Past Winners
- By Year
- By Award
2023
Excellence in Engineering
Award
Recognizes an individual engineer's outstanding contributions to product design, development, or optimization, recognizing their visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.
- Icarus RT
Small & Medium-
Sized Manufacturer
of the Year
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
- ITAMCO
Community Empowerment
Award
Recognizes an organization that has showcased exemplary leadership in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within innovative technology and manufacturing innovations spaces.
- Chicago:Blend
Innovation
of the Year
Recognizes groundbreaking technology that has caused significant disruption within its industry.
- LanzaJet
Rising Star
Award
Recognizes an early-stage startup for its innovation, creativity, and position as the next great hardtech company to emerge in the region.
- Dimension Inx
2021
Excellence in Engineering
Award
Recognizes an individual engineer's outstanding contributions to product design, development, or optimization, recognizing their visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.
- Flowsense
by Rhaeos
Small & Medium-
Sized Manufacturer
of the Year
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
- Pioneer Service Inc.
Rising Star
Award
Recognizes an early-stage startup for its innovation, creativity, and position as the next great hardtech company to emerge in the region.
- Allergy Amulet
Community Empowerment
Award
Recognizes an organization that has showcased exemplary leadership in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within innovative technology and manufacturing innovations spaces.
- Future Founders
Innovation
of the Year
Recognizes groundbreaking technology that has caused significant disruption within its industry.
- Clearflame Engine Technologies
2020
Excellence in Engineering
Award
Recognizes an individual engineer's outstanding contributions to product design, development, or optimization, recognizing their visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.
- The Ability Hand
by PSYONIC
Small & Medium-
Sized Manufacturer
of the Year
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
- Laystrom Manufacturing
Rising Star
Award
Recognizes an early-stage startup for its innovation, creativity, and position as the next great hardtech company to emerge in the region.
- Mesh++
Community Empowerment
Award
Recognizes an organization that has showcased exemplary leadership in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within innovative technology and manufacturing innovations spaces.
- CREDMADE
by Chicago Cred
Innovation
of the Year
Recognizes groundbreaking technology that has caused significant disruption within its industry.
- MP-A17 Qi Design Specification
by NuCurrent
2019
Rising Star
Award
Recognizes an early-stage startup for its innovation, creativity, and position as the next great hardtech company to emerge in the region.
- Jiobit
Innovation
of the Year
Recognizes groundbreaking technology that has caused significant disruption within its industry.
- Cryogenic Processing for Manufacturing from 300 Below
Excellence in Engineering
Award
Recognizes an individual engineer's outstanding contributions to product design, development, or optimization, recognizing their visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.
- neoGuard
by Neopenda
Small & Medium-
Sized Manufacturer
of the Year
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
- Matrix 4
Community Empowerment
Award
Recognizes an organization that has showcased exemplary leadership in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within innovative technology and manufacturing innovations spaces.
- Manufacturing Renaissance
Manufacturer
of the Year
Recognizes an individual or manufacturing company that has demonstrated its excellence in business practices, innovative processes, and productivity enhancements and has made a significant financial investment to manufacturing capacity in the region.
- Siemens
Fourth Revolution Champion
Recognizes an individual who is leading industry into a new era where digital and physical systems converge and lead to advances in productivity, efficiency, and safety in manufacturing.
- Rahm Emanuel
Corporate Champion
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
- Accenture
- Boston Consulting Group
- McKinsey & Company
2018
Rising Star
Award
Recognizes an early-stage startup for its innovation, creativity, and position as the next great hardtech company to emerge in the region.
- Luna Lights
Innovation
of the Year
Recognizes groundbreaking technology that has caused significant disruption within its industry.
- Light Guide Systems
by Ops Solutions
Excellence in Engineering
Award
Recognizes an individual engineer's outstanding contributions to product design, development, or optimization, recognizing their visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.
