TechColumbus Honors Local Leaders & Students for Their Technology Achievements at Annual Innovation Awards Ceremony

TechColumbus  announced winners of its annual Innovation Awards, which recognize Central Ohio leaders and companies for their outstanding achievements in technology leadership and innovation. Thirteen business leaders and two high school students were recognized at a ceremony last evening at the Columbus Convention Center. More than 1,000 people participated in the awards celebration.

“For the past 13 years, individuals, companies and technology teams have come together to nominate and celebrate the best in technology leadership and innovation in Central Ohio,” said Ted Ford, president and CEO of TechColumbus. “These awards showcase the incredible contribution that companies, both large and small, are having in our community and beyond.”

A panel of volunteer judges, made up of leaders in the field of technology and innovation, reviewed each set of nominations by category. The following are this year’s winners:

Innovation Award Winners for Achievements in 2009:

Executive of the Year (Less than 50 Employees):
Alan Arman
Founder & CEO, 3X Systems
Columbus, OH 43212

Contact:
Alan Arman
Founder & CEO, 3X Systems
Columbus, OH 43212
614.372.6868
www.3x.com

Alan Arman has dedicated his entire career to creating and leading companies that provide practical and entirely innovative business technologies. Having founded or co-founded five different technology companies since 1986, Arman currently helms 3X Systems, maker of the 3X Systems Remote Backup Appliance, which was named Product of the Week by NetworkWorld magazine. Getting to this point has required Arman to successfully coordinate a delicate balance of funding management, product development and company growth. 3X Systems has seen an increase in gross sales of 60 percent over last year with an average sale value increase of nearly 40 percent and an install base of over 200 clients as diverse as Austin Dive Shop to Morgan Creek Productions (a Hollywood film studio that has spent over a billion dollars creating films), all of whom require the protection that only a superior data backup product can offer.

Executive of the Year (More than 50 Employees):
David Blom
President & CEO, OhioHealth
Columbus, OH 43215

Contact:
Mark Hopkins
Director of Media Relations, OhioHealth
Columbus, OH 43215
614.544.4301
www.ohiohealth.com

David Blom is president and CEO of OhioHealth, a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare organization serving and supported by the community. Based in Columbus, Ohio, it is a family of 18 hospitals, 23 health and surgery centers, home-health providers, medical equipment and health service suppliers throughout a 40-county area. Blom has been instrumental in the development, growth and financial stability of the OhioHealth system. Under Blom’s leadership, OhioHealth has achieved long-term profitability and grown to 15,000 associates and more than $2 billion in net revenues. With the leadership and expertise of Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Michael Krouse, Chief Information Officer, OhioHealth created the OhioHealth Research & Innovation Institute, which provides broad access to centralized clinical research and technology transfer services across the OhioHealth system; advanced the Center for Medical Education + Innovation, a state-of-the-art medical education and training laboratory that incorporates some of the most advanced patient simulation and education technologies available anywhere in the world; and launched Dublin Methodist Hospital, one f the most innovative, technologically advanced hospitals in the nation.

Green Innovation:
Estech USA, LLC
Canal Winchester, OH 43110

Contact:
Jan Michalek and Thomas Theodore
Estech USA
Canal Winchester, OH 43110
614.496.7696
www.estechusallc.com

Recognizing a developing need for more effective municipal waste management in the US and around the world, Dan and Charles Slane acquired the rights to a primitive waste management processing technology, known as waste autoclaving, in 1998. Autoclaving renders wastes sterile, and provides for automated post-autoclaving separations of valuable components. Autoclaving eliminates the need for, and the adverse effects of, landfills. Over the intervening years, over
$7 million has been invested by Estech’s investors in the development and commercialization of a working product. The first commercial system was introduced in Wales in 2003. Following its success, the Estech investors modified the system to allow autoclaves to compete in the US market. Systems are now being offered for sale around the world. The product, the FibreCycle Mod 3 system, has been devised, conceived, innovated and tested with a diligent and intensive effort of inspiration and engineering. The Mod 3 system, as compared to existing waste management practices, lowers emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, lowers consumption of fossil fuels, and when fully deployed, can eliminate the need for large (and permanent) sanitary landfills. The electric power it produces is Green and provides a substantial income from carbon credits. In developing countries, the Mod 3 system can be instrumental in lowering diseases transmitted from and via open landfills, while replacing oil as electricity fuel. The Mod 3 system provides for the recycle and reuse of plastics and metals in addition to the extraction of clean cellulose and its conversion to steam and electricity.

