Vegas Inc honors Southern Nevada’s tech leaders in the 2022 Top Tech Awards

The 2022 Top Tech Awards, created in partnership with Cox Business, honor the innovative tech leaders in Southern Nevada. These IT professionals represent a wide array of industries, including education, gaming, nonprofit, public and private companies, and more. The individuals on this list move business, improve operations, and connect us all.

Award recipients were selected by an independent judging panel based on their achievements, company and community impact, and major projects.

The 2022 Top Tech Awards originally appeared in a special issue of Vegas Inc found inside of Las Vegas Weekly. Sign up to get each of Vegas Inc’s special publications delivered to your inbox on the day of their release.

Top Tech of the Year: Lori Temple, PhD

Vice Provost for Information Technology | UNLV

Lori Temple began working for UNLV 38 years ago and has served as the Vice Provost for the Office of Information Technology since 1998. During that time, she has demonstrated the highest level of guidance and leadership for her students, colleagues and peers.

In her role, Temple is responsible for the university’s help desks, network, computer facilities, data center operations, enterprise applications, information security and learning management systems. She has helped facilitate incredible technological growth of the university over the past 24 years. During that time, the campus has constructed or significantly repurposed more than 75 buildings—each requiring technology infrastructure to support the educational, research, creative, social and clinical activities planned for each building. Some of these projects include a new library that included 5,000 computer drops and 600 computers for student access, and a simulation center to support nursing education.

Temple has led several management systems transitions, participated in staging a presidential debate during the 2016 election and presided over UNLV during the pandemic, which included the implementation of several systems to keep the university online during that time. Throughout her decades of leadership, Temple has continually adapted and innovates to meet the unique needs of the university and its students.

With an incredible dedication to UNLV, Temple empowers students and faculty to thrive. She finds unique solutions to any problem, big or small, and regularly contributes to the university’s overall strategy for organization and technical resources. She’s a true servant leader who dedicates herself to the community outside of her role at UNLV as well. Temple shares her guidance and expertise with CCSD through IT career information sessions, and she currently serves as Board Secretary to Sim Las Vegas.

Retiring in early 2023, Temple looks forward to spending time with her spouse, and continuing to build and create together.

Cox Innovation Award: Paolo Tiramani

CEO and Founder | Boxabl

On a mission to make homeownership more accessible to everyone, Paolo Tiramani developed and patented technology that delivers shippable homes globally. The Boxabl Casita has been innovatively designed to ship anywhere in the world and unpack in only one hour. Built to the highest standard and quality, these homes are made to last for generations.

With his founding partners, Galiano Tiramani and Kyle Denman, Tiramani has created a product that could change the housing market and construction industry. All Boxabl homes are built in the company’s North Las Vegas factory. They are made of steel, concrete and EPS foam. They’re rated for hurricane speed winds, engineered with fire resistance in mind, are snow load rated and are exceptionally energy efficient. The materials used make these homes highly durable, and the engineering and manufacturing make them extremely affordable.

Tiramani’s innovative vision for the future and incredible attention detail created a product that revolutionizes the home building process. With more than 47 patents on its technology, Boxabl cuts building time and costs significantly. Further, Boxabl homes are built to be modular—they can stack and connect to create a home of nearly any size and style. The Boxabl building system comes with limitless possibilities for consumers. And though still in development, new sizes and room modules are on the horizon.

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

Principal | FEA Consulting Engineers

Justin Veilleux is a unique talent. One of the youngest principals at FEA Consulting Engineers, Veilleux is an incredibly adept technological engineer who strives for more advanced solutions, a more collaborative working environment and the highest quality product on the market. He has a clear vision and the ability to execute complex master plans to ensure the best client experience possible.

