Innovate Orlando honors visionaries driving Central Florida’s technology ecosystem

By Cassidy Mills, Staff Writer

March 17, 2026

More than 250 attendees from across Central Florida’s technology and innovation ecosystem gathered Feb. 20 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for the Orlando Tech Summit & Community Awards, hosted by Innovate Orlando.

The afternoon featured keynote speakers, panel discussions and community recognition celebrating the people driving innovation across the region. Emerging talent and longtime industry leaders were honored through the awards and Hall of Fame inductions.

The formal program began with opening remarks from Sheena Fowler, chief executive officer of Innovate Orlando, followed by a welcome from Mayor Buddy Dyer, who emphasized Orlando’s continued growth as a center for innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Orlando’s innovation ecosystem is thriving because of the bold ideas, collaboration and relentless energy of our community,” Fowler said. “Every conversation, every connection we make today helps shape the future of our city as a global tech hub.”

A panel discussion examining the state of the region’s tech ecosystem followed, moderated by Fowler. Panelists included Andrea Wesser-Brawner, chief strategy officer of the Florida High Tech Corridor; Mike Harding, associate vice president of partnerships at the University of Central Florida; and Danielle Permenter, chief operating officer of the Orlando Economic Partnership.

The conversation highlighted the importance of strengthening connections between universities, industry and investors while continuing to grow the region’s diverse technology sectors, including simulation, immersive technologies, aerospace and emerging digital industries.

The event’s first award presentation recognized emerging leaders in the innovation ecosystem with the Spark Award. The honor celebrates individuals new to Central Florida’s tech community who are already making an impact through new ideas, collaboration and leadership.

Finalists included Andrew Mahyari, chief executive officer of AI Vault; Diane Diaz, chief executive officer and co-founder of GRIT Government Solutions; Ksenia Moskalenko, business development manager of the Florida High Tech Corridor; Safia Porter, executive director of Building Our Tech; and Morgan Harwell, business development analyst at CymSTAR.

Harwell was named the recipient, recognized for her leadership and commitment to strengthening connections across the region’s growing innovation and simulation community.

Following the Spark Award, the Legacy Launchpad Award was announced, recognizing individuals outside the technology sector who champion and support innovation and innovators through mentorship, investment, education and community leadership.

“The Legacy Launchpad Award honors individuals who share their expertise and resources so entrepreneurs can thrive,” Fowler said. “These are the people who open doors, share experiences and create opportunities.”

Finalists for the Legacy Launchpad Award included Ariane Fikki, director of global ambassadors at VRARA; Cassandra Willard, program director of Blackstone LaunchPad at UCF; Dawn Haynes, chief executive officer of StarterStudio; Tracy Boyd, chief executive officer of Aligned Growth Solutions; and Jack Henkel, chief operating officer of the Florida High Tech Corridor.

Willard was named the recipient for her work supporting entrepreneurs and helping strengthen Central Florida’s startup initiatives. At UCF, she has helped guide student founders and early-stage entrepreneurs as they have developed new ventures, connected with mentors and investors, and built companies within the region’s growing innovation community.

The summit concluded with a keynote by Loyal Pyczynski, head of metaverse emerging experiences at Meta. Pyczynski shared his journey from military simulation work in Orlando to leadership roles in immersive technology and entertainment engineering, reflecting on how the region’s deep technical roots have influenced his career and the development of groundbreaking experiences in both defense and entertainment industries.

“The same technology used to build flight simulators for military training is also used to create theme park experiences. It’s all connected.” Pyczynski said.  “We literally do the impossible here. We have the talent. We have amazing people. This is the magic of Orlando.”

The Orlando Tech Community Hall of Fame awards followed Pyczynski’s keynote and honored innovators whose long-term contributions have helped shape Central Florida’s technology landscape.

This year’s inductees included Carolina Cruz-Neira, executive director of the Pegasus Research Institute (PRI) and interim executive director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Simulation and Training (IST); Jacques Fu, founder of PETE Learning; and Jonathan Taylor, entrepreneur and founder of Sighthound, Zendicate Ventures and Voxeo.

“Thank you, everyone, in the Orlando community,” Cruz-Neira said. “You’ve made me feel incredibly welcome, and I’m excited to keep pushing the boundaries and doing some of the coolest work together.”

The afternoon concluded with closing remarks that synthesized key themes from the day’s discussions, including the importance of expanding capital networks, supporting founders and continuing to promote innovation and technology across Central Florida.