David Greenwood OAM, Managing Director of Elevate Technology Solutions, has been named the Geelong Chamber of Commerce Youth Entrepreneur of the Year for 2025 — recognition of a rare blend of business leadership and community spirit.

Announced at the Geelong Business Excellence Awards, the honour celebrates David's dynamic leadership and community-minded approach to business, drawing on more than fifteen years across small business, the arts, and community advocacy. Accepting the award, he was quick to share the credit with the city that shaped him and the network of young entrepreneurs around it.

A family legacy, founded in 1981

Geelong knows the Greenwood name well. The family business was founded in 1981 — a 100% Geelong-owned and operated company built by locals, and for more than four decades a trusted regional institution synonymous with quality and integrity. In 2026 that business became Elevate Technology Solutions: same family, same team, bigger ideas. The values have not changed — close, authentic partnerships and a genuine stake in the success of other local businesses.

Bridging business and the arts

What sets David apart is a dual life in commerce and culture. Alongside leading Elevate, he is co-owner and Managing Director of CentreStage, which has grown into one of Australia's largest community musical theatre companies, staging 15 to 20 productions a year and supporting hundreds of local performers, volunteers, and staff. His contribution to the performing arts and the Geelong community earned him the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) earlier in the year.

Paying it forward

For David, the award is a springboard, not a finish line. He continues to mentor emerging entrepreneurs and champion the idea that in a regional city, relationships matter most — businesses succeed by lifting each other up. At Elevate, that means steering the company toward the future of office technology: sustainable print, advanced managed IT, and digital tools that keep Geelong businesses competitive, delivered with the same personal service that has defined the family business since 1981.

What the recognition reflects

Awards are pleasant, but what they really reflect is a way of working that runs through the whole team. A focus on showing up, doing what was promised, and treating local businesses as long-term relationships rather than transactions. That ethos is why the same customers stay with us for years and why so much of our work comes by referral across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast. Recognition for one person is, in practice, recognition for a culture that everyone here contributes to, and it is the same culture we bring to every managed IT and print engagement we take on.

Local leadership that shows up

Beyond the business, the recognition reflects years of genuine involvement in the Geelong community, from supporting local clubs and causes to mentoring young people starting out in technology. That commitment is not a marketing exercise; it is the reason the business has roots here that go back decades. Clients work with a team that is invested in the region because it genuinely is part of it.

For the businesses we look after, that local grounding matters in practical ways too. Decisions are made locally, support comes from people who live in the area, and relationships are built to last rather than to close a sale. It is the same set of values that earned the recognition, applied to every customer we serve.

What it means for our customers

Recognition like this is gratifying, but its real value is what it signals to the businesses we look after. It reflects a team that takes its responsibilities seriously, invests in its people, and intends to be here for the long term. When you hand your technology to a partner, that kind of stability and commitment matters as much as any technical capability, because it is what tells you the same trusted team will still be answering the phone in five and ten years’ time.

It also reflects how we like to work: closely, honestly, and with a genuine stake in the success of the local businesses and community around us. That is the standard we hold ourselves to on every managed IT and print engagement, and it is the same standard that earned the recognition in the first place. If you would like to work with a local team that brings that approach to your technology, we would be glad to talk.

Celebrating David Greenwood OAM — Geelong’s Youth Entrepreneur of the Year.

A family legacy, founded in 1981

Bridging business and the arts

Paying it forward

What the recognition reflects

Local leadership that shows up

What it means for our customers

Technology partners who show up.

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