Innovation Awards
Honoring local and state innovators who have implemented novel and replicable solutions to challenges faced by our communities.
Each year at the Gateway Cities Innovation Summit, the MassINC Policy Center awards several local and state innovators who have implemented novel and replicable solutions to challenges faced by our communities. In addition, one or more champions are singled out for their remarkable work advocating on behalf of our network of local leaders.
On special occasions, the Mayor Carpenter Award for Excellence in Gateway City Leadership may also be presented to an elected official who seeks out new ideas and works collaboratively to advance them, elevating the status of their city and furthering the collective interests of Gateway Cities throughout the Commonwealth.
2023 Honorees
Positioning Gateway Cities to Lead the Clean Energy Transition
Worcester HEART Partnership
Location: Worcester
Award: Innovator
Western Massachusetts E-Contractor Academy
Location: Springfield
Award: Innovator
NewVue Communities Environmental Stewards Program
Location: Fitchburg
Award: Innovator
Moran Square Redevelopment
Location: Fitchburg
Award: Innovator
Lowell Community First Partnership
Location: Lowell
Award: Innovator
Bristol Community College National Offshore Wind Institute
Location: New Bedford
Award: Innovator
Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition (RTAAC)
Location: State
Award: Champion
Mary Wambui
Asset Manager, POUA and Co-chair, Massachusetts Energy Equity Working Group, Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC)
Location: Lowell, Lawrence
Award: Champion
Mayor James F. Fiorentini
Mayor, City of Haverhill
Location: Haverhill
Award: Mayor Bill Carpenter Award
2022 Honorees
10th Anniversary: Social Infrastructure for Vibrant Communities
Marcos Marrero
Executive Vice President, Community Development, MassDevelopment
Location: Springfield, Holyoke
Award: Innovator
Heather McMann
Executive Director, Groundwork Lawrence
Location: Lawrence
Award: Innovator
Patti Rego
Executive Director, Viva Fall River
Location: Fall River
Award: Innovator
Adelsa Mendes
Transformative Development Initiative Fellow, MassDevelopment & former Business Assistance Program Manager, Brockton Redevelopment Authority
Location: New Bedford, Brockton
Award: Innovator
Noah Berger
Administrator, Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority
Location: Lawrence, Haverhill, Methuen
Award: Innovator
Senator Eric P. Lesser
Chairperson, Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies and Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus
Location: Gateway Cities
Award: Champion
Mayor Kim Driscoll
Mayor, City of Salem
Location: Salem
Award: Mayor Bill Carpenter Award
2021 Honorees
Infrastructure for Equitable Economic Growth
Frank Carvalho
Founding Executive Director, Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI)
Location: Lawrence, Lowell
Award: Innovator
Samalid Hogan
Regional Director, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network Western Regional Office
Location: Springfield
Award: Innovator
Fred Taylor
President, NAACP Worcester
Location: Worcester
Award: Innovator
Ann Burke
Former VP, Economic Development Council of Western MA
Location: Springfield, Worcester
Award: Innovator
Congressman Richie Neal
Chairman of Ways and Means Committee, U.S. House of Representatives
Location: Springfield
Award: Champion
Dr. Tracy Corley
Director of Research and Partnerships, Conservation Law Foundation
Location: Gateway Cities
Award: Champion
Mayor Thomas M. McGee
Mayor, City of Lynn
Location: Lynn
Award: Mayor Bill Carpenter Award
2020 Honorees
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for a Strong Recovery
Gladys Vega
Executive Director, Chelsea Collaborative
Location: Chelsea
Award: Innovator
Joan Kulash
Executive Director, Community InRoads
Location: Lawrence
Award: Innovator
Kimberley Murphy
Assistant Principal (11-12th Grade), Chelsea High School
Location: Chelsea
Award: Innovator
Shirley Edgerton
Cultural Proficiency Coach, Pittsfield Public Schools
Location: Pittsfield
Award: Innovator
Dougan Sherwood
President & CEO, Greater Haverhill Chamber
Location: Haverhill
Award: Innovator
Ivette Olmeda
TDI Fellow, MassDevelopment
Location: Worcester
Award: Innovator
State Representative Aaron Vega
Fifth Hampden District, Massachusetts House of Representatives
Location: Holyoke
Award: Champion
Karen Kelleher
Executive Director of LISC Boston
Location: State
Award: Champion
Mayor Dan Rivera
Mayor, City of Lawrence
Location: Lawrence
Award: Mayor Bill Carpenter Award
2019 Honorees
Catalyzing transformative transit-oriented development (TTOD)
Tricia Pistone
Senior Vice President, Montachusett Opportunity Council
Location: Fitchburg
Award: Innovator
North Shore Community Development Coalition
Location: Salem
Award: Innovator
Alexandra’s Boutique
Location: Fall River
Award: Innovator
Valley Venture Mentors
Location: Springfield
Award: Innovator
Love the Ave
Location: New Bedford
Award: Innovator
Himanshu Bhatnagar
