This year, Tech Titans, the largest technology trade association in Texas, will recognize outstanding local tech companies and individuals via a virtual event that aims to be the biggest celebration of innovation and technology in North Texas. And now, the finalists have been announced.

The theme for this year’s 20th anniversary of the Tech Titans Awards Gala is, fittingly, the Roaring Twenties. The winners will be broadcast through a live, cinematic experience that will be available worldwide via a partnership with MarketScale through Nokia.

According to the organization, they will go heavy on high-quality video production and the latest in technology to ramp up the virtual experience.

“We’re encouraging our viewers to host ‘watch parties’ safely in their own homes or offices,” Tech Titans President and CEO Bill Sproull says. “Part of the experience will build on our Roaring ’20s 2.0 theme by making available ‘speakeasy party to go’ packages where our audience can make their own themed cocktails at home to enjoy during the Gala.”

The production kicks off with networking thought leadership sessions on Friday, Oct. 23, at 3:15 p.m. The awards pre-show begins at 3:45, and the awards presentation at 4. Everything will conclude at 5 p.m. with a champagne toast.

2020 Tech Titans Awards finalists

Once announced, the winners will be part of a group that Tech Titans refers to as “the elite in North Texas technology.”

Tech Titans, which represents around a quarter-million employees through its 300-plus member companies, says its awards recognize individuals and companies who have made contributions during the past year locally, as well as to the technology industry overall.

A range of innovators will be recognized in 10 categories, from emerging startups to Fortune 500 companies. Soon-to-be-announced is the inductee to the Hall of Fame, the corporate CEO award, and a countdown of the Fast Tech Award.

See who has been selected as a finalist in each category, with a description courtesy of Tech Titans:

Corporate Innovation Award

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

+1 Labs at Match Group
BAL–Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
CBRE
Omnitracs

Emerging Company Innovation Award

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

Asset Panda
BALANCED Media | Technology
Hedera Hashgraph
Spark Biomedical Inc.

Emerging Company CEO Award

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

Curtis Hite, Improving
Teresa Mackintosh, Trintech
John Olajide, Axxess
Andrew Schaap, Aligned

Corporate CIO Award

Recognizes the chief information officer for exceptional technical leadership that fosters the deployment of IT resulting in significant value for the company.

Madhuri Andrews, Jacobs
Ellen Barker, Texas Instruments
Neelu Sethi, Reddy Ice Corporation
Gertrude Van Horn, NCH Corporation

Corporate CTO Award

Recognizes technical leadership, team building, creation and maintenance of a creative environment, and market awareness skills.

Corey Clark, PhD, BALANCED Media | Technology
Amy Czuchlewski, Bottle Rocket
Kate Hopkins, AT&T
Kent Norton, Omnitracs

Technology Adopter Award

Recognizes a company whose core business is not technology products/services for outstanding adoption and application of innovative technologies to successfully change and impact its business results.

Anderson Merchandisers
Children’s Health
Mr. Cooper
State Farm

Technology Inventor 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.

Ed Chao, Polte
Dan Dickey, Continental Electronics Corporation
Fred Hunstable, Linear Labs, LLC
Daniel Powell, Spark Biomedical Inc.

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.

Venture Mentoring Service VMS-NTX (UT Dallas, UT Arlington & UTSW partnership)
Deborah Sawyer, The Dubrof Group
Heidjer Staecker, TreMonti Consulting, LLC
Stephanie Valadez, Per Scholas

Click here to purchase a ticket for the Gala on Oct. 23.

Click here to see winners from last year’s event, including James Klein, Qorvo; Calvin Carter, Bottle Rocket; and Corey Clark, BALANCED Media | Technology.

Pro tip: If you want to “know your onions” in advance of the event, here’s the place to go for 59 slang phrases from the 1920s. 

Tech Titans is a Dallas Innovates Partner Organization.

Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.

Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.