Link Technologies
• Address: 9500 Hillwood Drive, Suite 112, Las Vegas
• Phone: 702-233-8703
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: linktechconsulting.com
• Hours of operation: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Owned/operated by: Debbie Banko
• In business since: 2000
Describe your business.
We’re in the business of filling IT gaps, whether that means finding the people our clients will manage or putting together a team that we manage to get a project done.
Who are your customers?
We work with major commercial clients and government agencies at local, state and federal levels, including Nellis Air Force Base (where we coordinate with the Network Operations Center to ensure operational continuity).
We have an established presence in Las Vegas, Reno, Denver and Phoenix. We also have satellite locations and clients nationwide.
What’s the most important part of your job?
The most important thing for any CEO is her people. Find the right team, figure out what motivates each individual, and then give them the guidance and resources they need to be successful.
What is difficult about doing business in Las Vegas?
There’s an IT talent gap in Las Vegas. There’s a lot of work to be done to improve STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education here. We don’t have enough qualified IT people locally to serve all the projects that our clients need to fulfill.
Organizations like SIM Las Vegas and TechImpact’s ITWorks are working to fix this issue. The SIM Las Vegas bylaws include assisting in identifying the educational needs of the community and working with academic institutions to meet those needs. ITWorks strives to provide a free, immersive IT training program to motivated young adults who are underemployed or unemployed. Link Technologies is an active and proud supporter of both organizations.
What is the best part about doing business in Las Vegas?
It’s a small community. If you excel at supporting your clients, you become part of that community, not just an outside vendor.
Do you ever face discrimination for being a woman in the technology industry?
It’s disingenuous to say women don’t face discrimination in this industry, but it’s not something I fixate on. I acknowledge it as a reality, but I’ve never hesitated to make a phone call, schedule a meeting or attempt a sale out of fear for how I’d be perceived. I put together a strong strategic plan and then execute it, regardless of my gender.
What’s next for your company?
We’re continuing to focus on our compliance and cyber security practices. In a world of sophisticated cyber threats and well-publicized attacks, having a strong security posture and PCI-compliant credit card practices is only going to become more important. Our goal is to be the go-to provider for this in Las Vegas and Denver, and we’re already off to a great start.
How can Nevada improve its business climate?
Nevada needs to be seen as a burgeoning hub of tech innovation — by the media and by the students who go to school here. That’s going to draw talent from outside our community and hopefully get our kids excited about science, technology, and engineering careers. It starts with perception. As a state, we need to brand ourselves appropriately to attract the right kind of attention.