2020 Winners

The 2020 FUSE Business Innovation Awards recognize a wide range of players in the innovation ecosystem and celebrate their accomplishments. Congratulations to these outstanding innovators!

Bill & Gayle Cook Entrepreneur of the Year

Awarded to a founder who has created an environment where employees can flourish and whose customers love their products or services

• Eddie DeSalle | Net Irrigate
• WINNER—Jeff Mease | One World Enterprises
• Adam Quirk and Jeff Wuslich | Cardinal Spirits
• Ari Vidali | Envisage

Mentor of the Year

Awarded to an outstanding role model who has advised and encouraged best practices in an early stage company’s growth

• Jane Kupersmith | Hopscotch Coffee and City of Bloomington
• Chris Martoglio | Blue Burro
• WINNER—Cy Megnin | Velocities
• Geng Wang | Civic Champs

Company of the Year

Awarded to a company who exemplifies Bloomington’s values while achieving revenue and job growth

• WINNER—Catalent
• Hanapin / BrainLabs
• NetIrrigate
• RegattaVR

Rising Star of the Year

Awarded to a company with less than ten employees that has laid the foundation for future revenue and job growth

• Content Cucumber
• WINNER—Genie Supply
• infoSentience
• Stagetime

Partner of the Year

Awarded to an organization who directly impacts the success of The Mill and its members

• WINNER—Cook Center for Entrepreneurship
• The Combine
• gBETA
• IU Ventures

Community Leader Supporting Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Awarded to an individual who proudly and unapologetically supports The Mill and its members with time, energy, and talent

• WINNER—Lynn Coyne
• Jane Martin
• Sue Sgambelluri
• Pete Yonkman

Newsworthy Event of the Year

Voted by Mill members and awarded to an individual, corporation, or organization who best demonstrates through public relations that great things are happening in Bloomington

• WINNER—Catalent invests $50mm and hires 300 additional employees to support a COVID-19 vaccine
• Civic Champs is welcomed into the inaugural class of Techstars Iowa
• Envisage accepts an investment from Norwest, with $9.5 billion in assets under management
• Hanapin grows 50% since selling in February to BrainLabs, its largest UK competitor
• NetIrrigate sells to Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN)
• RegattaVR sells to NIIT, a multi-billion dollar company

Psst! Take a look at our other business awards too!