Editor’s note: Susan Patterson is the Knight Program Director for Charlotte, North Carolina. Below, she details Knight winners at the inaugural Charlotte Chamber Innovation Awards.

The Charlotte Chamber launched its first ever Innovation Awards Tuesday night, and Knight grantees were winners.

The McColl Center for Visual Arts received the Innovative New Product or Service Award for its Innovation Institute, which received a million-dollar grant from Knight in June. Executive Director Suzanne Fetscher was quick to thank Knight for its investment, and Institute alumni scattered around the Westin ballroom cheered.

With more than 400 folks in the room, the Institute is likely to have a waiting list for its next class where artists help business folks tap into their creative side for more effective leadership on the job and in the community.

Michael Marsicano, CEO of the Foundation for the Carolinas (also a Knight grantee and often a partner with Knight in major initiatives), was named Innovator of the Year.

As he said, in this business town, having non-profit winners was remarkable. He’s right.