Although Dallas Startup Week 2020 will look different this year after its initial postponement in March and decision to go completely virtual in July, the sixth annual event looks to be bigger than ever. The DEC Network will still host its annual State of Entrepreneurship gathering, complete with an awards ceremony.

The State of Entrepreneurship event celebrates the people, places, and passions keeping the Dallas-Fort Worth startup ecosystem thriving—now more than ever. Among this year’s event speakers are Trey Bowles, co-founder and chairman of The DEC Network; City of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson; Sanjiv Yajnik, president of Capital One Financial Services; Quincy Preston, publisher of Dallas Innovates; and Cheri Garcia, founder of Cornbread Hustle. 

Four award winners will be announced as part of DSW20’s State of Entrepreneurship gathering in the categories of Startup Evangelist of the Year, Creative Startup Founder of the Year, Student Startup Founder of the Year, and the Rising Entrepreneur 2020.

All nominations must be submitted by Friday, Aug. 28, at 11:59 p.m. CST. The winner and top five nominees from each category will be announced on Wednesday, Sept. 2, during the annual event. 

Startup Evangelist of the Year

DSW20 describes a startup evangelist as someone “who supports local startups and establishes it as a standard in the community.”

They are involved in developing the community’s ideology and mindset, as well as helping all of the major stakeholders communicate with each other. They’re heavily involved with the community, but “it’s not about shouting with a megaphone when news breaks.”

Instead, they are there to enforce transparency in messaging, keep the community and entrepreneurs’ authenticity, and protect and preserve the community’s spirit. Nominations for this category can be submitted here.

Creative Entrepreneur 2020

The creative startup founder of the year should be someone who has made exceptional progress and/or an impact with their product, service, business, or organization in innovative ways in the past year, according to the nomination form.

DSW20 defines people within a creative industry as entertainers, artists, architects, photographers, fashion designers, among others. Nominations for this category can be submitted here.

Student Entrepreneur 2020

Students in undergraduate or graduate programs at a local college or university can be nominated if they have a company that’s been operating for at least six months with a minimum of $500 in generated revenue.

DSW20 wants to award a local founder who has made progress and an impact with a product, service, or organization in innovative ways. Nominations for this category can be submitted here.

Rising Entrepreneur Award

For the inaugural Rising Entrepreneur award, DSW20 is looking for a local entrepreneur who has made exceptional progress and/or an impact with their product, service, business, or organization in innovative ways for the past year.

Due to the circumstances that the ongoing pandemic has created this year, special consideration will be given to entrepreneurs who have exceptionally helped the community or their employees during this time or have made inspiring pivots.

The winner “should truly embody the heart and soul of what entrepreneurship is all about,” according to the nomination form. Nominations for this category can be submitted here. 

Award category names have been changed by Dallas Startup Week organizers. The story has been updated to reflect the changes on Wed., August 26, at 9:28 a.m.

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