2011 Winners Announced

Congratulations, winners: $115,000 in Awards Announced

Over 250 people attended the Cincinnati Innovates Awards Celebration yesterday at NKU.  Check out some of the photos, courtesy of Scott Beseler, photographer extraordinaire for Soapbox, online here.

In the past three years over 1,000 entrepreneurs have participated in the Cincinnati Innovates competition.  We hear you: almost 100,000 votes have been cast over the past three years.  The local media is paying attention: over 20 media outlets have featured Cincinnati Innovates.  The world is paying attention: online, Cincinnati Innovates has received almost 1 million pageviews from over 50 countries.  A total of $250,000 in grants have been awarded to local entrepreneurs through the generous support of our sponsors.

Past winners have gone on to raise over $3.5 million in follow-on capital, have been featured in national media, and are changing the world with their ideas.  This year, they are joined by twelve new innovators who will collectively save stroke victims from brain damage and death, save travelers from missed flights, keep firefighters safe in the line of duty, help parents get kids to chores, and help fantasy sports fans draft better teams.

Here are our 2011 Winners:

CincyTech Commercialization Awards:
$25,000 ChoreMonster
$25,000 Acceptd
$10,000 DraftOpt

Taft Legal/Patent Awards:  
$10,000 Ischiban
$5,000 Plan B Flights

LPK Design & Branding Award: 
$10,000 SmartyTags

Round Pixel Web Development Award: 
$10,000 Simple Golf Outings

Northern Kentucky Vision 2015 Award: 
$5,000 Ischiban

7/79 Video Award: 
$5,000 FoxFire

Northern Kentucky ezone Award: 
$2,500 All Decked Out

Cooney, Faulkner & Stevens Get Started Award:  
$2,500 SavingsMatic

HYPE Community Choice Award:
$2,000 WantBug

GCVA Partner Participation Award:  
$1,000 UC DAAP Industrial Design Program

John McIlwraith

2011 GCVA Investor of the Year

Congratulations to John McIlwraith of Allos Ventures, who was honored as the 2011 Greater Cincinnati Venture Association’s Investor of the Year.  John was recognized for his leadership and service to the Greater Cincinnati and Midwest Venture community.  Find out more about why John rocks.

Thank you, sponsors!

Cincinnati Innovates would not be possible without the generous support of the Haile Foundation, The Health Foundation, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Fort Washington Capital Partners, CincyTech, Taft, Soapbox Media, LPK, 7/79 Video Production, Northern Kentucky Tri-Ed, Round Pixel Studio, Bare Knuckle Marketing, Vision 2015, the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association, HYPE, the Northern Kentucky eZone, Cooney, Faulkner & Stevens, and the Cincinnati Inventor’s Council.

Join the GCVA

If you loved the Cincinnati Innovates awards, the kickoff to the Greater Cincinnati Venture Association 2011-2012 season, then sign up to be a member before August 31.  For a limited time (until Weds), get a $20 discount on your GCVA membership ($59), which includes ten more great events featuring venture capital investors, high tech companies, and awesome entrepreneurs.  The GCVA is THE organization for entrepreneurs in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.  Join here: http://tinyurl.com/gcva-inno

Let’s turn it up to 11…

Cincinnati Innovates is just part of a larger regional entrepreneurial ecosytem.  Check out this 5 minute video by 7/79 that profiles all the amazing resources and organizations for entrepreneurs right here in Cincinnati:  http://vimeo.com/15166150