2026 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation Awards – SAVE THE DATE

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.

We’re taking it back to our roots with a true gala dinner experience in a stunning venue that exudes elegance and celebration. This year’s event promises an authentic atmosphere of festivity and innovation.

Call for 2026 nominations begins on Monday, June 1, 2026.

View GCOI Sizzle Reel

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.

2025 Innovation Award Winners

WINNERS
Ed Denison Business Leader of the Year Winner:

• Per Scholas Phoenix

Innovator of the Year – Large Company:

• Aligned Data Centers

Judges Award:

• Flinn Foundation

People’s Choice AccountabilIT Lifetime Achievement Award:

• James Currier, President and CEO, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies

MSS Business Transformation Leader of the Year:

• Jeff Benck, Benchmar

Innovator of the Year – Startup:

• JACE Sciences/RokPaper Packaging

Innovator of the Year – Small Company:

• Optical Support, Inc

Innovator of the Year – Academia:

• New Frontiers of Sound Science & Technology Center

2025 Future Innovators of the Year Award Winners

• Siyaa Poddar, Grade 12, Arizona College Prep High School
  Project: Developing a Rapid, Colorimetric Metal Organic Framework for Airborne Silica and Uranium Detection: A Novel Approach to Pollutant Monitoring and Health Risk Assessment in Indigenous Communities for Sjogren’s Syndrome
• Shireen Arora, Grade 9, BASIS Chandler
  Project: The Efficacy of Consumption of Ashwagandha on Mitigation of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology: A Drosophila melanogaster Model
• Elias Chang, Grade 12, BASIS Mesa
  Project: From 2D to 3D: Enhancing Lung Nodule Segmentation in Computed Tomography Scans with Anatomy-Based Self-Supervised Learning
• Ananya Lakkaraju, Grade 10, Hamilton High School
  Project: A Novel Machine Learning Method and Drug for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression

Honorable Mentions

• Akshay Karthik, Grade 11, Hamilton High School
  Project: THETA: Triangulated Hand-State Estimation for Teleoperation and Automation in Robotic Hand Control
• Ganeshsai Talluri, Grade 11, BASIS Peoria
  Project: A Novel Multi-Omics Deep Learning Framework for Spatiotemporal Cerebral Cortex Localization and Expression

2025 Teacher of the Year Award Winner

• Amber Struthers, Tempe High School & Corona del Sol High School

Honorable Mention

• Pradip Misra, Bagdad High School, Bagdad

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.