Area businesses and individuals honored for contributions at gala event.

The Charlottesville Business Innovation Council (CBIC) honored all finalists and presented the 2008 Charlottesville Innovation Awards (CIA) to recipients at the gala dinner Thursday, May 22 at Farmington Country Club. The Charlottesville Innovation Awards recognize organizations and individuals who have made noteworthy contributions to the marketplace and community in the past year through entrepreneurship and the creation, commercialization, or application of technology.

The award recipients were chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges who are recognized industry and education leaders, with the business and technical expertise to examine each nominee against the award criteria. The judges come from a cross section of Central Virginia, representing the various sciences, technology and business disciplines from which nominees are drawn.

“We’re delighted to recognize these individuals and businesses as leaders in innovation,” said Dave Keller, CBIC chairman. “Our innovation award recipients are important not only to the growth of our region but for their potential and realized impact on our economy. In addition, we’ve recognized two community leaders for their contribution to CBIC and to the local technology community. These volunteers led the charge in developing CBIC’s new brand identity and Web site, and beautifully managed the organization’s programs and events. We’re grateful to our volunteers for their efforts in creating and maintaining the reputation of the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council.”

Award Recipients:

• Meddius: Rocket Award, for the enterprise that has moved with noteworthy speed from concept toward commercialization. As an emerging provider of integration appliances, Meddius builds innovative solutions for the healthcare industry to accelerate and simplify the sharing of mission-critical information among applications, both internally and externally. The Meddius Integration Router™ is a turn-key solution for hospitals and healthcare vendors that delivers common data transformation, communication and routing functions in a single rack-mountable network device. Meddius is a privately-held company headquartered in Charlottesville, Va.
• Musictoday: Spotlight Award, for the enterprise or individual that has brought significant positive attention to the region spotlighting us as a world-class leader. Musictoday is an e-commerce company located in Crozet, Va., providing web stores, ticketing, fan clubs, order fulfillment, and hosting for some of the worlds largest musical, sports and entertainment brands.
• Cellular Materials: Breakthrough Award, for the enterprise or individual for achieving a remarkable breakthrough or quantum advance. This may also be the result of a seemingly unlikely re-direction or unforeseen application of a currently existing solution. CMI develops proprietary structural materials based on periodic cellular material (PCM) to satisfy commercial and military requirements for lightweight, strong, yet multi-functional structures that are cost-effective, scalable and efficient. CMI's products are designed to outperform today's conventional structures, such as honeycomb, due to a much higher strength to weight ratio, the ability to be fabricated in curved geometries, its multi-purpose functionality such as blast and ballistic resistance and heat management, and the availability of open space, which can accommodate other functional components.
• Computers4Kids: Community Award for the enterprise or individual that has demonstrated the greatest commitment to improving the quality of life in Central Virginia through community involvement. Computers4Kids is a non-profit after-school technology mentoring program for disadvantaged youth. We strive to improve low income youth's computer and learning skills through caring mentorship, structured training, a vibrant learning environment, and access to a computer at home. The program uses computers as a catalyst for youth to challenge themselves, become engaged in their own learning, and realize greater possibilities academically, professionally, and for their community.
• Beth White, Western Albemarle High School: Red Apple Award, for the educator, in K-12, who clearly and consistently is able to do the most with resources available in exciting and preparing students for the possibilities in technology. As the recipient of the Red Apple Award, Mrs. White also received CBIC’s Technology in Education Grant sponsored by Keiter Stephens Hurst Gary & Shreaves, which provides $2,500 to use toward classroom technology.
• Elizabeth Pyle, founder and principal, Pyle and Associates: People’s Choice Navigator Award, (formerly known as the Navigator Award): for the individual or entity that has demonstrated significant leadership in the local or regional business community. This award winner has been involved actively or previously to make significant contributions toward the improvement or advancement of our region's high-tech or entrepreneurial environment; thereby, improving the quality of life for many.
• Linda Kolker, communications specialist, Leapfrog Solutions: Leadership Award, (formerly known as the Chairman's Award): for an individual volunteer member of CBIC who has provided exemplary contributions to the organization.
• Michelle Prosser, founder and president, Energy Focus: Leadership Award, (formerly known as the Chairman's Award): for an individual volunteer member of CBIC who has provided exemplary contributions to the organization.

Time Magazine’s “Hero of the Environment,” William A. McDonough, was the featured speaker at the event. McDonough is a world-renowned architect and designer and winner of three U.S. presidential awards: the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development, (the nation’s highest environmental honor); the National Design Award, and the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. He is founder and principal of William McDonough + Partners, Architecture and Community Design; a principal of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry and a Venture Partner at VantagePoint. Virginia’s Secretary of Technology, Aneesh Chopra provided the evening’s opening remarks.

Media:

Daily Progress

Cramer Photography (click "Clients", password: gala)