~ Invitation Only ~ 

The City of Flagstaff and APS present the 2nd Annual Shoemaker Awards. The dinner and awards banquet will take place on June 17, 2022 at Little America Hotel. This inspirational and entertaining event celebrates stellar moonshot-thinking entrepreneurs from Flagstaff and across Arizona. 

Winners from our state-wide AZ Pioneer Pitch Tour will present their ideas/products during the cocktail reception. First place winners from each region/city will compete against one another for the title of state-wide AZ Pioneer Pitch winner, which will be announced during the event. The state-wide winner will take home a $10,000 cash prize thanks to our generous sponsor, APS. 

>>>> Scroll down to learn more about our Shoemaker Awards sponsors and the schedule of events.<<<<

CONGRATS TO ELAINE O'CONNOR

​Our 2022 State-wide AZ Pioneer Pitch Award Winner! 

Pictured: Ruth Ellen Elinski (Exectutive Director SBDC - Prescott Valley) and Elaine O'Connor, Prescott Bark 
Elaine represented the Quad Cities Tour Stop

Click to read more about Elaine and Prescott Bark

The Shoemaker Awards

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The Shoemaker Awards are named  after Carolyn Shoemaker for her extraordinary moonshot thinking and phenomenal achievement in astrogeology. She and her husband, Gene, established the USGS Center for Astrogeology. 
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​Videos featured in this year's Shoemaker Awards 
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​Many thanks to our generous sponsors...
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Title Sponsors: 

​Table 
Sponsors:

 Arizona Commerce Authority
AWD Law
City of Winslow
Deckers
Development Engineering Sciences
Elevated Manufacturing
Flagstaff Business News
​Jennifer Nordstrom, CPA
Kinney Construction Services/Genterra

Lowell Observatory​
​Northern Arizona University
Poba Medical
Southern Gila County EDC
Rim Country Chamber of Commerce
Sunwest Bank
The Sonoran Founders Fund
Verde Valley Regional Economic Org
​W. L. Gore & Associates
War2In
​Yavapai College & SBDC

Congrats to Ralph Milholland for his People's Choice Award during the pitch finals for the AZ Pioneer Pitch Statewide Competition!
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​Ralph represented the Winslow/Holbrook/Joseph City Pioneer Pitch Tour Stop

2022 Schedule

June 17, 2022
Little America Hotel - Flagstaff, AZ

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• 5:00 PM: Cocktail reception doors open
• 5:40 PM: AZ Pioneer Pitch Tour Finals start. Hosted by Robert Theobald, Small Business Ombudsman, Arizona Commerce Authority
• 6:30 PM: Dinner seating starts
• 7:00 PM: Welcome remarks by 2021-22 Moonshot Board Chair, Stephanie Pierotti, Director of ShapingEDU at Arizona State University
• 7:45 PM: Announcement of the 2021-22 AZ Pioneer Pitch Tour Winner. Presented by Jeff Guldner, CEO of APS.
• 7:50 PM: The Economic Development Program of the City of Flagstaff announces the 2021-22 Innovate Waste & CDR Challenge Winner, Restoration Soils
• 8:00 PM: Announcement of the Mission Control Winner, Rich Bowen, Senior Vice President at Genterra Enterprises, presented by Dr. Dave Engelthaler, Director, Professor at TGen North
• 8:10 PM: Announcement of the Moonshot Entrepreneur Award Winners
  • Katalyst Space Technologies - Introduction by Diana White, Moonshot at NACET Executive Director
  • Grubcan - Introduction by Kiersten Hathcock, Moonshot VP of Marketing
• 8:20 PM: Kevin Schindler, Historian at Lowell Observatory, honors Carolyn Shoemaker
• 8:30 PM: Announcement of the Honorary 2022 Shoemaker Award Winner, Kenny Greene, Founder of War2In, presented by Diana White, Moonshot at NACET Executive Director
• 8:40 PM: Announcement of the 2022 Shoemaker Winner, Dr. Robert Kellar, presented by Dan Kasprzyk, founder of POBA Medical and Symple Surgical, and the 2019 Shoemaker Award
• 8:50 PM: Closing Remarks by Scott Hathcock, President & CEO Moonshot

Click to View a Digital Copy of the Event Program

Learn more about the 2019 1st Annual Shoemaker Awards...
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1st Annual Shoemaker Awards