Arizona Technology Council unveils winners, finalists for 2025 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation awards
Story Highlights
- Arizona Technology Council announces 2025 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation award finalists
- Event honoring tech leaders will be held November 12 in Phoenix
- James Currier wins People’s Choice AccountabilIT Lifetime Achievement Award
The Arizona Technology Council and the Arizona Commerce Authority have set the finalists and announced some winners for the 2025 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation awards.
The names of the individual award winners were released last week, while the remaining finalists will be announced on stage at the awards event and technology showcase on Nov. 12 at Chateau Luxe, 1175 E. Lone Cactus Drive in Phoenix.
“The pace of innovation in Arizona continues to accelerate, driving growth and global leadership in technology sectors that are reshaping the future,” Steve Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council, said in a statement. “Recognizing these individuals and organizations is always a highlight of the year, and we’re proud to showcase their incredible achievements at GCOI 2025.”
The event — which honors leaders and innovators in the Arizona technology community — consists of a gala-style evening of networking, dining and entertainment.
The winners and finalists were evaluated and chosen by the following selection committee of experts independent of the Arizona Technology Council: Bob DeLean, Arizona Tech Investors; Doug Hockstad, Tech Launch Arizona and the University of Arizona; Eric Miller, PADT Inc. and Keith Latchaw, MSS Business Transformation Advisory.
MSS Business Transformation Leader of the Year finalists:
- Jeff Benck, Benchmark
- Sandeep Uthra, OneAZ Credit Union
- Tami Bohannon, AllThrive 365
Innovator of the Year – Startup finalists:
- JACE Sciences/RokPaper Packaging
- Blackstar Orbital Technologies
- Branch Therapeutics Inc.
- LifeSpan Digital Health Inc.
Innovator of the Year Small Company finalists:
- Optical Support Inc.
- EnKoat
- Crystal Sonic Inc.
Innovator of the Year Academia finalists:
- New Frontiers of Sound Science & Technology Center
- Arizona State University‘s Dreamscape Learn
Ed Denison Business Leader of the Year winner:
- Per Scholas Phoenix
Innovator of the Year – Large Company winner:
- Aligned Data Centers
Judges Award winner:
- Flinn Foundation
People’s Choice AccountabilIT Lifetime Achievement Award winner:
- James Currier, President and CEO, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies