The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest announces the 2025 Innovators Award Winners

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest has announced winners of the 2025 Innovators Awards. Winners will be inducted into the Society during the group’s annual luncheon starting at 11:30 a.m. CST on Oct. 29 at Avalon Manor Banquet Center, 3550 E. Lincoln Highway, Merrillville, Ind.

“For 20 years, the Innovators Awards have celebrated the people and ideas that shape Northwest Indiana’s future,” said Jason Williams, CEO of the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest. “This year’s honorees carry that legacy forward, proving that innovation is not a moment but a movement that continues to grow stronger across our region.”

The selection committee examined the innovations each individual and team nominee was responsible for to guide final decision-making. Each innovation needed to provide a new solution, benefit society, and create measurable value. The Advocate for Innovation categories recognize individuals or organizations who embody the mission of the Society of Innovators to champion innovation in Northwest Indiana. To be eligible for induction, innovators must live or work in Northwest Indiana.

Registration is open for the 2025 Innovators Awards Luncheon. Individual tickets are $50 and corporate table sponsorships may be purchased for $600. For more information and to register, please visit pnw.edu/soi or by reaching out to Jason Williams at jawilliams@pnw.edu.

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest Class of 2025 includes:

Champion of Innovation Inductee

• Jose G. (Lupe) Valtierra: Community Development Educator, Purdue Extension in Lake County (Crown Point, Ind.)

Team Inductees

• Earthwise (Valparaiso, Ind.)
  • Innovation: Thriva – the end-product of Earthwise’s proprietary system that transforms cow manure into organic nitrogen fertilizer
  • Team Members: Scott and Annmarie Severson
• WJOB (Hammond, Ind.)
  • Innovation: JEDtv Sports Network, a 24-hour channel to broadcast small college and high school sports.
  • Team Members: Ben Cowart, Jim Dedelow, Peter Krukowski and Sam Michel

Individual Inductees

• Sean Liu (Valparaiso, Ind.) – Founder & CEO, PingCares
  • Innovation: PingCares, a senior-focused smartwatch that combines emergency response, wellness monitoring, and social connection into a single, affordable device, unlike traditional medical alert buttons.
• Joseph Podgorski (DeMotte, Ind.) – Founder, Chicago Additive
  • Innovation: AMOS line of 3D Printers

Advocate for Innovation Inductees

• Angie Nelson Deuitch (Michigan City, Ind.) – Mayor, City of Michigan City
• Gloria “GoGo” Morris (Schererville, Ind.) – Lead AI Specialist – Consumer Packaged Goods, Google
• Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City (Michigan City, Ind.)
  • Team Members: Karaline Cartagena Edwards, Liliana Franco, Tristan Gaston and Clarence Hulse

Advocate for Youth Innovation Inductees

• Kristina Fleming (Cedar Lake, Ind.) – Career and Technical Education Business Teacher, Hanover Central High School
• Debera Hinchy (Lowell, Ind.) – Career and Technical Education Business Teacher, Lowell High School
• Eric Sera (Munster, Ind.) – Business Teacher, Munster High School

The 2025 Selection Committee included:

• (Ken) Patrick Barry: Co-Founder, Uthiverse, Inc. (2020 Inductee)
• Eric Beschinski: Business Advisor and Ecosystem Navigator, Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center
• Kristin Burton: Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship, Purdue University Northwest (2024 Inductee)
• Judith Cardenas: Business Advisor, Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center
• Karaline Cartagena Edwards: Economic Development Manager, Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City
• Emmani Ellis: Co-Founder and COO, IronWorkz (2024 Inductee)
• Mont Handley: Associate Director of the Commercialization and Manufacturing Excellence Center, Purdue University Northwest
• Kay Nelson: Environmental Affairs Director, Northwest Indiana Forum (2008 and 2023 Inductee)
• Dushan Nikolovski: Director, Valparaiso University Innovation Hub (2014 Inductee)
• Julie Rizzo: Founder & CEO, Recycled Granite™/Organic Granite™ (2011 Inductee)
• Faith Spencer: Co-Founder and CEO, IronWorkz (2024 Inductee)

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest

The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest contributes to economic and community development as the champion of innovation and entrepreneurship in Northwest Indiana. For more information about the Society of Innovators, visit www.pnw.edu/soi.

Purdue University Northwest

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a student-centered university that transforms lives through innovative education, impactful research and community engagement. Located in Northwest Indiana, near Chicago, PNW is a First Gen Forward Network Leader and an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University. PNW advances the socioeconomic mobility of its students and positively impacts regional development. For more information, visit www.pnw.edu.