Innovation is the thread that pulls us through the future. Most would agree, there’s never been a greater need to embrace it.

Last night, D CEO and Dallas Innovates honored 78 North Texas trailblazers shaping that future at our third-annual Innovation Awards. These are the people and companies disrupting their industries—and solidifying the region’s reputation as a hub for innovation.

North Texas shines as one of the nation’s best markets for tech talent. And Dallas made the list of top-ranked global startup ecosystems for the second straight year last summer. But these trailblazers prove that innovation is embedded in area companies of all sizes and industries, from healthcare and education to logistics and finance. 

This year, our innovators spanned 18 categories. The winners—14 companies and four individuals—were revealed during an event held at The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas. 

Winners and finalists of The Innovation Awards 2022 are:

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

CIO/CTO of the Year

Nancy Flores, McKesson Corp.

Finalists
Arjun Dugal, Capital One
Tammy Gilbert, Fidelity Investments
Mani Suri, 7-Eleven
Neelu Sethi, Reddy Ice

Enterprise Innovator of the Year

Chakri Gottemukkala, o9 Solutions

Finalists
Bravis Brown, BPS Technology
Jordan Jayson, U.S. Energy Development Corp.
Melbourne O’Banion, Bestow
Kevin Stadler, Evolon Technology
Geoff Walker, KidKraft

Startup Innovator of the Year

Rob Wilson, Shavelogic

Finalists
David Copps, Worlds.io
Michael Gorton, Recuro Health
Michael Kinder, Veryable
Daniel Powell, Spark Biomedical

Innovation Advocate of the Year

Bill Sproull, Tech Titans

Finalists
Cameron Cushman, University of North Texas Health Science Center
Paul Nichols, The University of Texas at Dallas
Benjamin Vann, Impact Ventures

COMPANY AWARDS

[Image: Ivan-balvan/istockphoto]

Innovation in Biotech

Nanoscope Therapeutics

Finalists
Lantern Pharma
Taysha Gene Therapies

Innovation in Education

GreenLight Credentials

Finalists
Mark Cuban Foundation
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
UT Southwestern Medical School Simulation Center 

Innovation in Finance

CollateralEdge

Finalists
Gig Wage
Quiltt
Zabo

Eden Green Technology

Innovation in Food and Beverage

Eden Green Technology

Finalists
La Duni
OneDine
Sixty Vines

Innovation in Healthcare

TimelyMD

Finalists
Children’s Health
Neuro Rehab VR
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Commercial real estate developer Farukh Aslam opened the ‘world’s first all-digital hotel’ in downtown Fort Worth, developing new technology throughout. The Sinclair was the first building to replace a diesel generator and back-up power with a lithium-ion battery pack. [Image: courtesy]

Innovation in Hospitality

Sinclair Hotel

Finalists
Enseo
Hotel Drover
Hotel Otto
NoiseAware

Innovation in Logistics and Supply Chain

OnAsset Intelligence

Finalists
CourMed
River Logic
Slync.io

Innovation in Manufacturing and Consumer Goods

BPS Technology

Finalists
KidKraft
True Velocity
Twisted X

Last year, 7-Eleven celebrated 94 years of innovation by sending a Slurpee to space in space and teamed up with Airbnb to let folks stay overnight in a Dallas store to play PlayStation 5.  [Video still: 7-Eleven]

Innovation in Marketing

7-Eleven

Finalists
Avocados From Mexico
Frito-Lay
Neiman Marcus Group

Innovation in Real Estate

ModularDesign+

Finalists
Kalterra Capital Partners
Nada
RefineRE
VariSpace by Vari

Innovation in Sports

Envy Gaming

Finalists
CounterFind
nVenue
Shokworks
Stack Sports

Innovation in Talent Workforce

Trivie

Finalists
Arcade Talent Agency
BGSF
Work Shield

Siemens is using digital twin technology – applied here to generate this digitized rendering of a tractor – to accelerate innovations and successfully manage complexities in the design, production, performance and durability of heavy equipment. [Image: Siemens]

Innovation in Technology

Siemens Digital Industries Software

Finalists
Evolon Technology
Kibo
Lone Star Analysis
NectarOM

Innovation in Transportation

AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ)

Finalists
BNSF Railway
Leviate Air Group

About the awards

D CEO featured the 78 finalists in the January/February issue. Stay tuned for a photo recap of the event.

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