named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Excell Partners
Manages a state-supported fund providing pre-seed and seed-stage financing to high-tech startups in Upstate New York to bridge early funding gaps
Luminate NY
International accelerator program focused on optics, photonics, and imaging startups, providing capital and mentorship to speed innovation and time to market
NextCorps
Provides incubation, mentoring, and funding facilitation for technology startups and established manufacturers in the Greater Rochester region
URVentures
Hubs technology commercialization at the University of Rochester, managing intellectual property and supporting researchers through the Technology Development Fund and Drug Development Pilot Award
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Regional Economic Development Initiatives 3 activities
- Economic development marketing and collaborationFosters economic development in the nine-county Greater Rochester, New York region through collaborative and professional marketing efforts involving public and private sectors.
- Industry sector specialization supportProvides strategic support and guidance to companies in key industry sectors including optics, photonics and imaging, biotech and life sciences, energy innovation, software, and IT services to improve the regional business environment.
- Strategic business guidance and investment supportProvides strategic direction and advisory services to businesses investing in or expanding within the Greater Rochester region, helping them connect with regional resources and navigate growth opportunities.
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Local Business Financing and Incentives 1 activity
- Business incentive facilitationSupports business investments by facilitating access to tax exemptions, tax credits, grants, loans, foreign trade zone benefits, and specific programs such as the Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit, Excelsior Investment Tax Credit, and Excelsior R&D Tax Credit across seven counties in the region.
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Startup Acceleration & Business Growth Support 1 activity
- Entrepreneurship and innovation capacity buildingBuilds regional entrepreneurial capacity by operating the Albert J. Simone Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at RIT and Venture Creations, a 27,000 sq ft business incubator that supports startup creation and provides experiential learning for students and faculty.
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Small Business Technical Assistance 1 activity
- Technical assistance for second-stage companiesDelivers tailor-made technical assistance to second-stage companies in the Greater Rochester, NY region through the Economic Gardening program, supporting business growth with access to high-end, high-speed development tools.
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Uncategorized 6 activities
- Business growth and job creation outcomesSecured 33 company project wins in 2025, resulting in $239 million in new capital investment, 887 new jobs created, and 1,546 jobs retained in the region.
- Cost competitiveness support for mid-sized businessesSupports business profitability by enabling companies with 50+ employees to generate $1 million more in annual profits compared to major tech hubs due to lower operating costs and access to skilled labor.
- Energy innovation and production supportProvides a fully integrated supply chain for R&D, prototyping, testing, and production of energy innovations, including hosting Western New York Energy, LLC—the state's first dry mill ethanol plant producing 50 million gallons annually—and multiple wind farms in Wyoming County with 517 MW combined capacity serving over 131,000 homes.
- Regional manufacturing sector supportSupports a manufacturing sector comprising over 1,500 manufacturers and more than 60,000 workers through a highly-skilled workforce available at competitive wages.
- Semiconductor industry infrastructure supportHosts a hub of over 118 semiconductor-related companies leveraging regional infrastructure to support research, development, and production.
- Talent development and regional education ecosystem supportSupports business growth by developing and attracting exceptional talent, leveraging a regional education ecosystem of 18 colleges and universities with 71,000 students enrolled and 17,000 degrees awarded annually, including top national rankings for STEM and optics degrees conferred.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$2.38M
Contributions & grants$2.37M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$3K0%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$2.29M
Program expenses79%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising6%
Salaries & benefits$1.59M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$868K
Cash$119K
Investments$0
Liabilities$308K
Net assets$561K
Liquid reserves0.6 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +3.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 5
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATTHEW HURLBUTT | PRESIDENT & CEO | 24 | $478K |
| STACI HENNING | EVP, CHIEF MARKETING OFFIC | 28 | $225K |
| LEAH GEORGE VANSCOTT | EVP, BUSINESS DEV & STRATE | 39 | $214K |
| DAVID M GROME | SR. MANAGING DIRECTOR, BUS | 39 | $155K |
| KATIE BRESNAN | MANAGING DIRECTOR, BUSINES | 39 | $137K |
board members · 20
- ADAM BELLO — BOARD MEMBER
- ADRIENNE GREEN — BOARD MEMBER
- ANA LISS — BOARD MEMBER
- BILL GOODRICH — VICE-CHAIR
- BOBBIE GOHEEN — BOARD MEMBER
- BRIAN PINCELLI — BOARD MEMBER
- CHARLIE VITA — BOARD MEMBER
- DANA MILLER — BOARD MEMBER
- DAVID DWORKIN — BOARD MEMBER
- DEANA PERCASSI — BOARD MEMBER
- DR DEANNA BURT-NANNA — BOARD MEMBER
- GARTH HANKINSON — BOARD MEMBER
- GAVIN BROWNLIE — BOARD MEMBER
- HOWARD KONAR — BOARD MEMBER
- JENNIFER ESLINGER — BOARD MEMBER
- JIM MORAN — BOARD MEMBER
- JOE MORELLE JR — BOARD MEMBER
- KARL SCHULER — BOARD MEMBER
- KIM GAYLORD — BOARD MEMBER
- LAURIE MARINO — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 75
Who they work with
- City of Rochester Government — Collaborates on administering business incentives and economic development initiatives within the city.
