Innovating Success
There is a famous picture of two farmers slogging down the road in a wagon with square wheels. What is the cargo that has them all worked up in a sweat? A load of round wheels.Having round wheels, and even knowing how to use them, is not enough. People who know how to make the round wheels rounder are the ones who are really onto something.
On November 14, Marcum had the privilege of honoring six companies that have successfully solved a challenge or a need in their respective industries. Our Philadelphia office got together with Region’s Business magazine to launch a new award program celebrating innovation.
The inaugural Marcum Innovator of the Year Awards showcased ingenuity in four industry sectors: Healthcare, Technology, Business Management and Energy. Our goal was to identify companies that have positively impacted the Philadelphia region’s economy and/or have significantly benefited their industries or end-users.
Let me tell you, the nominations we received were seriously impressive. Narrowing the pool down to 16 finalists was no easy task, and our expert judging panel had quite a job on their hands. But ultimately, six winners were selected, and each of them represented brilliantly the raw material for business success in any market and any industry. The formula is a combination of vision, passion, technical expertise and the drive to succeed.
The 2013 winners included these outstanding companies:
- Technology (small) – StreamTV Networks, innovator of 3D viewing technology that converts all programming into a 3D format without the need for special glasses.
- Technology (large) – Rajant, pioneer of scalable and easily deployed Kinetic Mesh network technology for industrial and military wireless communications.
- Healthcare (small) – HealthQx, innovator of data analytics and software solutions for transparency into the quality and cost efficiency of the healthcare system.
- Healthcare (large) – Globus Medical Inc., a medical device manufacturer specializing in the design, testing and launch of innovative spinal implants.
- Business Management – Continuum Health Alliance, a practice management services innovator.
- Energy – StratIS EMS, an energy management system that allows building managers to control energy usage at every point of consumption throughout the property portfolio.
Listening to what each of these companies had to say, as their CEOs accepted their awards, was a poignant reminder of the importance of entrepreneurship in our economy. Building corporate empires is wonderful. But innovating solutions that allow whole industries to improve the way they operate, and thereby create employment and drive economies forward, is the baseline for what has made the U.S. a world leader. It was, in fact, the baseline for the Industrial Revolution, which gave rise to U.S. economic dominance.
Fittingly, the Innovator Awards event took place at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, a venue named for one of our country’s greatest inventors . Former Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker, now an SVP at Renmatix, a Philadelphia biotechnology company, delivered the keynote address.
It was a great night that reminded me why we do what we do at Marcum. First and foremost, we are in the business of helping our clients succeed in their businesses. We continually work to perfect the ways that we accomplish this, forever sanding and smoothing the wheel as we go.
In point of fact, Innovator of the Year is one of several unique programs produced by Marcum in many of our markets, which showcase the best of the best both in our communities and within our Firm. From the Tech Top 40 Awards in New England, to the annual MicroCap Conference in New York, to the annual Governmental Symposium in South Florida, the brand new Construction Summit in New England, and the Marcum Workplace Challenge on Long Island, Marcum has a tradition of collaborating with our communities to celebrate success.
Our new Innovator of the Year program was the brainchild of David Glusman, Partner-in-Charge of our Philadelphia office. He was ably assisted by Jacki Hallinan, our Marketing Manager in Philadelphia, who worked tirelessly with David to make sure this latest Marcum program came off without a hitch. They did us proud, and I congratulate and thank them and our entire Philadelphia team.
Be on the lookout for more new initiatives like this from other Marcum offices around the country (join our mailing list here). Our wheel is always turning.
