Andy Youniss, co-founder of software development firm Rocket Software, has been awarded the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Award in the New England – Software category by EY. The award which recognizes “outstanding entrepreneurial achievements in areas like innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to one’s business and community,” highlights Youniss’ role in building out the fifth largest privately held software company in Massachusetts.
Waltham, MA-based Rocket Software serves 48 of the Fortune 50 companies. The global software firm helps organizations optimize and modernize their critical business applications and infrastructure so to deliver an enhanced user experience to employees and customers.
Long-time software engineer Andy Youniss co-founded Rocket Software in 1990. The tech executive, who has a BSc degree in Computer Science, also takes up guitar and piano, frequently holding engaging talks on topics such as the connection between music, software, entrepreneurship and business. The software CEO is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Boston Medical Center, and sits on the board of Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a Boston-based non-profit focused on food rescue. Youniss is a member of the Berklee College of Music Presidential Advisory Council.
“This is a victory for the entire entrepreneurship community in Boston, and it’s inspiring to see how many local companies are really innovating,” said Youniss. “Becoming an entrepreneur was never my plan, and I suspect all the other finalists feel the same way. We just wanted to do something we that would make a difference here in Boston and all around the world. If you set out to build a business that stands for something, stay true to those core values, and do the right thing for your customers, partners, and employees, success will take care of itself.”