Innovation in Non-Profit Service Delivery:
Edheads
Hilliard, OH 43926

Contact:
Gail Wheatley
Director, Edheads
Hilliard, OH 43926
614.205.1951
www.edheads.org

Edheads offers free educational activities to schools and families with internet connections. Their unique, educational Web experiences make hard-to-teach concepts understandable by using the power and interactivity of the Internet. Edheads activities help users connect school to the world around them. Heading towards 12 million unique users for 2009, Edheads activities help schools, students and families around the country learn more about science, technology, engineering and math. Through grants and sponsorships, Edheads is available free of charge, thus providing important educational software to millions who would otherwise not be able to afford such experiences.

Inventor of the Year:
Joseph Heremans
Ohio Eminent Scholar and Professor; Mechanical Engineering & Physics Dept. The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH 43210. Read the story published by the OSU College of Engineering.

Contact:
Joseph Heremans
Ohio Eminent Scholar and Professor; Mechanical Engineering & Physics Dept. The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH 43210
614.247.8869
www.mecheng.osu.edu/people/joseph-heremans

Joseph Heremans is cited for the invention of high-efficiency thermoelectric materials based on resonant levels. Dr. Joseph Heremans’ research is focused on thermal transport properties of solids and nanostructures, aimed at developing thermoelectric materials with improved efficiency for both electrical power generation and heat pumping applications. A decade of research in his group and others has led to improved efficiencies through a reduction of the thermal conductivity by adding nanostructrues to thermoelectric materials. In contrast, since 2005, he has focused on developing bulk thermoelectric materials in which the increased efficiency is based on the details of the chemical bonds at sub-nanometer levels.

Minority-Owned Business Enterprise:
Moody•Nolan, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43215

Contact:
Curtis Moody
CEO, Moody•Nolan, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43215
614.461.4664
www.moodynolan.com

Moody•Nolan was founded in 1982 by Curtis J. Moody, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, and Howard E. Nolan, PE. Moody•Nolan provides professional services in the discipline of architecture, civil engineering and interior design. Having won more than 145 design citations, the firm has grown steadily and today is the largest African American owned and operated design firm in the country with a staff of more than 160. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the firm has regional offices in six additional cities. Annually planning and designing more than $350 million of construction, the
firm’s primary areas of specialization are: Commercial, Sports/Recreation, College/University, Healthcare, Institutional/ Civic, Early Childhood/K-12 Education, Retail, Transportation/Aviation, Mixed-use Development and Public Safety.

Outstanding Product (Less than 50 Employees):
ClearSaleing, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43212

Contact:
Randy Smith
President, ClearSaleing
Columbus, OH 43212
614.313.7433
www.clearsaleing.com

ClearSaleing’s unique ability to give marketers telescopic insight into their online ad investment through its award winning advertising analytics and attribution management product is attracting major brand customers, such as American Greetings, Nationwide Insurance, OfficeMax, Helzberg Diamonds and many more. The ClearSaleing Product is based on 3 fundamental cornerstones: (1) Cross-Media Profit Tracking – the ability to measure and compare any marketing campaign’s success based on the only metric that matters: profit; (2) Accurate Attribution Management – the ability to track, sequence and accurately value all of the ads that contributed to a sale or conversion; (3) Advertising Portfolio Optimization – the ability to optimally allocate advertising investments across available advertising sources and campaigns. This unique combination ensures that ClearSaleing is providing marketers with a true and accurate picture of the performance of their online advertising investment and allows them to improve and optimize that performance over time.

