Logistics expert and inventor Olexandr Momotok on why real-world experience matters in tech awards
On April 30, 2025, the CatalyX Champions Series Awards honored the best innovators and leaders in technology and entrepreneurship. This year's event marked the second edition of the awards, which aim not only to stimulate investment and sustainable development but also to create a platform for international collaboration between startups, corporations, and experts. The presence of such experts is one of the key criteria for the prestige of professional awards.
This year, the status of the CatalyX Champions Series Awards was underscored by the participation of distinguished jury members, each representing different yet equally vital aspects of modern business: technology, security, and entrepreneurship. At the same time, they placed their bets on a specific approach to assessing innovations, using a unique methodology for selecting judges. World award practice shows that winners chosen by theorists often lose in practice, and this problem is especially acute in technology competitions. Therefore, the organizers formed a panel of judges based on a new principle, relying primarily on the rich practical experience of its members.
Three Perspectives on Innovation: A Unique Jury Panel
This year’s important decision was to invite, first of all, owners of existing businesses and startups to the jury. When a technological project is assessed by both the developer and the one who will implement it in real conditions, the entire selection paradigm changes. Thus, Olexandr Momotok (OM&B Trucking Inc.), who built a transport company in the USA from scratch and simultaneously developed a patented trailer drawbar design, became the embodiment of this approach, bringing a practical view from the world of logistics to the assessment of projects. His expertise proved invaluable in assessing solutions for "traditional" industries. "We evaluated not just technological sophistication but also how projects would hold up under real-world conditions," Momotok noted. "For example, how would a system perform in adverse weather conditions or when a driver hasn’t slept in three days? I recall an argument about a project with a stunning presentation and intricate algorithms. I asked a simple question: 'What happens when a truck driver in North Dakota tries to use this in -30?' There was silence. That changed the entire discussion."
This marks yet another occasion where Jamilya Kurmanova—an accomplished beauty industry leader, business mentor for women entrepreneurs, and owner of a premium U.S. beauty salon—has served as a judge in a professional competition.
Another member of the panel of judges, Andrii Kovalchuk, is a consultant on business development and entrepreneurship, owner of several trademarks, who has developed a unique methodology based on an integrated approach that allows clients to increase their turnover by an average of 4-5 times.
The jury consisted of AI experts, skilled marketers, and entrepreneurs across industries, enabling them to assess innovation both within specific sectors and on a broader scale. In this way, they were able to evaluate both an industry-specific innovation and an innovative approach in a broad sense. And sometimes it was the questions, clarifications, comments, and ideas of the judges, whose expertise is in another area, that gave impetus to an interesting turn in the discussion or illuminated non-obvious "bottlenecks."
A Jury That Guarantees Quality
CatalyX Ventures deliberately assembled a jury comprising practitioners (all members run successful companies),innovators (each holds patents or unique developments), andinternational experts (with experience across multiple jurisdictions).
When a project earns approval from a logistics professional, an industry leader, and a business mentor simultaneously, it’s the best indicator of its viability. Jury members were also required to have at least five years of experience in venture capital, startups, or innovation, recognition within their professional communities, and no conflicts of interest with participants.
The evaluation process included remote assessments, debates, and final closed voting. Assessments by different experts, discussions during disagreements, and reaching a consensus were not always straightforward. "The debates were intense but relevant—we grounded them in reality," Momotok explained. "For instance, I insisted that the winner in one category had to function without a stable connection, which is critical for certain regions. My colleagues agreed."
Momotok's approach to evaluation is a ready-made checklist for startups: does the solution work without the Internet? Will it withstand extreme conditions? Will a tired user understand it? These questions are born from the experience of a truck driver and a law enforcement officer analyzing the causes and consequences of road accidents. Now they have become part of the CatalyX jury's methodology.
The Award as a Benchmark of Professionalism
Serving on the CatalyX Champions Series Awards jury was not just an honor for the experts but also an opportunity to exchange knowledge with peers from other industries, identify promising investment directions, and elevate standards for their projects. Momotok, for example, reviewed applications through the lens of a practitioner with a legal background, and this perspective turned out to be especially valuable. After working in a Ukrainian prosecutor’s office, he moved to the U.S. and built a transportation business from scratch while developing and patenting an innovative truck suspension system, a solution born from the analysis of hundreds of accidents.
"On the jury, I looked for projects that solved real problems, not just created flashy concepts," Alexander said. "Theory and practice often diverge. Innovation for innovation’s sake is a dead end. A true breakthrough is a solution that’s technological, user-friendly, and as reliable as a hammer. Those were the projects we sought this year."
Triumphs of Innovation
From over 1,000 submissions, the jury highlighted several projects that didn’t just offer technological solutions but demonstrated real-world applicability. In the nomination “Top Management Leader”, the winner was Artem Pavlov, a visionary entrepreneur and business strategist from Ukraine, founder of Innovative Marketing for Business, currently transforming the US market with innovative marketing, financial analysis, and AI-powered solutions. In the "Outstanding Contributor" category, Hanna Nazarenko was recognized for her comprehensive business coaching methodology, which blends technology and psychology.
This synergy, where jurors and participants learn from one another, makes the CatalyX Champions Series Awards so valuable. It embodies a truly prestigious award’s formula: when the winner’s name becomes a mark of quality, and jury participation signifies professional authority.
