2026 FastTrack Awards Celebrate Business Growth, Small Business Success and Community Impact

Ann Arbor SPARK expanded its annual FastTrack Awards this year, bringing the celebration to the Vanguard Hotel and broadening the program to recognize not only the region's fastest-growing companies, but also small business success and community impact.

Held Friday evening at the Vanguard Hotel, the 2026 FastTrack Awards brought together business and community leaders for a celebratory evening featuring a plated dinner and champagne toast, along with the presentation of awards to 10 companies that have achieved 20% or greater revenue growth for at least three consecutive years. The expanded program also introduced a Washtenaw County Small Business Award, the Cunningham-Limp Washtenaw County Community Builder Award, and featured a keynote from Ann Arbor entrepreneur and investor Don Hicks.

"The growth of FastTrack reflects the incredible range of people and companies contributing to the strength of our region," said Phil Santer, chief operation officer of Ann Arbor SPARK. "We're still celebrating the sustained business growth that has always been at the heart of FastTrack, while creating opportunities to recognize other forms of success and impact that make Washtenaw County a great place to start and grow a business. Bringing everyone together for a larger celebration this year felt like a natural evolution of the program."

2026 FastTrack Award Winners

The FastTrack Awards recognize companies that have achieved 20% or greater revenue growth for three consecutive years. Companies can continue earning the award each year they maintain the required growth trajectory, with this year's honorees ranging from first-time recipients to a company marking its 10th FastTrack Award. Click each company's name below to watch its FastTrack award video and learn more about its growth story.

First Year

Positive Scenarios Consulting - A sustainability consulting firm helping organizations from startups to Fortune 100 companies turn climate ambitions into practical strategies that strengthen business resilience and create positive impact.

Second Year

Wolverine Pickleball - Founded by Christy Howden and Leslie White, Wolverine Pickleball has grown into a destination for players of all skill levels, building community through leagues, lessons, tournaments and a wide range of social events.

Optilogic - A supply chain technology company combining agentic AI, optimization and simulation to help businesses make faster decisions and design more resilient, efficient and sustainable supply chains.

Third Year

GM&T Engineering, Inc. - An engineering and accredited testing company specializing in electrical distribution systems for the automotive, aerospace and electronics industries, with operations in Michigan and Mexico.

Fourth Year

Blumira - A cybersecurity company making security operations more manageable for lean IT teams and managed service providers through AI-powered investigation, automated response and 24/7 expert support.

In Parallel Architects + Builders - An architect-led design and construction practice that brings designers and fabricators together to create thoughtful, highly functional spaces through an integrated approach to architecture and building.

Fifth Year

Treetown Tech - An engineering and product development company helping innovators take ideas from concept to commercialization, with expertise spanning mechanical, electrical, software and systems engineering and in-house manufacturing.

Genomenon - A genomic intelligence company combining purpose-built AI with expert scientific curation to uncover evidence used by diagnostic labs and biopharma companies working in rare disease and precision oncology.

Rydberg Technologies - A quantum technology company harnessing the unique properties of Rydberg atoms to develop advanced capabilities for RF sensing, communications and precision measurement.

Tenth Year

InfoReady Corporation - A software company helping higher education institutions streamline applications, reviews and decisions for internal grants, awards, scholarships, fellowships and other programs, with its platform used by more than 65% of the nation's leading research universities.

New Awards Broaden the FastTrack Spotlight

For the first time, FastTrack also recognized outstanding achievement beyond its traditional high-growth company awards.

The inaugural Washtenaw County Small Business Award was presented to Bird Dog Baking, an Ypsilanti bakery and café that has quickly built a following for its naturally fermented sourdough breads, grain-forward pastries and commitment to the regional food system. Bird Dog sources its flour from regional organic growers and works with local farmers and producers to create food rooted in sustainable, regenerative practices. The award recognizes the young company's rapid growth and strong early sales, as well as the distinctive local business its founders have built.

The inaugural Cunningham-Limp Washtenaw County Community Builder Award for Washtenaw County was presented to Julius Buzzard of Growing Hope. Cunningham-Limp established its Community Builder Award to recognize individuals whose leadership and vision have strengthened communities through the built environment. This year, the company partnered with Ann Arbor SPARK to bring the award to Washtenaw County for the first time as part of the FastTrack Awards.

The award recognizes individuals who have created, enhanced, or thoughtfully reimagined spaces that strengthen their communities, considering both the tangible impact of their work and its potential to serve as a model for others. Buzzard was selected from five finalists, including Joe Halsch of Jim Toy Community Center, Christy Howden of Wolverine Pickleball, Ashley Schafer of Main Street Area Association, and Mark Smith of Mi-HQ.

In recognition of his leadership and Growing Hope's impact in the community, Cunningham-Limp presented the organization with a $2,500 contribution.

"Seeing the incredible work being done by leaders across Washtenaw County inspired us to ask how we could do more to give back," said Lindon Ivezaj, chief operating officer at Cunningham-Limp. "We're proud to partner with Ann Arbor SPARK to bring the Community Builder Award to Washtenaw County and shine a spotlight on the people whose work is making a lasting impact on their communities."

Don Hicks Shares Lessons from Building, Investing and Leading

The expanded FastTrack program also featured a keynote from Don Hicks, managing director of Multiverse Investments, an Ann Arbor-based investment firm focused on making a positive impact through capital, wisdom and shared values. Hicks reflected on his experience building companies in the Ann Arbor region, including LLamasoft and Optilogic, and the role organizations like SPARK play in making Michigan more entrepreneur-friendly. He also shared his perspective on lessons emerging from the AI revolution, where the technology is headed, and what it could mean for the future of work and entrepreneurship.

Hicks has deep ties to FastTrack. He is president and CEO of this year's second-year FastTrack honoree Optilogic and previously founded and led LLamasoft, a 13-time FastTrack Award winner, for 20 years before exiting the business in 2018. He is also proprietor of the Blue LLama Jazz Club and Restaurant.

Returning as emcee was Chris Sing, principal at Rehmann and a member of the Ann Arbor SPARK Board of Directors. Sing has emceed FastTrack multiple times, continuing a longstanding connection between Rehmann and the awards program. Rehmann is a longtime FastTrack sponsor and has supported the celebration of the region's growing companies for many years.

In addition to Rehmann, the 2026 FastTrack Awards were sponsored by Oracle, OpenAI, Cunningham-Limp, Northstar Bank, Rehmann, and Washtenaw Community College.

FastTrack is part of a2Tech360, Ann Arbor SPARK's annual celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship and technology throughout the Ann Arbor region. Running September 22 through October 2, the 2026 a2Tech360 brings together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, innovators and community members through signature programs and partner events across Washtenaw County.