About The Moxie Award

Celebrating Boldness in Business.
moxie video button

The Moxie Award program was established in 2017 with the primary purpose of recognizing organizations based in the DC-metro area for their Boldness in Business. In a business context, an organization characterized by “moxie” is often perceived as innovative, fearless and willing to embrace risks to achieve its goals.

The program has engaged more than 700 outstanding organizations since its inception, who not only help make the DC-metro area a great place to do business, but also an incredible place to live, thrive and play.

Hear From Past Moxie Award Participants

  • “The Moxie Award honors Boldness in Business, and in 2018, VariQ was nominated and won. The Moxie Award process was great and professionally managed, and the experience spoke to my own story of building VariQ. As we’re living through the COVID period, it can be challenging, but it is exactly when we need strong leaders, unafraid of helping companies forward and providing leadership to our employees and communities. I encourage you to apply and good luck!”

    Ben Edson, Founder & CEO
    VariQ - 2018 Moxie Award Winner
  • “In 2018 we were fortunate enough to get nominated and eventually win (a Moxie Award)…from the beginning of the process, all the way through to the celebration and the ceremony, it was a lot of fun…made a ton of new connections, both professionally and on the personal side.”

    Giles Kesteloot, President
    Blackstone Federal, Senior VP ECS - 2018 Moxie Award Winner
  • “…lots of great relationships built…so appreciative of the chance we had to go through the nomination process and participate in the awards…I know you won’t regret being involved with the overall Moxie process and organization, it really is a great thing!”

    Dan Simons, Founder & Co-Owner
    Farmers Restaurant Group - 2019 Moxie Award Winner
  • “Thank you so much for a wonderful evening! While winning is the icing on the cake…we would have enjoyed ourselves regardless. It was fun to mix it up with companies from other verticals and learn their stories. We made some good follow-on contacts in gov-con that we’ll follow up on as well.”

    Randy Lange, Chief Strategy Officer
    Firebird AST - 2017 Moxie Award Winner
  • “…great event…and something that our company is very proud of. I’d encourage you to step up, put your name in the hat and join what is really an amazing event and that is to be part of the Moxie Awards…”

    Christopher Millar, CEO
    Gatekeeper Security - 2019 Moxie Award Winner
  • “…in 2018, we were a proud awardee of the Moxie Award…and we are proud to be a part of this incredible program!”

    Larry Melton, President & CEO
    The Building People - 2018 Moxie Award Winner
  • “We were so fortunate in being involved, and of course, in winning! Both Chris and I were a bit reluctant at first, given the time needed to participate in the many activities, especially given our involvement in moving to a new facility, as well as scheduled international business travel. However, we quickly realized the enormous value of meeting so many talented, passionate people who had so much to share. We hope to continue to be a part of the Moxie Awards and be able to return the efforts and time that others invested in us.”

    Lynn Millar, Director
    Gatekeeper Security - 2019 Moxie Award Winner
  • “I went to the Moxie Awards Reception and Dinner last night. It was a 1st class event all the way around…they kept the pace moving along and they were very well prepared with all of their remarks. All of the nominees and award winners showed a real passion for their professions along with great vision as they worked hard to see their visions become realities. It was fun being around a lot of successful visionaries last night.”

    Rob Silk, Senior Account Executive
    Summit Group - 2018 Moxie Award Attendee
Why Apply to the Moxie Award?

The Moxie Award honors companies, nonprofits, and associations for their boldness in business, placing them among an elite group of leading organizations. In addition to this prestigious recognition, there are other significant benefits to applying.

Finalists will receive a complimentary ticket to:

  • Judges & Finalists Reception to connect with the Moxie Award Judges and fellow Finalists;
  • All future Moxie Award Kickoff events that will bring together previous years’ Finalists and Winners.

Finalists and Winners of the Moxie Award are provided with a promotional toolkit to help you announce your accomplishment via social media and public relations.

Winners are recognized in front of hundreds of business leaders at the Moxie Award Ceremony & Dinner where they are presented the unique Moxie trophy, a prestigious sign of their boldness.

Who Can Apply?

Entries will be accepted from businesses, nonprofits and associations in the DC metro area who feel they have shown boldness and innovation in their approach to growing their organization.

What is the Judging Process?

The judging panel will be comprised of the best and boldest local business leaders known for their expertise and business acumen. Applicants will be evaluated on innovation, growth, industry leadership, community service and local achievements in a multi-step process:

  • Applications will be reviewed by the finalist committee and finalists will be identified.
  • Finalists will be visited by members of the finalist committee for a 30-60 minute in-person interview.
  • The official applications and feedback from the finalist committee interviews will be provided to the judges for evaluation.
How To Apply

Complete your entry for the Moxie Award by following the link to the application form below.

April 26, 2024

Early Bird Application Deadline

($100 application fee waived)

May 3, 2024

Final Application Deadline

October 24, 2024

2024 Moxie Award Ceremony & Dinner

When are the winners announced?

The winners will be announced and celebrated at the 2024 Annual Moxie Award Ceremony & Dinner, attended by business executives and community leaders from the DC metro area.

