2026 Edison Awards
April 15-16, 2026 | Fort Myers, FL
See highlights from the event—more photos will be posted soon!
The 2026 Edison Awards
The 2026 Edison Awards™ brought together the world’s leading innovators for two unforgettable days of connection, insight, and celebration. Held April 15–16 in Fort Myers, Florida, the 39th annual event showcased breakthrough ideas, visionary leaders, and the innovations shaping what’s next.
From the Meet the Innovators Forum to the evening Gala, attendees experienced dynamic discussions, meaningful networking, and direct access to the people and technologies driving global progress. The Innovators Showcase offered a hands-on look at award-winning products and emerging solutions, turning ideas into tangible experiences.
The Edison Awards continue to honor excellence in product and service innovation, marketing, and human-centered design, recognizing those who are not only imagining the future, but actively building it. Inspired by the legacy of Thomas Edison, this year’s winners and participants reflect the power of innovation to shape industries, improve lives, and move the world forward.
The Edison Awards delivers exceptional value, meaningful connections, and unmatched energy. Experience dynamic speakers and engaging discussions on product and service innovation, emerging technologies, and leadership. Enjoy networking opportunities that spark collaboration and be there when the 2026 Edison Award winners are revealed.
The 39th Annual Edison Awards will take place April 15–16, 2026, in Fort Myers, Florida, at the beautiful Luminary Hotel and Caloosa Sound Convention Center, located in the heart of the Fort Myers River District. Don’t miss it!
Congratulations to the 2026 award winners! Get to know the newest technologies, services, and consumer breakthroughs including health and medical biotech, materials science, green energy transition, AI-driven advancements, and more.
Schedule is subject to change.
Start your Edison Award experience at the Innovators’ Showcase to view exhibits, and network.
Attire: Casual
Location: Caloosa Sound Convention Center
1375 Monroe St., Fort Myers, FL 33901
We invite all registered guests to join us for the Welcome Reception on Wednesday evening. Get to know fellow attendees and start cultivating connections. In the long history of the Edison Awards, we’ve seen many new collaborative relationships arise following a chance meeting at one of our events, leading to fruitful and profitable new ventures. We encourage you to participate and make the most of the experience.
Attire: Resort Casual/Business Casual
Location: Edison & Ford Winter Estates,
2350 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33901
Enjoy the lively nightlife of the downtown area, dine outdoors, enjoy a rooftop drink, or a sweet snack. A wide variety of food options and activities are waiting to be explored during this self-paced optional excursion time.
All attendees of the 2026 Edison Awards must register prior to the event to attend.
The Innovators’ Showcase gives guests a hands-on look at nominated products and services between sessions. Throughout the day, guests can visit with Edison Award finalists and share their experiences.
The technologies defining 2030, such as advanced AI, robotics, autonomous systems, and next-generation energy platforms, are accelerating faster than most organizations are prepared for. This forward-looking panel explores what’s coming in the next five years and the strategic decisions leaders must make now to stay competitive. Focused on real-world impact, the discussion will deliver practical insight into how intelligent systems are reshaping industry, infrastructure, and global competitiveness.
Session Description
By 2030, the technologies reshaping our world will look less like forecasts and more like lived reality. AI systems that reason, robotics that collaborate, machines solving the unsolvable, energy platforms that operate autonomously—these aren’t distant possibilities. They’re accelerating now, and the organizations that prepare today will define the next decade.
In this dynamic conversation, leaders at the forefront of advanced technology and intelligent systems explore what’s coming in the next five years—and why the most important innovation decisions must be made now. The discussion will cut through the noise and focus on the real signals shaping the future, delivering practical insights on where technology is headed and what it means for business, society, and global competitiveness.
Key themes include:
This session may also incorporate select demonstrations from emerging robotics or advanced computing projects to highlight how quickly these technologies are moving from research environments into practical use. “Technologies Shaping 2030” offers decision-makers a rare opportunity to gain clarity on the forces redefining the future—serving as both a roadmap and a reminder that the time to innovate is now.
