2013 Award Categories
This award recognizes the organization that has demonstrated business leadership and excellence in innovation and a commitment to the knowledge-based sector in the Greater Toronto Region and possibly throughout Canada. Consideration in this category requires increasing profitability, community involvement and thought leadership, and demonstration of sound business fundamentals. A minimum of 8 years in business is required for judges to investigate the organizations’ growth and track record. A confidential process will be used to validate key performance data.
This award recognizes an organization that has demonstrated excellence in innovation and a commitment to the knowledge-based sector in the Greater Toronto Region while consistently reaching new customers or delivering new services within an existing customer, increasing revenues, adding employees, encouraging community involvement and embracing sound business fundamentals. A minimum of three and maximum of ten years in operation is required for judges to investigate positive growth and a proven track record. A confidential process will be used to validate key performance data.
This award is presented to a Greater Toronto Region based organization that has the greatest potential to demonstrate excellence in their business, and while embracing a commitment to the knowledge-based sector have steadily increased revenue, added employees, and embraced sound business fundamentals including the addition of an advisory board or board of directors. This category is reserved for operations that have been established for three years or less. A confidential process will be used to validate key performance data.
This award recognizes an organization from within the knowledge-based sector in the Greater Toronto Region that has demonstrated market innovation and successful export growth to reach new customers or deliver new services within an existing customer, increasing internationally sourced revenues, adding employees in the GTA while also encouraging community involvement and demonstrating sound business fundamentals. A minimum of three years in operation is required for judges to investigate positive growth and a proven track record. A confidential process will be used to validate key performance data.
This award recognizes the company or organization characterized as contributing in the role of tech enabler or “professional advisor or services” that has demonstrated business leadership innovation and excellence in a commitment to the growth and expansion of companies within the knowledge-based sector in the Greater Toronto Region. Consideration in this category requires increasing levels of community involvement and thought leadership, and demonstration of sound business relationships in the role as trusted advisor to tech business leaders. A minimum of 5 years in business is required for judges to investigate the organizations’ sustained commitment to the sector and business track record. A confidential process will be used to validate key performance data.
This award recognizes the individual who has demonstrated insight and forethought in building business relationships, thought leadership and excellence in innovation with a commitment to the growth and recognition of the knowledge-based sector in the Greater Toronto Region and possibly throughout Canada. Consideration in this category requires recognition for community involvement and thought leadership, and demonstration of sound advocacy as well as business fundamentals. A minimum of 20 years involvement in technology business, government service, or a Tech Enabling role is required for judges to investigate the appropriateness of the award nominee in this category. A confidential process will be used to validate key selection criteria.
The YTA started 30 years ago with an idea to create a community where technology leaders can openly share expertise, build trusted networks, and learn from their peers. To bring this idea to life, the YTA relies heavily on the very generous participation of volunteers who give their time, talent, and expertise to the development of the programs that build the YTA community. In fact, every year the YTA benefits from over 10,000 hours of volunteer time from senior executives and leaders from within the GTA tech community. The Community Builder Award recognizes an YTA member that has demonstrated a passion for the YTA and its community. They are committed to creating valuable programs, building networks, and evangelizing on behalf of the Alliance. A confidential process will be used to validate key selection criteria.
The Selection Process
Nominations for consideration in any of the categories being presented are welcome from anyone in the tech community of the Greater Toronto Region, including self-nominations. Any member of the YTA as well as any member of the Board of Directors may sponsor a nominee candidate in any of the categories outlined.
All nominations will be vetted by the combined Awards and Luncheons subcommittee which will make a recommendation to the operations committee of the board for the final decision on award recipients. The operations committee will make the final selection and determinations on these awards.
How to Apply
The award nominations are open to either YTA member or non-member companies in the Greater Toronto geographic area. These awards are in alignment with the objectives of the YTA: to raise the profile of the Tech Cluster and provide recognition for the work of our innovative and entrepreneurial companies to foster the growth of the tech community in Central Ontario.
Nominations are accepted from companies nominating themselves for consideration; or from their professional service advisers, clients or partners where those organizations believe the nominee would meet the award criteria.
Award Nomination
To make a nomination
Past Winners
2012 Winners
Start-Up of the Year
CoreFour
Corefour was founded in 2010 by four veterans of the software industry who have been developing globally successful products together for over 25 years. CoreFour's first product is called Edsby. Edsby blends secure social networking with advanced class and student management to create the world's best education engagement platform.
