Digital Assent, ViziTech USA and OFS Fitel Among Winners at the 2011 Spirit of Endeavor Awards

ATLANTA, Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Digital Assent LLC, ViziTech USA and OFS Fitel were among the big winners in the 2011 Spirit of Endeavor awards held this morning at TWELVE Atlantic Station. Bob Chism, chief technology officer for Concurrent; Stewart Rodeheaver, president of ViziTech USA; and Darnell Washington, president and CEO of SecureXperts also received individual awards. The Spirit of Endeavor Awards, hosted by TechAmerica Georgia and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) recognize and celebrate innovative technology companies and individuals in the state that drive new ideas, invigorate the community and lead people through technology.

More than 200 of the state's technology luminaries attended the ninth annual event which saw a record number of nominations for the awards. Open to both TechAmerica members and non-members, the awards recognize the critical components of creativity and execution of ideas that the technology industry thrives upon

"We were astounded by the number of quality entries we received for the Spirit of Endeavor awards this year," said Tino Mantella, president and CEO of TAG and TechAmerica Georgia.  "But that all goes to show that Georgia's technology industry is indeed thriving. We extend our congratulations to all winners, finalists and nominees and appreciate the work they do every day to advance our businesses and lives through technology."

ViziTech USA won the "Cool Technology" category, which was determined by onsite text voting and presented during the awards ceremony. The award goes to a company judged as have a "cutting edge, hip new idea."  The finalists in the "Cool Technology" category were: SoloHealth; TripLingo; and Cardlytics.

Top honors in the "Emerging Business" – which recognizes the achievements of a young company – went to Digital Assent. The finalists included: OneSpring LLC; Rural Sourcing, Inc.; Contact At Once! LLC; and Vitrue.

Stewart Rodeheaver, president of ViziTech USA received the "Technology Entrepreneur" award, presented to an individual who has demonstrated leadership in bringing technology to market. The finalists were:  Jay S. Yadav, M.D., founder and CEO of CardioMEMS; Bart Foster, CEO of SoloHealth; Paige Besson, vice president of marketing for Verdeeco; and Reggie Bradford, CEO and founder of Vitrue.

The winner of the "Outstanding Leadership" award was Bob Chism, chief technology officer for Concurrent.  The award goes to the individual who has demonstrated significant leadership in the technology community.  Finalists included: Reggie Bradford, CEO and founder of Vitrue; Greg Foster, co-founder and CEO of BrightWhistle; David Moeller, co-founder and CEO of CodeGuard; and Joel Gilbert, chief software architect and co-founder of Apogee Interactive.

Darnell Washington, president and CEO of SecureXperts, garnered top honors in the "Technology Innovation" category which recognizes an individual for the development of breakthrough technology. The finalists were Stewart Rodeheaver, president of ViziTech USA; Evan LaPointe, vice president and director of analytics and client performance; Joel Gilbert, chief software architect and co-founder of Apogee Interactive; and Bart Foster, CEO of SoloHealth.

"The number and caliber of entries this year made it extremely difficult for our judges to pick the finalists and winners," said Bruce Kopkin, chairperson of the Spirit of Endeavor Awards Committee and Mid-Atlantic director of sales for IBM. "We extend our congratulations to all 2011 nominees, finalists and winners and we thank our sponsors and everyone who supported the program and helped us raise the bar for this year's awards."

The TAG-Ed Workforce Readiness Award, a new award for 2011, was presented to the mentor participating in the TAG Education Collaborative Summer Internship Program that best prepared his or her student for a future career in the technology field. This award went to Yi Sun, Ph.D, technical staff, R&D for OFS Fitel and Anish Narayanan, her student intern.

The 2011 Spirit of Endeavor Awards are sponsored by Platinum sponsor Concurrent, Gold sponsor ASAP Solutions Group, and Silver sponsor Burnette Insurance, CresaPartners and Intel.  A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the TAG Education Collaborative.

To learn more about the event and see a complete list of nominations, please visit: http://www.tagonline.org/Spirit-of-Endeavor.php.

About TechAmerica Georgia

TechAmerica is the largest and strongest voice and resource for technology in the United States and is the industry's leading trade association. TechAmerica Georgia, formerly TechAmerica Southeast, was created in late 2009 under a unique partnership between TechAmerica and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), which provides operational management for the organization. TAG is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG's mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia's technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. For more information visit the about TechAmerica Georgia and TAG, visit www.tagonline.org .

About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG's mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia's technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia's technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state's economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG's charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG's community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.

CONTACT: Becky Biggs,+1-404-920-2008, [email protected]  

SOURCE Technology Association of Georgia

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