WRALTechWire will host its second “Full Steam Ahead Awards” celebration on Oct. 24 at the Full Steam Brewery in Durham. Ten individual leaders and five companies will be honored at the free event. We also will be recognizing several life-time achievement winners. Save the date!

From its launch 11 years ago, WRALTechWire has been focused on the energy of high-tech and life science entrepreneurship, innovation. We’re taking that commitment a step further again this year with these awards which are designed to honor the individuals and companies that are so crucial to North Carolina’s future.

The event is free, although we will ask people tor register in advance. We will post registration information in the near future.

Nominations are now open, and we ask WRALTechWire readers to submit their choices in each of the following categories. You do not have to be a subscriber to make a nomination.

However, the winners will be determined by votes from WRALTechWire Insider subscribers.

Send your nominations to me (rsmith@wral.com).

Best of the Best

Ten individual winners will be named, all playing off the express train to success theme.

The categories:

• Mogul – Top investor/owner

• Conductor – Board chairman

• Engineer – CEO

• Fireman – COO (operations)

• Brakeman – CFO (spending)

• Signalman – CIO/CTO (technology/information)

• Rookie – Top entrepreneur

• Steward – Mentor/advisor to startups

• Yardmaster – Developer/visionary driving regional development and/or a type of technology

• Inventor – Creator/mastermind

While mogul and inventor don’t refer specifically to railroads,moguls did build them and inventors created all that has run on tracks.

The Top Companies

We also will name five corporate winners:

• The Express – Non-stop on way to success

• The Turnaround – (The railroad turntable, turning engines around to run in opposite direction) – A rebuilt company

• The Golden Spike – A solid, grind-it-out day to day company

• The Subway – A company emerging from stealth mode

• Riding The Third Rail – A company achieving success on a deadly “third rail” where other companies have tried and failed

People’s Choice

We will have a “people’s choice” winner – someone nominated and selected by WRALTechWire readers.

Life-Time Achievement

We also will salute some of North Carolina’s best-known technology leaders with life-time achievement honors.

So circle the date on your calendar. 

You will want to be there.

Read more online about who were winners last year.