Tech10 Award Winners Announced

Jan. 4, 2011 - PRLog -- Providence, R.I. – Jan. 4th, 2011 – Recognizing Rhode Island’s most accomplished IT practitioners and entrepreneurs, Tech Collective and GoLocalProv.com today announced the 2011 Tech10 award recipients.

Tech10 is the first awards program of its kind in Rhode Island to honor the talents and achievements of rising technology practitioners and innovators, and in the process identify the future technology influencers and leaders of our state.

The recipients of this year’s Tech10 awards have excelled in their practice, demonstrated a passion for helping others to succeed in life and business, and are pioneering in their technological and career achievements. The Tech10 award recipients are:  (no specific order)

Andres Douglas – Founder, Bakodo
Grant Fritchey – Principal Development Database Administrator, FM Global
Heather Hartman – Director, IS Technical Services, Care New England Health System
Sean Ransom – Vice President of Technology, BatchBlue Software
Hamzah Ansari – Founder, Accelereach
Jason Albuquerque – Director of IT, Town of North Kingstown
Christian Smith – Lead Server Specialist, FM Global
Cheryl Lawrence – Director of IT, Home Hospice Care of RI   
Dave Oakman – Practice Leader, Data Center, Atrion Networking Corporation
Michael Calabro – Assistant Director, Network Operations and Services, Rhode Island Network for Educational Technology (RINET)

Tech10 award recipients will be honored at the Tech10 Red Carpet Celebration on January 26th, 2011 from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art’s Chace Center in Providence, R.I. Three of the Tech10 award recipients will additionally be recognized for outstanding accomplishments in Tech Citizenship, Entrepreneurship, and Overall Achievement. Doreen Collins, comedian and host of NBC10's Rhode Bytes and UnReal Deal, will emcee the event.

The Tech10 awards program is presented by Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s Information Technology and Bioscience Industry Association, and GoLocalProv.com, the “go to” local Web experience breaking the biggest local stories. Tech10 recipients were chosen by this year’s Tech10 Judging Panel based on application submissions collected October – November 2010. This year’s Judging Panel included: (no specific order)

Eric Meier – Director of Interactive Media, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Lori Adamo – CEO, Code Red Business Continuity Services; Vice President, NEDRIX
John Conway – CEO, Ananke IT Solutions
Ray Thomas – Associate Director, The Chafee Center for International Business, Bryant University
Charlie Hewitt – Director, HIE Program Management, RI Quality Institute

“As technology continues to grow as a prominent industry in Rhode Island and across the nation, it is critical to identify and nurture our industry strengths and talents,” said Kathie Shields, executive director of Tech Collective. “Talent, such as that exhibited by this year’s Tech10 award recipients, will be one of the key factors in attracting technology companies to Rhode Island and fostering overall industry success. Tech Collective congratulates each of this year’s Tech10 award honorees; they are the innovators and thinkers who will be the CTO’s and CEO’s in the not-too-distant future.”
“We had the opportunity here to do something completely differen
t with Tech10,” said Josh Fenton, co-founder of GoLocalProv.com. “There are hundreds of technology and entrepreneurship recognition programs out there, but there are very few – and none in Rhode Island – that are specifically designed to find and showcase some of our most talented and innovative individuals. Judging by the caliber of this year’s honorees, we can celebrate nothing less than success. GoLocal extends its appreciate and congratulations to each Tech10 award recipient.”

To learn more about the Tech10 Awards or attend the Tech10 Red Carpet Celebration event, visit www.tech-collective.org.

About GoLocalProv.com:
GoLocalProv.com is the “go to” local Web experience that breaks the biggest local stories – sports, weather, news, politics, arts, entertainment – and allows users to go as deep as they wish. Branded, credible, and respected contributors from RI create the stories and content. Information is delivered through multimedia, written, and video platforms. GoLocalProv.com features more than 50 contributors: weatherman John Ghiorse, Scott Cordischi and Mike Parente on Sports, and lead journalists like Stephen Beale, Andrea McHugh and Tracey Minkin. From Rhode Islanders and for Rhode Islanders: See it. Read it. Share it. For more information, visit www.GoLocalProv.com.

About Tech Collective:  
Tech Collective is Rhode Island’s Information Technology and Bioscience Industry Association. Uniting industry, government and academic stakeholders, our mission is to inspire, engage, educate and employ a high-skill, high-wage Knowledge Economy in Rhode Island. Since its transition from the Rhode Island Technology Council (RITEC) in 2004, Tech Collective has received more than $6M in federal, state and private grant funding to foster industry collaboration, awareness and development through events and initiatives including: GRRL Tech, Women in Technology, Bio-Ed, Tech Laureates’ Night and STEM-based education and training programs for K-16 students as well as incumbent and transitioning workers. For more information about Tech Collective, please visit www.tech-collective.org.  

Contacts:
Giselle LaFrance            Josh Fenton
Manager of Media Relations         Co-Founder
Tech Collective            GoLocalProv.com
401.829.8321            401.497.0186
glafrance@tech-collective.org         jfenton@golocalprov.com