Community Highlights: Meet Artis “Keith” Turner of TurnGroup Technologies

Today we’d like to introduce you to Artis “Keith” Turner. He and his team share their story with us below:

Keith was raised in St. Louis, and returned after he graduated Cum Laude from Morehouse College in 1995. Since his return to St. Louis, Keith received the 2006 Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Urban League Young Professionals. Recently, Keith was recognized at the St. Louis American Foundation’s ‘Salute to Young Leaders 2011’ as one of the 20 Business Leaders under the age of 40 that are highly active in community service. Also, in 2011, Keith completed the e200 Business Leadership program created by the Small Business Administration. In 2014, Keith completed his MBA from the prestigious Washington University in St. Louis, MO. He has also received other awards and recognition for community service and activism. Most recently, Keith’s star-up iChurch Phone Apps, LLC received a Top 10 start-up technology award from ITEN in 2015.

Civic responsibility and community stewardship rank first among Keith’s ideals and objectives, and serve as primary anchors for his developing business interests. Keith was honored by the Gateway Classic Foundation in recognition for the 2012 Outstanding African American Citizens Award. Keith is the former President of the Morehouse College Alumni Association ~ St. Louis Chapter. Keith volunteers a significant amount of his time with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis, Urban League Employment Committee, Friendship M.B. Church, Cardinal Ritter Prep HS, and St. Paul Saturdays: Manhood and Leadership Development.

Keith was honored by the Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center for his commitment to community service for young people.

Keith’s current favorite quote:

“Either you are responsible for teaching or you are responsible for learning!” ~ Person Unknown

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road but nothing worth having will ever be easy. Entrepreneurship can be an unpredictable road and so part of the challenge of starting a business is trying to make sure that your business model was clear and ultimately you can find customers and generate revenue. It is truly a step in faith and there will be a lot of people that won’t believe you will be successful. My first challenge was just attempting to be sure that I understood the components of starting a business.

As you know, we’re big fans of TurnGroup Technologies. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Artis “Keith” Turner is currently President of TurnGroup Technologies, LLC, a company that he founded in April of 2002. Keith leads a staff at TurnGroup Technologies, which is a business and technology consulting firm that focuses on providing cost-effective technology solutions to companies and organizations that want to use data, websites, and mobile apps to make smarter business decisions and target their clients more effectively. TurnGroup Technologies provides the following services:

– Business Intelligence
– Data analysis & Consulting
– Website Design & Development
– Mobile App Development
– Online Digital Marketing
– Graphic Design
– IT Infrastructure project management

TurnGroup was recognized in 2004 and awarded the Emerging Business of the Year Award by the St. Louis American, Regional Commerce and Growth Association, and the Urban League of St. Louis. In August of 2009, St. Louis Development Corporation recognized TurnGroup with a ‘Business Spotlight’ that highlight’s the success of businesses providing services in the City of St. Louis, MO. On October 9, 2009, TurnGroup was recognized as one of the Businesses of the Year in the City of St. Louis, MO by the Office of the Mayor. Keith, and TurnGroup, have also been highlighted and quoted in Black Enterprise (March 2011) and Ebony Magazine (March 2012)

TurnGroup has provided Technology consulting and related project and systems management for over 150 clients in the United States (from St. Louis Missouri, to Syracuse in New York State).

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I’ve definitely learned some lessons while operating during the Covid pandemic. My first lesson is to make sure that my team is doing OK. To be sure that the people that work with me are able to get the support that they need. The second lesson which is similar during non-pandemic times is to make sure our clients are satisfied. The third lesson is to practice patience. There are a lot of companies that didn’t make it through Covid but there are also a lot of companies that are excelling during these challenging times.

Contact Info:

• Email: keith@turngroup.com
• Website: Artiskeith.com
• Instagram: Artiskeith
• Facebook: Artiskeith
• Other: Turngroup.com