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.