The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County spotlighted some of the region’s lauded business leaders at a virtual awards ceremony on Friday. There, Hoyt Architect founder Gary Hoyt and Imerza Chief Technology Officer Dorian Vee received awards for innovation in business, while Al Carlson, director of the University of Florida Innovation Station, was honored for business leadership.

Imerza, a virtual reality company born from Hoyt Architect Lab, has used 3-D animation and virtual reality technology to revolutionize such needs as creating accurate renderings for buildings. The multidisciplinary studio continues to break ground with interactive applications for urban design and real estate development. Locally, the company received attention for services like offering clients views for units in BLVD and other high-rise development, where the use of computer renderings and drone cameras, employed alongside virtual reality tools, allowed individuals to “walk” through units on various levels of a building while it was still under construction.

Hoyt and Vee together accepted the 2020 Ringling College Innovation by Design Award. “We are setting new standards in visual and experiential communication while transforming our clients’ businesses processes and efficiency,” Hoyt said. “At our core, we are problems solvers, continually exploring bleeding edge software and hardware technologies to create impactful solutions to meet industry needs.”

Vee suggested it was a particular honor to win the Ringling College award. The company has tapped talent from the institution, which has internationally renown programs in VR and digital animation. “Sarasota has been an excellent location to start a tech company, and Ringling has a lot to do with that,” Vee said.

As for Carlson, he was honored with the 2020 Clyde Nixon Business Leadership Award, a special recognition since the award was named for Sun Hydraulics founder Clyde Nixon. Before taking on his current role at UF’s engineering extension program, opened in Sarasota in 2016, Carlson worked 16 years as CEO of the regional manufacturer.

““I am honored to have been named the 2020 Clyde Nixon award recipient. Having worked with Clyde for 20 years, I learned firsthand how important leadership is to an organization's success,” Carlson said.