Cox Business created the 2022 Top Tech Awards to honor Southern Nevada’s most innovative tech leaders. These IT professionals come from many industries including gaming, education, gaming, and public and private businesses. These IT professionals help to improve business operations and connect us all.

An independent panel selected the award recipients based on their accomplishments, community impact, and major projects.

The original publication of the 2022 Top Tech Awards was in an issue of Vegas Inc, inside Las Vegas Weekly. Register to receive each issue of Vegas Inc’s special publications in your email on the day they are released.

Top Tech of The Year: Lori Temple PhD

UNLV

Lori Temple started her career at UNLV 38 years ago. She has been the Vice Provost of the Office of Information Technology ever since 1998. She has been a leader and mentor to her peers, students, and colleagues throughout this time.

Temple’s role includes responsibility for university help desks, network, computer equipment, data center operations, and enterprise applications. She also has information security and learning management system oversight. Over the last 24 years, she has been instrumental in the university’s incredible technological growth. The campus has built or substantially repurposed over 75 buildings, each of which requires technology infrastructure to support educational, creative, social, and clinical activities. One example of these projects is a library with 5,000 computer drops, 600 computers for student access, and a simulation center to support nursing education.

Temple was involved in several management system transitions and participated in a presidential debate. She also presided over UNLV during a pandemic. This included several systems that kept the university online. Temple’s decades of experience as a leader have seen her adapt and innovate to meet the needs of the university, its students, and the unique challenges they face.

Temple is a tireless supporter of UNLV and a great motivator for students as well as faculty. She is a creative problem solver and contributes regularly to the university’s overall strategy for organizational and technical resources. She is a true servant leader and dedicates her time to UNLV’s community. Temple is currently the Board Secretary for Sim Las Vegas and shares her expertise and guidance with CCSD.

Temple plans to retire in 2023 and spend time with her husband, continuing to build and create together.

Cox Innovation Award: Paolo Tiramani

Boxabl

Paolo Tiramani, a pioneer in shipping homes worldwide, created a patented technology to help make homeownership more affordable. The Boxabl Casita is innovatively designed to be shipped anywhere in the world and can be unpacked in just one hour. These homes are built to last and have the highest quality standards.

Tiramani, along with his partners Galiano Tiramani, Kyle Denman, and Kyle Denman, has created a product that could transform the construction and housing market. Boxabl’s North Las Vegas plant is where all Boxabl homes are made. They are made from steel, concrete, and EPS foam. They are hurricane-rated, designed with fire resistance in view, snow load rated, and extremely energy efficient. These homes are extremely durable thanks to the materials they use and their engineering and manufacturing makes them very affordable.

Tiramani’s vision for the future combined with his incredible attention to detail has created a product that has revolutionized the home-building process. Boxabl’s technology has more than 47 patents. This allows for significant savings in building time and costs. Boxabl homes can be stacked and connected to make any size or style home. There are many options for Boxabl builders. Even though the system is still in development, there are new sizes and modules for each room.

Community Exemplary Award: Justin Veilleux (PE, RCDD), LEED AP BD+C

FEA Consulting Engineers

Justin Veilleux is a unique talent. Veilleux, one of the youngest principals at FEA consulting engineers, is a highly skilled technological engineer who seeks out more advanced solutions, a better working environment, and the best product on the marketplace. Veilleux has the vision and ability to execute complex master planning to provide the best possible client experience.

FEA Consulting Engineers, a multi-discipline engineering company that specializes in gaming and hospitality, offers a full range of services. The firm’s services include mechanical, electrical, plumbing, low voltage, security/surveillance, audiovisual, lighting, and firm protection systems design and implementation, and project engineering, management, and marketing. FEA was ranked among the Top 10 Hotel Engineering Companies in the BD+C Giants 400 for 2018 and 2019. It has also worked with numerous major resorts along the Strip. Resorts World Las Vegas and Durango Station are just a few of the clients.

Veilleux was responsible for technology and engineering on Resorts World Las Vegas’ largest project in 2021. The project covered 10 million square feet of campus-wide distribution cables plant and integrated resort systems like player tracking, guest experience, Wi-Fi, public safety, and many more. Veilleux also started two other notable projects that year: Durango Station and Las Vegas Formula One. Both of these projects required extensive technological buildouts. Veilleux and his team are well-known for seamlessly integrating technology into any new hotel development.

Hotel/Gaming Industry: Rachelle Rabago

IGT

Rachelle Rabago, a visionary leader in global gaming, is responsible for driving profitability, innovation, and propelling the industry. She oversees a strong team of software engineers, researchers, and other technology professionals in several states and countries. Her team is responsible to research and develop, engineering, delivering, and global services for IGT’s global gaming systems products.

