Opportunity Impact Award

Sponsored by AIS Network


2023 Winner:

Dr. Kume Goranson

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to an individual or team whose leadership and creative use of existing or development of new technology has benefited the environment for equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion in the Richmond metropolitan area or the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Criteria:
• This individual/group has used technology in an innovative and creative way to enrich the environment for equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion either in the Richmond metro area or throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

• Nominee(s) must demonstrate how they have employed existing or new technology to provide a more affirming environment and sustain support for historically underrepresented groups.

• Nominee(s) must demonstrate intent to be a catalyst for change in the areas of equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion.

Community Impact Award

Sponsored by MAXX Potential


2023 Winner:

sayCare

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to an individual or team from an organization in central Virginia that displays the most innovative use(s) of technology to deliver services, advance their mission, or impact our community.

Criteria:
• This individual/group has used technology in an innovative and creative way to deliver services, advance their mission, transform their industry, or impact the community.

• Nominee must showcase a demonstrable impact on their community and the technology ecosystem in Richmond through their work

Educator of the Year

Sponsored by Google


2023 Winner:

Yvette Lee – J.R. Tucker High School

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to the educator that provides exceptional technology leadership and encourages students to pursue higher education or training in science, technology, engineering and math.

Criteria:
• Awarded for innovation in teaching styles, educational programs, or other means of impacting the educational process and student outcomes

• Must teach Science, Technology, Engineering or Math specifically within Richmond or surrounding counties

• Must showcase a high degree of innovation or uniqueness, offering a compelling offering that students typically don’t experience in a traditional curriculum

• Must showcase a demonstrable impact through the number of students reached, potential scalability of the concept, and/or impact on the community as a whole

NextGen Award

Sponsored by Capital One


2023 Winner:

Neel Gandhi

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a K-12 student who has demonstrated a meaningful impact on the technology ecosystem in Richmond.

Criteria:
• Must matriculate in grades K-12 specifically within Richmond or surrounding counties at the time of nomination

• Awarded for a demonstrable impact, product, or program that advances the technology ecosystem within Richmond

• Award winner will be selected based on excellence within an “above and beyond” initiative that took place outside of a class assignment

• Must showcase a high degree of innovation or uniqueness, offering a compelling offering that is not currently available in the greater Richmond marketplace

Technology Builder Award

Sponsored by ePlus and Pure Storage


2023 Winner:

CapTech’s VISTAR

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a local technology company delivering technology solutions and/or services to external clients that build capacity and increase operational efficiency.

Criteria:
• Intended for the vendor and consultant community that specialize in providing technology solutions for client companies

• Must showcase a strategic and innovative solution that changes business process or procedure

• Must provide tangible financial or business value and increase operational efficiency for a client

Emerging Small Business Award

Sponsored by Summit Human Capital


2023 Winner:

No Limbits

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a local small business or start-up technology company that has demonstrated the ability to achieve commercial success.

Criteria:
• Nominee should demonstrate a unique or innovative offering that provides real value to a current need or creates a new need in the marketplace

• Nominee should demonstrate recognizable success through market impact and/or revenue growth

• Nominee should have achieved success through the specific and innovative use of technology

Innovation in Public Sector

Sponsored by CarMax


2023 Winner:

UNOS’ The Travel App

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a public agency, or organization benefitting the public good, whose creative use of existing or development of new technology enhances processes, methodologies and/or services for their own or others' benefit.
Criteria:• Awarded for excellence and innovation on a project, process, or business transformation

• Must demonstrate how discovery, collaboration, iteration, prototyping, etc. contributed to the conception and development of the innovation

• Must demonstrate how the innovation satisfies an existing need or creates a new need that is not currently available in the market.

• Must showcase distinct, game changing advantages over any alternatives.

• The innovation must showcase compelling ways in which it was communicated, how users were engaged, and how it was delivered to the marketplace.

• The value proposition must be clearly achieved, fulfilled and validated in the marketplace.

• The project should have a long-term impact and be an inspiration for future innovation and innovators

Innovation in Private Sector, Large Capital

Sponsored by CGI


2023 Winner:

CoStar’s Homes.com

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a company whose creative use of existing or development of new technology enhances processes, methodologies and/or services for their own or others' benefit.



Criteria: • Awarded for excellence and innovation on a project, process, or business transformation

• Must demonstrate how discovery, collaboration, iteration, prototyping, etc. contributed to the conception and development of the innovation

• Must demonstrate how the innovation satisfies an existing need or creates a new need that is not currently available in the market.