Artificial intelligence is driving an unprecedented surge in electricity demand, forcing a rapid transformation of the global power grid. This panel brings together energy leaders to discuss how utilities and innovators are scaling infrastructure, advancing new technologies, and balancing reliability, affordability, and climate goals. The decisions being made now will shape the future of the AI economy and global competitiveness.
Session Description
The electrical grid that powered the 20th century is facing its most dramatic transformation in history, and the catalyst is artificial intelligence. Data centers powering AI are projected to double their electricity consumption by 2030, straining power grids worldwide. Yet building new data centers now takes twice as long due to infrastructure constraints, even as the global AI race demands power immediately.
This panel convenes leaders engineering solutions across the entire power ecosystem. From Black & Veatch’s groundbreaking infrastructure deployments repurposing legacy energy assets globally to the Nuclear Energy Institute championing deployment of hundreds of small modular reactors—these executives are constructing tomorrow’s grid today.
The conversation will tackle the urgent questions reshaping global energy markets. How do utilities worldwide balance AI-driven demand with affordability and resilience? These decisions will determine which nations lead in the AI revolution, whether we can achieve climate commitments while powering transformative technologies, and whether grid infrastructure can adapt fast enough to support the digital economy without compromising reliability. The leaders on this panel are making the billion-dollar bets shaping that future.
Healthcare innovation is accelerating rapidly, but true progress depends on turning breakthrough ideas into scalable solutions that improve patient outcomes. This panel brings together leaders across biotech, clinical care, and medical technology to explore how innovators navigate regulation, reimbursement, and adoption while maintaining trust and rigor. The conversation will focus on what separates promising concepts from transformative standards of care.
Session Description
Breakthroughs in healthcare are happening at an unprecedented pace, from AI-powered diagnostics and neuroscience platforms to next-generation surgical technologies. Yet innovation alone is not enough. The true measure of progress lies in the ability to translate bold ideas into scalable solutions that deliver meaningful, measurable improvements in patient outcomes. This panel brings together leaders from biotech, clinical practice, and medical device innovation to explore what it takes to move from discovery to deployment, and from promise to proven impact.
As healthcare systems face mounting pressures around cost, access, and accountability, innovators must navigate regulatory complexity, reimbursement realities, and institutional adoption, all while maintaining trust and clinical rigor. Drawing on perspectives from Mayo Clinic, Arthrex, and Algen Biotech, and moderated by U.S. News & World Report, this conversation will examine how breakthrough technologies scale responsibly, earn clinician and patient confidence, and ultimately redefine standards of care.
From translational medicine and precision interventions to data-driven decision-making and commercialization strategy, the discussion will focus on what separates innovations that stall from those that transform. For executives, investors, and healthcare leaders alike, this session offers a strategic lens on how to scale what truly matters, and ensure that medical innovation delivers impact at the bedside and beyond.
Some conservation efforts transcend politics. Some solutions demand technology, capital, and political will converging at scale. The Everglades restoration stands as both: a landmark moment when Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican Governor Jeb Bush came together in 2000 to sign the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, launching what would become the largest ecosystem restoration project in history. Twenty-five years later, as climate pressures intensify and technological capabilities accelerate, the question isn’t whether we CAN restore critical ecosystems, it’s whether we WILL move fast enough.
As climate pressures mount and the global population grows, the future of food and water systems demands urgent innovation and collaboration. In this fireside conversation, leaders at the intersection of agriculture, sustainability, and technology explore how to feed billions while reducing environmental impact and protecting vital resources. The discussion will highlight regenerative practices, precision agriculture, and cross-sector partnerships shaping more resilient, equitable food systems.
Session Description
As the climate crisis intensifies and global populations surge toward 10 billion, the interconnected future of our food and water systems stands at a critical inflection point. This intimate fireside conversation brings together visionaries at the intersection of agricultural innovation and environmental stewardship to explore how we can nourish humanity while protecting the planet’s most precious resources.