October 24, 2024
The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner
1700 Tysons Blvd, McLean, VA 22102

  • 5:30 – 7:00 pm – Registration and Networking Reception
  • 7:00 – 9:00 pm – Dinner, Awards Program and Dessert Reception

Dress code: business or cocktail attire

Sponsor Testimonials

  • “The McLean Group is very pleased with our sponsorship of the Moxie awards. Through the program, we met with many terrific business owners and CEOs outside of our existing networks. The Moxie Awards and its associated events are focused on quality networking and meaningful conversations between executives and solutions providers alike, far more than a brief one-time conversation at an industry event could offer. The connections we make at the various Moxie Award events allow our relationships to remain consistent—the finalists know our faces, our names, and our services without needing to be refreshed. Those connections grow over time, as we return to sponsor the Moxie Awards again next year, and they are the key to establishing a bond that carries on toward successful business relationships.”

    the mclean group 400
    Joe Golden
    Senior Managing Director, The McLean Group
  • “Criterion Systems was a Moxie winner in 2017 and a sponsor in 2018. The Moxie Awards are special in that they cut across typical industry and size boundaries by focusing on celebrating business growth and success in its many forms. The DC region has a vibrant and expanding business environment and we were happy to be a part of an event that recognized local talent, innovation, and drive.”

    criterionLogo 400
    Promod Sharma
    President and CEO, Criterion Systems
  • “Shulman Rogers purchased a table and attended the 2017 Moxie Award dinner and ceremony and I found it to be the best event I had attended that year. The networking opportunity among C-level individuals across industries was phenomenal, the program was organized and efficient, and the overall energy in the room was contagious! We signed on as a 2018 sponsor immediately after the 2017 event. For 2018, we were involved in the entire process: nominating clients and prospects, interviewing the Finalists of our choosing, attending the Finalists/Judges meet-and-greet, and attending and presenting an award at the awards ceremony. We had the opportunity to further existing client relationships and meet dozens of additional DC-metro executives in unique and engaging environments. This is by far the best use of our event sponsorship dollars and we have already seen a return on investment.”

    Shulman Rogers 400
    Aaron Ghais
    Shareholder, Shulman Rogers
  • “Participating as a sponsor for The Moxie Awards is a unique opportunity to meet and spend quality time with business owners to learn about their businesses and their passion behind it. This is capped off with a great award reception and dinner.”

    CRn 400
    Scott Damiecki
    Partner, CohnReznick
  • “EagleBank sponsored both the 2017 and 2018 Moxie Award programs and has seen tremendous value. The sponsorship benefits allow for repeated valuable touchpoints with the nominees, finalists and other sponsors. Banking is a relationship business, so the ability to meet with C-level executives throughout the year in different types of formats has allowed the opportunity to cultivate those relationships. Sponsors are given the tools to nominate clients and prospects and encouraged to attend as many interviews that they can. The awards dinner provides optimal time for networking, while still recognizing all of the finalists, sponsors and winners. The Moxie Award program was developed to recognize companies for their boldness and Moxie and it does just that!”

    EB sponsor logo
    Toby Haggerty
    SVP, C&I Relationship Manager, EagleBank
  • “A quick note to let you know how much we enjoyed being a part of the 2018 Moxie Awards. We’re proud to say we’ve been a part of this great event the past two years, and it continues to get better! Beyond having the opportunity to work with your professional and dedicated staff, it offered Broad Street an excellent opportunity to celebrate a host of deserving professionals and create numerous business generating opportunities. The event itself was first class. From the venue to the quick and efficient pace of the program, this was definitely one of the most enjoyable evenings of the year. The committee did a wonderful job identifying, interviewing, and choosing the very best nominees from a large pool of dynamic, successful companies. I know this is extremely time consuming, but based on the finalists in each of the various categories, I commend your team on a job well done!”

    broadstreet sponsor logo
    Michael Jacoby
    CEO, Broad Street Realty
  • “NFP/Meltzer got involved as a sponsor with the Moxie Awards in 2017 and found the program to be such a valuable business development and marketing tool that we didn’t hesitate to sign on as a sponsor again for 2018 and 2019. As a sponsor, we are given the opportunity to meet a large number of CEOs and business owners from the DC community that we would never have been familiar with otherwise. The face-time afforded during the finalist interviews really allowed us to build a rapport with the finalist companies that wouldn’t have been achieved otherwise. Additionally, we feel the marketing/branding visibility for NFP/Meltzer as a Moxie Award sponsor was well worth our investment in the program; the 2018 awards banquet had more than 400 attendees and we anticipate an even larger crowd in 2019. We would highly recommend Moxie Award sponsorship to anyone considering it.”

    NFP The Melter Group 400
    Ethan Foxman
    Mid-Atlantic President, NFP
  • “As a proud sponsor of the Moxie Awards program, Accelerent was promised seats to the awards, exclusive access to the finalist reception as well as advertising in the event brochure, logos to appear on emails, online and in print, as well as exposure on the night itself. What we received was this and more. Sponsoring the Moxie Awards is without question a rewarding and highly beneficial experience for Accelerent and ensures exposure to a host of businesses and their owners. We very much value our involvement in the awards and the brand coverage and exposure we receive during the sponsorship cycle is really beneficial to us as a business. Moxie Award sponsorship has increased our new business pipeline and has proven an effective tool in helping us achieve our revenue goals. The evening itself is a fantastic networking opportunity and a great opportunity to celebrate the successes of the finalist companies. The Moxie Award team have been incredibly helpful from start to finish and we look forward to working with you again next year.”

    Accelerent 400
    Tom Lipski
    President, Accelerent
  • “IPI decided to give Moxie Award sponsorship a try in 2018 and I’m very happy with that decision. Being a Moxie Award sponsor allowed me to network and meet business owners and influencers outside of my existing network. The associated Moxie events (finalist reception and Awards Dinner) were first-class and well-attended and provided additional opportunities to deepen the relationships forged in the finalist interview process. I found the brand awareness and visibility as a Moxie Award sponsor to be invaluable.”

    IPI Logo BLUE 400
    Brien Biondi
    President, IPI

Thank you to all of our Moxie Award Sponsor Partners.

To learn more about sponsoring, email us at sponsor@moxieaward.com.

Diamond Hosting Sponsors

Platinum Presenting Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Contact Us

Questions? Feel free to reach out directly by emailing us at info@moxieaward.com