The awards program honors the efforts of Delaware’s top-ranking business leaders in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Nonprofit honorees are categorized by the amount of annual funding while for-profit honorees are categorized by the number of employees in their company.

The honorees, chosen by an independent judging panel, will be honored at a celebration on June 26 at the Christiana Hilton in Newark. Tickets can be ordered online.

The annual program also features a Milestone Award winner to recognize an individual who has demonstrated significant, sustained success in leading a business or nonprofit organization in Delaware while also making a positive, measurable contribution to the state’s community. The 2025 Milestone Award winner is Mike Bowman.

J. Michael “Mike” Bowman. | PHOTO COURTESY OF DELAWARE TECHNICAL PARK

Bowman is the CEO and president of the Delaware Technology Park, a technology-focused start-up hub a short drive from the University of Delaware. As a former DuPont employee and executive of Advanced Material Systems, Bowman has a deep understanding of tech and science companies that he leveraged into supporting innovative early-stage companies in the First State.