FEA Consulting Engineers is a full-service, multi-discipline engineering firm that specializes in hospitality and gaming. The firm’s services include mechanical, electrical, plumbing, low voltage, security/surveillance, audio visual, lighting and firm protection systems design and implementation, and project engineering, management and marketing. In 2018 and 2019, FEA was listed as one of the Top 10 Hotel Engineering Firms in the BD+C Giants 400, and has worked with myriad major resorts on the Strip. These clients include Resorts World Las Vegas, Circa Las Vegas, Durango Station, Las Vegas Convention Center and many more.

In 2021, Veilleux led the technology and engineering for the firm’s largest project of the year, Resorts World Las Vegas. This project included 10 million square feet of campus-wide distribution cable plant, integrated resort systems such as player tracking, guest room experience and environmental elements, Wi-Fi and public safety and more. During the same year, Veilleux also began two other high-profile projects: Las Vegas Formula One and Durango Station, both of which include extensive and unique technological buildouts. Veilleux and his team have become known for their ability to seamlessly integrate technology for any new hospitality development.

Hotel/Gaming Industry: Rachelle Rabago

Vice President of Technology | IGT

Rachelle Rabago is a visionary global gaming leader whose contributions drive profitability, advance innovation and propel the gaming industry. She manages a robust team of software engineers, researchers and other technology professionals across several different states and countries. Her team is responsible for research and development, engineering, delivery and global services for IGT’s global gaming system products.

Staying ahead of trends and anticipating consumer needs, Rabago and her team implemented new technology for cashless gaming systems, allowing guests of six Las Vegas casinos to have the option of using their mobile devices to transfer money to and from a slot machine from external funding sources, such as e-wallets, banks and credit cards. The Resort Wallet and IGTPay solutions, developed by Rabago and her team, are presenting revolutionary options for customers, as gaming has traditionally been cash-based.

Rabago’s business acumen is fortified by hard work and a can-do attitude. She has quickly ascended the ranks at IGT while delivering positive outcomes and a high level of adaptability—even when faced with challenges. While her skill set is vast, her ability to concisely distill key information, particularly when discussing highly technical topics, is one of her most valuable assets. She is also a skilled collaborator who is willing to try new things and empower her team.

Education : Hamza Cengiz

Director of Information Technology & Cyber Security | Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas

Hamza Cengiz is described as a visionary, dependable and authentic leader who has made significant strides in a short amount of time while directing the information technology and cyber security department at Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas.

A robust and future-forward IT program is important at CASLV, which is a STEM-focused charter school for grades K-12 that prioritizes college preparation. There are seven campuses in the Valley, and the award-winning institution serves almost 4,000 students in Southern Nevada.

Cengiz has an eye for identifying growth and improvement opportunities, and he works to secure increased profitability for all seven CASLV campuses. Not only do his IT initiatives improve operations on the administrative side, but he also works to ensure that all CASLV students have access to the latest technology and reliable technical resources for their success now—and in the future.

Upon starting his role with CASLV, Cengiz evaluated the hardware and software infrastructure, and created an improvement plan to enhance quality and streamline operations. During this process, he identified $90,000 in duplicate software subscriptions, which was immediately remedied, with the dollars saved redirected to student resources. He also upgraded many of the existing campus devices, saving about $200,000. During this time, he helped open Cadence, CASLV’s seventh campus, a significant and meaningful undertaking. Cengiz’s vision and skill set has led to improvement of CASLV’s IT department and, most importantly, the student experience.

Government: Chad Lewis

Cyber Security Manager/Information Systems Security Manager | Nevada National Security Site

At the Nevada National Security Site, Chad Lewis is responsible for securing some of the nation’s most classified information. The NNSS and its related facilities help ensure the security of the United States and its allies by supporting the stewardship of the country’s nuclear deterrent, providing nuclear and radiological emergency response capabilities, contributing to key nonproliferation and arms control initiatives and much more. Lewis, a Marine Corps veteran, thrives in this high-stakes environment.

