NCW Tech Alliance honors winners at 24th Annual Innovator Awards

WENATCHEE — More than 400 people filled the Wenatchee Convention Center on Nov. 4 to celebrate creativity, technology, and community at the 24th Annual Innovator Awards Luncheon hosted by NCW Tech Alliance. Elected officials joined educators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders for the gathering, underscoring the region’s growing commitment to innovation and opportunity.

Five awards recognized standout achievements from across North Central Washington:

• K–12 Future Technology Leader of the Year — Gerardo Guerrero, Quincy High School.
  Guerrero built a four-level video game from scratch using the Godot engine and serves as a mentor to younger students. His emotional thanks to his parents drew a standing ovation and set the tone for the afternoon.
  
  
• STEM College Innovators of the Year — Dillon Cornelius and Juan Martinez, Wenatchee Valley College.
  Their student-led team partnered with Chelan PUD engineers to design an electromechanical control system for Dryden Dam — bridging classroom learning with real-world infrastructure.
  
  
• STEM Champion of the Year — Lindsay Groce, Big Bend Community College.
  Groce was honored for expanding access to science education through mentorship and events such as STEMPosium, connecting students and institutions across the region.
  
  
• Newcomer in Technology — Bigfoot Communications.
  A social-purpose enterprise of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Bigfoot was recognized for advancing broadband access and digital sovereignty on tribal lands. Executive Director Ernie Rasmussen accepted the award, telling the crowd, “Awards like this are not an end point — they’re a reminder of our responsibility to keep serving, to lead with purpose, and to elevate those around us.”
  
  
• Entrepreneur of the Year — Edwin Eaton.
  Founder of iPro Building Services, Eaton was recognized for turning a local janitorial company into a multi-state enterprise and for mentoring others through ventures such as BluePrint Consulting and Cinch Software.
  
  

“This year’s finalists showed innovation with heart,” said NCW Tech Alliance Marketing Director David Mabee. “The room was filled with energy and pride — a reminder that world-class innovation is happening right here in North Central Washington.”

The keynote address came from Colleen Kerr of Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute and AI for Good Lab, who discussed how artificial intelligence can expand opportunity when guided by purpose and inclusion. Following her talk, NCW Tech Alliance CEO Dr. Sue Kane remarked, “Technology doesn’t change the world on its own. It’s the educators, entrepreneurs, and community builders who give it meaning.”

Now in its 24th year, the Innovator Awards continue to spotlight the creativity and collaboration that define North Central Washington’s technology and education landscape.

For more information or photos of this year’s winners, visit ncwtech.org/innovators.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media