A consortium of innovative companies in the built environment - Aquicore, Building Robotics, Enlighted and View Glass - announced a call for entries for the inaugural 2015 BOLD Awards, recognizing Building Optimizers, Leaders and Disruptors who are pushing boundaries and facilitating the adoption of new technologies in the green building industry.

Judges for the first annual awards program include: Scot Horst, Chief Product Officer at USGBC; Elaine Hsieh, Senior Analyst at GreenBiz Group; Kira Gould, Director of Communications at William McDonough + Partners; Cliff Majersik, Executive Director at Institute for Market Transformation; Mark Frankel, Technical Director at New Buildings Institute; Gary Dillabough, Managing Partner at The Westly Group; Phil Williams, Executive Director at Delos.

"The BOLD Awards fill a current hole in the green building space by honoring individuals willing to take a risk to move the industry forward," said Elaine Hsieh, VERGE Program Director at GreenBiz Group. 

Scot Horst, Chief Product Officer at USGBC added, "I'm excited to recognize changemakers who are enhancing the lives of people and communities, while making buildings smarter and more sustainable."

The BOLD Awards categories include:

The Champion - An individual or organization that has embraced early adoption of a specific cutting-edge green building technology or strategy in 2015.

The Mentor - Innovative ideas can either be encouraged or discouraged by senior leadership. This award is for a senior leader (or leadership team) whose support for a team's innovative ideas and programs went above and beyond, fostering new ways to take on existing challenges.

The Inventor - An individual or team that created a product or service that transforms the way we interact with buildings.

The Unsung Hero - An individual or team that has been instrumental in advocating and shaping policies accelerating the adoption of green buildings, but largely does so behind the scenes.

Nominations are being accepted October 5 - 28, 2015. Finalists will be notified by November 11, and winners will be announced at a private event during the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C. on November 18, 2015. For more information, visit www.theboldawards.com

About The BOLD Awards

The Building Optimizers Leaders and Disruptors Awards recognize individuals and teams that thrive to change the green building industry to make our surroundings smarter, more comfortable and more efficient. The inaugural BOLD Awards were formed through a partnership of four innovative technology companies aiming to celebrate exceptional contribution to the built industry. Recipients will be announced on the first day of the Greenbuild Conference and Expo at an exclusive party held in Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.theboldawards.com.