CEO & Founder, HB Software Solutions
Location: Lowell
Award: Innovator
Rob May
Director of Planning and Economic Development, City of Brockton
Location: Brockton
Award: Innovator
IGWorcesterMA
Location: Worcester
Award: Innovator
Davis Publications
Location: Worcester
Award: Innovator
El Taller
Location: Lawrence
Award: Innovator
State Senator Harriette Chandler
1st Worcester District, Massachusetts Senate
Location: Worcester
Award: Champion
Trinity Financial
Location: State
Award: Champion
Mayor Bill Carpenter
Mayor, City of Brockton
Location: Brockton
Award: Mayor Bill Carpenter Award
2018 Honorees
Strategies for 21st-Century Growth
Kinefac Corporation
Location: Worcester
Award: Innovator
Lawrence High School
Location: Lawrence
Award: Innovator
Merrow Manufacturing
Location: Fall River
Award: Innovator
New Bedford Regeneration Project
Location: New Bedford
Award: Innovator
ROOT
Location: Salem
Award: Innovator
SouthCoast Development Partnership
Location: Fall River, New Bedford
Award: Innovator
SPARK/EforAll Holyoke
Location: Holyoke
Award: Innovator
Spherical|Analytics (ImpactLABS)
Location: New Bedford, Fall River
Award: Innovator
Springfield Technical Community College
Location: Springfield
Award: Innovator
State Representative Antonio Cabral
Massachusetts House of Representatives
Location: New Bedford
Award: Champion
Anne Haynes
Director of Transformative Development, MassDevelopment
Location: State
Award: Champion
2017 Honorees
Building Vibrant Places
Art in the Park
Location: Worcester
Award: Innovator
Beyond Walls
Location: Lynn
Award: Innovator
Greater Brockton Young Professionals/Fuller Craft Museum
Location: Brockton
Award: Innovator
Lowell Waterways Vitality Initiative
Location: Lowell
Award: Innovator
Main Street Hospitality Group
Location: Pittsfield
Award: Innovator
Nueva Esperanza Inc.
Location: Holyoke
Award: Innovator
Revolving Test Kitchen
Location: Lawrence
Award: Innovator
Congresswoman Niki Tsongas
Massachusetts 3rd Congressional District
Location: Lowell
Award: Champion
Robert F. Rivers
Chairman and CEO, Eastern Bank
Location: Lowell, Lawrence
Award: Champion
John R. Schneider
Mass Insight Education, Former Executive Vice President, MassINC
Location: State
Award: Champion
2016 Honorees
Workforce development transformation
The Pioneer Valley Regional Re-Entry Program
Location: Springfield
Award: Innovator
The Phoenix-Bunker Hill Partnership
Location: Chelsea
Award: Innovator
The Lawrence Partnership Training Consortium
Location: Lawrence
Award: Innovator
Senator Benjamin Downing
State Senator, Massachusetts Senate
Location: State
Award: Champion
Maureen Binienda
Superintendent, Worcester Public Schools
Location: Worcester
Award: Champion
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Workforce Development Cabinet
Secretary Ronald L. Walker II, Secretary James A. Peyser, Secretary Jay Ash
Location: State
Award: Champion
2015 Honorees
Collaborative leadership: in education, in diverse communities, with young people
The Five District Partnership
Accepted by: Superintendents Mary M. Bourque (Chelsea), Frederick F. Foresteire (Everett), David DeRousi, Jr. (Malden), Paul Dakin (Revere), John J. Macero (Winthrop)
Location: Chelsea, Evertt, Malden, Revere, Winthrop
Award: Innovator
Safe and Successful Youth Initiative
Accepted by: Jacqueline Lozada, Director of the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative in Holyoke
Location: Holyoke
Award: Innovator
The Lawrence School District
Accepted by: Jeff Riley, Receiver for the Lawrence School District
Location: Lawrence
Award: Innovator
Coaching 4 Change
Location: Brockton
Award: Innovator
Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito
Lieutenant Governor, State of Massachusetts
Location: State
Award: Champion
Lisa Wong
Mayor, City of Fitchburg
Location: Fitchburg
Award: Champion
2014 Honorees
Advancing educational excellence
Holyoke Early Literacy Initiative
Location: Holyoke
Award: Innovator
Mount Wachusett Community College/Fitchburg High School GEAR UP
Location: Fitchburg
Award: Innovator
Greater Lawrence Advanced Manufacturing Academy
Location: Lawrence
Award: Innovator
Revere High Advisory Program
Location: Revere
Award: Innovator
Worcester Arts Magnet School
Location: Worcester
Award: Innovator
Governor Deval Patrick
Governor, State of Massachusetts
Location: State
Award: Champion
Speaker Robert DeLeo
Speaker, Massachusetts House of Representatives
Location: State
Award: Champion
2013 Honorees
Curt Spalding
Regional Administrator, Environmental Protection, Agency Region 1
Location: Chelsea/State
Award: Innovator
Marc Dohan
Executive Director, Twin Cities Community Development Corporation
Location: Fitchburg
Award: Innovator
O'Connell Companies
Location: Holyoke
Award: Innovator
The Merrimack Valley Sandbox
Location: Lawrence, Lowell
Award: Innovator
Mary Waldron
Former Executive Director of Brockton 21st Century Corporation
Location: Brockton
Award: Innovator
Armando Feliciano and Jay Minkarah
Chairman, Springfield Redevelopment Authority / CEO, Develop Springfield
Location: Springfield
Award: Innovator