i3 | December 20, 2022

Pioneers in Innovation

by 
Gary Shapiro
CES 2023

THE CT HALL OF FAME honors leaders whose vision, creativity and expertise spurred growth in the $500 billion consumer technology industry and the development of products and services that make our world a better place. Each year, we host an awards dinner to celebrate these leaders’ accomplishments and our industry’s rich history. Created in 2000, the CT Hall of Fame will grow to 285 members with the addition of our 2022 honorees, forming a uniquely talented group of inventors, entrepreneurs, journalists and industry advocates. Through their work, these leaders expanded the frontiers of technology, delivering new products and services that make it easier for people around the world to connect, collaborate and challenge the status quo. 

"They paved the way for a diverse new generation of tech leaders."

The Hall of Fame program serves as a bridge from past to present, empowering today’s innovators to build on a foundation laid by generations of successful entrepreneurs. As we celebrate the individuals who dedicated countless hours to helping our industry grow, we recognize how much their work continues to transform the scope, and our understanding, of the consumer technology industry.

When the first CES took place in a New York ballroom in 1967, who could have predicted our show would grow to spotlight technology in sectors like agriculture, space travel or media and entertainment? 

Or that advances in self-driving and electric vehicles would make CES the largest auto show in North America? This program recognizes the extraordinary contributions of the executives whose work made that transformation possible.

For our CT Hall of Fame members, the consumer technology industry isn’t just a career — it’s a passion, and a calling. They not only lead companies, but also mentor students and staff, support budding entrepreneurs and conduct outreach to local communities. They remain dedicated to building a vibrant innovation ecosystem that encourages risk-taking and rewards new ideas, and to fighting for the legislation and policies that support those ideas. Recognizing the importance of building relationships and breaking barriers, they paved the way for a diverse new generation of tech leaders. 

Perhaps most importantly, our 2022 honorees and CT Hall of Fame members from years past understand technology’s power to transform our world, expand what humans can do and improve lives on a truly global scale. Their leadership spurred development of devices that connect and entertain us, tools that make public spaces more accessible, and advances in digital technology that reshaped the ways we engage and interact.

There’s more ahead: As you walk the halls of CES 2023 in Las Vegas this January, I encourage you to reflect not just on the incredible innovations in front of you, but also on the foundational work that made those innovations possible. Please join me in celebrating the work many of these leaders continue, which will push us even further.