Rabago and her team stayed ahead of the curve and anticipated consumer needs by implementing new technology for cashless gaming systems. This allows guests at six Las Vegas casinos to use their mobile devices to transfer money from other funding sources such as banks, credit cards, and e-wallets to a slot machine. Rabago and her team have created the Resort Wallet and IGTPay options, which offer customers new ways to make gaming more convenient.

Rabago’s business acumen has been strengthened by hard work and a positive attitude. She rose quickly to the top of IGT, delivering positive outcomes and high levels of adaptability, even when faced with difficulties. Her vast skill set is not the only thing that makes her valuable, but her ability to quickly distill key information, especially when discussing technical topics, is. She is also an excellent collaborator, willing to do new things and empower her staff.

Education – Hamza Cengiz

Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas

Hamza Cengiz has been described as a visionary leader, reliable and authentic who has made great strides in a short time while leading the information technology and cybersecurity department at Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas.

CASLV is a STEM-focused charter school that focuses on college preparation. It has a strong and forward-looking IT program. The award-winning institution has seven campuses in the Valley and serves nearly 4,000 students in Southern Nevada.

Cengiz is a visionary who can identify growth opportunities and improve the profitability of all seven CASLV campuses. His IT initiatives not only improve the administrative side of operations, but he also works hard to ensure that all CASLV students have access to the most up-to-date technology and reliable technical resources to help them succeed now and in the future.

Cengiz, upon his arrival at CASLV, evaluated the software and hardware infrastructure and developed an improvement plan to improve quality and streamline operations. He identified $90,000. worth of duplicate software subscriptions. This was quickly corrected and the money saved was redirected to student funds. He also upgraded many campus devices, resulting in savings of approximately $200,000. He also helped to open Cadence, CASLV’s seventh campus. This was a significant and important undertaking. Cengiz’s visionary and skilled set has led to improvements in CASLV’s IT department, and most importantly, the student experience.

Chad Lewis, Government

Nevada National Security Site

Chad Lewis, Nevada National Security Site’s chief security officer, is responsible for protecting some of the most sensitive information in the country. The NNSS and the related facilities are vital to the security of the United States, its allies, and their allies. They support the stewardship and provision of nuclear deterrent capabilities and nuclear and radiological emergency response capability and contribute to key nonproliferation, arms control, and other initiatives. This high-stakes environment is where Lewis, a Marine Corps veteran thrives.

Lewis was responsible in 2021 for security authorization of twelve systems that leveraged the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program. This included security testing and monitoring, and obtaining federal security authorizations for each cloud system to the NNSS. He was also responsible for the remote workforce transitions. His complex task included addressing classified information while working remotely, including implementing security controls that meet or exceed federal requirements.

Lewis’ leadership has helped increase the scope of NNSS work to nearly $800,000,000 in infrastructure development. His leadership has helped to improve communication between the various NNSS departments. This will likely result in a 50% increase in support staff at NNSS’ Southern Nevada sites. Lewis is a leader who inspires his team with passion, integrity, and an almost endless supply of motivation.

Nonprofit Business (501C3): Brooke Neubauer

The Just One Project

In 2014, The Just One Project was established with the mission of creating a stronger, healthier, and more connected community through volunteerism and increasing access to food, services, and food. The Just One Project currently reaches between 20,000 and 30,000 people per month and distributes 600,000.00 pounds of groceries each month. It is an agency partner with Three Square Food Bank. The organization works in the Valley to provide food assistance and alleviate hunger. Brooke Neubauer (founder of The Just One Project) is the program’s head.

Neubauer is well aware of the importance technology plays in expanding the reach and effectiveness of non-profit work. The Just One Project has been able to better serve its clients through Salesforce. It tracks information, provides services, and sets appointments. It also provides a unique mapping tool that coordinates the fastest and most efficient delivery routes to best help those who are in greatest need.

Neubauer and her staff also use real-time statistics on how many clients are served at each Pop Up & Give Mobile Market. This has allowed them to optimize their services and be able to serve more clients. The first time they tracked, 200 people were served every 10 minutes. They now serve 645 people every 10 minutes, more than triple that number. The impact of technology has been exponentially greater for the Just One Project.

Healthcare Industry: Jose Marin

FirstMed Health and Wellness Center

FirstMed Health and Wellness, a top-ranked non-profit medical and mental healthcare clinic has opened three locations within a decade. However, Jose Marin, the new team member, was still operating with an outdated system. Marin completely overhauled the IT department and started transitioning to a more efficient and user-friendly system.

Marin is a passionate leader, who is committed and forward-thinking. Marin’s dedication to finding creative solutions has helped FirstMed to overcome the many challenges associated with managing, filing, and protecting medical data. Marin created digital templates for providers in 2021 to simplify patient progress reporting. This significantly reduced reporting time and led to improved quality care.

