Honorees announced for CYP Next Gen Awards
Tickets for the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce’s and Columbus Young Professional’s Next Gen Awards Luncheon are available. Cindy Frey, president of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, recently talked about the luncheon on our weekend “News & Views” program.
Categories including honoring a Next Gen business, innovator, educator and volunteer.
The keynote speaker will be Ellie Symes, CEO of the Bee Corp., an Indiana tech company that was founded in 2016.
Organizers say the award ceremony will recognize six individuals and one business selected for leadership, intelligence, exuberance and dedication to improving the community. They include:
YP Volunteer of the Year: This award is presented to a young professional whose extraordinary civic engagement, philanthropy, volunteerism, and public service has benefited the community.
2019 Award Winner – Tyshaun Allen, Taylor Brothers Construction. Allen has served on the Columbus Area Multi-Ethnic Association board of directors for five years and currently serves as its president. He also served on the team that led the Welcoming Communities survey and serves as technology consultant to African American Fund of Bartholomew County and the Columbus Enrichment Program.
YP Innovator of the Year: This award is presented to a young professional whose innovation, entrepreneurial vision, courage, and leadership has made a positive impact in the community.
2019 Award Winner – Joshua Carter and Adrian Soca Wibowo of Helix BioStructures, LLC. These Indiana University alums run a research services company.
YP Educator of the Year: This award is presented to a young professional who has demonstrated initiative, creativity and excellence in an education role, has taken on leadership roles in the community and acted as role model to those around them.
2019 Award Winner – Shane Yates, BCSC pre-kindergarten director, manages the early childhood education programs.
Unsung Hero: This award recognizes a public service leader who has operated behind the scenes, silently working in a dedicated and committed fashion, without the limelight, who has laid the foundation for stellar public service results and has created positive change in their organization and community.
2019 Award Winner – Tim Green, Foundation for Youth.
NextGen Business of the Year: This award is presented to a Columbus business or organization that complements workplace culture among millennial employees with a commitment to attracting, retaining and developing the young, professional workforce.
2019 Award Winner – Assisted Independence, Nathan Red. He created a business plan, with support from SCORE, and founded the company. Now he employs 50 people who serve clients in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Columbus.
Community Contribution Award: This award recognizes someone who is positively impacting this community, making Columbus a better place to live, work and play.
2019 Award Winner Susana Villegas, Program Coordinator, Columbus Area Arts Council.
The awards luncheon is Sept. 13th at 11:30 a.m. at The Commons. Tickets are available at columbusareachamber.com.