• Must showcase distinct, game changing advantages over any alternatives.

• The innovation must showcase compelling ways in which it was communicated, how users were engaged, and how it was delivered to the marketplace.

• The value proposition must be clearly achieved, fulfilled and validated in the marketplace.

• The project should have a long-term impact and be an inspiration for future innovation and innovators

Innovation in Private Sector, Small Capital

Sponsored by Comcast


2023 Winner:

Naborforce, Inc.

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a company whose creative use of existing or development of new technology enhances processes, methodologies and/or services for their own or others' benefit.



Criteria: • Awarded for excellence and innovation on a project, process, or business transformation

• Must demonstrate how discovery, collaboration, iteration, prototyping, etc. contributed to the conception and development of the innovation

• Must demonstrate how the innovation satisfies an existing need or creates a new need that is not currently available in the market.

• Must showcase distinct, game changing advantages over any alternatives.

• The innovation must showcase compelling ways in which it was communicated, how users were engaged, and how it was delivered to the marketplace.

• The value proposition must be clearly achieved, fulfilled and validated in the marketplace.

• The project should have a long-term impact and be an inspiration for future innovation and innovators

Tech Executive of the Year

Sponsored by Vaco


2023 Winner:

Melanie Frank, Capital One

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to an individual whose leadership resulted to create competitive advantage, optimize business processes, enable growth or improve relationships with customers.

Criteria:
• An executive who has primary IT leadership responsibility for an entire company, business line, or geography.

• In the past year, has demonstrated leadership to successfully manage and champion technology initiatives.
Examples include: • Led technology efforts on a day-to-day basis, while receiving positive results from internal employee surveys.

• Improved the internal IT organization (e.g., restructured, new technology, use of automation, use of analytics, improved risk management, improved reporting)

• Led technology efforts related to a major company change (e.g., taken a company public/private, led merger/acquisition activities, introduced a new product into the marketplace)

• Significantly boosted a company’s IT presence in a geography

Innovation in Cyber Security

Sponsored by Assura


2023 Winner:

Dragnet

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a cyber security project that showcases breakthrough innovation and creativity in the practice and application of cyber security.

Outstanding Collaboration

Sponsored by Luck Companies


2023 Winner:

Shockoe & Altria

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to two or more companies (in a non-consultative arrangement) that have exemplified the collaborative spirit necessary to achieve breakthrough innovations in technology.


Innovation in Cloud Computing

Sponsored by Synergy Technical


2023 Winner:

Operation Smile’s Technology Solutions Built Using Microsoft Power Apps

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a cloud computing project that showcases breakthrough innovation and creativity in the practice and application of cloud computing.

Innovation in Data Science

Sponsored by CoStar


2023 Winner:

Dominion Energy’s Misgrids

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a project that showcases breakthrough innovation and creativity in the practice and application of data science.

Team Excellence Award

Sponsored by Networking Technologies + Support


2023 Winner:

VCU Health IT Team

Learn About the Award

Awarded to an entire team/division that exceeded expectations through innovation, collaboration, or pure technical excellence. Nominees could be the result of product development, process innovation, exceptional metrics/results, or excellence in team culture.

Legislator of the Year

Sponsored by Meta


2023 Winners:

Delegate Carrie Coyner

Senator Jeremy McPike

 

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to a legislator(s) who have made a positive impact on the technology sector in the previous year.

Chair's Award

Sponsored by Altria


2023 Winner:

Deb Cassidy

 

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to an individual or organization that has made a significant impact on the growth of technology in this region, and/or the advancement of Greater Richmond as a center for technology innovation.

People's Choice Award

Sponsored by InterVision


2023 Winner:

Earlybird (Daybreak and Sandbox)

 

Learn About the Award

Awarded to the popular vote through social media leading up to the event.

Title Sponsor

NextGen Award

Innovation in Data Science Award

Emerging Small Business Award

Cocktail Hour Sponsor

Pre-Reception Sponsor

Opportunity Impact Award

Chair's Award + Wine Sponsor

Innovation in Cyber Security

Innovation in Public Sector

Innovation in Private Sector - Large Capital

Innovation in Private Sector - Small Capital

Technology Builder Award

Photobooth Sponsor

Educator of the Year Award

People's Choice Award

Outstanding Collaboration Award

Community Impact Award

Legislator of the Year

Team Excellence Award

Innovation in Cloud Computing

Meet the Finalists Sponsor

Technology Executive of the Year

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