The Cases&Faces Annual International Business Conference and Award celebration came to an end recently, recognizing outstanding achievements across various industries. The event shed light on the significance of innovation and appeared to corroborate recent research by consulting firm McKinsey, which found that 84% of CEOs believe innovation is critical to growth. This aligns with the accomplishments of the Cases&Faces Award winners, many of whom excelled in areas like digital transformation and technological advancements.
The event was organized and sponsored by Crazy Unicorns, a U.S.-based IT firm that designs the latest software solutions; ADConsult, a management consulting firm with global opportunities; and Neuron Expert Corporation, a platform based on AI that supports the connection of businesses internationally. Others include snack maker EnerBalls, realtor Victoria Volynets, flower decoration firm Le Soul Fleur, photo and video content creator MAILIS-MEDIA, mortgage lending professionals Mortgage by Julia, large printing and business structure specialist BART STUDIO, and PR agency ExpertizeMe International.
The jury board, made up of individuals who are experts in their fields, left no stone unturned in their assessment of the record number of entries this year—well over 1,000 submissions from entrepreneurs and researchers from around the world. These applications spanned a wide range of categories, including Achievement in E-Commerce, Achievement in Technology Innovation, Achievement in the Internet of Things, Executive of the Year, and Innovator in Financial Technologies, among others.
Anatollii Landyshev, Director and CTO at Visartech EU Ltd., stands as an example that perfectly represents the renowned jury board’s outstanding qualifications. Landyshev is a software engineer and tech leader, with over 15 years of experience. Besides, his software products have received awards from Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Valentina Palagina, a social media influencer and travel expert, is undoubtedly a powerful addition to the jury board. Palagina, who won the award for “Best Travel Blog: Travel Influencer of the Year” at the Prime One Awards 2024 Dubai, leverages her extensive experience working with international brands to evaluate industry submissions. Denys Malakhov, owner and general manager of U.S.-based WEB STUDIO DM LLC, is another influential member of the board. Malakhov also brings his vast experience as an entrepreneur and private investor to bear on the board. Also among the team is Saikat Dutta, a seasoned enterprise architect with expertise in digital transformation and IT modernization. Dutta is well-equipped, as his resume covers his previous work at Salesforce and EY.
The list is by no means exhaustive, as there are still several other members of the board that also deserve special mention.
The jury board adopts a strict selection process. There are at least five judges who evaluate each entry on a scale of 1 to 10. The scores are then averaged and used to determine the category winners. “When considering the applications, each nominee must be evaluated by at least five members of the jury board appointed by the organizing committee. These members assess each criterion on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 represents the lowest score and 10 represents the highest score,” Dutta said. “The scores are summed and then divided to find out the total score of each nominee. A passing score needs to be achieved to remain eligible for an award, and it is 8.5. If there is only one applicant who meets this score in the given category, then that particular applicant is considered the winner. However, if there are no qualified applicants who pass the minimum rating in a given category, then there is no award for that category.” According to the guidelines, all of the judges should show that they are the best in this field through their past achievements.
With a careful and detailed examination of the jury board, a diverse group of winners emerged, reflecting the global nature of business innovation. Maksim Fishman, who is the founder of AXY Company LLC, which sells beauty and home products on major online marketplaces, emerged as the winner in the Achievement in E-Commerce category. Notably, the company’s sales increased by five times, thanks to his leadership. “What we did was totally change our strategy for online sales,” said Fishman. “Through data-driven marketing and rewriting our listings for major marketplaces, we achieved the goal of bringing the products to the foreground and thereby improving sales by far.”
In the Achievement in Technology Innovation category, Sergey Eliseev, who is the head of the 3D Computer Vision Research Group in Israel, was the top prize winner. His “Advanced Viewer Freedom Technology” is powered by nine GoPro cameras, which makes it possible to get a 3D and VR experience that incorporates the user, redefining the limits of virtual reality. “Virtual reality has the potential to redefine our interactions with the environment,” said Eliseev. “Our technology contributes to a more lifelike experience of VR for diverse applications, such as gaming, entertainment, education, and training, among others.”
Grigory Semenchenko, the founder of GS TEAM LLC, won the Achievement in IoT: Transportation category. Semenchenko’s DINEXIS system can analyze a wide range of data related to such variables as location, mileage, and fuel consumption to improve driving quality and safety for vehicle fleets; thus, demonstrating the transformative potential of the Internet of Things. “Our system gives fleet managers the necessary information and helps them identify where they can achieve fuel efficiency and cut back on driving behavior,” Semenchenko said. “This can ultimately result in cost savings and improved safety for all the people on the road.”
Apart from celebrating outstanding achievements, the Cases&Faces Annual International Business Conference and Award ceremony also fosters valuable connections. The event offers entrepreneurs and researchers from all over the world a chance to connect, share their best practices, learn from other projects, and initiate new collaborations. This year’s event further underscored what innovation means as a force that drives business and highlighted the creativity and commitment of people from different fields. This event also showed the importance of creating an environment that opens new opportunities for cooperation and knowledge sharing, which in turn leads to innovations in the world. “This year, we had a higher number of applications than usual. I was really overwhelmed by the quality of the applications we received,” said a spokesperson for Cases&Faces. “The attendance of so many interesting and talented people amazes me. We are confident that the connections forged at this year’s ceremony will lead to even greater innovation in the years to come.”
Beyond networking opportunities, the event also served as a launchpad for future collaborations. For winners like Fishman, it was an unforgettable experience and an ample opportunity to work with like-minded individuals in the future: “Winning the award is a great honor. However, what is more important is that I have made some friends who are very successful entrepreneurs and innovators. I am enthusiastic about the new opportunities that lay before me and to work on ideas and projects we can all benefit from.”
The Cases&Faces Annual International Business Conference and Award ceremony happens to be a very good forum for international business participants, as it reminds them and also others that the promotion of technological innovation usually occurs in an environment where there is a copious amount of collaboration and knowledge exchange. With participants that come from all over being connected to each other, the event fosters connections that can lead to groundbreaking advancements and shape the future of business.