Outstanding Product (More than 50 Employees):
Veeam Software
Columbus, OH 43017

Contact:
Carrie Reber
Veeam Management Suite
Columbus, OH 43017
614.339.8202
www.veeam.com

As more and more organizations build virtual environments, they need a comprehensive end-to-end solution that addresses all major data protection and systems management challenges. The Veeam Management Suite is that comprehensive end-to-end solution. Its innovative systems management software helps organizations safeguard their investment in virtual infrastructures by reducing costs, increasing productivity, and mitigating risk. Founded in 2006, Veeam Software is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio and has more than 170 employees worldwide.

Outstanding Service (Less than 50 Employees):
Exacter, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43235

Contact:
John Lauletta
CEO, Exacter, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43235
614.880.9320
www.exacterinc.com

Exacter, Inc is a provider of outage-avoidance and smart grid enabling technology and services to the electric utility industry. The EXACTER® system utilizes advanced sensory-array technology to provide early warning of failing overhead distribution equipment. Geospatial mapping provides location data and problem severity for maintenance prioritization and outage avoidance. Exacter has surveyed over two million utility poles across North America. Field test data shows that Exacter failing equipment findings are 97.8 percent accurate. Exacter has conducted pilot projects with over 100 utilities in North America, primarily at the proof of concept/technology stage. The Company has recently hit an inflection point of acquiring larger scale business case projects with top tier utilities.

Outstanding Service (More than 50 Employees):
Progressive Medical, Inc.
Westerville, OH 43082

Contact:
Angelo Mazzocco
Chief Information Officer, Progressive Medical, Inc.
Westerville, OH 43082
800.777.3574
www.progressive-medical.com

In an industry where cost containment companies come and go, Progressive Medical remains a viable, trusted resource for workers’ compensation payors. A key reason is the value that Progressive Medical provides to its clients. The company’s innovative claims management technology is just one example. IFX 8.0 is a value-added service designed to help Progressive Medical clients increase productivity and manage claims more efficiently and cost-effectively. This latest version of IFX is a complete rewrite of the platform and is based on valuable customer feedback. Since launching earlier this year, the product has received rave reviews by its customers. Using IFX, claims professionals can rapidly submit referrals, activate or deactivate service, research history or assign medication service plans in just a few clicks of the mouse. In addition, it features real-time reporting capabilities and valuable reference tools. It also includes a chat feature -- giving the claims professional instant access to technical support without having to pick up the phone. The impact of IFX 8.0 has been phenomenal. Clients are seeing a true impact on their bottom line as the result of a 50 to 80% increase in productivity and the ability to analyze information in real-time. Use of the system has also increased by 52% and the company’s 350 clients are seeing transaction process costs reduced dramatically -- at times by as much as 80%.

Outstanding Startup Business:
Exacter, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43235

Contact:
John Lauletta
CEO, Exacter, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43235
614.880.9320
www.exacterinc.com

Exacter, Inc is a provider of outage-avoidance and smart grid enabling technology and services to the electric utility industry. The EXACTER® system utilizes advanced sensory-array technology to provide early warning of failing overhead distribution equipment. Geospatial mapping provides location data and problem severity for maintenance prioritization and outage avoidance. Exacter has surveyed over two million utility poles across North America. Field test data shows that Exacter failing equipment findings are 97.8 percent accurate. Exacter has conducted pilot projects with over 100 utilities in North America, primarily at the proof of concept/technology stage. The Company has recently hit an inflection point of acquiring larger scale business case projects with top tier utilities.

