IQ Inc. (IQ) is an award-winning software development company and consulting firm with one objective: develop outstanding products and partnerships while putting people—the driving force behind our business and the community—first.
Mission: Impacting The Quality of Life Through Technology
IQ’s success over the last three decades is a direct result of our obsession with treating people well—including our team members, our customers, and our community. In fact, when I started the company in 1994, I began with a three-prong focus: the employees, the clients, and the company. That focus has empowered us to solve complex problems while building strong relationships with the companies we serve.
My dedication to putting people first has led me to a “serving leader” philosophy that I embody every day. While I carry the titles of CEO and Founder, I’m simply another member of the overall team. But through respect and honesty, I can inspire every member of our team to be their best.
At IQ, we actively encourage team members to pursue their passion, purpose, and happiness in both their work lives and their personal lives. The reason is simple. When we feel fulfilled, we can lead from the heart while serving our clients, families, communities, and each other.
Our people-first mentality spreads directly into the community. We regularly join and sponsor a variety of local fundraising events, especially those championed by our employees, their children, our clients, our neighborhoods, and our schools. You’ll spot our logo and team members supporting events like Race for the Cure, Toys for Tots, and Feeding the Spirit.
Ultimately, we believe work shouldn’t be about work. It should be about finding personal significance and satisfaction through the impact we have on others. With that in mind, I promise to provide continuous opportunities for employees to move from “success to significance”—a strategy that ensures our work has meaning well beyond a dollar amount.
As the CEO of IQ, my job is to lead. If I can help each and every member of our team find their own significance, I can ultimately find my own significance as well. After all, although I’m a CEO and founder on paper, I’m simply another humble member of the IQ team.
Warmest Regards,
Barbara VanKirk
President and Founder
President and Founder
Barbara VanKirk’s success has not gone by unrecognized. She is the winner of the 2020 Tech50 CEO of the Year Award, was selected as one of “Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business” by the governor in 2003 and in 2008, and is an Enterprising Women of the Year Award winner. In 2007, Barbara received the Monroeville Chamber of Commerce ROC’s (Recognizing Organizations and Companies that Shine in our Community) Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Barbara was awarded Point Park University’s Distinguished Alumni Professional Achievement for 2010, Seton Hill University’s 2009 E-Magnify ATHENA® Award, and 2009 Friend of the Family by the Parental Stress Center of Pittsburgh.
IQ Inc. was named the 2009 Pittsburgh Business Ethics Award (small business category) by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals and the David Berg Center for Ethics and Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh. IQ was honored as The Western Pennsylvania Woman-Owned Business of the Year in 2011.
Barbara served on the executive committee of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce and the Murrysville Personnel Board. She is a member of Point Park University Dean’s Advisory Council for the School of Business, the Forbes Health Foundation Board of Directors of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital Forbes Regional Campus, and is a founding member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Council (Westmoreland County). She is an active member of the Women’s Presidents’ Organization, Pittsburgh Technology Council, and the Society of Women Engineers. Barbara has most recently been appointed to the Westmoreland County Forum for Workforce Development as a Chair on the Internships, Externships and Apprenticeships Task Force.
Chief Financial Officer
B.S. Accounting, Pennsylvania State University
Diane joins IQ Inc. with over 25 years of financial management, planning, analysis, and reporting experience. She has completed financial audits, evaluated sales performance, and approved significant capital investments. The tenacity in her approach is impressive on how she manages customer satisfaction and business relationships while in a key financial role.
Prior to joining our team, Diane has held several positions with increasing responsibility managing people while ensuring financial diligence in every assignment. She has experience in accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, system implementations and overall business management. Her solid financial background is supported from working at several publicly traded companies focused in additive and traditional manufacturing. Diane is a proud recipient of the Seton Hill University’s 2014 E-Magnify ATHENA® Award which demonstrates her ability to balance work and life requirements. She is on the Board of Directors and is actively involved in Chestnut Ridge Community Volunteer Fire Company. In addition, she is an active catechist at her church in Donegal, PA.
Chief Financial Officer
B.S. Accounting, Pennsylvania State University
Engineering Director
B.S. Electrical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
M.S. Software Development and Management, Rochester Institute of Technology
Customer focused manager with over 25 years of experience developing electrical and software products across a wide spectrum of industries. Superb project management, problem solving, judgement and decision making skills. Extensive knowledge of all design stages from inception to final product delivery.
Position: Engineering Manager, Project Manager, Sr. Software Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Test Engineer
Industries: Medical Device, Electric Utility, Process Control, Automotive, Consumer Appliance
Competencies: Project Management, Software Development, System Integration, Manufacturing, Subcontractor Management, Process Improvement, Risk Management, Formal Test
Chief Financial Officer
B.S. Accounting, Pennsylvania State University
Bill comes to IQ Inc. with over 35 years of experience in product development and business management. He has extensive experience creating new innovative products, improving existing products, creating strategic processes, and building teams.
Previously, Bill was the Director of Engineering and later Marketing Manager at CSE Corporation, developing gas detection and IoT products for the coal mining industry.
Prior to CSE, Bill founded PixController, Inc. where he developed and manufactured low-power motion-activated electronics for wildlife research, law enforcement and military surveillance, as well as remote IoT environmental monitoring products. During his time as owner, PixController, Inc. won numerous local and international awards.
Bill is an active member of the Kent State University, Arts & Science Advisory Board.
Engineering Manager
B.S. Computer Science, Kent State University
B.S. Physics, Kent State University
Director of Finance
B.S. Business Administration, Duquesne University
Justin joins IQ Inc. with over 12 years of financial experience. He began his career in public accounting for 10 years leading teams that performed external audits for an array of industries. These industries included manufacturing, software development, records storage, and food processing. He transitioned to corporate accounting as the controller of a company focused on renewable energy. During his time he oversaw numerous financial audits, oversaw a team that prepared annual budgets and forecasting exercises, handled investor communication, and various presentations of financial information to investors.
Justin has experience in budgeting, construction/development project tracking, forecasting, accounts receivable, standard cost accounting, and accounts payable.
Justin is a Certified Public Accountant and graduated from Duquesne University with a major in Accounting and a minor in Information Systems Management.
Chief Financial Officer
B.S. Accounting, Pennsylvania State University
As People & Business Advocate, Denise oversees the recruitment, training, coaching and HR responsibilities of internal teams, while also promoting growth among new and existing clientele. She has over 5 years of experience with IQ Inc., holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Masters in Management from Argosy University.
My mission is to provide excellent service and support to our clients, while also ensuring the optimal performance and satisfaction of our internal teams. I have a “people first” mentality that guides my decisions and actions, and a passion for team building and leadership development. I am proud to be part of IQ Inc., a company that values innovation, quality, and collaboration, and that empowers IT talent and clients to achieve their goals!
People & Business Advocate
B.S. Psychology, University of Pittsburgh
M.S. Management, Argosy University
