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a national, nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurship through research, recognition and educational programs, which are delivered through entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs). The foundation focuses on second-stage companies — those that have moved beyond the startup phase and seek significant, steady growth. In addition, the foundation has a second mission of land stewardship and is committed to preserving the natural resources and historically significant structures at Big Rock Valley, its 2,000-acre home in southwest Michigan. For more information visit www.edwardlowe.org.

Former J7 Director Leads Wounded Warrior Internship Program

, , ,

Shawn Lopez pictured with Tim Baker, director of the Purple Knight Initiative.

Timothy L. Baker, the former director of the Resource & Acquisition Management Office of the Joint Staff J7, has been appointed to lead the Purple Knight Initiative, a Wounded Warrior Internship program developed by Knight Federal Solutions.

Baker was a Senior Level executive, overseeing a $900M annual budget, managing a $180M annual contract portfolio and all assigned facilities.  He joins Knight Federal with an extensive background in military operations at the federal level, as well as serving in the U.S. Navy for more than 23 years retiring with the rank of Captain. Baker has many received many awards including the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and other various service awards.

Knight Federal Solutions’ Purple Knight Initiative connects employers with qualified, impactful and passionate Combat Disabled Veterans to support their business in hopes of providing Wounded Warriors meaningful career opportunities in industry or the federal government to support their recovery and provide them with the opportunity to build the future they so richly deserve. The goal is to provide paid internships to Wounded Warriors seeking to learn a new career, in fields that are conducive to their disabilities and desires for employment, with their safety and welfare in mind first.

“Throughout my 47-year career of supporting the Navy, USJFCOM, The Joint Staff and industry in various leadership positions, I have recognized that the highest quality, most successful organizations have leaders of integrity, high moral and ethical character and who place the welfare, professional and personal development of their staff as their primary objectives.  Knight Federal Solutions is such a quality organization and the Purple Knight Initiative is our company’s commitment to our nation’s wounded war veterans. Through our Wounded Warrior Internship Program, we are giving these American heroes the opportunity to continue to serve our great nation out of uniform and to pursue career opportunities for themselves and their families as part of their program of recovery. Taking care of our people is our core value and what distinguishes Knight Federal Solutions from other companies and it is a great personal honor to be part of this,” says Baker, director of the Wounded Warrior Intern Program for Knight Federal Solutions.

The goal of the program is to provide paid internships to wounded warriors who are looking to learn a new career, in fields that are conducive to their disabilities and desires for employment.

“We are thrilled to have Tim in this position.  His knowledge and expertise are an integral component to this program that will take it to the next level and help so many deserving combat disabled veterans.  I look forward to working with him to build this program into a national model for others to adopt and implement,” says Chris Baeten, CEO of Knight Federal Solutions.

For more information on the Purple Knight Initiative, click here – https://bit.ly/2urG4MF.

Knight Federal Gives Back

, ,

Knight Federal Solutions supports Fairways for Warriors among other philanthropy activities.

Knight Federal upholds the premise that communities grow and prosper as a result of the efforts both individuals and local businesses make to create lasting improvements for everyone.  In support of this, the company holds firmly in its view of corporate social responsibility, as well as its greatest pleasure, to give back to the community in which it resides and conducts business.

Knight Federal’s goal is to ensure that as the company grows and succeeds, that it gives back to the region with as much effort and enthusiasm as it offers when providing services to valued clients.  The employees at Knight Federal are passionate and deeply rooted in their community, which has provided so much and as a company, Knight Federal is proud to contribute to the overall growth and quality of life in Central Florida, its headquarters.

Knight Federal’s community involvement is far-reaching.  Its employees do not immerse themselves in these organizations for the accolades that often come with such involvement, but instead are truly grateful for they have and want to give back in any way possible.  The organizations listed in this article are not included as a bragging right but are included because Knight Federal wants to get the word out about the invaluable services these organizations are providing and to help spread the word and encourage others to get involved.  “We can only become better people, a better community, and a better country through our efforts to help others,” says Chris Baeten, Knight Federal’s CEO.

Baeten lives by example as he currently serves as a board member to Fairways for Warriors, a non-profit organization that supports local combat wounded veterans by providing mentorship and camaraderie through the game of golf.  As the tournament chair for the group’s annual Veteran’s Day golf tournament, which is its largest fundraiser, Baeten has helped to raise more than $100K over the past two years, of which Knight Federal is a corporate sponsor.

To learn more about Knight Federal’s community involvement and the organizations it supports, visit https://bit.ly/2Nmhcge.

PKI Team

Providing Wounded Veterans with Meaningful Career Opportunities

, ,

Purple Knight Initiative Team

More than 26,000 disabled veterans or wounded warrior are searching for career opportunities.  A 2014 Pew survey found that 44% of veterans who served since 9/11 were having trouble adjusting to civilian life. That was particularly true for those who suffered serious injury or endured an emotionally traumatic experience during their service. Veterans have many qualities that make them superb candidates for employment: discipline, leadership, and competency in areas from health care to information technology. However, they typically have less civilian work experience than other applicants.  That makes a difference for many companies. When the economy is weak, employers are less likely to take “risks” when hiring.

In response to this need, Knight Federal Solutions has developed the Purple Knight Initiative.  Collaborating with government agencies and their prime contractors, non-profit organizations, corporations and the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. This program provides paid internships to wounded warriors who are looking to learn a new career in fields that are conducive to their disabilities and desires for employment.

“We developed this program to address a critical need by our nation’s combat disabled veterans.  By connecting companies and employers with qualified, impactful and passionate veterans, we can offer hope to advocate, embrace, empower and support them to lead a higher quality of life and be in a better position to support themselves and their families financially,” says Chris Baeten, CEO of Knight Federal.

The goal of the program is to provide paid internships to wounded warriors who are looking to learn a new career, in fields that are conducive to their disabilities and desires for employment. With the veteran in mind first, Knight Federal Solutions is dedicated to the safety and welfare of the veteran and will do its best to educate, manage, and train all employees on veterans in the workforce, including finding reliable resources for the veteran’s needs.

For more information, visit our website – https://bit.ly/2urG4MF.

Contact Us

407-243-6008

info@knightfederal.com

Address

Knight Federal Solutions, Inc.
11486 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 151
Orlando FL  32817

map

Connect

Certification

Email Form

4 + 0 = ?