Every year, Tech Titans highlights the top movers and shakers in the North Texas technology ecosystem.

Richardson-based Tech Titans—the largest technology trade organization in Texas—boasts more than 300 member companies that collectively represent about a quarter-million employees.

The group recognizes the region’s elite in technology with its signature Tech Titans Awards. The organization aims to give North Texas changemakers—doers, innovators, adopters, and executors—well-deserved visibility for the work they do.

North Texas changemakers

This year’s finalists span 11 categories, from corporate innovation to community hero, the awards highlight the companies—from Fortune 500s to startups. You’ll also find individuals and institutions driving change in the local tech scene and beyond: Innovators who are “transforming the world in which we all live by developing innovative applications and technical solutions.”

Winners from each category will be unveiled on October 27 at the Eisemann Center in Richardson during the Tech Titans 2022 Awards Gala—presented by Dallas College—as well as winners in the categories of Corporate CEO and Hall of Fame.

2022 Fast Tech honorees

The event will also announce the 2022 Fast Tech honorees. The Fast Tech awards, which honor the fastest-growing technology companies in North Texas based on three-year revenue growth, is a ranking of top mid-size growth companies in the region. This ranking is compiled from nominations submitted directly to Tech Titans, and independent research using publicly available information.

Other Tech Titans Award Gala sponsors include BravoTech, Comerica Bank, Deloitte, Ericsson, Fujitsu, HumCap, Kibernum, Moss Adams, Masergy, NTT Data, Texas Instruments, and UT Dallas.

Meet the finalists

See the finalists below and check out what each category is all about below (descriptions provided by Tech Titans). 

Community Hero

Recognizes an individual employed by a North Texas technology company for outstanding achievements in community service.

• Jay Johnson, Charles Schwab
• Danyel Surrency Jones, POWERHANDZ
• Karyne Nguyen, At Home Group Inc.
• Dylan Rafaty, C-Hear, Inc.

Corporate Innovation Award

Recognizes outstanding innovation and unique accomplishments through recent or potential breakthrough technology or approach within the technology and communications industry.

• Anderson Merchandisers
• Berry Appleman & Leiden, LLP
• Brinker International
• Toyota Financial Services

Emerging Company Innovation Award

Recognizes outstanding innovation and unique accomplishments through potential breakthrough technology, processes, or services within the technology and communications industry.

• Aligned Data Centers
• Chargeback Gurus
• Kanarys
• Purewine Inc.

Emerging Company CEO Award

Recognizes CEO leadership for an emerging company within the technology and communications industry.

• Joseph DeWoody, Valor
• Rex Kurzius, Asset Panda
• Prasanna Singaraju, Qentelli LLC
• Srii Srinivasan, Chargeback Gurus

Startup CEO Award

Recognizes the CEO of a technology company with 2021 operating revenues of no more than $2 million.

• Sulagna Bhattacharya, Nanoscope Therapeutics
• Dave Copps, Worlds
• Daniel Powell, Spark Biomedical, Inc.
• John Ragsdale, TAP Innovations, LLC

Corporate CIO/CTO Award

Recognizes the chief information officer or corporate technology or science officer of a North Texas-based company with 2021 operating revenue of more than $200 million for exceptional technical leadership that fostered the development or deployment of new technology resulting in significant value.

• Sumit Anand, At Home Group Inc.
• Gordon Mansfield, AT&T
• Pankaj Patra, Brinker International
• Gertrude Van Horn, NCH Corporation

Emerging Company CIO/CTO Award

Recognizes the chief information officer or corporate technology or science officer of a North Texas-based emerging company for exceptional technical leadership that fostered the development or deployment of new technology resulting in significant value.

• Corey Clark, PhD, BALANCED Media | Technology
• Joe Head, Intrusion, Inc.
• Matt Honeycutt, SmartMoving Software
• Rashmi Jain, Careington International

Technology Inventor Award

The Technology Inventors Award recognizes the pioneering accomplishments of a person, team, or group responsible for the creation of breakthrough ideas, processes, or products which have advanced the discipline(s) of the arts, education, electronics, energy, engineering, environment, medicine, and/or science.

• Bloodbuy Team, Bloodbuy
• Mark Harrison, Ericsson
• Samarendra Mohanty, Nanoscope Therapeutics
• Shalini Prasad, University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Bioengineering

Technology Advocate Award

Recognizes a technology advocate/champion for their outstanding leadership in assisting, advancing, or accelerating the performance of technology companies and/or the technology community.

• Robyn Brown, Bold Idea
• Karen Krygowski Bruno, Technology Ball
• Quincy Preston, Dallas Innovates
• Deborah Sawyer, The Dubrof Group

Tech Titans of the Future – University

Recognizes educational institutions that encourage and support students in choosing engineering and technology-related disciplines as a preferred path. This award category spotlights DFW-area higher educational institutions’ tech-related curricula and incentives to perpetuate tech-related knowledge transfer.

• Nandika D’Souza, University of North Texas
• John Hansen, University of Texas at Dallas
• Amanda Pritchard, University of Texas at Dallas
• Jessie Marshall Zarazaga, Southern Methodist University

Tech Titans of the Future – High School

Recognizes a high school math or science teacher for the development and implementation of an innovative teaching technique or program that inspires student interest in math and/or science.

• Laura Bellone, Richardson High School
• Wenzen Chuang, Highland Park High School
• Rebecca DeLozier, Lewisville High School

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