FirstMed was able to digitize the health records and reports, which has allowed it to better monitor and identify treatment barriers, population trends, quality measures, and diagnoses, as well as improve its ability to detect and treat any health issues. Marin also implemented Healow CHECKIN, a digital system that allows patients to check in and schedule appointments without having to contact them. It also offers an online payment option that allows patients to pay online, by phone, or via text.

Startup Company: Maner Puyawan

Chief Technology Officer | Marker Trax

Maner Puyawan, a tech startup founder, is a hard worker and a laser-focused innovator. Puyawan has over 20 years of IT experience, including designing and building payment systems. He was hired to the Marker Trax group in April 2021. There, he was given a system to completely rebuild, optimize and polish for a July launch.

Puyawan jumped in. Gary Ellis developed and patented Marker Trax, which is the first product in its class to offer regulatory-compliant casino markers technology. This makes issuing advances more efficient and gives casinos tools to manage credit underwriting and repayments. It also allows players to score and be granted access to markers in minutes. This patented technology is integrated with casino operating systems to provide a complete turn-key solution. Despite facing challenges during the build-out, Puyawan showed exceptional problem-solving skills, quick thinking, determination, and speed while working through the program. Marker Trax’s system was ready in two months, allowing for an immediate launch.

Marker Trax has strong partnerships today, including Konami and IGT, Aristocrat Gaming. Light & Wonder is also a part of the company’s growth plan for 2023. Puyawan has a wealth of experience and is a true professional. He also shows sincerity, integrity, and honesty in all his endeavors.

Kamal Punjabi, Private SMB (small- and medium-sized business)

E2E Technology Solutions

E2E Technology Solutions was founded by Kamal Punjabi more than 20 years ago. While its client base has grown considerably over the years, E2E still retains many of its original clients. This is a testament to the reliability and trust Punjabi has instilled within his company and its high-quality products. Punjabi is committed to providing clients with peace of mind and protection from cyber threats.

Local businesses can rely on Punjabi to help them run, secure, and manage their websites. He communicates clearly with clients using non-technical language and even when explaining complex fixes or issues. He takes the time to listen to clients and offers creative solutions that are tailored to their needs.

E2E offers many services to clients, including custom software design and cloud hosting. Cloud file services, cloud email services, cloud email solutions, cloud file services, cloud mail solutions, on-premise servers, firewalls, and networking infrastructure. Many local businesses use the services of E2E, as well as several non-profits organizations. They praise the company’s quality of service and expertise, and their true partnership with E2E.

Punjabi is passionate about community involvement and gives his time and services to several non-profits including his clients, the Andre Agassi Foundation, and HopeLink of Southern Nevada. He also donates IT equipment to the Nevada Blind Center.

Private Large Business: Saurabh Gupta

Credit One Bank

Credit One Bank’s IT department includes engineering, maintenance, security, and infrastructure. He implemented key functions such as the HybridPoly Cloud strategy, API & Microservices strategies, and accelerated Open Source adoption within the bank. This ensures that the bank’s systems are reliable, open-source, and cost-saving. These initiatives improve customer satisfaction and help to attract and retain new customers.

Credit One is a leader within the credit card industry. Credit One prides itself on being technology-driven. Gupta is a technical expert with many needs, including security and state-of-the-art security. He has been known for his ability to adapt quickly and deconstruct complicated problems to produce meaningful solutions.

Gupta’s group launched Project Bed Rock, an internal microservices platform that was built to help millions of customers in the country and significantly increase the number of customer interactions Credit One receives. In partnership with other organizations, this initiative is changing the service philosophy to be more customer-oriented than account-oriented to provide a better customer experience. Gupta was also responsible for the transformation of AI and data platforms to modernize the bank’s use of data and AI to reduce risk and increase profits.

Gupta is an effective leader who can navigate ambiguous and complex situations, creates a shared vision, and challenges the status quo.

Public Company: Zach Bradford

CleanSpark Inc.

CleanSpark Inc. is a Bitcoin miner and founder Zach Bradford was the president and CFO before becoming the CEO. CleanSpark invests in low-carbon energy sources such as solar, wind, and nuclear to create a sustainable infrastructure for Bitcoin and those who depend on it.

CleanSpark was founded in 2000 as an energy technology company. In 2021, the company moved to Bitcoin mining under Bradford’s direction. The company’s landmark year was characterized by Bradford’s leadership. He led multiple acquisitions, a rebranding, and expanded the facility. CleanSpark is a leading North American Bitcoin miner by production and an organization that cares about the environment.

Bradford’s leadership style is transparent and patient. He also allows his curiosity and creativity to drive his innovation. Bradford first realized CleanSpark’s energy technology could reduce the negative environmental effects of Bitcoin and eliminate the stigma surrounding cryptocurrency’s high-energy consumption during an energy consultation. CleanSpark’s bitcoin mining havehrate has tripled in less than one year. It now accounts for nearly 1.5% of the global hashrate. All this while having significantly lower energy costs.