The AIM Tech Awards presented by Cox Business celebrated the local tech community and its leaders Thursday night at Peter Fink’s Muscle Car Museum in Omaha. More than 600 attendees cheered on award recipients and helped raise donations for the Omaha-based AIM Institute and its work in the region. 

“As we look at expanding the AIM Tech Awards to beyond Omaha, Lincoln and Council Bluffs — which we currently celebrate — we want to see it become really the celebration of the Heartland,” said Maggi Thorne, vice president of philanthropy and communications at AIM. 

The AIM Tech Awards honor the achievements of local talent and those who have made a difference in the community. Twelve award winners were celebrated, ranging from students succeeding in the classroom to companies shaping innovation and opportunities into reality. 

Award highlights:

• Deepak Khazanchi, Ph.D., of the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Information Science & Technology, won Higher Ed Tech Leader
• Nebraska Innovation Labs won Tech Startup of the Year
• Clarkson College won Tech Innovator of the Year
• Mike Smith of The Bay won Tech Leader of the Year
• Women in Technology of the Heartland (WITH) won Tech Champion of the Year
• Children’s Nebraska won Tech Company of the Year

A common theme of the night was access, and the need to grow professional networks and mentorship to strengthen and diversify the pipeline of tech talent in Nebraska.

“This award means recognition for a great cause that is helping really grow Nebraska through building companies and helping students get access to real meaningful work that will set them ahead in their careers,” said Dillon De Rozairo, chief operating officer at Nebraska Innovation Labs. 

“This award means everything to this organization,” said Colleen Schinker of WITH. “It’s such a wonderful bunch of women, and that’s why we get so much done. We know how to collaborate together and move things forward—all with the intention of making things better for women in technology.”

Nominations are now open to the public for the AIM Tech Awards 2025. Thorne said they plan to move the celebration to the CHI Grand Ballroom next year with the hopes of 1,000 attendees.
The AIM Institute is a nonprofit with the mission to grow the region’s tech sector by building and supporting its tech workforce. The organization leads educational programs for all ages, provides career mentoring and hosts conferences like the Heartland Developers Conference and Big AI.