Join Florian Schattenmann, Cargill’s Chief Technology Officer and Vice President for Innovation and Research & Development, who leads a global team driving breakthroughs in agriculture, food, and bio-industrial markets, alongside fellow leaders reimagining what’s possible when business meets purpose. Together, they’ll examine the urgent questions shaping our collective future: How do we feed billions while reducing agriculture’s water footprint and environmental impact? What role do regenerative practices, precision agriculture, and breakthrough technologies play in creating resilient food systems? And how can corporations, activists, and communities collaborate to ensure clean water and nutritious food remain accessible to all?
This isn’t just a conversation about sustainability metrics—it’s a dialogue about vitality itself. The health of our watersheds, the fertility of our soil, and the innovations emerging from labs and fields worldwide will determine whether future generations inherit abundance or scarcity. Through candid discussion and real-world examples, our panelists will illuminate pathways forward that honor both human needs and planetary boundaries, proving that the most disruptive innovations often come from aligning profit with purpose.
In an era where culture shifts faster than strategy cycles, leaders can no longer rely on playbooks built for stability. In this fireside chat, the host sits down with VF Corporation CEO and 2022 Edison Achievement Award Honoree Bracken Darrell to explore how modern CEOs interpret cultural signals, from consumer behavior to workforce expectations, and convert them into decisive action inside global organizations.
The conversation will unpack how Bracken leads legacy brands through reinvention, balances long-term brand equity with short-term performance pressure, and builds organizations capable of moving at the speed culture now demands. Together, they’ll explore what it truly takes to modernize leadership, align teams around purpose, and stay relevant in a world where culture is the most powerful growth driver.
Since its launch in 2022, the Lewis Latimer Fellowship Program has spotlighted rising Black innovators making meaningful impact across industries. In this special reunion panel, past fellows return to share where their journeys have taken them, the milestones they’ve reached, and how the program shaped their path. Join us for an inspiring look at what happens after recognition and how emerging leaders continue to drive change.
A special fireside chat with Adam Silver will spotlight one of the most transformative leaders in global sports. As Commissioner of the National Basketball Association, Silver has redefined the league through technological innovation, global expansion, and a strong commitment to social responsibility. This conversation will explore leadership, change management, and how sports can serve as a powerful platform for progress.
In the evening, celebrate with fellow innovators while we recognize and honor the best in innovation and innovators.
Attire: Black-tie Preferred
Location: Caloosa Sound Convention Center
1375 Monroe St., Fort Myers, FL 33901
Start the evening with a cocktail reception and mingle with those met earlier in the day while sampling decadent hors d’oeuvres.
The 2026 Edison Awards Gold, Silver, and Bronze Winners will be announced and the prestigious Edison Achievement Award will be presented to Adam Silver, Commissioner, National Basketball Association (NBA).
All Gala guests are invited to celebrate after the awards ceremony at Bay Street Yard (2136 Bay Street). Enjoy a vibrant space which merges music, food, craft beers & artisanal beverages just a short walk from the Caloosa Sound Convention Center.
Welcome Reception
Connect and celebrate with visionary peers driving breakthrough innovation, cultivate meaningful business relationships, and fuel your next big idea.
Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center as we honor this year’s most impactful visionaries and their ground-breaking innovations. Experience the excitement and energy as you celebrate along fellow innovators in a night of recognition and connection.
event highlights
A black-tie celebration honoring the 2026 Edison Award winners alongside this year’s Achievement Award recipients.
An experiential, hands-on opportunity to engage with the brilliant teams behind the featured innovations of this year’s celebration.
Kick off the conference at our Welcome Reception, an opportunity to connect and unwind with visionary peers driving breakthrough innovation, spark meaningful conversations, and begin building relationships.
Complete the form below to download the 2027 Nomination Guide.
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