In the spirit of celebrating Entrepreneurship Week each year in November, RAEDI hosts a R.A.V.E. Event to recognize and award innovative entrepreneurs in the Rochester area. This event allows RAEDI and its partners in the entrepreneurial community to shine a spotlight on our entrepreneurs and the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Rochester area.
R.A.V.E.
Recognizing Awarding Valuing Entrepreneurs
2024 Award Winners
12th Annual R.A.V.E. Event
Join us in celebrating the 12th Annual R.A.V.E. (Recognizing Awarding Valuing Entrepreneurs) Event on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at Two Discovery Square, 415 2nd Avenue SW, Rochester. The festivities will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., starting with networking, appetizers, and refreshments, followed by the awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Each award recipient will be honored with a special video tribute.
Entrepreneurial Awards will be presented to Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk, co-founder of Canomiks, the Dal Santo Family, founders of Rochester Pallets, and Brandon Sampson and Marty Frana, co-founders of Limb Lab, a prosthetic and orthotic company that provides personal, creative, and cutting-edge solutions to the functional challenges of limb loss and injury.
We will also honor the Zwart Family, founders of Progressive Tool & Manufacturing in Pine Island, for the Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of the company’s 55 years of excellence. Established in 1970 by Wendell Zwart, the company has been a leader in plastic injection molding, sheet metal fabrication, and CNC tooling support.
Additionally, the Warrior Award will be presented to Tawonda Burks for her advocacy and education with minority entrepreneurs in the Rochester area.