POdcast Episode 2: Stephen Devay on the GREAT Awards and Why Peer Recognition Matters

On the TechRochester Podcast, we recently welcomed Stephen DeVay, TechRochester Board Member and current lead for one of the organization’s most enduring and community driven programs, the GREAT Awards.

This episode is part of the TechRiseROC focused podcast series, made possible through the Springboard funding opportunity. Thank you, Springboard. This series extends TechRochester’s mentorship work by creating space for deeper conversations with the leaders, mentors, and founders helping entrepreneurs gain traction and move forward at critical moments in their journey.

You can nominate for the GREAT awards here until 1/31!

What the GREAT Awards Are

The GREAT Awards are TechRochester’s annual peer driven recognition program celebrating Greater Rochester Excellence and Achievement in Technology. More than a traditional awards program, GREAT is designed to elevate the full breadth of the region’s technology ecosystem, from early stage startups and students to service providers, teams, and community leaders.

As Stephen DeVay shared, “This is about our community celebrating itself. You hear about innovation happening in Silicon Valley, and then you realize this is happening here. In Rochester. And the answer is yes.”

Stephen’s own introduction to TechRochester came through the GREAT Awards. “Oddly enough, the GREAT Awards were my introduction to TechRochester. I was nominated, didn’t win, but I met incredible people. That experience opened the door to deeper involvement and eventually joining the board.”

Throughout the conversation, Stephen described the region’s evolution away from being defined by a small number of large institutions toward something more resilient and interconnected.

“We used to be defined by a few large organizations,” he explained. “Today, we are a constellation. When one star dims, the system holds because leadership and innovation are distributed across the community.”

That constellation framing reflects the intent behind the GREAT Awards. Recognition is not centralized. It is distributed, peer driven, and reflective of the many ways technology contributes to Rochester’s growth.

GREAT Awards Categories

The GREAT Awards recognize excellence across seven distinct categories, intentionally designed to reflect the diversity of contributions across the ecosystem:

• Best Tech Startup Award

• Outstanding Tech Team Award

• Tech for Good Award

• Tech Rebel Award

• Tech Service Provider Excellence Award

• Exceptional Agile Leadership Award

• Student Tech Leader Award

Stephen highlighted the importance of recognizing work that often goes unseen. “Our tech service providers are often the backbone of organizations. They’re just doing the work, making it possible for others to succeed. This award says, ‘Come out from behind the scenes. You should be celebrated.’”

The Student Tech Leader Award is consistently one of the most nominated categories. “What students are doing today is unbelievable,” Stephen noted. “The depth of talent coming out of our schools gives me real hope for the future of this region.”

A Peer Driven Model

One of the defining characteristics of the GREAT Awards is that both nominations and selections are peer driven. Community members nominate colleagues, former coworkers, teams, students, and organizations. Winners are selected by peers drawn from past honorees and regional leaders.

“This is us celebrating ourselves,” Stephen said. “When you nominate someone, you’re not just lifting up an individual. You’re helping tell the story of Greater Rochester.”

He emphasized that the nomination process is intentionally accessible. “It’s three or four questions. Thirty minutes. And the impact can be huge, not just for that person, but for the visibility of our entire community.”

Nominations Open Until January 31st 

Nominations are submitted through a simple online form available at techrochester.org. Following nominations, finalists are selected and winners are chosen by peer judges.

This year’s GREAT Awards celebration will be hosted at Comedy at the Carlson, February 25 5:30pm,introducing a lighter, more social format designed to maximize connection and conversation. “We want this to be fun,” Stephen shared. “It’s about celebrating, connecting, and enjoying being together as a community.”

The GREAT Awards are both a reflection and an invitation. They reflect the depth of talent and contribution across Greater Rochester and invite the community to actively shape the narrative of what innovation looks like here.

You can listen to the TechRochester Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, Spreaker, and iHeartRadio.