Upstate Capital’s Annual Awards celebrate the important work that people are doing in VC + Growth and PE + M&A. Every year, we recognize the people and the companies making impacts in communities across New York. Join the active in VC + Growth and PE + M&A ecosystem in Upstate NY for Upstate Capital’s Annual Celebration, the marquee event celebrating the successes of our community.
Let’s celebrate!
AWARDS
For companies with transactions, past awards have included: – Private Equity Exit of the Year – Venture Deal of the Year – Impact Investment of the Year – Private/Non-Profit/Public Partnership
For people in the industry, past awards have included: – Dealmaker of the Year – Lifetime Achievement Award
NOMINATIONS
Our marquee annual celebration highlights exciting investments, notable transactions, and active dealmakers across New York State in venture+ growth private equity and M&A.
Nominations are now closed. Celebrate the winners on December 11. Register Now.
Read More About Eligibility:
For companies, investments and exits that took place between September ‘23 to August ‘24 are eligible for nomination. The committee considers the size of the transaction, geographic location(s) of the company, capital provider and transaction professionals involved, and impact on the local community and regional ecosystem.
For people, the quality of the nomination is important and ideally will include both quantity and quality of activities related to venture capital, private equity, or mergers & acquisitions. We seek to identify and highlight active investment and transaction professionals who are working in Upstate New York, both for clients locally and outside the region.
President + CEO, Upstate Capital Association of New York
Noa is an entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder based in the Hudson Valley. As the President & CEO of the Upstate Capital Association of NY, Noa focuses on advancing venture capital and private equity in Upstate NY, and has been leading the association since 2016. As the co-founder and CEO of GoodBread, she is building proprietary underwriting models to make small-dollar loans available to Main Street small businesses.
Prior to these roles, Noa co-founded the Hudson Valley Startup Fund and the Community Compost Company. She has a background in a venture capital-focused family office and spent significant time in China before returning to her native Upstate NY.
Under Noa’s leadership, in 2018, Upstate Capital began leading the NYBPC, New York’s statewide intercollegiate entrepreneurship competition that engages more than 700 students and 200 business professionals annually from more than 60 colleges and universities all across New York.
Thomas is the Chief Executive Officer at the Western New York Impact Investment Fund. He has deep experience leading high growth entrepreneurial ventures, raising capital, and creating high-functioning management teams. Prior, he was President of Baton Pharma and Infonaut.
Dom is a Principal on the Direct Equity team at Hamilton Lane. He is responsible for leading the evaluation and due diligence of direct investment opportunities. Before joining Hamilton Lane in 2018, Dom was a Director with FS Investments, focused most recently on investment management related to private debt. Dom has previously held roles at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and T. Rowe Price and began his career as an analyst at Lehman Brothers.
Ackner-Newman Professor of Practice @ University at Albany
The Ackner-Newman Professor of Practice is a named professorship at the University at Albany reserved for a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in entrepreneurship with a particular emphasis on encouraging female entrepreneurs. The Professor of Practice is responsible for running the Ackner-Newman Fellowship Program. Courses: Social Entrepreneurship and Special Topics in Management.
Senior Advisor for Innovation Partnerships @ NYSERDA
Mike has initiated and managed programs to promote the commercialization of clean energy and climate technology for the last 15 years. He started and grew a first-of-its-kind CleanTech Incubator program to support startup companies bringing such technologies to market, and created an
Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking at KeyBank
Erica is a commercial finance professional with experience across both the public and private sectors and is responsible for business development, portfolio management, and acting as a trusted advisor for Commercial Banking clients throughout the Capital Region and Northeast. Before joining KeyBank, Erica worked for Bank of America, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Beech-Nut Brand, and Kraft Foods.
