A former election director, Leiendecker founded KNOWiNK in 2011 with the creation of the Poll Pad – technology that has transformed the election experience for voters. The Poll Pad allows for seamless voter check-in and verification that is dramatically reducing wait times for voters and saving money for taxpayers with efficiencies for state and local governments
Leiendecker has grown KNOWiNK into a thriving technology company that employs over 150 people with over $55 million in annual revenue. KNOWiNK technology is now being used in a third of U.S. states and Washington, D.C. In 2016, Leiendecker and his team successfully acquired Election Administrators, a significant competitor in election technology.
In 2021, the St. Louis Business Journal named KNOWiNK the fastest growing private business. Previously, the company was listed in the Top 10 fastest growing private businesses by the publication. In 2015, KNOWiNK was listed in the St. Louis Business Journal as one of 10 startups to watch.
An expert in elections, Leiendecker previously served as Election Director for the City of St. Louis becoming the youngest Election Director to serve St. Louis in this leadership role where he managed an average $2.5 million annual budget and 25 full-time employees.
As Election Director, Leiendecker implemented the Help America Vote Act in St. Louis City and transformed the Election Board with a series of reforms that replaced outdated and outmoded systems with efficiencies to protect voters and taxpayers. These reforms earned him the praise of the St. Louis City Mayor and Board of Alderman for his leadership for helping restore the public trust in the election process. He was also honored with resolutions by the Missouri House and Senate for his commitment to fair and transparent elections.