TAMPA, Fla., April 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The University of South Florida Muma College of Business announced the recipients of its inaugural Digital Business Awards.

The Muma Digital Business Leader Award was presented to Laurie Douglas, senior vice president, chief information officer and chief digital officer at Publix Super Markets. Douglas’s portfolio includes infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital solutions and emerging technologies.

The Muma Digital Business Innovator Award was presented to Tony DiBenedetto, executive chair of Appspace and founder of Think Big for Kids. A longtime technology entrepreneur, DiBenedetto is known for building high-growth companies, including Tribridge and Appspace, the latter of which serves half of the Fortune 500.

The Muma Digital Business Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Gilbert Gonzalez, CEO and founder of Mission Critical Solutions. Gonzalez, who earned master’s and doctoral degrees from USF, has built one of the fastest-growing privately owned technology firms in the region.

Organized by the School of Information Systems, a national leader in AI and analytics research and education, the awards serve to recognize industry leaders who are shaping the future of digital business while reinforcing the business college’s commitment to bridging academia and industry.

“As leaders and innovators, Laurie, Tony, and Gil have excelled in a rapidly changing digital landscape, and they represent the start of a proud new tradition of recognizing excellence at USF,” said David W. Blackwell, Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business.

“In a world increasingly dominated by digitalization and AI, the 2026 Digital Business Award recipients are superb role models for our students and the Tampa Bay tech community,” said Munir Mandviwalla, professor and director of the School of Information Systems.

About the Muma College of Business
The University of South Florida Muma College of Business serves more than 8,800 students on all three USF campuses across seven schools. It boasts top 10 rankings for the executive and online MBA programs and its master’s programs in entrepreneurship and sport business. The School of Information Systems is a top 20 research program based on publications in leading journals. The college powers dreams through fostering outstanding student learning, producing impactful research, and nurturing an ecosystem of collaboration across the Tampa Bay business community and beyond. Learn more at www.usf.edu/business.

Contact:
Elizabeth Brown
(813) 404-8081
elbrown@usf.edu

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SOURCE University of South Florida Muma College of Business