Frisco, Texas, September 19, 2025
News Summary
The 25th annual Tech Titans Awards at the Hyatt Regency Frisco‑Dallas at Stonebriar celebrated innovation and leadership across the North Texas tech community. Winners spanned corporate and startup CEOs, university research groups, fast‑growing companies, and community contributors across more than a dozen categories. Highlights included the Corporate CEO, Startup Company CEO, and a Hall of Fame induction, plus awards for cybersecurity, biotech, and semiconductor research. The ceremony showcased emerging talent, regional collaboration, and sponsors from industry and academia, underscoring the region’s growing role in technology development and economic growth.
25th Annual Tech Titans Awards in Frisco Honors Regional Tech Leaders
The event was the 25th annual Tech Titans Awards. The ceremony celebrated more than a dozen category winners and took place in Frisco, drawing leaders from across the North Texas technology community. The awards ceremony took place at the Hyatt Regency Frisco‑Dallas at Stonebriar. The awards recognize innovation and leadership in the North Texas technology community.
Top winners and highlights
The Corporate CEO award winner was Chandra Dhandapani of Magnit. Dhandapani is Dallas‑based and was appointed CEO of Magnit Global in December 2024. Since becoming CEO, Dhandapani oversaw the evolution and introduction of two solutions at Magnit: Redeployment Marketplace and Maggi, a new Gen‑AI companion. Prior to Magnit, Dhandapani served as CEO of Global Workplace Solutions at Dallas‑based CBRE and previously held several positions at Capital One for nearly 18 years, including SVP, chief information officer, and digital transformation leader in the financial services division. Dhandapani currently serves on the board of directors of Northern Trust and previously served on the boards of Turner & Townsend, Exeter Finance, and OnDeck.
The Startup Company CEO award went to Chris Brickler, co‑founder and CEO of Mynd Immersive. Mynd Immersive is Dallas‑based and a provider of VR‑based immersive digital therapeutics for aging adults across the U.S., Canada, and Australia. In 2024, Chris Brickler helped launch Mynd Immersive’s Great American Elderverse at CES in Las Vegas in collaboration with Dallas‑based AT&T, HTC VIVE, and the CTA Foundation.
The Tech Titans Hall of Fame inductee was Dr. Richard Benson, retired president of The University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Richard Benson served as UT Dallas president from July 15, 2016, through Aug. 1. Leadership under Benson grew UT Dallas in enrollment, moved it to NCAA Division II in 2025, helped it qualify for National Research University Fund research dollars in 2018, secured several government projects, and infused arts and culture into campus programming.
Other major category winners
- JobTread won the Fast Tech award as North Texas’ fastest‑growing tech company. JobTread won Fast Tech honors for the second year in a row. JobTread is an all‑in‑one construction estimating and project management software platform.
- The Corporate Innovation award winner was Prodapt North America. Prodapt opened its Americas Innovation Center in Richardson in the prior year and signed a memorandum of understanding with Invest Alberta in July to expand operations in that Canadian province.
- The Emerging Company Innovation award winner was DigitalXForce. DigitalXForce is an Irving‑based startup with a cloud‑based platform to help organizations manage cybersecurity risk by automating tasks and offering real‑time risk assessments. Lalit Ahluwalia, CEO of DigitalXForce, won the Emerging Company CEO award.
- Merlin Bise, CTO of Inbenta, won the Emerging Company CIO/CTO award. Inbenta announced its new headquarters at One Bethany West in Allen in 2023 after relocating from California to North Texas.
- The Community Hero award went to Debbie Mrazek, president of The Sales Company.
- The Corporate CIO/CTO award went to Todd Kackley of Textron.
- The Technology Advocate award winner was Jennifer Sanders of the North Texas Innovation Alliance. Sanders will help lead the Smart Cities Global Startup Challenge in November, returning for its second year at the 2025 Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona.
- The Technology Inventor award went to Dr. David Roberson of Blackbox Bio. Blackbox Bio is a Dallas‑based biotechnology company that develops an AI‑driven, automated system for observing and analyzing rodent behavior in drug discovery. David Roberson is founder and CEO of Blackbox Bio and earned his PhD through the Program in Neuroscience at Harvard, where he invented the MoSeq rodent behavioral assessment tool.
- The Tech Titans of the Future — College/University award went to The University of Texas at Dallas, North Texas Semiconductor Institute. The Tech Titans of the Future — High School award went to Marcus Edwards of Farmersville Independent School District.