Outstanding Tech Team:
Weigh in Motion Business Leader, Mettler-Toledo, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43240

Contact:
Bob Susor
Weigh in Motion Business Leader, Mettler-Toledo, Inc.
Columbus, OH 43240
614.638.1162
www.mt.com

The Weigh in Motion Project Team worked together using a strategic approach to design a new weigh station for Florida’s I-4 corridor. Due to the increase of commercial truck traffic, the static weigh stations could no longer handle the volume. Thus they would close frequently, allowing trucks to continue without being checked for compliancy. The new automated Weigh In Motion (WIM) system addresses this need by providing compliance checks while the vehicle is in motion at speeds of 50 MPH. This significantly increases the station’s throughput as only those with violations are directed to the static scale for further investigation. Mettler Toledo‘s system provided the State of Florida with a solution that ensured the protection of infrastructure while taking into account the safety of the traveling public.

Outstanding Woman in Tech:
Cheryl Herbert
President, Dublin Methodist Hospital
Dublin, OH 43016

Contact:
Lara Lindsay
Communications and Media Relations Associate, Dublin Methodist Hospital
Dublin, OH 43016
614.544.4243
www.ohiohealth.com

Cheryl Herbert, RN, is president of OhioHealth’s Dublin Methodist Hospital – the first fully digital, wireless hospital in Ohio, and the first hospital in the nation to integrate a fully digital environment with evidence-based design principles that promote and enhance healing. From the very beginning, it was Ms. Herbert’s vision of a “high-tech, high-touch” healing environment that drove the conceptualization, design and construction of the hospital. To achieve this vision,
Herbert and Dublin Methodist Hospital partnered with the Center for Health Design’s Pebble Project, a national research effort exploring ways in which architectural design can improve benefits and outcomes for patients and caregivers. The hospital environment that emerged from her vision is both revolutionary and truly the first of its kind.

High School Student:
Alburuj Rahman
Junior, Metro High School

Contact:
Alburuj Rahman
Junior, Metro High School
Columbus, OH 43201
614.292.1888

Alburuj, with the guidance of mentor Jian Wang, Ph.D., Director of the Radiation Response Modeling Program at the James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, recently completed a dosimetry study of cranio-spinal irradiation (“CSI”). The goal of the study was to find a novel technique for delivering uniform radiation and for reducing the radiation dose in CSI for the effective destruction of cancerous cells in fluids. CSI is commonly used for pediatric patients whose longterm radiation toxicity is of considerable concern. In this research, Alburuj and his mentors developed a new CSI method with the beam divergence matching approach. Using this technique greatly improved the target dose homogeneity and reduced the hot dose spots to normal tissue during the CSI treatment. Alburuj presented his abstract at the 2009 Association of Physics in Medicine annual meeting, an extraordinary honor for this meeting of high-level professionals in the field.

High School Student:
Margaret Yatsko
Senior, Columbus School for Girls

Contact:
Margaret Yatsko
Senior, Columbus School for Girls
Westerville, OH 43081
614.890.7770

Margaret (“MJ”) is serving her second year as co-captain of her school’s FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition for Science and Technology) robotics team, a group that provides students the unique opportunity to design, build, and program a robot for annual competition. Each year, the nature of the competition changes, the robot-building goal changes, and all teams have six weeks to build a functioning robot which can weigh as much as one hundred and twenty pounds and stand as high as five feet tall. MJ was chosen to co-captain a second term in part due to her willingness to do whatever needs to be done and to inspire others to be more dedicated. In her most recent tenure, the team has grown to its largest membership since the group’s inception in 1992. Given the substantial growth in members, MJ and her co-captains are taking a new approach by building two robots this term instead of one.
 

About TechColumbus

TechColumbus is a nonprofit organization that focuses on technology-based economic development in the 15 counties of central Ohio. TechColumbus accomplishes this by:

• Providing professional development and technology business assistance to both large and small companies that rely on technology for business success
• Managing a 62,000 square foot technology business incubator that has been recognized as one of the best in the country
• Managing TechStart, the $22.5 million Central Ohio Entrepreneurial Signature Program, with a mission to create, finance and launch new tech companies in central Ohio
• Assisting in the development of facilities for tech companies
• Working with state and local organizations to attract new tech companies to the region

For more information about TechColumbus visit the website.