In its commitment towards innovation, Ford Motor Company will celebrate the achievements of past and present technology entrepreneurs during its 17th Annual Ford Freedom Award in coming May.

Under the theme Celebrating Technopreneurs: Builders of the Innovation Economy, Ford and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History salute the achievements of three entrepreneurs who used technology to affect change: Ford Freedom Honoree Elijah McCoy, inventor; Ford Freedom Award Scholar, Laura Weidman Powers, founder of CODE2040; and special Legacy Award recipients Mitch Kapor, Lotus 1-2-3 developer, and his wife, Freada Kapor Klein, entrepreneur and social activist.

"At Ford, we recognise the power of innovation and technology and the impact it has on making our lives better," said Ziad Ojakli, group vice president, government and community relations, Ford Motor Company. "We are proud to honor these diverse individuals for their pioneering work, and we further salute them for sparking the imagination of our youth."

The Ford Freedom Award honoree is a distinguished African American who dedicated his or her life to improving the African American community and the world at large. The award is presented posthumously. The Ford Freedom Award scholar is an African American who has excelled on a national or international level in their field. The scholar serves as a living legacy, carrying forth high ideals, and serving as inspiration for a new generation.

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