Innovation Tri-Valley GameChangers Awards

Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group (ITV) is a collective of leaders and influencers committed to connecting the businesses, educational institutions, research labs, and civic leaders in the Tri-Valley region. According to the Tri-Valley Rising report published by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, the Tri-Valley regional innovation economy, which has over 730 tech companies, drives a $42 billion gross domestic product. ITV showcases the region as a technology and innovation powerhouse that outpaces the Bay Area megaregion in both job creation and economic growth. One of the ways that ITV promotes the region is through its annual GameChangers Awards.

"It's a party and an awards ceremony and the energy in the room will be electric," says Katie Marcel, Director of Brand Marketing. "The Tri-Valley's multi-sector crowd of influencers and stakeholders inside a cool sound-stage venue makes for an unforgettable evening." She notes that post-pandemic, the event was reimagined and is now held at Goal Line Productions, a Hacienda tenant and commercial production studio.

"Two of the biggest Tri-Valley real estate deals in 2022 were with past ITV GameChangers that have expanded locally with huge success," says Newmark Senior Managing Director Rich Hoyt, who also chairs  ITV's Business Innovation Committee. "Those two companies are Vagaro and Unchained Labs. This is an incredible event where a number of emerging companies are honored for their work and local contributions."

Both Vagaro and Unchained Labs are among the accomplished Hacienda tenants that have received ITV GameChangers Awards recognizing their innovative work in the region, which is rich with talented, highly educated, and ambitious entrepreneurs. For example, Ammad Khan, Co-Founder and CEO of Hacienda tenant and 2022 GameChangers Award winner IrisVision, said at the event last year, "I met my co-founder right here in Pleasanton, a neuroscientist from UC Berkeley, and together we dreamed about putting a solution together that would be a gamechanger for people who have vision impairments."

The Sixth Annual GameChangers Awards will be held on Wednesday, March 29, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm at Hacienda's Goal Line Studios on Coronado Lane. This event showcases "leading edge innovators driving the regional ecosystem" and will feature eight awards honoring companies in all five Tri-Valley municipalities, according to ITV executives. The evening kicks off with a reception at 5:30 pm that features wine, beer, and passed hors d'oeuvres. The awards portion of the program runs between 6 and 7 pm and ends with an hour of networking featuring more beverages and dessert from 7 to 8 pm.

For more information about Innovation Tri-Valley, please visit www.innovationtrivalley.org, www.instagram.com/innotrivalley, www.twitter.com/InnovTriValley, or www.linkedin.com/company/innovation-tri-valley-leadership-group.

To register for the 2023 GameChangers Awards, please visit www.innovationtrivalley.org/event/gamechangers-2023.

Photo by Lisa Chow Photography

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