Recognition highlights Rise8's work turning bold ideas into mission-ready software for federal agencies
TAMPA, Fla. – April 13, 2026 – Rise8 received the Innovation Catalyst award at the 2026 Elev8[X] recognition event, held April 10 at the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland. The distinction recognizes Rise8 for turning bold ideas into mission-ready solutions across the federal government.
The 2026 Elev8[X] awards, led by OrangeSlices, brought together senior leaders from across the federal community to honor organizations leading on leadership maturity, culture, and operational excellence in GovCon.
Elev8[X] is the highest level of recognition within the Elev8 program: more than 1,200 GovCon companies were nominated and evaluated through peer, employee, customer, and partner input, creating one of the most experience-based views of leadership and performance in the federal market today. From that peer-recognized group, Elev8[X] finalists emerged as the highest-rated organizations across leadership, culture, and execution. Rise8 rose to the top of the Innovation Catalysts category, recognized for delivering real mission capability where others deliver decks and documentation.
The Innovation Catalyst distinction reflects how Rise8 partners with federal teams to move from concept to production fast. Embedded with teams at the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, and Department of Veterans Affairs, Rise8 has turned ambitious program goals into working software users rely on—often in 180 days or less. That model pairs product mindset, human-centered design, and engineering discipline with continuous delivery practices that reduce risk, strengthen security, and expose problems early enough to fix them.
“Innovation in GovTech isn’t about new ideas on a whiteboard. It’s about getting real capability into the hands of the people doing the mission,” said Bryon Kroger, Founder and CEO of Rise8. “This award reflects the trust our federal partners place in our teams and the outcomes we’re delivering together. We’re proud to be recognized alongside a group of organizations changing what’s expected of government software delivery.”
The recognition also reflects Rise8’s broader investment in building a mission-ready DevOps workforce and culture across government. The company recently launched the inaugural ShipSummit, a hands-on training experience focused on AI-native, outcome-driven delivery, which took place March 31 – April 2, 2026. Rise8 also launched Mission O/S, an educational series to equip GovTech change agents to deliver mission-ready software.
About Rise8
Rise8 develops custom software for critical missions to create a future where fewer bad things happen because of bad software. Rise8 is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) with headquarters in Tampa, FL, and a fully remote workforce. Learn more at https://www.rise8.us/ and on LinkedIn, and X.
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