As part of our effort to highlight products and innovation Made in Champaign County (#MadeInCC), we were happy to connect Parkland College with some of our local manufacturers so they could create videos to highlight the companies, their products, work environment, job opportunities, and more.
EpiWorks, Inc.
Frasca International, Inc.
BRG Sports
HL Precision Manufacturing, Inc.
Advanced Filtration Systems, Inc.
Congratulations to Lori Gold Patterson, CEO of Pixo and EDC Board member! Lori will receive the V. Dale Cozad Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Parkland College on June 8th at the iHotel and Conference Center. Read more about the award here.
Pixo was recently honored at Innovation Celebration 2016 as a finalist for the Innovation: Longevity Award.
About Pixo: Pixo is a woman-owned development house that has been a part of the Champaign-Urbana technical community for seventeen years. They comprise a team of thirty-two cross-disciplinary creative problem-solvers who thrive in a culture of vulnerability, humans over profit, and risk-taking. Pixo engages in development for companies of all sizes—from enterprises to start-ups. When a client has a vision for a product or service, Pixo has the team to design and build it. Learn more at http://www.pixotech.com/.
Over 400 people gathered at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for the 11th Annual Innovation Celebration on the evening on January 22nd to recognize those individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions, taken risks, and provided leadership to ensure the continuing economic success of Champaign County, the ongoing success of the University’s economic development mission, and the growth of entrepreneurial talent and energy in the community. 
Innovation Celebration is not merely an award for accomplishment, but a benchmark of success for those outstanding individuals, organizations and corporations who are nominated and selected to receive this prestigious award.
Innovation Celebration is hosted by the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation in partnership with the University of Illinois, Parkland College, and community sponsors. For more information, visit www.innovationcelebration.com.
Award Winners
Entrepreneurial Excellence: Social Venture Award
Pens to Lens
Entrepreneurial Excellence: Student Startup Award
BioAnalytics
Entrepreneurial Excellence: New Venture Award
Inprentus
Entrepreneurial Excellence: Advocacy Award
Paul Magelli
Innovation: Economic Development Impact Award
Carle Illinois College of Medicine
Entrepreneurial Excellence: Management Award
Mike Folk
Innovation: Longevity Award
Wolfram
Innovation Transfer Award – University of Illinois
Dr. Paul Hergenrother
Alexis Wernsing Innovation Award – University of Illinois
The Wernsing Family
Innovation in Engagement Award – Parkland College
Dean Marietta Turner
The EDC is pleased to work with the following sponsors of Innovation Celebration 2016: the University of Illinois’ Technology Entrepreneur Center, Research Park, Office of Corporate Relations, and Office of Technology Management, along with Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Parkland College, Singleton Law Firm, Serra Ventures, Pavlov Media, BRG Sports, City of Champaign, Village of Rantoul, Martin Hood Friese & Associates, EpiWorks, Illinois Applied Research Institute, Fox Development Corporation, Ramshaw Real Estate, Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County EDC, U of I Employees Credit Union, Surface 51, M2 on Neil, and McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff.
A special thanks to 40 North for producing the videos.
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Press:
Innovation Celebration 2016: An eye-opening evening, Smile Politely
Excellence honored, The News-Gazette
#INNCEL Tweets & Posts, Storify
The University of Illinois Office of Technology Management, Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, and organizers of Innovation Celebration are pleased to announce a new award to be given at Friday’s event. 
The Alexis Wernsing Innovation Award recognizes an individual or team from the University of Illinois that has channeled their experience living with a disability into positive change through the creation of new products, environments, or protocols that enhance quality of life.
The award honors the memory of Alexis Wernsing, a University of Illinois art history student and aspiring teacher who was working on a voice amplification system for the disabled when she passed away in 2015. To help realize her dream of teaching and to aid others who also have difficulty projecting their voices, Alexis had been collaborating with a team from the College of Fine & Applied Arts and the Division of Disability Resources & Educational Services on a wheelchair voice amplifier called AmpliMy. The team received proof-of-concept funding from the Office of Technology Management to develop a prototype.
Her dedication to innovation as a force for good inspired the award, which will be part of the annual Innovation Celebration. This first year the award will be presented to her family in her memory. In subsequent years a call for nominations will go out alongside the other award categories.
