2026 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards

Arizona Technology Council, in partnership with the Arizona Commerce Authority, is proud to present the 23rd Annual Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards.

Join us at the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards!

This year, we’re pulling out all the stops to make this prestigious event the most memorable yet! Join over 450 of Arizona’s brightest minds for an unforgettable night of networking, dining, and honoring Arizona’s best in technology.

Award nominations are have closed for the 2026 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation!

View GCOI Sizzle Reel   View Scenes from GCOI 2025

Why Sponsor?

Sponsoring the Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards is your golden ticket to valuable brand recognition and the chance to connect with high-level executives and decision-makers from across the state. As a sponsor, you’ll enjoy exclusive benefits and special recognition before, during, and after the event. No matter your budget, we can tailor a sponsorship package that aligns with your business goals and maximizes your impact.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to celebrate and support Arizona’s innovation community. We can’t wait to work with you and make this night truly spectacular!

GCOI sponsorship packages range in price from $5000 – $25,000.
Contact [email protected] for more information on sponsorship opportunities.

AGENDA

4:45 – 5:45 PM – Check-in/Reception/Networking
5:45 – 6:15 PM – Dinner
6:15 – 8:30 PM – Awards/Networking

ATTIRE + SEATING
Come dressed to celebrate Arizona’s vibrant tech ecosystem. Cocktail attire is recommended. All dinner seating will be assigned. Table numbers and assignments for all ticket holders will be given at check-in.

2026 INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS AND FINALISTS

MSS Business Transformation Leader of the Year Winner:

• Sanjeev Aggarwal, President and CEO, Everspin Technologies

Innovator of the Year – Large Company Winner:

• W. L. Gore & Associates

Innovator of the Year – Academia Winner:

• Grand Canyon University

Judges Award Winner:

• GenTechEDU

People’s Choice Lifetime Achievement Award Winner:

• Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, University Professor of Technology and Innovation, Arizona State University

*Innovator of the Year – Startup Finalists:

• Branch Therapeutics, Inc.
• Deep Bro, LLC.
• LifeSpan Digital Health

*Innovator of the Year – Small Company Finalists:

• VB Cosmetics, Inc.
• Infrared Laboratories, Inc.
• Stone Solutions and Research Collective, LLC.

*Winners to be announced at GCOI.

2026 FUTURE INNOVATORS OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

• Diya Shah, Grade 11, BASIS Chandler
  Project: NeuroTracer: Unraveling Pre-diagnostic Signals for Early-Onset Parkinson’s Disease from Archimedean Spiral Drawings using the 2D Wavelet Transform, Recurrence Quantification Analysis, and Convolutional Neural Networks
• Rahul Madhu, Grade 10, Arizona College Preparatory High School (Chandler)
  Project: ESSENCE – Enzyme Split System Enabling Non-wash Colorimetric Evaluation: A Novel Colorimetric-Inducing Dual Biopolymer Nanocomposite Fix Within an Anisotropic Vertical-Flow Nitrocellulose Matrixfor the Spatial Mapping of IL-1a CTSK for Skin Cancer Differentiation and Staging
• Wilson Hilgaertner, Grade 12, BASIS Chandler
  Project: Minimizing Drag Force through Bubble Formation on Aerogel Surfaces
• Shilo Karakkattu, Grade 12, BASIS Mesa
  Project: Cactus to Cleanliness: Chitosan-Functionalized Alginate-Cactus Beads for Simultaneous Heavy Metal and Microplastic Water Remediation

Honorable Mentions

• Nick Bowie, Grade 10, BASIS Flagstaff
  Project: Decentralized Pyrolytic Conversion of Forest Residue
• Alexei Barrow, Grade 11, BASIS Flagstaff
  Project: Decentralized Pyrolytic Conversion of Forest Residue

2026 Teacher of the Year Award Winner

• Jason Flora, Kofa High School (Yuma)

Honorable Mention

• Jacko Kim Mabeza, Harvest Preparatory Academy (Yuma)