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D CEO magazine and Dallas Innovates announced finalists on Tuesday for the fourth annual Innovation Awards, which honor the “disruptors and trailblazers driving a new vision for North Texas.”

The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s Cameron Cushman, assistant vice president of innovation ecosystems, was nominated in the category of Innovation Advocate or Accelerator Leader of the Year.

Cameron helped HSC partner with Techstars and Goff Capital to bring the Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth Accelerator to the city. He also hosted the Startup Champions Network Summit in Fort Worth in October. That event brought more than 100 of the country’s top entrepreneurial ecosystem builders to Cowtown for a three-day event.

HSC also received $4.8 million in funding from the City of Fort Worth and Tarrant County to start the accelerator with Techstars, a global investment business that provides access to capital, one-on-one mentorship and customized programming for early-stage entrepreneurs. Equity investments into the startup companies are being made by HSC and Goff Capital to total nearly $10 million for the project over three years.

In September, the accelerator’s partners chose 10 high-growth, early-stage startups to support and fund during the next three years. Owners, innovators and representatives of these startups are calling Fort Worth home through the end of the year as team members from HSC, Techstars and Goff Capital shepherd their ideas from concept to game-changing tech.

All Innovation Award finalists will be recognized in the January/February issue of D CEO magazine and online at DallasInnovates.com. Winners will be revealed at an exclusive awards event in January.

“I am honored to be nominated, but the recognition goes to my HSC Next team and the entrepreneurs of Fort Worth,” Cameron said. “They are doing the hard work.”

Cushman is also the host of the Innovate Fort Worth podcast, which features local innovation and the people bringing those innovations to market. The show just released its 75th episode and was named as the Best of Fort Worth podcast by Fort Worth Magazine in 2021.

Trey Bowles, managing director of Techstars Physical Health Fort Worth, was also nominated.

“I think Cameron is an excellent nominee for the award,” said Dr. Sylvia Trent-Adams, HSC’s president. “He cares so much for Fort Worth and wants our local entrepreneurs to be recognized for their contributions to the community. I am proud of his hard work and dedication to help grow the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. He brings a high level of energy and enthusiasm to every venture he leads at HSC.”

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