Nominations for DC Inno's annual 'Inno on Fire' awards are now open. For a little inspiration (and a brief refresher), check out last year's Fire honorees and Blazer winners.
Across the entire American Inno network, Fire is our premier awards showcase, recognizing, spotlighting and celebrating the companies, startups, organizations, executives, entrepreneurs and stakeholders that have had a banner year within the local ecosystem.
From businesses that have raised funding, released a new, game-changing product, filed several patents, emerged from stealth, landed a massive partner or client, built a mentor network, initiated charitable, give-back programs, made a significant hire, expanded internationally or executed a successful pivot to the individuals that are leading, supporting or assisting these organizations, Fire awards the people and companies the are positively impacting the region's innovation economy.
In the age of COVID-19, the 2020 list may look different than in year's past. Yet while the coronavirus has severely affected countless businesses, organizations and industries, it has also galvanized the local entrepreneurial community, inspiring new solutions, pivots and initiatives aimed at combating this pandemic. Across the DMV, startups, entrepreneurs and the people and groups that support them are finding new ways to build and scale in these unprecedented times. And Inno on Fire will recognize them.
So, we invite you and your team, friends, family to nominate. If someone is helping you scale, pivot or grow, please tell us about them. If you're aware of a business doing amazing things in the DMV, nominate them. Later this year, we'll honor, companies and individuals who continue to cement DC as a global innovation hub.
We're accepting nominations in the following categories:
- B2B
- B2C
- Early-Stage (Pre-Seed)
- Gov. / Civic
- Women-Lead Startups
- Crisis Innovators (Startups or individuals that pivoted, built solutions or launched new initiatives to aid in the COVID-19 fight)
- Social Impact (Mission-driven companies or individuals that have been making an impact in their communities)
- Community Builder (Those who made the ecosystem bigger and better than they found it in 2020; think entrepreneurship professors, VCs, mentors, accelerator heads, etc.)
We will announce finalists this summer and will reveal the Inno Blazers, the people and companies that a panel of esteemed judges has selected from the Inno on Fire. Each Inno Blazer will receive the esteemed red blazer jacket.
Send in your nominations by May 29, and if you have questions, contact Cat Francis, cfrancis@americaninno.com.
