Rochester, NY – The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce today announced that Lindsay Connelly, President and Founder of Linden Digital Marketing, LLC, has been named the recipient of the 2026 ATHENA Young Professional Award. The ATHENA Young Professional Award® recognizes young women who are leaders that demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession; provide valuable service that improves the quality of life in their community; and serve as clear role models for women and girls, both personally and professionally.
“Lindsay Connelly represents the very best of Rochester’s next generation of leaders. Her ability to drive business growth while mentoring and uplifting others is exactly what the Athena Young Professional Award stands for.” — Jason Barrett, long-time client and friend of Linden Digital Marketing
Since founding Linden in 2018, Connelly has grown Linden Digital Marketing from a one-woman operation into a 18-person, MWBE-certified, award-winning digital marketing agency, including the Rochester Chamber of Commerce 2025 Business Person of the Year. Under her leadership, Linden achieved 400% revenue growth over four years, and reached further growth milestones including a 26% increase in revenue from 2024–2025. She designed a clear, stage-of-growth service model that simplified digital marketing for businesses and improved project ROI, client retention, and onboarding clarity, while scaling the company from a freelance model to a fully cross-functional team. Operational nationally, in 2025 she purchased Linden’s first commercial building, establishing a long-term Rochester headquarters reinforcing a commitment to local economic development.
Connelly built Linden to serve the community while helping businesses grow and creating lasting jobs that empower employees to succeed. As the leader of a woman-owned business, she serves as a role model and fosters a team that inspires others.
Central to Connelly’s leadership is her role as a mentor and advocate for women. She actively supports the professional development of her team through coaching, transparent career frameworks, and an environment that encourages growth. Many of Linden’s team members have advanced into leadership roles, gaining not only technical skills but also the confidence to lead and impact others.
Connelly’s commitment to developing future leaders can be seen throughout Rochester. She offers paid internships to students from Rochester-area and national institutions, ensuring access to meaningful professional experience regardless of background. As an adjunct professor at RIT’s Saunders College of Business, she mentors Executive MBA students, sharing real-world insight and guiding the next generation of business leaders.
Her service to the community further reflects ATHENA’s emphasis on civic engagement. Connelly serves on multiple nonprofit boards, including Shift2, Journeys of Solutions Inc., St. Ann’s Foundations, Causewave Community Partners, and the Alfred State College Marketing Program Advisory Board.
“Receiving the Athena Young Professional Award is both humbling and energizing,” Lindsay shared. “It reinforces my belief that leadership is about service, collaboration, and creating opportunities for others. I’m incredibly grateful to be surrounded by good people who do good things, and to be part of a community that values purposeful leadership and invests in the next generation.”
Lindsay Connelly was officially named the 2026 ATHENA Young Professional Award recipient at the February 5 ceremony held at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center. The entire Linden team joins in celebrating this achievement, which exemplifies the organization’s values and its ongoing dedication to clients and the community.