In 2021, Lewis was responsible for the security authorization for twelve separate systems leveraging the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, including the implementation, security testing, monitoring and obtaining of federal security authorization for each cloud system for the NNSS. He also led the response to remote workforce transitions and managed the complicated task of addressing classified information during a time of remote working—including implementing security controls and encryption that met or exceeded federal requirements.

Lewis’ leadership has contributed to increasing the scope of NNSS work by nearly $800 million in infrastructure development. He has also helped improve communication and participation between the different NNSS departments, and is expected to create a need for 50% more support staff at NNSS’ Southern Nevada locations in the near future. With passion, integrity and a seemingly endless well of motivation, Lewis continues to lead his team through any challenge.

Nonprofit Business (501C3): Brooke Neubauer

Founder | The Just One Project 

The Just One Project was founded in 2014 with the mission to build a stronger, healthier, more connected community through volunteerism, and increase access to food and services. Today, The Just One Project reaches 20,000-30,000 people each month and distributes 600,000 pounds of groceries monthly. It is an agency partner of Three Square Food Bank and works across the Valley to alleviate food insecurity and provide grocery assistance. At the head of this program is Brooke Neubauer, founder of The Just One Project.

Neubauer understands the important role technology plays in advancing the efficacy and reach of nonprofit work. The implementation of Salesforce has strengthened how The Just One Project is able to serve clients by tracking information, services provided, and schedule appointments. It has also created a unique mapping tool to coordinate the most efficient and fastest delivery routes to best serve those in need.

Further, Neubauer and her team use real-time stats on the number of clients served at each Pop Up & Give Mobile Market, which has allowed them to optimize and serve many more clients than before. When first tracking, the data showed that they were serving 200 people every 10 minutes. They have since more than tripled that number, reporting as many as 645 people served every 10 minutes. The technology implemented has exponentially increased the good the Just One Project can provide to the community.

Healthcare Industry: Jose Marin

Director of Information Technology | FirstMed Health and Wellness Center 

FirstMed Health and Wellness is a leading nonprofit medical and mental health clinic that has opened three locations in under a decade, but until Jose Marin joined the team, it was operating on an outdated system. Marin completely redesigned the IT department and began transitioning to a more efficient system that streamlined operations and improved the patient experience.

Marin is a passionate, committed leader who is forward thinking and analytics driven. The data challenges when managing, filing and protecting medical information can be substantial, but Marin’s commitment to creative solutions has revitalized FirstMed’s system. In 2021, Marin developed digital templates for providers to streamline patient progress reporting, which significantly reduced reporting time and has led to improvements in the quality of care.

In digitizing the health records and reporting, FirstMed has also been able to better observe and identify treatment barriers, population health trends, quality measures, diagnoses and more. Additionally, Marin implemented Healow CHECK-IN, a digital system that allows patients to schedule and check in to their appointments with no contact, along with an online pay feature that gives patients the ability to make a copay online, on the phone or via text.

Startup Company: Maner Puyawan

Chief Technology Officer | Marker Trax 

Maner Puyawan is industrious and laser-focused on innovation and excellence—vitals traits in the tech industry, especially at a startup. Puyawan is a veteran IT professional with two decades of experience in planning, designing and building payment systems. In April 2021, he was brought on to the Marker Trax team, where he inherited a system that he was tasked to entirely rebuild, optimize and polish for a July launch date.

Puyawan leapt in. Developed and patented by Gary Ellis, Marker Trax is the first product of its kind that offers regulatory-compliant casino marker technology that makes issuing advances efficient, provides casinos tools to manage their credit underwriting and repayments, and allows players to be scored and given access to markers within minutes. This complex, patented technology integrates with casino operating systems for a truly turnkey solution. Though faced with challenges in the build-out, Puyawan demonstrated quick thinking, decisiveness and exceptional problem solving while working through the program, and Marker Trax’s system was completed within two months for an on-time launch.

