Chicago Innovation Awards

The Chicago Innovation Awards was created by the Chicago Sun-Times and Kuczmarski & Associates in 2002. Each year the Awards recognize 10 Chicago area businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations that develop the year’s most innovative new products and services.

2010

The 2010 Chicago Innovation Awards reception was held at the Goodman Theater. A Visionary Award was given to Rocky Wirtz, president of the Wirtz Corp. and owner/chairman of The Chicago Blackhawks, winner of the Stanley Cup in 2010.

Recipients

• crowdSPRING - A marketplace for creative services
• Abbott Laboratories - ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combination Test
• Chicago Transit Authority - Online Bus Tracker system
• Smart Medical Technology - Liftaem patient transfer system
• Master Lock - Speed Dial
• SoCore Energy - Portable solar mounting system
• MJSI Inc. - HydroRight
• USG Corporation - Sheetrock Brand Ultralight Panels
• Lextech Labs - iRa C3
• Molex Inc. - Circular MT Expanded Beam Interconnect
• Touch Taste Technologies - TouchLife Interactive Tables
• InContext Solutions - 3D Virtual Store Research

2009

The 2009 Chicago Innovation Awards reception was held at the Goodman Theater.

Recipients

• EveryBlock - A news feed for your block
• HeartSounds, Inc. - easy to use cardiac monitoring devices
• Abbott Laboratories - Similac SimplePac
• HERO Pipe - Highrise emergency response offensive pipe
• Aircell - Gogo Inflight Internet Service
• ComScore - comScore Ad Effx Suite: Offline Sales Lift
• Groupon - Collective buying power
• Rescue Vac Systems, Inc. - Rescue Vac 800 Series Rescue Kit
• Suncast Corporation - No Crank Water Powered Hose Reel
• University of Illinois at Chicago - Robotic Surgery Program
• Tripp Lite - ECO Series UPS Systems
• Visible Vote - Vote Past Election Day
• The Art Institute of Chicago - The Modern Wing

2008

The 2008 Chicago Innovation Awards reception was held at the Goodman Theater.

Recipients

• PrepMe
• Molex
• Flashpoint
• First Alert
• Zorch
• The Gas Technology Institute
• Cleversafe
• Fieldglass Insight
• Abbott Laboratories
• National Pasteurized Eggs

2007

The 2007 Chicago Innovation Awards reception was held at the Goodman Theater. A Visionary Pioneer Award was given to Joe Mansueto, the CEO of Morningstar.

Recipients

• Abbott Laboratories - The Abbott RealTime HIV-1 Assay and the m2000 System
• Ovation Pharmaceuticals - Innovative Business Model
• Experencia Immersive Learning Center - EarthWorks and Exchange City
• DriFire - driFire Performance FR Wear
• City Of Chicago - Chicago Department of Transportation's Green Alley Program
• S&C Electric Company - TripSaver Dropout Recloser
• SkinnyCorp - Threadless
• Radio Flyer - Ultimate Family Wagon
• SAVO - SAVO
• Fellowes - The Powershred DS1 personal shredder with SafeSense

2006

The 2006 Chicago Innovation Awards reception was held on October 30, 2006 at the Goodman Theater. A Visionary Pioneer Award was given to Gerald Putnam, the founder of Archipelago, an electronic stock exchange that was recently bought out by The New York Stock Exchange. The event was hosted by Thomas Kuczmarski, President and Senior Partner of Kuczmarski & Associates and Dan Miller, Business Editor of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Recipients

• Sara Lee - Soft and Smooth Made with Whole Grain White Bread
• USG Corporation - SHEETROCK Brand Lightweight All Purpose Joint Compound - Plus 3 (Ready-mixed) with Dust Control
• Feedburner - Feedburner Feed Management
• Motorola - Finger Writing Technology
• Goettsch Partners - 111 S. Wacker Office Building, Chicago
• LoggerHead Tools - Bionic Wrench
• Check, Please! - Check, Please!
• Ocean Tomo LLC - Live Intellectual Property Auctions
• Community Energy Cooperative - Energy-Smart Pricing Plan
• 37signals - Basecamp

2005

In 2005, the Chicago Innovation Awards reception was held on October 18 at the Goodman Theater. Casey Cowell, founder of U.S. Robotics was the keynote speaker and the winner of the 2005 Visionary Pioneer Award.

Recipients

• Abbott Laboratories - PathVysion
• City of Chicago/Millennium Park, Inc. - Millennium Park
• Intellext - Watson
• Laminar Technologies, LLC - TurboTap
• LISC/Chicago - The New Communities Program
• Motorola - RAZR V3
• Novarra - nWeb Mobile Browser
• USG Corporation - DUROCK Tile Membrane
• Vibes Media - iRadio Text Messaging Platform
• Solvent Systems, International - Grease Gator

2004

Recipients

• ACCO Brands - Wilson Jones Big Mouth Filer
• American Cancer Society - Patient Navigation Services Program
• Arryx - Bioryx Platform
• Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board of Trade - Common Clearing Link
• Digital Kitchen - BrandTheatre
• TriTeq Lock and Security - TriTeq Lock
• Orbitz for Business - Orbitz
• Middleby-Marshall Corporation - WOW Pizza Oven
• nPhase, LLC - Machine-to-Machine Solutions

2003

Recipients

• Abbott Laboratories - HUMIRA
• Archipelago Holdings, LLC - The Archipelago Exchange
• Authentify, Inc. - Authentify
• CoolSavings, Inc. - Coupon Technology
• Globus Alliance - Globus Toolkit
• Motorola - Motorola Canopy Wireless Broadband
• PAWS Chicago - Lurie Family Spay/Neuter Center
• Shure - Sure E₂/E₂C Earphones
• SmartSignal Corporation - Equipment Condition Monitoring
• Wilson Sporting Goods - Youth Batting Helmet

2002

Recipients

• Aon Risk Services - Wired for Growth
• Argonne National Laboratory and SourceTech Medical - “Fast Track” Commercialization for Production of 125 Implant Seeds
• City of Chicago - Mayor Daley’s Earned Income Tax Credit Program
• Madison Information Technologies - ALIGNDEX
• Northwestern Memorial Hospital - Best Patient Experience
• QuesTek Innovations - Materials by Design
• Rubbermaid Home Products - Tool Tower
• Sara Lee Corporation - Bali Shoulder Spa
• United Air Lines - EasyUpdateSM Provided by Centerpost Corporation
• Walgreen Co. - Multi-Language Prescription Label

External links

• The Chicago Innovation Awards
• Kuczmarski & Associates Innovation Leadership