Company: Source Intelligence, Carlsbad, CA, USA
Entry Submitted By:The Wolcott Co.
Company Description:Source Intelligence is a global network of businesses linked together to expedite the exchange and validation of compliance information. Co-founded in 2009 by Dr. Jennifer Kraus, cloud-based SaaS platform helps customers make informed decisions about business partners and improve their supply chain management to offer products that meet legal, ethical, and environmental standards.
Nomination Category:Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category:Female Executive of the Year – Business Services –11 to 2,500 Employees

Nomination Title: Dr. Jennifer Kraus, CoFounder

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated executive since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

The promise of a game-changing business opportunity is generally what motivates entrepreneurs to take risks. When you want to change the world to make it a better place, sometimes the idea doesn’t align with profitable outcomes. Adding to this tension is when you leave the security of a well-earned position at a successful business to start a brand-new technology firm. This past year, Dr. Jennifer Kraus began to realize, along with the co-founding executive team, their idea to dramatically change the social responsibility cultures of well-known international companies was being realized and fulfilled.

The last year has been a period of explosive growth and validation for Dr. Kraus and Source Intelligence. In five years, Source Intelligence has become the leading supply chain management resource for U.S. companies required to file disclosures with the Securities and Exchange Commission (under the Dodd-Frank Act) about whether their products contain conflict minerals. This is no small feat given the level of competition in this arena and the reluctance of major corporations to either turn over their suppliers to third party or go beyond the minimal requirements of government regulations. And because of Jennifer’s leadership and management skills, Source Intelligence is now gaining footholds in Europe and Asia.

The origins of Source Intelligence were born out of frustration. The founding executive team, with all with their environmental compliance backgrounds, lamented the lack of transparency regarding the source of materials of items we use every day, like television sets and staplers. How did raw materials in products affect the environment? The answer was to develop software that could link global brands to their supply chains to expedite the exchange and validation of compliance information so as to build huge databases of supply chains and track raw materials, supplies and semi-finished goods on a real-time, global basis. This became valuable data to corporations that recognized SI’s solutions provided both improved supply chain transparency as well as improved operating efficiencies.

As Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Kraus has been in charge of operations and ensuring the vision was realized. She was instrumental in launching and, in the last year, expanding the other critical component of Source Intelligence’s unique offering – the business service center staffed 24/7 with skilled supply chain specialists who speak multiple languages. It is one thing to gather and analyze data, but in the supply chain and source material world, humans are required to verify and validate, too.

In the last year, Jennifer:
• Expanded the business service center (4x) to service additional offerings (smelter verification, AC, SB657 and restricted – chemicals – substances).
• Oversaw delivery expansion by more than 200% (number of clients previous year vs. number now).
• Realizing deficiencies decreasing hours/program by (35%), leveraging technology (the kinds of things we want investors to know).
• Optimized the delivery and launched inaugural programs for (60) new clients.

Jennifer’s professional achievements and experience has led to being selected to serve on the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, one of the state’s most important environmental agencies, as well as with the San Diego Industrial Environmental Association. Attached to this application are links to a recent presentation as well as a white paper

Provide a brief biography of the nominated executive (up to 125 words):

Dr. Jennifer Kraus has more than 25 years of experience providing multi-disciplinary strategic environmental, health and safety services to customers in the US, Mexico, Canada, and Central and South America. Prior to co-founding Source Intelligence®, Jennifer was President of Global Environmental Consulting Company, Inc. She also served as an associate with Dames & Moore, environmental manager for General Dynamics Electronics Division, and safety engineer with Litton Guidance and Control Systems. She is a former board member of the Good Neighbor Environmental Board, a congressional advisory committee on environmental and infrastructure issues along the US-Mexico Border. She completed her doctoral studies in public health, epidemiology at the UCSD School of Medicine and the San Diego State Graduate School of Public Health.