Jim Masterson speaks Thursday night at the 2019 Prometheus Awards.

“If you cut me open, I bleed technology,” proclaimed Jim Masterson, CEO of LightEdge Solutions. 

Masterson, who was accepting a Prometheus Award for CEO of the Year, seemed to be speaking for everyone in the sold-out crowd on Thursday night. Almost 1,000 audience members representing companies in computer science, bioscience, agritechnology, fintech and other fields attended the 2019 Prometheus Awards, presented by LWBJ and the Technology Association of Iowa. 

LWBJ presented the LWBJ Impact Award to Ames Seed Capital to honor the organization’s impact on the growth, success and sustainability of Iowa’s technology culture and industry.

Dwolla earned two awards (small/medium Technology Company of the Year, and new category FinTech & InsurTech Company of the Year) out of three category nominations, the most awards of the night. 

Granular (Creative Technology Solution of the Year), Geonetic (Best Technology Company Culture) and Tiffany Williamson, senior engineering manager of Collins Aerospace (Emerging Technology Leader of the Year) won in three of the newest categories for 2019. 

Iowa employs more than 88,000 workers in an $11 billion technology industry, according to TAI. 

“To the winners tonight, I challenge you to think of this not as an award that you’re winning, but a baton you’re being handed,” said Dave Tucker, senior vice president of product development at Workiva. 

2019 Prometheus Award Winners

FinTech and InsurTech Company of the Year: Dwolla
AgTech and BioTech Company of the Year: Renewable Energy Group
Manufacturing Technology Company of the Year: Vermeer Corp.
Software Development Technology Company of the Year: Performance Livestock Analytics
IT Service Provider Technology Company of the Year: Circle Computer Resources
Startup Technology Company of the Year: Gross-Wen Technologies
Creative Technology Solution of the Year: Granular
Best Technology Company Culture: Geonetic
CEO of the Year: Jim Masterson, LightEdge
CIO/CTO/CiSO of the Year: Casey Decker, FBL Financial Group
Emerging Technology Leader of the Year: Tiffany Williamson, Collins Aerospace
Technology Community of the Year: Greater Des Moines
Technology Company of the Year (small/medium): Dwolla
Workiva Large Technology Company of the Year: Scientific Games