Three individuals were named UNT's 2017 Innovator Award winners. Among those included was Interim Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation Narendra Dahotre, chemistry and biochemistry Ph.D. candidate Roberto Aguilar Ayala, and College of Business marketing senior Ryan Girardot.

"It’s amazing to receive this award alongside such qualified candidates. I’m so proud of our university for recognizing innovation outside of just academia," says Girardot.

Girardot was recognized as the co-founder and CEO of Player's Revolution Sports, LLC and its app, EPLAY. EPLAY launched in June of 2017 and acquired more than 1,500 users in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in just two weeks. Serving as a platform that enables sports players to join their system and view real-time stats, scores and rankings, the business is working to revolutionize the recruiting and player experience, giving visibility and credibility to athletes.

Girardot has been a determined business owner since age 13 when he founded a league in his driveway that ultimately grew into a national competitor. "But the real world experiences I’ve had don’t cover everything... I know I will be better at my current venture thanks to the classroom education I have received here at UNT. Every lecture for me seems to have immediate real-world applications – it makes learning fun and easy," said Girardot.