The Metroplex Technology Business Council (MTBC), the largest technology trade association in Texas, announced the winners of its 12^th annual Tech Titans awards. Tech Titans are recognized as outstanding technology companies and individuals in theNorth Texas area who have made significant contributions to their industries during the past year.

The Tech Titans Award winners were revealed at the Tech Titans Award Gala at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, August 24.  More information about the event (including photos and videos) is available at www.techtitans.org

“Tech Titans is the premier recognition of innovative technology companies and individuals who contribute to the vibrancy and success of the North Texasregion,” said Charlie Vogt, president and chief executive officer of GENBAND, and chair of the MTBC’s Tech Titans steering committee. “These pioneers are impacting tomorrow's technology today with their innovation, leadership and advocacy. Their groundbreaking advancements make a difference here and around the globe.”

Winners of this year’s awards are:

Hall of Fame           Dr. Krish Prahbu, CTO of AT&T

Honors a technology visionary from the Metroplex for outstanding leadership in assisting, advancing and accelerating the performance of the technology industry and/or adoption of technology in North Texas.

Dr. Krish Prahbu, the CTO of AT&T has had a long and distinguished career in the telecommunications industry with extensive industry experience in research, corporate leadership and innovation. Additionally, his work with venture capitalists and start-ups provided him with the knowledge and experience needed to make AT&T’s innovation program more agile.

Corporate CEO      Angel Ruiz, President and CEO, Ericsson North America

Recognizes CEO leadership within the technology and communications industry.

Known for his passion for life, Angel has expanded Ericsson’s presence in North America and in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. Acquisitions of a portion of Nortel’s business and later the negotiation of a historic contract with Sprint has secured Ericsson’s place as a leader in communications technology, mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and telecom services.

Emerging Company CEO      Steven W. White, President and CEO, ImageVision

Recognizes CEO leadership for an emerging company within the technology and communications industry.

Steven White’s career and passion revolve around online security and contextual content delivery. His innovative approach to the control and visibility of online content led to the creation of a visual recognition, image and video filtering technology that has market applications for enterprise, mobile and social networking.

Corporate CTO      John P. Volpi, CTO, Lone Star Aerospace

Recognizes technical leadership, team building, creation and maintenance of a creative environment, and market awareness skills.

Smart phone base station antennas and an offender tracking system were two of his early successes. John Volpi’s work with radio navigation in the days before GPS helped turn that technology into the low-cost system for navigation used today. His collaborative work ethic, desire to keep customers’ costs low, and influence on how to use these devices have made him a pioneer in technology.

Corporate Innovation            AT&T Foundry, Plano

Recognizes outstanding innovation and unique accomplishments through recent or potential breakthrough technology or approach within the technology and communications industry.

To inspire innovation on a global scale and be the first to bring the future to its customers, the AT&T Foundry in Plano has fundamentally changed how it engages third-party innovators working on apps, devices, cloud services and other technologies.

Emerging Company Innovation       4G Biometrics

Recognizes outstanding innovation and unique accomplishments through potential breakthrough technology, processes or services within the technology and communications industry.

Using a technology, medical and social platform, 4G Biometrics gathers real-time clinical information for patients with a critical illness and delivers immediate feedback at less cost to the patient, the insurance plan provider and the healthcare professional.

Technology Inventor        Dr. Mario Romero-Ortega, University of Texas at Arlington

Recognizes a technology advocate/champion for their outstanding leadership in assisting, advancing or accelerating the performance of technology companies and/or the technology community.

The quest to change how those who have lost a limb become productive again has been the focal point of research conducted by Dr. Marion Romero-Ortega. His pioneering work on the creation of neural interfaces with prosthetic devices is giving amputees the gift of normal life.

Technology Advocate      Robert L Robb, the University of Texas at Dallas Office of Technology Commercialization

Recognizes a technology advocate/champion for their outstanding leadership in assisting, advancing or accelerating the performance of technology companies and/or the technology community.

Outreach, education, strategic planning are the key components of the UTD Office of Technology Commercialization built by Robert Robb. He has built an entrepreneurial ecosystem that educates the DFW community, university researchers and students. He has funded, founded, nurtured and/or managed 32 early stage companies and served as the CEO of seven emerging enterprises in the life sciences and medical tech arenas spanning over his career of 28 years.

Investment Catalyst       Tech Wildcatters, Gabriella Draney, Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Recognizes a significant investment transaction occurring since January 2011 that impacts and delivers significant long-term economic prosperity and sustainable economic results for the Metroplex and improves the technology innovation investment climate of the region.

Founded in 2009, Tech Wildcatters is a seed stage incubator that has developed a successful model in its quest to build the early-stage tech community in Dallas. Working with highly-motivated young entrepreneurs who have a modest amount of equity capital, Tech Wildcatters provides seed funding, intensive top-notch mentorship, and the opportunity for these young entrepreneurs to pitch their company to angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporate development teams.

