Myriad Devices’ CEO Jake Joraanstad was recognized in Prairie Business Magazine’s “40 Under 40” in the magazine's December issue. Each year, the magazine recognizes outstanding professionals under the age of 40 for their contributions to their organizations and to the community. At 24, Joraanstad, who earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from NDSU, was the youngest on the list.

“It’s great to be recognized with other leaders in our community,” said Joraanstad. “We’re here to raise the profile of the area and show the nation we’re the best place to do business.”

Joraanstad began his career while he was a student at NDSU and has since grown his mobile technology company, Myriad Devices, to nearly 25 employees in three years. He also is involved in Emerging Prairie, a web publication that reports on regional entrepreneurial activity. Myriad Devices, in its start-up phase, began as a tenant in the NDSU Technology Incubator, located in the NDSU Research and Technology Park.

Myriad Devices and NDSU Agriculture Communication were honored in September as a White House Champion of Change for Community Preparedness and Resilience for creating two disaster education mobile phone applications. The Winter Survival Kit and Disaster Recovery Log apps won the Innovative Use of Technology class in the Federal Emergency Management Agency Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. The agency then forwarded the nomination to the White House for consideration, where the work was selected for the additional honor.

In 2012, the company's mobile farm app, Virtual Farm Manager, was named among Farm Journal's top 10 farm apps. The company also released a dining app that provides the daily and weekly lunch menus for students at all dining centers across NDSU.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.