Finalists Revealed for Extraordinary 19th Annual ITA CityLIGHTS Awards

CHICAGO, Aug. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today the Illinois Technology Association (ITA) announced the 38 out-of-this-world industry leaders being recognized as finalists at the 19th annual CityLIGHTS Awards. The ITA CityLIGHTS Awards, with presenting sponsor Deloitte, is the premier annual event that elevates and honors achievements from the local tech community. Public voting is now open until Friday, August 17th.

The winners for each category, with the exception of the CityLIGHTS Industry Champion, are determined by a compilation of the judges' scores and voting by the public. Voting is now open through Friday, August 17 at itacitylights.com/voting.

"This year's finalists exemplify the defied expectations that this year brought to the Chicago tech industry," said ITA CEO Julia Kanouse. "The last few years have been record setting, everyone expected that wave to crest, but powered by these phenomenal finalists, we're witnessing another astonishing blockbuster year for these companies and the local tech sector overall."

Congratulations to the 2018 finalists:

CityLIGHTS Industry Champion: Presented to the company or individual who actively and consistently supports the growth of the Illinois technology industry through leadership and/or collaboration.

• Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
• Steve Miller & Bruce Barron, Co-Founders & Partners, Origin Ventures
• Kristi Ross, CEO, tastytrade

CEO of the Year: Presented to a CEO who has successfully scaled their company through outstanding leadership, ability to attract and retain talented resources, financial accomplishments and the implementation of strategic growth opportunities.

• David Kalt, CEO, Reverb.com
• Amanda Lannert, CEO, Jellyvision
• Craig Vodnik, CEO, cleverbridge
• Jacob Babcock, CEO, NuCurrent
• Brad Weisberg, CEO, Snapsheet

Industry Disrupter: Presented to the company that has developed or introduced an ingenious, non-traditional, and innovative product or service that has significantly disrupted its industry.

• Tempus
• Tock
• NuCurrent
• Narrative Science
• Clearcover

Lighthouse: Presented to the growth-stage company, (more than $25 million in revenue) that, through innovation in products, services, or business approach, has grown to become a serious competitor in the marketplace.

• Litera Microsystems
• Civis Analytics
• Vibes
• ActiveCampaign
• ParkWhiz

Prominent Woman in Tech: Presented to a preeminent woman in the local industry who has championed a leading role for her female peers by supporting their growth and prominence in the industry.

• Carolyn Leonard, CEO, DyMynd
• Colleen Egan, Director of People, Culture & Endless Possibilities, Clarity Partners LLC
• Kim Greuling, VP of Engineering, Backstop Solutions Group
• Patty Lindstrom, CEO & Founder, Living the Brand Academy & Innovation Foundry
• Marie Tillman, CEO & Founder, Mac & Mia

Outstanding Company Culture: Awarded to the company that has instilled a high-performance culture in their workplace by encouraging employees to take their career to the next level, fostering diversity and inclusion, and are committed to positively contributing to the community.

• LaSalle Network
• HighGround
• Jellyvision
• TransUnion
• Signal

Rising Star: Presented to the company with the strongest potential to emerge as a leader in the technology industry ($5 to $25 million in annual revenue).

• BenchPrep
• Aclaimant
• Neighborhoods.com
• Avionos
• Snap36

Technologist of the Year: Presented to the individual whose talent has championed true innovation, either through new applications of existing technology or the development of technology to achieve a truly unique product or service.

• John Higginson, CTO, Enova International
• Adam McElhinney, VP of Data Science, Uptake
• Mahi Inampudi, VP of Product & Technology, Envoy Global
• Dr. Alok Choudhary, Founder, Chairman & Chief Scientist, 4C
• Vadim Vladimirskiy, Co-Founder & CEO, Nerdio

Discover who wins by attending the ITA CityLIGHTS Awards ceremony on Thursday, September 13 at Morgan Manufacturing in Chicago. Tickets and tables are available for purchase at itacitylights.com/tickets or contact Jason Mangold at jason(at)illinoistech.org.

Thank you to the 2018 presenting sponsor: Deloitte; premier sponsors: Armanino, Gogo, Hyde Park Angels, Madison Dearborn Partners and Silicon Valley Bank; VIP reception sponsor: Lantern Partners; opening reception sponsor: Redbox; and wine sponsor: Imagineer.

About ITA
The Illinois Technology Association (ITA) scales Illinois tech companies. With innovative resources that allow members to collaborate with each other, build their talent networks and elevate their local and national presence, ITA is the region's strongest advocate for fostering innovation and growth. Founded in 2005 and supporting 500-plus growth-stage tech companies, ITA has a rich history of driving business forward. For more information, visit illinoistech.org, follow @ITAbuzz on Twitter or find us on LinkedIn.

Contact: Gary Hotze, gary(at)illinoistech.org, +1.312.924.1044

SOURCE Illinois Technology Association