The Delaware Innovation Awards capped off the #DIW17 Innovation Celebration (which it itself was capping off the third Delaware Innovation Week), and it couldn’t have been more of a blast.

Between the live HipHoponomics performance by Rodney Woodland and Tai Jones of Cab Calloway School of the Arts (more on them in another post), the many moments of glory and the fact that the festivities began at 5:00 p.m., there was plenty of fun to go around.
It may have been part of the party, but the Delaware Innovation Awards are a serious honor, with members of the tech community nominated by and voted for by their peers.
This year, we had seven awards, all presented to people/entities that had not won in that category previously. This year’s awards were designed by Barrel of Makers and made at the new Innovation Center at the Route 9 Library.

Tonight @technicallyDE is giving out these #DIW17 awards- designed by us, and then fabricated at the new Route 9 Library and #innovation Center. @DELibraries @TheMillDE pic.twitter.com/yrLjZZCWM8

— Barrel Of Makers (@BarrelOfMakers) November 9, 2017

And the winners are:

Dev Product of the Year: Textable

Textable just had its beta launch in April, but it’s causing a big buzz. The app makes it easy to text businesses (or customers), with features like automated answers to frequently asked questions and direct interaction via SMS.

Tech Mission Org of the Year: Zip Code Wilmington

This has been a big year for Zip Code, with its shiny new space at The Mill that will allow the coding bootcamp to take on more students. It’s no shock that Zip Code scored lots of votes — many in Wilmington’s tech community have launched careers thanks to the program.
https://twitter.com/MelanieAugs/status/928817179381944322

Design/Dev Firm of the Year: The Barn

The Barn seems like its always got something big going on, from landing huge national clients like NBC Sports to taking on major local projects such as the Conrad Schools of Science’s rebrand.

Technologist of the Year: Erin Perry, JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase has been working hard to solidify its image as a tech company, and having Erin Perry win Technologist of the Year can only help put them on the map.

CTO of the Year: Mark Thompson, WhyFly

No big surprise here — WhyFly is probably the most talked about startup in Delaware right now, and they may just change how the entire state (and beyond) consumes WiFi.

Tech Startup of the Year: BookBandit

Founded by Jim Jannuzzio, who’s still a student at University of Delaware in the Horn Program for Entrepreneurship, BookBandit is an app that helps college students find the best deals on textbooks. It’s already gaining attention beyond Delaware, including an invitation to the exclusive Google Advantage Program.

Growth Tech Company of the Year: The Archer Group

Once a small boutique design firm, The Archer Group is truly growing — and had a recent office upgrade to prove it. If you’re a fan of Wawa hoagies, you see their work every time you order using the Wawa touchscreen.