Technology Adopter      Methodist Richardson Medical Center, Ken Hutchenrider, CEO

Recognizes a company whose core business is not technology products/services for outstanding adoption and application of innovative technologies to successfully change and impact its business results.

In 2011 the Methodist Richardson Medical Center took the next step toward minimally invasive surgery by adding the robotic daVinci® Surgical System to its operating room. The hospital recently added the next generation by upgrading to the daVinci® Single Site™. This 3-D, high-definition vision of the operative field has improved physician efficiency and patient recovery time.

Community Hero        Mike Doherty, Director, Strategic Enterprise Services, Hewlett Packard

Recognizes an individual within the technology industry for their outstanding achievements in community involvement.

Mike’s work in the technology industry as a leader of a team supporting HP Enterprise Services cloud sales efforts made him realize that we live in a global community. He has taken his time and talent around the world to help people less fortunate than him. His work in Habitat for Humanity, Big Heart Ministries, and his community made him realize that if just one life was saved, just one life made better, then it was all worth it.

Tech Titan of the Future, University          Net-Centric Software and Systems Industry/University/Research Center,University of NorthTexas, Dr. Krishna Kavi, Director

Recognizes educational institutions that encourage and support students in choosing engineering and technology-related disciplines as a preferred path. This award category spotlights DFW area higher educational institutions' tech-related curricula and incentives to perpetuate tech-related knowledge transfer.

A joint venture between academic, government and commercial institutions, the Net-Centric Software and Systems IURC has been formed where the university environment can be used to promote collaborative research between industrial and academic partners. The focus is on fundamental research needed for the development and deployment of software and applications into cloud and net-centric environments.

Tech Titan of the Future, High School         Janine Amy, Math Teacher, W.T. White High School, Dallas ISD

Recognizes a high school math or science teacher for the development and implementation of an innovative teaching technique or program that inspires student interest in math and/or science.

Janine has been the chair of the math department at W.T. White for nine years and leads a team of 17 math teachers in addition to teaching a class of her own in geometry. This past year, the school implemented a double block math class to teach Algebra Two and Pre AP Calculus in one year instead of two. She developed the plan and through her leadership the team executed that plan. Math scores increased, retakes of math tests decreased and their students have earned more than $9 million scholarship grants.

Part of Tech Titans is the Fast Tech awards. The Fast Tech awards recognize the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. This ranking is compiled from nominations submitted directly to the Metroplex Technology Business Council (MTBC), and independent research using publicly available information conducted by the MTBC, TravisWolff LLP and Comerica Bank.

Fast Tech award winners for 2012 are determined based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2009 to 2011. This year’s Fast Tech list is comprised of 35 North Texas technology companies, with OneSource Virtual winning the coveted prize of fastest-growing company inNorth Texas, with a revenue growth of 2874% during the last 3 years. All of the finalists are also available on the Tech Titans website. 

Besides the MTBC and title sponsor SoftLayer, other supporters of the Tech Titans Awards event include Ericsson, GENBAND, Oceus Networks, VCE, Research In Motion, Fujitsu Network Communications, Deloitte, AT&T, BKD LLP, Huawei Technologies, Alcatel-Lucent, Korn Ferry International, NetApp, Digital Realty, Employer Flexible, Haynes and Boone LLP, Cisco Systems, Deloitte, Accudata Technologies, MetroPCS, Cologix, ImageVision, Carr LLP, Texas Instruments, University of North Texas, University of Texas at Dallas, City of Richardson, AVMG, and the Dallas Business Journal. Travis Wolff and Comerica Bank Tech & Life Sciences are sponsors for Fast Tech.

About the Tech Titans Awards

The Tech Titans Awards were launched in 2001 by the Metroplex Technology Business Council, North Texas’ most comprehensive organization supporting technology. The prestigious annual contest recognizes outstanding technology companies and individuals in the North Texas area who have made contributions during the past year locally, as well as to the technology industry overall. The Tech Titans committee is a group of dedicated volunteers who organize the awards ceremony each year, and judges for the contest are drawn from a variety of disciplines in technology, leaders in the DFW area and past winners. For more information, visit www.techtitans.org

About Metroplex Technology Business Council

The Metroplex Technology Business Council (MTBC) is the largest technology trade association in Texas, representing a quarter million employees through its 300 member companies. The MTBC strengthens the North Texas’ technology community and its reputation by acting as the innovation hub for entrepreneurs, universities and corporations. The MTBC continues to prove that 'Technology lives here' by growing future tech leaders with its talent and workforce development initiative, advocating technology's advancement in governmental arenas, and connecting people and inspiring ideas through its programs and special interest groups. More information about MTBC and its annual Tech Titans awards gala can be found online by visiting www.metroplextbc.org.