Barbara VanKirk

President and Founder

Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence
Katz Graduate School of Business, Pittsburgh, PA
BS Computer Science
Point Park College, Pittsburgh, PA

Barbara VanKirk’s success has not gone by unrecognized. She was selected as one of “Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business” by the governor in 2003 and in 2008, 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.

Amy Peterson

Chief Operating Officer

BS Computer Science and Mathematics
Clarion University, Clarion, PA

Amy serves as a member of the senior management team, responsible for defining strategic direction and instituting systems and processes that provide effective management to obtain IQ’s strategic direction and goals. Her focus is on driving service excellence, customer and employee satisfaction, organizational effectiveness, and overall continuous improvement.

Amy received her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Clarion University in 1988 and has been an active leader in the Pittsburgh software development community for the last 28 years. She has worked for large and small businesses in the fields of software development, project management, engineering management, business development, and process improvement, and has held various senior management positions. Her software experience resides over all aspects and types of software engineering including embedded systems, PC systems, web applications, and mobile applications.

Amy has focused much of her career on implementing software engineering best practices and processes in highly regulated industries, developing leaders within her organizations, growing and developing great teams, and bettering our technical communities by supporting co-op and internship programs from various educational institutions.

Most recently, Amy co-founded and coordinates the Pittsburgh Technology Leaders Group (PTLG). The group’s mission is to provide opportunities for local technical leaders to grow in knowledge and skills though collaboration, education, and encouragement. She is also a member of the Pittsburgh Agile Executive Forum, the Pittsburgh chapter of Women in Bio, the AdvaMed Women’s Executive Network, and the Pittsburgh Technology Council.

Norbert Balko

Engineering Manager

BS Electrical Engineering
MS Software Development and Management
Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY

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

Jean Pucek

Operations Manager

B.A. in Business Administration
Concordia College

When Jean joined IQ Inc. in 2011 she brought her dedication to building excellence in an organization. Through her work in Human Resources and Operations, her goal is always to create an environment in which employees can flourish, resulting in IQ exceeding customer expectations.

Jean earned a B. A. in Business Administration from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. After a year working for a printer manufacturer in the Minneapolis area, she moved to Pittsburgh where the majority of her career was spent within the turbomachinery industry. Before moving on to IQ, she was an Aftermarket Part Sales Manager leading a team of 12 Inside Sales Representatives and working with engineers to help keep major refineries, chemical processing plants, and steel mills running smoothly.

As the Operations Manager at IQ Inc. Jean is involved in recruiting, hiring and overseeing the daily administration of IQ’s business. If you are interested in being considered for employment, please contact her at jean@iq-inc.com or 724-327-3441.

Paula Grendys

Business Development Manager

B.S. Mechanical Engineering
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
M.S. Industrial Administration (MBA)
Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

Paula is a technical business leader with proven experience in customer relationship management, business development and sales, strategic planning, global field service management, product management, technical marketing and communications, program development and management, and mechanical engineering — all within small business, corporate, consulting, and industrial organizations. She spent over 20 years in commercial nuclear power with Westinghouse Electric Company in the Pittsburgh area. Leveraging that expertise, Paula went on to Deloitte Consulting’s Energy Practice, following that with leadership roles at startup companies and a small manufacturer.

Paula has earned a George Westinghouse Signature Award for her efforts in customer training, as well as Toastmasters International Competent Communicator and Advanced Leader Bronze awards.

Paula is an active member of the the University of Pittsburgh’s Pitt Ventures business mentor team, CMU’s Tepper School of Business’s Alumni Network and Management Game board member, Chatham University’s Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship, and the Pittsburgh Technology Council.