And the Finalists Are…
A UT Dallas biomedical inventor. A neuroscience entrepreneur harnessing AI for drug discovery. A founder bringing virtual reality to elder care. And another turning laundry into a tech-powered convenience.
They’re all among the finalists for the 25th annual Tech Titans Awards, announced today by Tech Titans, the state’s largest tech trade association.
The 2025 awards spotlight standout individuals and companies across North Texas—from high school STEM educators and early-stage entrepreneurs to powerhouse corporations driving innovation at scale.
Finalists span more than a dozen categories, including CIO/CTO of the Year, Technology Inventor, and Emerging Company Innovation.
Winners will be revealed in an awards celebration on Friday, September 12, at the Hyatt Regency at Stonebriar Mall in Frisco. Tickets and tables go on sale August 1.
The 2025 Tech Titans Awards finalists are:
Community Hero
Abigail Erickson-Torres, Frontiers of Flight Museum
Kris Fitzgerald, Smart Data Solutions
Shoba Krishnamurthy, Toyota Financial Services
Debbie Mrazek, The Sales Company
Corporate CIO/CTO Award
Todd Kackley, Textron
Steven Klohn, Dave & Buster’s
Phillip McKibbins, Dallas Mavericks
Dr. Julius Smith, Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Corporate Innovation Award
InfoVision
KPMG
Murata
Prodapt North America
Emerging Company CEO Award
Lalit Ahluwalia, DigitalXForce
Maria Coello, MyClick Insurance
Laurel Hess, hampr
Elad Inbar, RobotLAB
Emerging Company CIO/CTO Award
Merlin Bise, Inbenta
Priya Reddy, Reprise Financial
Sudip Shekhawat, LeaseLock
Jack Smith, WATTER
Emerging Company Innovation Award
DigitalXForce
Island
QualiZeal
TrueSpot
Startup Company CEO Award
Chris Brickler, Mynd Immersive
Mohammed Njie, Janta Power
David Roberson PhD, Blackbox Bio
Veena Somareddy, Neuro Rehab VR
Technology Advocate Award
Karen Bruno, Tech CxO LaunchPad
Dr. Joseph Pancrazio, UT Dallas
Jennifer Sanders, North Texas Innovation Alliance
Hope Shimabuku, USPTO—Southwest Regional Office
Technology Inventor Award
Mike Hanna, TrueSpot
Dr. Michael Kilgard, Texas Biomedical Device Center, UT Dallas
Astha Malhotra PhD, Phylactics
David Roberson PhD, Blackbox Bio
Tech Titans Of The Future – College/University
Collin College, Electronic Engineering Technology Program
Dallas College, Texas A&M Engineering Academy
SMU, Cox School of Business, Spears Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership
UT Dallas, North Texas Semiconductor Institute
Tech Titans Of The Future – High School
Matt Abbondanzio, Greenhill School
Kim Biggerstaff, Frisco ISD
Marcus Edwards, Farmersville ISD
Julia Goodwin, Plano ISD
Ahead of the main event in September, Tech Titans is also hosting a Tech Industry Luncheon spotlighting eight finalists from both the Corporate and Emerging Company categories. The luncheon is expected to sell out quickly. Registration is open now: learn more and register here.
The Tech Titans Awards will be held on Friday, September 12th at the Hyatt Regency Stonebriar in Frisco. If you and your company are interested in sponsoring this exciting event where hundreds of tech execs and supporters will be around, please email Event Manager jo@techtitans.org
Tickets will be available on Friday, August 1. Individual tickets are $195 and Tables of 10 (which come with two complimentary bottles of wine and preferred reserved seating) are $2,500. To get your tickets, please email Event Manager jo@techtitans.org