People’s Choice Shortlist 21/22
VOTING HAS CLOSED
Winners Announced Here
SHORTLIST
🙌🎉
SHORTLIST 🙌🎉
The shortlisted individuals/companies have been put forward by others who feel their work should be celebrated.
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Organisation - Startup
Aerial Application Solutions
Technology that inspires growth
Everybody talks about equipment, titanium drivers, the evolution of the ball and everything like that. The biggest change in the game of golf is the mower and how we’re maintaining golf courses
IG Drones
Post Disaster Rescue Operations during Disasters
IG Drones, since its inception in 2018 has been tirelessly working with the rescue operations team in disaster affected areas of Bhagalpur, Bihar Floods, Assam Floods, Amphan Cyclone, Fani Cyclone & Jajpur Flood in Odisha Maharashtra Flood, Uttarakhand CloudBurst, saving thousands of lives.
ModalAI
Smaller, smarter, safer drones autopilots
ModalAI is bring about the next wave of advanced robotics. Their Blue UAS Framework autopilots use premier processing and operate with open source applications popular with the drone community such as PX4, Open CV, Docker and ROS.
Dendra Systems
Restoring critical Koala habitat
UK based company helping ecosystems quickly and easily by restoring vital koala habitat destroyed by wildfire in Australia. Using drones to plant 45kg of seed for 40 different plant species. 15,000 trees are expected to grow becoming homes to koalas to help them evade attacks from predators.
Denmead Drone Search and Rescue
Drones with sausages save dog
Volunteer organisation using drones that demonstrated incredible initiative using a novel idea, tenacity and patience resulting in a successful outcome
Organisation - Standards
CASA Australia - Know Your Drone
Funny, heterogeneous, clear, informative, engaging
The CASA know your drone campaign, is a dedicated, well thought and better plan, purposely campaign to illustrate in an engaging and fun way everything users, without much concept of drones, need to know to fly safely, responsibly and enjoy this wonderful activity. It is the best effort I have seen
Malawi Department of Civil Aviation
Progressive and enabling drone environment
Through their regulatory leadership, collaboration with stakeholders and establishment of the humanitarian drone testing corridor, Malawi DCA has been instrumental in enabling drone environment to support ongoing drone delivery and drone mapping operations to improve the lives of Malawi people.
Rwanda CAA
Efficiency; Professionalism, People centric; Commitment
Their world leading work with uas and drone systems such as Lake Kivu Challenge with African Drone Forum and their general approach to develop, implement and maintain a safe, secure and efficient civil aviation industry in Rwanda but with an innovative focus.
Flight Safety Foundation
UAS Working Group focused on safety
This group recognises the need for the GA community and UAS community to come together and work together in building a more cohesive safety system, especially with regards to Humanitarian UAS Operations. https://flightsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/D6-DMFR-FINAL.pdf
Person - Industry Impactor
Christopher Church - INTERPOL
Radical, Transparent, Connector, Humble, Resourceful
Christopher Church does not let red tape or bureaucracy influence his impact on the world. He does so much outside of his work, to ensure security is an enabler of drone innovation, not a blocker. He has brought transparency and accountability to the drone security and counter-drone industries
Felipe Spina Avino - WWF Brazil
Training indigenous rangers in the Amazon
Felipe is committed to training and supporting indigenous rangers in the Amazon rainforest to protect and manage their land. He has done many drone trainings and works with a variety of nonprofit organizations and tribal governments to do so. He is a passionate ally and activist.
Gabriella Ailstock - VillageReach
Driven, passion, honest, changemaker, impact
Gabriella is a driving force behind the integration of medical drone to increase equitable access to health care in sub-Saharan Africa. She is extremely driven, empowers the locals, and always pushes to make a use case and business case sustainable. She is a true changemaker!
Dawn Zoldi - P3 Tech Consulting
She's a brilliant & Dynamic Leader
Dawn Zoldi is hands down a facilitator, dynamic educator and leader in the UAS industry. She has created a movement with her Dawn of Drones Podcasts and uses her spotlight to highlight others accomplishments and educate the public.
Sean Hickey - Geeksvana
Reliable, honest, independent journalism
Sean at Geeksvana always seems to present the facts in an entertaining but factual way. I have learned a lot from his channel about the drone rules and I find the way he champions responsible drone flight to be in the best interests of the hobby and profession.
Person - Rising Star
Rob Corbett - Flight Takes Many Forms
Adaptable, Journey, Unwavering, Ground-breaking, Amazing
Rob is doing an exciting effort to promote drone usage and education amongst the learned but also the novel community of users worldwide. The last thing you notice is that he speaks from a transformation place of inner knowledge
Nelli Wegner - n/a
No limits young talent female inventor
Nelli is one of a kind. At 15 years old she is breaking glass ceilings unknowingly. She built in 2018, and improving this year, a perfectly flying Volocopter model drone. She teaches young kids in her free time about drones. Nelli is an amazing source of inspiration for the young (female or male)
Muhammad Anas - Enord
Young, Hardworking, Servant-Leader, Inspiring, Humble
A fantastic leader who gets involved and interacts with his team. A large part of support with learning and believes in educating other without any expectation. He is true servant leader!
Tendai Pasipanodya - Endeva
Unlocking potential, strengthen local knowledge, ecosystem
Tendai is focused on creating transformational partnerships that change systems. Her work aims to build collaborative platforms to empower local and young people.
Edmond Nonie - Track Your Build
Data science, West Africa, utilisation, entrepreneur
A fantastic advocate for entrepreneurship in West Africa and beyond as well as a professional with vision and direction to grow a business from the ground up.
Person - Executive / Senior Leadership
Vasily Lukashov - FIXAR-AERO
Vasily is an inspiring innovator
Vasily has turned his passion and knowledge into FIXAR company which reach for the best autonomous solutions. Vasily inspires his team and also have put time in teaching youth about drone world.
Ryan Johnston - Applied Aeronautics
Industry leader in fixed wing
Ryan founded AA in 2014 with the vision of making long range commercial drones accessible to the masses. He led the development of the Albatross UAV from concept to commercial product. A platform with industrial specs at a hobby price point. A leading voice.
Richard Gill - Drone Defence
Industry asset and drone advocator
Richard is an asset to the drone industry. He has been committed to the development and future of drones for a number of years. He advocates change within this field, and is actively engaged in impactful conversations within the drone community.
Aboubakar Karim - Investiv
Agritech, pioneer, reduce losses, environmentally friendly
Contributing to building the future of African agriculture through innovative solutions of precision agriculture. Strong entrepreneurs make a strong nation
Chase Olson - Smart Sky Tech Hub
Reality Capture, Exciting, Effective, Inclusive
Chase is an innovative leading individual who, with extensive knowledge in a variety of drone related businesses, continues to push South America and put it on the drone map.