The 2023 PowerOn Awards Ceremony was held on October 26th, 2023 in Washington, DC. generously hosted by Hogan Lovells. This Awards Ceremony brought together program supporters, advocates, and members of the community to celebrate the accomplishments of the PowerOn program and its participants over the past year as well as continue to amplify the need for the LGBTQ+ community's access to technology.
The PowerOn Program has been operating for 8 years. The work that the program accomplishes could not be done without the help and involvement of all of our supporters, LGBTQ+ centers, and individuals who strive to make a change in the community. As of 2023, the PowerOn Program has reached 107 Centers in 37 states and territories and our technology has reached over 298,000 individuals.
"We recognize that [PowerOn Partner Centers] are such an important part of this partnership because we recognize that, on the ground, grassroots connection is so important. Because of the face-to-face perspective, that face-to-face interaction with those individuals who are meeting them can get and gain access to technology, gain access to the internet, and gain access to resources." Christopher Wood, Executive Director of LGBT Tech, “Hearing from individuals who are holding a piece of technology and hearing how it has changed their life has certainly been one of the proudest things that I have been able to work on.”
More statistics about PowerOn's 2022 reach can be found in the recently released 2022 Impact Report.
PowerOn was pleased to present the following awards:
The Change Agent Award, honoring an individual in public service or social justice whose significant contributions to connectivity have helped support underserved populations, including the LGBTQ+ community, was presented to Carl Nassib, Founder & CEO, Rayze.
The Visionary Award, honoring an individual or company whose work has empowered LGBTQ+ individuals to achieve success through technology and the internet, was presented to COMCAST NBCUniversal and accepted by Sean Mickens, Associate Vice President of External Affairs and Dan Kamins, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Impact.
The Superstar Center Award, honoring a PowerOn partner center or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the program and to the community the organization serves, was presented to The McKenzie Project Inc. of Miami & Dania Beach, Florida.
The Trailblazer Award, honoring an adult who has taken full advantage of the opportunities provided by access to technology, was presented to Tamara Thomas from Arkansas Black Gay Men’s Forum.
The Role Model Award, honoring a youth or young adult who set the bar for themselves and their peers while participating in the PowerOn Program, was presented to Kayona Avalo-Bradley of Our Spot KC in Kansas City, KS.
The PowerOn team would like to thank our generous event sponsors.
Comments