- Osteon Defender
by Cast21
Small & Medium-
Sized Manufacturer
of the Year
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
- Wiegel Tool Works
Community Empowerment
Award
Recognizes an organization that has showcased exemplary leadership in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within innovative technology and manufacturing innovations spaces.
- Safer Foundation
Manufacturer
of the Year
Recognizes an individual or manufacturing company that has demonstrated its excellence in business practices, innovative processes, and productivity enhancements and has made a significant financial investment to manufacturing capacity in the region.
- Marmon Holdings, Inc.
Fourth Revolution Champion
Recognizes an individual who is leading industry into a new era where digital and physical systems converge and lead to advances in productivity, efficiency, and safety in manufacturing.
- Brad Keywell, Uptake
Corporate Champion
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
- Microsoft
2017
Community Empowerment
Award
Recognizes an organization that has showcased exemplary leadership in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within innovative technology and manufacturing innovations spaces.
- ICATT Apprenticeship Program
Innovation
of the Year
Recognizes groundbreaking technology that has caused significant disruption within its industry.
- Impossible Objects
Excellence in Engineering
Award
Recognizes an individual engineer's outstanding contributions to product design, development, or optimization, recognizing their visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.
- AE Machines
Startup
of the Year
Recognizes an individual startup company for its innovation, creativity and significant accomplishments in the region.
- Intelligent Flying Machines, Inc.
Excellence in Engineering Award
Recognizes an individual engineer's outstanding contributions to product design, development, or optimization, recognizing their visionary thinking, technical prowess, and unwavering commitment to driving innovation and transformative ideas.
2023
- Icarus RT
2021
- Flowsense
by Rhaeos
2020
- The Ability Hand
by PSYONIC
2019
- neoGuard
by Neopenda
2018
- Osteon Defender
by Cast21
2017
- AE Machines
Small & Medium-Sized Manufacturer of the Year
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
2023
- ITAMCO
2021
- Pioneer Service Inc.
2020
- Laystrom Manufacturing
2019
- Matrix 4
2018
- Wiegel Tool Works
Community Empowerment Award
Recognizes an organization that has showcased exemplary leadership in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within innovative technology and manufacturing innovations spaces.
2023
- Chicago:Blend
2021
- Future Founders
2020
- CREDMADE
by Chicago Cred
2019
- Manufacturing Renaissance
2018
- Safer Foundation
2017
- ICATT Apprenticeship Program
Innovation of the Year
Recognizes groundbreaking technology that has caused significant disruption within its industry.
2023
- LanzaJet
2021
- Clearflame Engine Technologies
2020
- MP-A17 Qi Design Specification
by NuCurrent
2019
- Cryogenic Processing for Manufacturing from 300 Below
2018
- Light Guide Systems
by Ops Solutions
2017
- Impossible Objects
Rising Star Award
Recognizes an early-stage startup for its innovation, creativity, and position as the next great hardtech company to emerge in the region.
2023
- Dimension Inx
2021
- Allergy Amulet
2020
- Mesh++
2019
- Jiobit
2018
- Luna Lights
Manufacturer of the Year
Recognizes an individual or manufacturing company that has demonstrated its excellence in business practices, innovative processes, and productivity enhancements and has made a significant financial investment to manufacturing capacity in the region.
2019
- Siemens
2018
- Marmon Holdings, Inc.
Fourth Revolution Champion
Recognizes an individual who is leading industry into a new era where digital and physical systems converge and lead to advances in productivity, efficiency, and safety in manufacturing.
2019
- Rahm Emanuel
2018
- Brad Keywell, Uptake
Corporate Champion
Recognizes a corporation or business that has made an impact on manufacturing through community focused efforts and significant financial investment throughout the region.
2019
- Accenture
- Boston Consulting Group
- McKinsey & Company
2018
- Microsoft
Startup of the Year
Recognizes an individual startup company for its innovation, creativity and significant accomplishments in the region.
2017
- Intelligent Flying Machines, Inc.