Kelly Carnes gets IAOTP tech policy honor

The International Association of Top Professionals will honor TechVision21 CEO Kelly Carnes at its 2026 Annual Awards Gala in New York City. Carnes will receive Trailblazer of the Year in Tech Policy and the Presidential Award for her work across technology, business, law and government.

Why it matters: - IAOTP is recognizing Kelly Carnes for work that has shaped technology policy across the public and private sectors. - The award puts a spotlight on tech policy leadership at a time when governments and companies are still trying to balance innovation, regulation and competitiveness. - Carnes is also being cited for helping organizations turn research and policy ideas into economic and societal impact.

What happened: - The International Association of Top Professionals selected Kelly Carnes, president and CEO of TechVision21, as the recipient of its Trailblazer of the Year in Tech Policy Award. - IAOTP will also present Carnes with its Presidential Award. - The honors will be presented at IAOTP’s 2026 Annual Awards Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in December 2026. - More information about the gala is available in IAOTP’s announcement.

The details: - IAOTP described the Trailblazer Award as a recognition for leaders who drive innovation, influence policy and set standards for future generations. - Carnes has more than two decades of experience in technology policy and innovation. - TechVision21 is a Washington, D.C.-based technology strategy firm. - The firm helps clients navigate policy, regulatory and business challenges. - TechVision21 works with multinational corporations, research institutions, government agencies and nonprofit organizations focused on science and technology. - The firm helps clients secure financing for research and development, build strategic partnerships and advance their interests in Washington. - Carnes previously held senior leadership roles in the U.S. government for eight years. - Her federal career began as an advisor to former First Lady Hillary Clinton. - She later served in technology policy roles for four U.S. Secretaries of Commerce. - Carnes completed a four-year stint as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy after being appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. - In that role, she represented the administration before Congress and in diplomatic discussions with foreign governments and multilateral organizations, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. - Carnes earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. - She later graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center and served as Topics Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. - IAOTP named Carnes Top Technology Policy Expert of the Year and gave her the Empowered Woman Award in 2025. - Corporate Magazine named her a Top Woman Business Leader in 2021, and she later joined the Washington Business Journal Leadership Trust. - IAOTP also featured her in its Top 50 Fearless Leaders publication and named her Top Tech Policy Expert of the Decade last year. - Carnes has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, BusinessWeek, InformationWeek, CIO Magazine and The National Journal. - She has also appeared on NPR’s Talk of the Nation and on television and radio programs nationwide. - Her board and advisory service includes the Government Accountability Office’s Comptroller General’s Advisory Board, the Director of National Intelligence’s Senior Advisory Group, the National Governors Association Commission on Technology and Adult Education, and the Morella Commission. - She has also advised the Center for Strategic and International Studies and BEST: Building Engineering and Science Talent. - In 2000, she was selected by the Center for the Study of the Presidency to join a panel advising President George W. Bush on federal technological development and competitiveness. - Carnes is working on a forthcoming book, Next Generation Innovation, about how technology-driven organizations can collaborate with the federal government to accelerate innovation and growth. - A video about Carnes is available here. - More information about Carnes is available on her TechVision21 profile.

Between the lines: - The recognition extends Carnes’ long-running positioning as a bridge between government, business and technology policy. - IAOTP’s multiple honors suggest the group is emphasizing both her policy background and her broader leadership profile. - The award also reinforces TechVision21’s brand as a firm focused on navigating policy-heavy markets.

What's next: - IAOTP will formally honor Carnes at the December 2026 gala in New York City. - Carnes plans to continue speaking on technology and global competitiveness while finishing her book. - TechVision21 is likely to keep leaning on her policy credentials in client work and public-facing leadership.

The bottom line: - Kelly Carnes is getting a high-profile industry recognition for a career built at the intersection of tech, government and business.