Technet lists Catalyst honors

The Inland Northwest Technology Alliance, or Technet, announced its 2004 Catalyst award winners Wednesday night. The awards are presented annually by Technet, an alliance of professionals and groups that promote education and growth of the technology industry in the Inland Northwest.

Started in 1997, the Catalyst awards recognize innovation and technology initiatives in the region. This year Technet reported receiving about 145 nominations for its four categories of awards.

OneEighty Networks, a Spokane-based broadband communications company, won the innovative company of the year award.

The Spokane Wi-Fi Technology Alliance, a coalition that helped create the city’s downtown wireless “hot zone,” won the award for most outstanding organization.

Avista Development Vice President Kim Pearman-Gillman won the Ken Grunzweig Innovator of the Year award. Pearman-Gillman was founding CEO of INTEC, a technology-based economic development group, and is currently one of the lead planners for the proposed downtown University District.

Karen Michaelson, the executive director of The Inland Northwest Community Access Network (TINCAN), was honored with Technet’s mentor of the year award. Over the past nine years, she’s worked on numerous projects that help neighborhood and rural groups use technology more effectively. Recently she helped launch the Inland Northwest Women’s Business Center. The center has just received a five-year, $750,000 grant to provide services to women entrepreneurs in the region.