Tampa Bay Tech has named finalists for its 22nd annual awards show, set for Friday, Nov. 7 at Armature Works in Tampa. The event coincides with the council’s 25th anniversary and is expected to draw hundreds from across the region’s tech community.
The Emerging Tech Company of the Year shortlist features three young firms headquartered in Tampa Bay. NEXI Biotech focuses on integrated in-vitro technologies. Blitz AI builds AI plan review tools for permit compliance. Cloud partner TROFEO delivers Microsoft Azure strategy and implementation.
Finalists for Emerging Tech Leader of the Year are each under 40. Connor Tumbleson is director of engineering at Sourcetoad. David Sawyer is founder and CEO at TSOLife. Riley Walker is founder and CEO at ryco.io.
Tech Company of the Year recognizes established firms headquartered in the region. 3D Cloud provides 3D product visualization tools for retailers. NIX is a software engineering company with a U.S. base in Tampa. PeopleGuru offers HCM software.
Tech Project of the Year honors in-house projects launched between September 2024 and September 2025. SkyTL is nominated for WindTL, a decision intelligence tool for weather-driven threats. Lightspeed Voice is recognized for NOVA, an AI assistant for business communications. Barterfy advances a trade-credit marketplace for businesses.
Paul Toomey
Tech Leader of the Year highlights C-suite executives. Paul Toomey is president and CEO at Geographic Solutions. Dwayne L. Allen is SVP and CTO at Unisys. Andrew B. Shipton is president and CTO at JMXi.
Dwayne Allen
Tech Educator of the Year recognizes educators who move students toward technology careers. Marlee Strawn is co-founder at Scholar Education. Suzanne Ricci leads Computer Coach. Chad Mairn teaches at St. Petersburg College and runs the college’s Innovation Lab.
Andrew Shipton
The program begins at 8 p.m. following a 6 p.m. reception and 7:15 p.m. dinner. An after-party runs to 11 p.m. Smart casual or cocktail attire is suggested.
A separate Community Dedication & Leadership Award will be selected by past chairs and award recipients. The recognition spotlights sustained service to Tampa Bay Tech and long-term impact on the broader community.
Tampa Bay Tech said in a prepared statement that “The night is less about pageantry and more about a status check. Which products shipped. Which teams scaled. Which educators moved students closer to tech careers. With finalists spanning startups, enterprises and classrooms, the show offers a clear snapshot of where the region stands right now.”