TrueNorth named #1 Coolest Place to Work in 2025!

We're thrilled to share that TrueNorth Companies has been crowned the #1 Coolest Places to Work — earning the coveted title of "Coolest of the Cool" for 2025 by the Corridor Business Journal (CBJ)!

This incredible honor reflects not only our workplace culture but the passion and dedication of our amazing One TrueNorth team. We captured a few remarks that our CEO, Jason Smith, made during last night's award ceremony and hope they offer you inspiration and insight into our One TrueNorth culture:

Our core belief

This award affirms one of the most important principles our founders set in 2001: “People will determine who wins.”

TrueNorth is a service business. We are in the business of fostering relationships and serving people. We have chosen to invest in ourselves first so that we can deliver excellence to our clients and make meaningful contributions to our clients, each other, and the communities where we live and work. This is the foundation of our business and the path to our future.

At the heart of this shared belief system are a few simple truths: we strive to see things the right way and center our focus on what matters. While we have many fun traditions that enrich our culture, at our core, it’s about valuing our people as the firm's greatest assets and investing in their potential.

"We’re honored to be named ‘the Coolest of the Cool’ by the CBJ this year," said Jason Smith, TrueNorth CEO. "We'd like to thank our clients who afford us the opportunity to have meaningful work and pour into our colleagues and our One TrueNorth culture. As we look ahead, we remain focused on investing in our people and creating an environment where our colleagues can be exceptional and achieve their greatest potential."

The selection process

The Coolest Places to Work award celebrates companies that create inspiring, inclusive and rewarding workplaces. We're proud to be recognized by the CBJ this year as the very best in fostering a culture where colleagues feel supported, empowered and excited to grow.

CBJ partners with The Skywalk Group to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation. Companies across the seven-county Corridor region participate in an anonymous colleague survey, and rankings are determined by those results. This year's celebration took place at Big Grove Brewery & Taproom in downtown Cedar Rapids, where we joined other outstanding organizations to honor workplace excellence.

A milestone worth celebrating

This year marks a proud milestone for TrueNorth: nine appearances on the Coolest Places to Work list since 2014, including six consecutive years of recognition for our vibrant culture and commitment to colleague growth. As we embark on our 25th anniversary as a firm, we are humbled and energized to continue building on this legacy.

Earning the #1 spot fuels our commitment to invest in our people and create an environment where everyone can thrive. To our incredible team: thank you for your feedback, your trust and your belief in what we're building collectively as One TrueNorth.