November 8th, 2022 marked the 20-year anniversary for the Governors Celebration of Innovation Awards and Tech Show. It was an enthusiastic evening celebrating Arizona’s technology leaders at the Phoenix Convention Center where 500 guests gathered to enjoy a strolling dinner, tech showcase, and awards ceremony. Marcus Engineering was honored to be the recipient of the 2022 Ed Denison Business Leader Award for contributions to Arizona’s technology industry through relentless community involvement, leadership, visibility, and excellence in economic development activity.
“We are grateful to be recognized for our efforts in our community and within the tech ecosystem. In this age of remote work, it can be so easy to keep our heads down, focus on customers, and ignore the rich resources in our own backyard.” Said President Patrick Marcus. “However, Marcus Engineering best employees, greatest partners, and many customers across the country have grown out of local and state level community engagement.”
The Arizona Technology Council has been the catalyst for Marcus Engineering the past decade by providing opportunities for networking, finding resources, searching for employees, and simply making friendships with other Tech Council members. Through the Arizona Tech Council, Marcus Engineering is able to convene with fellow tech entrepreneurs to discuss ideas, find resources together, and deal with a lot of the challenges that we often face as tech leaders.
“Post pandemic, the energy and excitement of the tech showcase was a blast! It felt amazing to engage face to face with members of the Arizona Technology Council and the tech community.” Stated Dana Gunn, Operations Manager at Marcus Engineering.
A highlight during the tech show was a group of elementary school children. Their naturally curious minds asked questions about the electronics display items on our table such as circuit boards, medical laser consoles, motors, LED displays, and sensors. They shared stories about how they like to take apart old T.V.s and RC cars at home, and how they want to build and launch rockets into outer space! Not all childhood heroes are movie stars or professional athletes. Sometimes it can just be a group of engineers doing cool things and we love it! There are lot of kids who look up to the builders, creators, makers, hackers, and overall innovators in their own backyard.
Half a dozen high school Future Innovators were recognized at the awards ceremony for their cutting-edge problem-solving innovations. The Future Innovator of the Year award winners and honorees represent top tier Arizona Science and Engineering Fair students from across the state, and all received scholarships to continue enhancing their education. Their innovations address everyday issues that impact our communities on local and global scales. Projects ranging from non-invasive technology to detect skin cancer, AI-based wildfire prevention, detection, and suppression, AI-based device for the visually impaired to navigate unfamiliar environments using computer vision, cold rocket engines, active wrist mechanism utilizing spherical gear and a one-drive mechanism, and using coir fiber to improve soil water storage capacity. It’s wonderful to have a space where young STEM minds can be immersed with their local Innovation and Tech Ecosystem Leaders. And we are eager to cultivate this next generation!
