Whom You Know: Reza Raji and Olloclip Honored with CEA’s Innovation Entrepreneur Awards

Monday, October 6, 2014

Reza Raji and Olloclip Honored with CEA’s Innovation Entrepreneur Awards

Reza Raji, an entrepreneur at the forefront of connecting devices and people, and olloclip, a company leading innovation in mobile photography, were named winners of the third annual Innovation Entrepreneur Awards (IEA) by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)®. Launched in 2012 by CEA’s flagship It Is Innovation (i3) magazine and the CEA Small Business Council, the awards recognize entrepreneurs and businesses with revenues under $30 million and the contributions they make to the U.S. economy. The honorees were announced today during the keynote luncheon at CEA’s Innovate! conference.

“This year’s Innovation Entrepreneur Award winners demonstrate the tenacity and drive that is needed for entrepreneurs to thrive in today’s consumer electronics industry,” said Gary Shapiro, CEA’s president and CEO. “Since its launch three years ago, olloclip, winner of the Small Business of the Year Award, created an entirely new accessories category and gave mobile photographers the lens experience of a DSLR in the palm of their hands.

“The overarching theme of Reza Raji’s career is connectivity. From creating a platform that helps lay the ground work for the Internet of Things, to connecting people through his new venture, Reji epitomizes a serial entrepreneur. He is always looking for new and creative ways to improve consumers’ lives and this is why we are honored to name him Small Business Executive of the Year.”

Small Business Executive of the Year: Reza Raji – The founder and CEO of Juggle Labs, Raji is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and inventor. Raji founded iControl Networks, a leading company in the Internet of Things (IoT) space, where he built a platform for sensors and devices to communicate and connect to the Internet enabling them to be control remotely. iControl is one of the first mass-market IoT companies. Raji has now shifted from connecting devices to connecting people with his new company Juggle Labs, which is working to apply the benefits of social, local and mobile tech to address real needs. The company recently launched the Juggle app to connect people in a different, engaging and entertaining way.

Small Business of the Year: olloclip – The Kickstarter crowdfunding platform inspired olloclip Founder Patrick O’Neill to turn his accessory for mobile photographers into reality. The quick-connect lens solution attaches to mobile devices to make capturing and sharing experiences fun and creative. Since its launch three years ago, the company remains committed to finding new ways to enhance the mobile photography category and recently expanded its products to include the Samsung Galaxy in addition to the Apple iPhone and iPad.

The Innovation Entrepreneur Awards honorees were selected by a distinguished panel of media and industry professionals including:

Noa M. Arias – American Express

Jim Barry – CEA Digital Answer Man

Bruce Borenstein – Aftershokz

Pam Golden – GLA Communications

Robert Heiblim – BlueSalve

Joakim B. Johansson – American Express

Larry Richenstein – Peak Ventures

Paul Sabbah – Stamford International

Eric Schwartz - Consumer Technology Publishing Group

Steve Smith – TWICE

Gary Yacoubian – Specialty Technologies/SVS

To learn more about the Innovation Entrepreneur Awards, visit CE.org/IEA. Brief videos introducing each of the winners and information about the nomination process for the 2015 program are available on the website.

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