Today, Marker Trax boasts robust partnerships, including Konami, IGT, Aristocrat Gaming, Light & Wonder and more, with substantial growth projected for 2023, too. Puyawan continues to demonstrate unparalleled professional experience, along with sincerity and integrity in his endeavors.

Private SMB (small and medium business): Kamal Punjabi

CEO | E2E Technology Solutions

Kamal Punjabi founded E2E Technology Solutions more than two decades ago, and while his client base has grown significantly over the years, E2E still maintains many of its day-one clients—a credit to the reliability and trust that Punjabi has fostered within his company, and to its high-quality product. With the goal of keeping clients protected from cyber threats and providing peace of mind, Punjabi reliably delivers and communicates with clients every step of the way.

Punjabi helps local businesses operate, run and secure their web operations. He communicates with clients clearly, using nontechnical language, even when explaining high-level fixes and issues. He listens closely to best assess a client’s needs, and recommends creative solutions directly tailored to them.

E2E provides many kinds of client services, including custom software design, software cloud hosting, cloud file services, cloud email solutions, on-premise servers, firewalls, networking infrastructure and phone technologies. The company services many local businesses, including several nonprofit organizations that commend the quality of service, expertise in the area, and the true partnership with E2E.

Punjabi demonstrates a passion for community involvement, and donates his time and services to several nonprofits, including some of his clients—the Andre Agassi Foundation, HopeLink of Southern Nevada and Communities in Schools Nevada. He also donates IT equipment and services to the Blind Center of Nevada.

Private Large Business: Saurabh Gupta

Chief Architect and Development Officer | Credit One Bank

Saurabh Gupta spearheads the entire IT department at Credit One Bank, including engineering, maintenance, security, infrastructure and daily operations. He has implemented many key initiatives and functions, including the Hybrid-Poly Cloud strategy, API & Microservices strategy, and accelerated Open-Source adoption within the bank to ensure the systems are open, reliable and cost-saving. These initiatives help improve customer satisfaction and attract and retain new customers.

Credit One is a leader in the credit card industry and prides itself in being technology and data driven. With so many technical needs, including state-of-the-art security, Gupta has become known for his ability to adapt quickly, deconstruct complex problems and produce meaningful solutions.

Recently, Gupta’s team launched Project Bed Rock, a microservices platform built internally to assist millions of customers across the country and dramatically scale the customer interactions Credit One receives. This initiative, in partnership with several others, is evolving the service philosophy to be customer-oriented, rather than account-oriented, to ensure a superior customer experience. Gupta also led the AI and data platforms transformation program to modernize how the bank uses data and AI to mitigate risk and increase profitability.

Gupta is a highly effectual leader, who navigates ambiguous and complicated situations, creating a shared vision, and challenging the way things have previously been done.

Public Company: Zach Bradford

CEO | CleanSpark Inc. 

Zach Bradford is one of the founders of CleanSpark Inc., a sustainable Bitcoin miner, and served as the president and CFO prior to becoming the CEO in 2019. Sourcing and investing in low-carbon energy sources like wind, solar, nuclear and hydropower, CleanSpark aims to develop sustainable infrastructure for Bitcoin and the people around the world who depend on it.

CleanSpark began as an energy technology company before progressing to Bitcoin mining under Bradford’s leadership in 2021. Described as a monumental year for the company, Bradford led the company through a full rebrand, multiple acquisitions and a facility expansion. Today, CleanSpark is one of the leading North American Bitcoin miners by production, and one that operates responsibly for the environment.

Bradford’s leadership approach is patient and transparent, and he allows his curiosity to fuel his innovation. It was during an energy consultation for a Bitcoin facility that Bradford initially realized CleanSpark’s energy technology can lessen the environmental impact of Bitcoin and end the stigma of cryptocurrency’s high-energy use. In less than a year, CleanSpark’s bitcoin mining hashrate has tripled, and it now accounts for almost 1.5% of the global hashrate, all with significantly lower energy costs.