Akmal Ali, founder and CEO of inOrbit and Aluma, will be recognized as the NCS4 Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance Member of the Year at the 2025 National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition to be held June 30-July 2, in San Antonio, Texas.

The event is presented annually by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at The University of Southern Mississippi. The Technology Alliance Member of the Year Award recognizes a Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance member who has demonstrated a high level of commitment to research and training, addressing industry needs in sports safety and security.

The Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance is a consortium of individuals and organizations committed to spectator safety and security excellence through innovation. Members work alongside practitioners and the NCS4 to explore how people, processes and technologies can best contribute to safety and security challenges in a meaningful way. The 2025 Sports and Entertainment Technology Alliance members include Accredit Solutions, AirSight, Aluma, BEST Crowd Management, Databuoy, ESRI, inOrbit, NVIDIA, Raven Controls, Red Ball Drills, S2 Global, Titan HST and Xtract One Technologies.

“During his time with the Technology Alliance, Akmal Ali has been a dedicated advocate for innovation, contributing significantly through the creation of numerous webinars and fresh ideas,” said Anthony Palazzolo, manager of marketing and business development, NCS4. “His impactful work has helped shape the Alliance’s direction and will continue to influence its mission well into the future.”

Ali will be recognized at the awards luncheon during the conference. The luncheon is sponsored by Evolv Technology, which provides weapons detection systems for security screening.