Momentum Company of the Year
Nulogy
Nulogy was started by a group of University of Waterloo engineering graduates with experience in several successful technology companies, as well as a professor with extensive research and consulting experience.
Nulogy's flagship product, PackManager, is used by packagers, manufacturers, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies across four continents. The cloud-based solution provides real-time visibility, traceability, quality, and cost information through a user-friendly interface.
Company of the Year
PCI Geomatics
Founded in 1982, PCI Geomatics is a world-leading developer of software and systems to process aerial and satellite imagery. The company provides integrated Esri imagery workflows, standalone image processing capabilities, and large volume processing throughput, giving customers the ability to produce high-quality image products. The company has set the standard in remote sensing and image processing tools offering customized solutions to the geomatics community in over 135 countries.
2011 Winners
Start-Up of the Year
mySpark Technologies
Steve Turner, Co-founder & CTO
The mySpark Education Platform is an education enabler that allows unprecedented connectivity between student and school. mySpark is dedicated to creating technology that helps our best and brightest reach their potential.
Momentum Company of the Year
DVS Sciences Inc.
Scott Tanner, Co-founder & CEO
DVS Sciences, Inc. is an analytical equipment and reagents development company that produces and markets a high throughput mass cytometer for individual cell analysis based on a novel elemental mass-spectrometry detection technology, and the reagents related to massively multi-parametric biological assays.
Company of the Year
Platform Computing
Songnian Zhou, Co-founder & CEO
Markham-based Platform Computing is the leader in cluster, grid and cloud management software - serving more than 2,000 of the world's most demanding organizations. Platform's workload and resource management solutions have delivered IT responsiveness and lower costs for enterprise and HPC applications. Platform has built strategic relationships with Cray, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Red Hat, and SAS.
2010 Winners
gShift Labs
Krista LaRiviere
Krista LaRiviere is an entrepreneur to the core. Having purchased her first business (a paper route) at age nine, she is on a constant mission to achieve business success. Krista co-founded cgk Technologies Group (1999) and Hot Banana Software (2004), both of which were purchased by Lyris, Inc in 2006. gShift Labs is Krista’s third start up and her vision is to execute the business plan textbook style.
Krista holds a degree in Economics, a Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) and a post-graduate degree in Information Technology. She has been recognized by numerous organizations for her leadership and business success including being named by the BDC as one of Canada’s Top Ten Young Entrepreneurs and being honoured by Nipissing University as Alumni of the Year.
While not working, Krista spends time with her family, is an active Rotarian and sits on a handful of volunteer boards and software Advisory Boards.
Solidifi Inc.
Ryan Smith
Ryan Smith brings more than 10 years of experience in mortgage technologies to Solidifi. Ryan has overall responsibility for Solidifi’s product design, delivery and infrastructure.
Throughout his career Ryan has demonstrated experience in building solutions for the Canadian and U.S. mortgage industries and has gained extensive knowledge and involvement in real estate collateral assessment and mortgage processing.
Ryan has held various executive positions at multiple organizations within the industry. As Vice President at Basis100, Ryan lead business units responsible for point-of-sale applications designed for mortgage brokers, and managed the development and implementation of an automated underwriting system for lending institutions. Ryan also led the market requirements and delivery of a U.S. collateral assessment solution which brought the leading AVM and appraisal companies onto a single order platform.
Ryan attended Brock University where he studied business administration and computer science.
Compugen Inc.
Harry Zarek
Harry Zarek is the President and CEO of Compugen.
Founded in 1981, Compugen is Canada's largest privately-owned IT services provider, offering a complete design-build-run-maintain lifecycle suite of professional IT services and is a top-level partner in Canada for Cisco, Citrix, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, VMware and other technology leaders.
Focusing on business strategy, Harry works with dozens of CIOs from mid-sized and large corporations and government agencies across Canada to help them leverage technology for better business results. Compugen reported revenues of CAD 300-350 million for the calendar year 2009.
Harry sits on a number of international advisory boards and panels including those of Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, and VMware. He holds a degree in engineering science and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Toronto and is an active investor and a director of a number of early-stage technology companies in North America.
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