Selection process, sponsors and community reach
Winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by a panel of peer judges. The awards recognize contributions spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, education, automation, and more. Winners were described as having made groundbreaking contributions to the tech industry both locally and globally.
The presenting sponsor of the 2025 Tech Titans Awards Gala was The University of Texas at Dallas. The City of Frisco was the program’s first Host City Sponsor. The 2025 Tech Titans Awards were supported by BGSF Professional, BravoTECH, Deloitte, Ericsson, Veritis, Prodapt North America, Amazech, CyrusOne, the City of Richardson, Argent and Associates, Murata, Inbenta, and Qorvo. The Fast Tech sponsors were Comerica Bank, the Dallas Business Journal, Moss Adams, and Baker Tilly.
Organization and governance updates
Marvin Harris Jr., senior foundry engineering manager at Qorvo, was elected chair of the Tech Titans board of directors. Tech Titans said each new board member is elected for a two‑year term and the board can have up to 40 individuals representing all sectors of the North Texas technology industry. The Tech Titans board added 16 new board members for 2025 and listed returning and new members across industry, education, and government.
Tech Titans: the Technology Association for North Texas is described as the largest technology trade association in Texas with 200 member companies from across the region. Elsewhere the organization is said to represent more than 300 member companies and over a quarter‑million tech workers in the region. Tech Titans is headquartered in Richardson.
Tickets and tables for the awards were stated to go on sale August 1. The story was updated on July 29, 2025, with additional event details.
Event format and local context
The Tech Titans Awards show honored winners in more than a dozen categories and presented Fast Tech rankings announced by rank at the ceremony. The City of Frisco has been noted as reinforcing its place as a leading hub for technology and forward‑thinking innovation and has hosted public‑private innovation projects and facilities.
FAQ
What was the event?
The event was the 25th annual Tech Titans Awards.
Where did the ceremony take place?
The awards ceremony took place at the Hyatt Regency Frisco‑Dallas at Stonebriar.
Who won the Corporate CEO award?
The Corporate CEO award winner was Chandra Dhandapani of Magnit.
Who won the Startup Company CEO award?
The Startup Company CEO award went to Chris Brickler, co‑founder and CEO of Mynd Immersive.
Who was inducted into the Tech Titans Hall of Fame?
The Tech Titans Hall of Fame inductee was Dr. Richard Benson, retired president of The University of Texas at Dallas.
Which company won the Fast Tech award?
JobTread won the Fast Tech award as North Texas’ fastest‑growing tech company.
Who won the Corporate Innovation award?
The Corporate Innovation award winner was Prodapt North America.
Who won the Emerging Company Innovation award?
The Emerging Company Innovation award winner was DigitalXForce.
Who received the Community Hero award?
The Community Hero award went to Debbie Mrazek, president of The Sales Company.
Who was elected chair of the Tech Titans board?
Marvin Harris Jr., senior foundry engineering manager at Qorvo, was elected chair of the Tech Titans board of directors.
Key features at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | The event was the 25th annual Tech Titans Awards |
| Location | The awards ceremony took place at the Hyatt Regency Frisco‑Dallas at Stonebriar |
| Purpose | The awards recognize innovation and leadership in the North Texas technology community |
| Top winners | Corporate CEO award winner was Chandra Dhandapani of Magnit; Startup Company CEO award went to Chris Brickler of Mynd Immersive; Tech Titans Hall of Fame inductee was Dr. Richard Benson |
| Fast Tech | JobTread won the Fast Tech award as North Texas’ fastest‑growing tech company and won Fast Tech honors for the second year in a row |
| Sponsor highlights | The presenting sponsor of the 2025 Tech Titans Awards Gala was The University of Texas at Dallas; The City of Frisco was the program’s first Host City Sponsor |
| Selection | Winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by a panel of peer judges |
| Organization | Tech Titans is headquartered in Richardson and represents the North Texas technology industry through member companies and programs |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- Dallas Innovates: 2025 Tech Titans Awards — winners take the stage
- Wikipedia: Tech Titans
- Dallas Innovates: North Texas innovators named finalists for the 25th annual Tech Titans Awards
- Google Search: Tech Titans Awards 2025 finalists
- American Bazaar: Chandra Dhandapani wins Tech Titans 2025 Corporate CEO Award
- Google Scholar: Chandra Dhandapani
- Star Local Media (Allen American): Finalists announced for 2025 Tech Titans Awards
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Tech Titans Awards (search)
- Dallas Innovates: Newly retired UTD president to be inducted into Tech Titans Hall of Fame
- Google News: Richard Benson UT Dallas Tech Titans
Author: Construction CA News
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