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
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
Finalists
Lantern Pharma
Taysha Gene Therapies
Innovation in Education
Finalists
Mark Cuban Foundation
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
UT Southwestern Medical School Simulation Center
Innovation in Finance
Finalists
Gig Wage
Quiltt
Zabo
Eden Green Technology
Innovation in Food and Beverage
Finalists
La Duni
OneDine
Sixty Vines
Innovation in Healthcare
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
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
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
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
Finalists
CounterFind
nVenue
Shokworks
Stack Sports
Innovation in Talent Workforce
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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R E A D N E X T
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The hybrid event in August will take place in person at SMU and virtually. The seventh annual Dallas Startup Week powered by Capital One is Dallas-Fort Worth's largest event focused on driving entrepreneurial success, economic impact, and innovation in the region.
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Now in its third year, the program from Dallas Innovates and D CEO honors 78 disruptors and trailblazers driving a new vision for innovation in North Texas.
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You’ve found Dallas Innovates’ archive of news briefs from July to September 2021.
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You’ve found Dallas Innovates’ archive of news briefs from July to September 2021.