Vice President of Industry and External Affairs at SUNY Research Foundation
Nicholas Querques is the Vice President of Industry and External Affairs at SUNY Research Foundation (RF), the largest comprehensive university-connected research foundation in the country, administering over $1.1 billion in research expenditures annually across the SUNY campus system. In his role, Nick leads initiatives and services aimed at promoting technology translation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship throughout SUNY’s extensive research enterprise, supporting SUNY affiliated companies in their growth, telling and selling the story of SUNY, and fostering partnerships and joint ventures with industry and government to bring SUNY technology to market. He is responsible for overseeing RF’s business units that handle intellectual property and licensing, new ventures, marketing, communications, and external relations and partnerships.
Nick has over 16 years of experience building, scaling, and leading strategic initiatives and programs that serve inventors, entrepreneurs, and companies at the intersection of academia, government, and industry. Previously, Nick was Director of New Ventures at RF, where he managed a portfolio of initiatives focused on promoting entrepreneurship and commercialization across SUNY’s billion-dollar annual research enterprise. Before that, he was Program Manager for Technology to Market at NYSERDA, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, overseeing a $130 million portfolio focused on innovation and technology development for early-stage companies in the energy sector. Nick also held the position of Assistant Vice President for Clean Energy Programs at the University at Albany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering. In 2010, he co-founded MICROrganic Technologies, a biotechnology startup that is commercializing microbial fuel cell technologies for wastewater treatment applications.
Nick is actively involved in New York’s innovation ecosystem, serving on the board of directors for the Upstate Capital Association of New York and the Long Island High Technology Incubator, as well as on the advisory boards of the Central New York Biotech Accelerator and New York Small Business Development Center. Nick also serves on the investment committee of Upstate Biotech Ventures, a first of its kind venture capital fund for SUNY that invests in life sciences and health tech startups affiliated with Upstate Medical University. He holds a BS in finance and management, magna cum laude, and an MBA in information technology and nanotechnology from the University at Albany.
Sam is a Principal at Union Hill Advisors and an Advisor at Hamilton Lane, where he represents and advises their NYS direct investment platform. He is also Managing Director for Fort Ghent Brokerage, where he raises capital globally and introduces high-quality investment opportunities to investors. Prior, he was Executive Director at Upstate Capital. Sam earned a BA from Bucknell University in 1983 and his MBA from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester.
David is a Managing Member at Bluehenge Capital Partners where he invests in unitranche/mezzanine loans and minority equity investments from $3MM to $25MM in size to middle market businesses. Prior to Bluehenge Capital, he was a Director at Stonehenge Capital for 16 years. Ari earned his BA in business administration from the of Texas at Austin in 1995.
Kelsey is a Western New York native with diverse professional experience spanning a wide range of businesses, industries, and geographies. Her background includes nearly a decade of transaction advisory experience with private companies and private equity. She couples her public accounting background with deep knowledge of the local community, and in addition to her experience, brings the resources of her organization to her participation on the Board. WithumSmith+Brown is an international top 100 public accounting firm.
Pete Grum is a self-directed investment professional with significant accomplishments leading and growing a venture capital firm for over 25 years. Pete is experienced in private equity and investing in debt and equity of private companies, and recognized for maximizing returns on investments, community involvement, and Board membership. Pete is an Adjunct Professor at the University at Buffalo and teaches senior-level Corporate Finance in the School of Management. He earned his Master of Business Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology and his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Eisenhower College.
The Annual Awards is one of my favorite Upstate Capital events every year. It’s wonderful to see all the activity throughout New York and to celebrate the accomplishments of so many people in the community.
Randy Bianchi, Managing Partner, Lakelet Capital
REGISTER NOW
General Admission is $175. Member tickets are $100. Not yet a member? Join today.
Location: Harro East Ballroom 155 N Chestnut St, Rochester, NY 14604
Discover the cultural charm and convenient luxury of The Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa – a DoubleTree by Hilton, ideally situated for exploring Rochester’s rich historical sites and attending nearby events.
Celebrate the investment ecosystem on December 11 in Rochester. Interested in sponsoring the event? Gain exposure and visibility with investors, entrepreneurs, and deal makers at our 9th annual marquee event. Reach out for more information!