- City of Rochester Government — Government partner supporting economic development initiatives in the region.
- CooperVision Partner — Supports CooperVision’s operations and expansion in the Rochester area.
- Cornell University Partner — Provides R&D expertise in agriculture, food manufacturing, and nutrition for regional food and beverage companies.
- Corning Partner — Supports Corning’s expansion in the Greater Rochester, NY region.
- County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency Funder — Financial supporter of the GRE Economic Gardening program.
- ESL Funder — Financial supporter of the GRE Economic Gardening program.
- Eastman Kodak Partner — Contributes expertise in conductive and thin films for solar and battery applications through pilot coating and manufacturing operations.
- Edwards Partner — Supports Edwards (part of Atlas Copco’s Vacuum Solutions division) in expanding operations in the region.
- Empire State Development Government — Collaborates on business expansion projects in Monroe County, including Sydor Optics and MegazoneCloud.
- Excell Partners, Inc. Partner — Regional economic development partnership that manages state-supported pre-seed and seed funding for high-tech startups in Upstate New York.
- Finger Lakes EDC Partner — Economic development partner working alongside GRE to support regional growth.
- First American Equipment Finance Partner — Investor partner providing financial support to GRE’s economic development mission.
- Genesee County Government — Collaborates on economic development efforts and access to foreign trade zone benefits.
- Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Partner — Strategic alliance partner working with GRE to advance economic development in the region.
- Impellent Ventures Partner — Early-stage venture fund investing in preseed and seed companies in the rust belt, with offices in Rochester.
- L3Harris Partner — Collaborates with L3Harris, a company leveraging the region's expertise in aerospace technology and precision optical assembly.
- LaunchNY Partner — Collaborates to support high-growth, high-impact startups in Upstate New York through investment and entrepreneurial development.
- Livingston County Government — Engages in delivering regional business incentives and supporting economic growth initiatives.
- MCC Partner — Engages with Monroe Community College (MCC) to develop workforce skills aligned with regional manufacturing and technical needs.
- MCC Partner — Engages with local technical institutions such as MCC to support workforce development for advanced manufacturing and technology industries.
- MCC Partner — Local technical institution contributing skilled workforce in aerospace and optical assembly.
- Monroe Community College (MCC) Partner — Engages with local technical institutions like MCC to develop skilled technicians and support advanced manufacturing.
- Monroe Community College (MCC) Partner — Works with MCC to build a local talent pipeline in technical and manufacturing skill sets.
- Monroe County Government — Hosts major business expansion projects supported by regional economic development efforts.
- Monroe County Government — Partners on regional economic development and incentive delivery, particularly related to foreign trade zone access and infrastructure support.
- Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation Funder — Financial supporter of the GRE Economic Gardening program.
- Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation Government — Collaborates on economic development and industrial development activities in Monroe County.
- Monroe County Water Authority Partner — Provides excess water capacity for industrial use, supporting food and beverage manufacturing expansion.
- NY-Battery Energy and Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) Partner — Partnership to support energy storage technology development, including joint facilities at Eastman Business Park.
+ 45 more
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collaborative Regional Economic Developmentmethodology: collaborative_economic_developmentBy uniting organizations and individuals with shared regional interests, GRE enables collective action and leverages pooled expertise to advance economic prosperity, because coordinated networks amplify impact beyond what individual actors can achieve alone.
- Economic Gardening for Second-Stage Growthmethodology: economic_gardeningBy providing CEOs of growing companies with strategic tools and intelligence, GRE supports scalable growth, because second-stage firms face unique challenges in market development and business model refinement that require targeted, non-financial support.
- Inclusive Workforce Development for Innovationmethodology: inclusive_workforce_developmentBy cultivating diverse, inclusive recruitment and development practices, GRE enhances regional innovation capacity, because cognitive diversity and broad participation strengthen problem-solving and competitiveness in technology-driven industries.
- Strategic Asset Leverage for Business Attractionmethodology: regional-asset-leverageBy promoting the region’s unique combination of geographic access, low operating costs, infrastructure, and research assets, GRE lowers barriers to investment and expansion, because businesses choose locations that maximize market reach while minimizing logistical and operational expenses.
- Workforce Pipeline as Economic Catalystmethodology: workforce-pipeline-developmentBy aligning educational institutions with industry needs, GRE builds specialized talent pipelines that drive business growth and innovation in high-tech sectors, because access to a skilled, job-ready workforce reduces hiring friction and enables competitive advantage.