News

August 27, 2018

Chamber’s Entrepreneur Boot Camp, Annmarie Lanesey Recognized at EAP Annual Conference & Awards Dinner

Waterloo, New York was the backdrop for Empire State Development’s Division of Small Business and Technology Development 2018 Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony. Three entrepreneurs were awarded EAP Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and three EAP Centers received outstanding EAP Center Performance Awards.

The theme of the Conference was Diversity, Inclusion and Growth. Howard A. Zemsky, President & CEO of Empire State Development, was the keynote speaker at the Awards Dinner, where the 24 EAP centers gathered to share best practices and honor entrepreneurs for their success.

“EAP centers offer meaningful and practical instruction to entrepreneurs,” said Bette Yee, director of the statewide EAP program.

Annmarie Lanesey, President of Greane Tree Technology, Inc. and Albany Can Code, Inc, received one of three Entrepreneur of the Year awards. Founded in 2009, Greane Tree Technology, Inc. was started after Lanesey completed the Capital Region Chamber’s Entrepreneur Boot Camp program led by Janet Tanguay. Serial entrepreneur, front end developer, Agile project manager and artist, Annmarie Lanesey has been tireless in working to grow the region’s software sector and to extend software and IT training opportunities to everyone who has aptitude for the work.

AlbanyCanCode, Lanesey’s nonprofit, was established in the summer of 2016 to serve two key stakeholder groups: local employers of software and IT professionals and individuals who have the desire to work in software but lack local options for training. The results over two years have been astounding: 600% growth in students, thus building a talent pipeline that is vital to a thriving startup ecosystem.

The other winners of the Entrepreneur of the Year award are Devon Crittendon of BoBo’s Chicken Shack (Urban League of Rochester) and Eli Smith of E. Smith Contractors, LLC (South Side Innovation Center).

The three awardees each received a $750 cash award courtesy of a sponsorship from Jumpstart, Inc.

The Capital Region Chamber received the 2018 Statewide Award of Excellence for the Upstate Region. This is the fifth time the Chamber has been recognized for outstanding performance, achievement, and dedication to the entrepreneurs of New York. There were 24 EAP Centers competing for this award. Centers were evaluated based upon nearly 20 criteria, including new clients enrolled, businesses started, existing businesses with increased sales, among others.

Sunmark Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Entrepreneur Boot Camp. The Chamber also wishes to recognize the 80+ instructors of the Boot Camp who donate their time, effort and passion to the program.

Created in 1987, the EAP centers encourage and support entrepreneurship throughout New York State. Numerous partners support the centers, including local colleges and universities, nonprofit agencies and chambers of commerce.