Alexis Wernsing – Photo courtesy of Skot Weidmann
The 11th annual Innovation Celebration will be held on January 22, 2016 at 5:30 pm in the lobby of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The event recognizes those that have made significant contributions, taken risks, and provided leadership to ensure the continuing economic success of Champaign County, the ongoing success of the University’s economic development mission, and the growth of entrepreneurial talent and energy in our community. A total of 10 awards will be handed out on Friday evening, recognizing and honoring 24 finalists.
Innovation Celebration is free to attend and open to the public. Learn more and RSVP at www.innovationcelebration.com.
The EDC is pleased to work with the following sponsors of Innovation Celebration 2016: the University of Illinois’ Technology Entrepreneur Center, Research Park, Office of Corporate Relations, and Office of Technology Management, along with Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Parkland College, Singleton Law Firm, Serra Ventures, Pavlov Media, BRG Sports, City of Champaign, Village of Rantoul, Martin Hood Friese & Associates, EpiWorks, Illinois Applied Research Institute, Fox Development Corporation, Ramshaw Real Estate, Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County EDC, U of I Employees Credit Union, Surface 51, M2 on Neil, and McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff.
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Contacts:
For more information about the Alexis Wernsing Innovation Award:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Office of Technology Management
Nicole Nair, 217-244-5011
nnair@illinois.edu
For more information about Innovation Celebration:
Champaign County Economic Development Corporation
Carly McCrory, 217-359-6261
carly@champaigncountyedc.org
The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation is pleased to announce finalists for the 11th Annual Innovation Celebration in recognition of those individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions, taken risks, and provided leadership to ensure the continuing economic success of Champaign County, the ongoing success of the University’s economic development mission, and the growth of entrepreneurial talent and energy in the community.
Innovation Celebration is not merely an award for accomplishment, but a benchmark of success for those outstanding individuals, organizations and corporations who are nominated and selected to receive this prestigious award. Additionally, Innovation Celebration serves as a tangible collaboration between the Champaign County EDC, University of Illinois, Parkland College and the community.
The winner of each award category will be announced at Innovation Celebration 2016, held at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, January 22, 2016 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. To RSVP and learn more about the event, visit www.innovationcelebration.com.
Award Finalists
Entrepreneurial Excellence: Social Venture Award
PSYONIC
Pens to Lens
MakerGirl
Entrepreneurial Excellence: Student Startup Award
Blink Technologies
FlipWord
BioAnalytics
Entrepreneurial Excellence: New Venture Award
Inprentus
Quicket Solutions
RINGR
Entrepreneurial Excellence: Advocacy Award
iVenture Accelerator
Stephanie Larson
Paul Magelli
Innovation: Economic Development Impact Award
Carle Illinois College of Medicine
State Farm Research & Development Center
The Pygmalion Festival
Entrepreneurial Excellence: Management Award
John Busbee
Mike Folk
John-Paul Buzard
Innovation: Longevity Award
Wolfram
Pixo
R Systems NA, Inc.
2016 Innovation Transfer Award Recipient – University of Illinois
Dr. Paul Hergenrother
Innovation in Engagement Award – Parkland College
Award recipient will be announced at the event.
The EDC is pleased to work with the following sponsors of Innovation Celebration 2016: the University of Illinois’ Technology Entrepreneur Center, Research Park, Office of Corporate Relations, and Office of Technology Management, along with Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Parkland College, Singleton Law Firm, Serra Ventures, Pavlov Media, BRG Sports, City of Champaign, Village of Rantoul, Martin Hood Friese & Associates, EpiWorks, Illinois Applied Research Institute, Fox Development Corporation, Ramshaw Real Estate, Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County EDC, U of I Employees Credit Union, Surface 51, M2 on Neil, and McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff.
Champaign County, home to the University of Illinois, features world-class technological resources and superb location and transportation benefits that make it a strategic hub for technology and industrial development.
Founded in 1991, Taylor Studios, Inc. began as a mail-order business creating museum-quality artifacts, fossil reproductions, and exhibits for museums and other clients. Quickly recognized for the passion and expertise brought to each project, the company initially carved out a niche in the paleontology, archaeology, and natural history fields. Today, Taylor Studios is recognized as an industry leader in exhibit planning, design, fabrication, and installation, serving a diversity of clients throughout the country and internationally. Their 3D storytelling now reaches beyond natural history to cultural history, history walls, and immersive environments of all kinds. Read More »
Frasca International manufactures flight simulators for all aircraft types, fixed and rotary wing, used for pilot training for airlines, flight schools, colleges and universities, military, law enforcement, air evac and commercial organizations. Since its founding in 1958, over 3,000 Frasca simulators have been delivered worldwide. Read More »