The 2022 PowerOn Awards Ceremony was held on October 28, 2022 in Washington, DC. Returning to the roots of the inaugural event in 2019, Hogan Lovells generously hosted the evening at its beautiful roof deck overlooking the Washington Monument, and partner Mark Brennan announced the firm will be increasing its support for LGBT Tech next year. After two years in a virtual setting, 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.
“Growing technology distribution from just a handful of centers to now distributing to over 80 centers, across 33 states and two U.S. territories, the PowerOn team has continued to listen to the LGBTQ+ community and meet them where they are,” said Christopher Wood, Executive Director of LGBT Tech, “and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of the businesses, non-profit organizations, federal and state agencies here this evening. I’m so honored to be joined by all of our award winners this evening who have worked so hard within their communities to make them a better place.”
More statistics about PowerOn's 2021 reach can be found in the recently released 2021 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 Justin Hilton, Founder of Safe Place International.
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 T-Mobile and accepted by Tim O'Regan, Director of Public Affairs at T-Mobile.
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 We Are Family of Charleston, SC.
The Trailblazer Award, honoring an adult who has taken full advantage of the opportunities provided by access to technology, was presented to Amari Leach.
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 Aaliyah Roberson-Jenkins of Our Spot KC in Kansas City, KS.
The PowerOn team would like to thank our generous event sponsors.
