Kris launched MicroPact using two personal credit cards and $15,000 of his own money when he was in his early 20s. Since then, Kris has created hundreds of jobs at a growing business that contributes millions of dollars to the regional economy annually.

Each year, the Washington Business Journal selects 25 business leaders from a pool of hundreds of nominations. Judges base their selections on professional success and reputation as well as community leadership.

Kris, as he does every time someone asks him about his success, credited his family, friends and the entire MicroPact team for his and the company’s ongoing success. On a more specific note, Kris recognized a personal friend and mentor.

“The person who had the largest impact on my life was Peter Huyakorn, the president of the company I worked for, HydroGeoLogic, who invested in me at the start,” Kris said. “Here I was, a kid who had nothing. For him to take a risk on a person like me — I just couldn’t imagine.”