2026 Leadership & Impact Categories

Nominations Open: September 1 – October 30, 2026

Behind every meaningful advance are the people and organizations with the vision to make it happen. The CODiE Leadership & Impact Awards recognize exceptional individuals, teams, and organizations whose leadership, innovation, and measurable impact are shaping the future of technology and education.

Nominate Today

Every category is evaluated on:

Strategic Vision & Leadership
Innovation & Execution
Measurable Impact
Organizational & Industry Influence
Sustainability & Future Outlook

Leaders

AI Leader of the Year

Honors a leader who is advancing responsible AI strategy, innovation, and implementation with clear, measurable business and societal impact.

Application questions:

Describe your AI leadership vision and strategic goals. (Max 300 words)
What measurable business or societal outcomes have resulted from your leadership? (Max 250 words)
How do you ensure responsible, ethical, and compliant AI practices? (Max 250 words)
How have you influenced your organization or industry in advancing AI innovation? (Max 200 words)

CODiE Icon Award

Honors an exceptional technology leader whose vision, achievements, and sustained leadership have made a defining and lasting contribution to the industry. This award recognizes an individual whose influence extends beyond a single organization or innovation. It recognizes a leader who has helped shape the evolution of technology, inspired others, and created an enduring legacy of impact.

Application questions:

Career-Defining Leadership and Innovation: Describe the nominee’s most significant achievements and contributions to the technology industry. (Maximum 300 words)
Enduring Industry Influence: Provide evidence of the nominee’s lasting influence on organizations, markets, technologies, or industry practices. (Maximum 250 words)
Leadership, Values, and Mentorship: How has the nominee demonstrated exemplary leadership, responsible practice, and a commitment to developing or inspiring others? (Maximum 200 words)
Continued Relevance and Contribution: How does the nominee continue to influence, innovate, or help shape the future of technology? (Maximum 200 words)

Digital Transformation Leader of the Year

Honors a leader who has successfully led enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives, delivering lasting operational, cultural, or market impact.

Application questions:

Describe the transformation initiative you led and your role. (Max 300 words)
What obstacles did you overcome? (Max 250 words)
Provide measurable business or operational outcomes. (Max 250 words)
How has your leadership advanced digital maturity or innovation within your organization or industry? (Max 200 words)

EdTech Leader of the Year

Recognizes an individual whose leadership has significantly improved learning outcomes and educational access through technology innovation.

Application questions:

Describe your contributions to advancing educational technology and learner outcomes. (Max 300 words)
How have your initiatives supported educators, students, or institutions in measurable ways? (Max 250 words)
Share a flagship initiative demonstrating your leadership. (Max 250)
How do you promote responsible and equitable EdTech adoption? (Max 200)

Startup Leader of the Year

Recognizes an executive from a company under five years old who is accelerating innovation and shaping the future of their sector.

Application questions:

Describe your mission and the market problem addressed. (Max 250 words)
What leadership decisions fueled early success and growth? (Max 300 words)
Provide measurable traction (growth, funding, partnerships). (Max 250 words)
How are you positioning the company for sustainable long-term impact? (Max 200 words)

Technology Innovation Leader of the Year

Recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing technology innovation and creating meaningful business, customer, or societal impact. This award honors technology visionaries, engineering leaders, architects, and technical innovators whose work has driven transformational outcomes through the development, application, or adoption of emerging technologies.

Application Questions:

Describe your technology vision and the innovations you have led or championed. (Max 300 words)
What measurable business, customer, or societal outcomes have resulted from your work? (Max 250 words)
How have you influenced your organization or the broader industry through your technical leadership? (Max 250 words)
How do you approach building and mentoring technical talent and fostering a culture of innovation? (Max 200 words)

Women in Tech Leadership Award

Celebrates a woman leader who is driving meaningful innovation, growth, and equity within the technology industry.

Application questions:

Describe your leadership impact in your organization or industry. (Max 300 words)
How are you advancing equity, mentorship, or representation? (Max 250 words)
Provide measurable results under your leadership. (Max 250 words)
What legacy or future vision defines your leadership path? What advice or legacy do you hope to leave for the next generation of tech leaders? (Max 200 words)

Teams

AI Training Team of the Year

Honors a team demonstrating exceptional expertise, collaboration, and innovation in building and deploying AI training systems that improve model accuracy, efficiency, and ethical performance.

Recognizes teams that advance AI capabilities while implementing strong governance, compliance, and responsible AI guardrails.

Application questions:

Team mission & strategic role (Max 300 words)
Innovative programs, frameworks, or systems introduced (Max 250 words)
Measurable outcomes (Max 250 words)
Cross-functional collaboration & influence (Max 200 words)
Broader industry or ecosystem contribution (Max 200 words)

Customer Success Team of the Year

Recognizes a team that has delivered measurable improvements in customer experience, retention, and growth through collaboration, innovation, and strategic execution.

Application questions:

Team mission & strategic role (Max 300 words)
Innovative programs, frameworks, or systems introduced (Max 250 words)
Measurable outcomes (Max 250 words)
Cross-functional collaboration & influence (Max 200 words)
Broader industry or ecosystem contribution (Max 200 words)

People & Culture Team of the Year

Honors a team that has collectively strengthened workplace culture through initiatives that advance inclusion, engagement, employee development, and organizational performance.

Application questions:

Team mission & strategic role (Max 300 words)
Innovative programs, frameworks, or systems introduced (Max 250 words)
Measurable outcomes (Max 250 words)
Cross-functional collaboration & influence (Max 200 words)
Broader industry or ecosystem contribution (Max 200 words)

Companies

Best Applied Research with Real-World Impact

Honors an organization or product team conducting original or significantly novel research that has been successfully translated into measurable real-world application.

This category recognizes research that moves beyond theory to drive tangible outcomes through product innovation, deployment, adoption, or meaningful user and community impact.

Eligible entries may include proprietary research, applied studies, or data-driven experimentation that directly informs or powers a technology product, platform, or solution.

Application questions:

What problem did the research aim to solve, and why was it important?
How was the research conducted, and what makes the approach credible?
How did the research findings directly influence the product, platform, or solution?
Share evidence of measurable real-world impact or outcomes.
How is this research being used today and how might it scale or evolve in the future?

Tech Company of the Year

Recognizes a technology company that demonstrates sustained innovation, measurable impact, and industry leadership across its sector.

Application questions:

Describe your company’s mission, core innovations, and the markets you serve. (Max 300 words)
Highlight major achievements in the past year that demonstrate leadership, innovation, or impact. (Max 250 words)
Provide measurable results — such as growth, adoption, market share, or societal contribution — that define your success. (Max 250 words)
How does your organization foster a culture of innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement? (Max 200 words)

Technology Impact & Excellence Award

Honors a company that has made a lasting contribution to the technology industry through sustained innovation, influential leadership, and measurable impact. This award recognizes a company whose work has helped shape its market, advance the industry, and create enduring value for its customers, partners, or communities.

Revise the application questions:

Sustained Innovation: Describe the organization’s most significant innovations and how they have advanced its industry or market. (Maximum 300 words)
Measurable and Lasting Impact: Provide evidence of the organization’s long-term influence, adoption, growth, or impact on customers, communities, or the broader technology ecosystem. (Maximum 250 words)
Leadership and Responsible Practice: Describe the organization’s leadership philosophy including culture, governance, and ethical practices and how they have contributed to its success and industry standing. (Maximum 250 words)
Continued Relevance: How is the organization continuing to evolve, innovate, and contribute to the future of technology? (Maximum 250 words)