Awards
Rocky Top Business Awards
Recognizing the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by alumni. The Rocky Top Business Awards are presented by PYA.
2025 Award Winners
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Partner
Criteria and Nomination Process
To be eligible for a Rocky Top Business Award, a company must:
- Have been in business for 3 years or more.
- Have verifiable revenues above the minimum requirements of $100,000 for the first reported calendar year and $250,000 for the third reported calendar year.
- Have a UT Knoxville alumni in the role of CEO, president, managing partner (or equivalent) or owner(s). To be considered an alumnus/alumna, you must have obtained at least 24 semester hours of credit. Alumni who are owners must collectively own at least 50 percent of the business.
- Operate in a manner consistent with the Volunteer student code of conduct and in keeping with the values and image of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The UT Knoxville Alumni Office reserves the right to reject any nomination/award and rescind awards for any reason.
- Rocky Top Business Awards is celebrated biennially. Applications will open in 2026 for the 2027 Rocky Top Business Awards.
- View a list of information required in your application. (Note: revenue years will adjust for the 2027 cycle)
- To ensure the integrity and credibility of the ranked list, our independent accounting firm, PYA, confidentially manages all applicant financial information and calculations. Financial information will never be shared with the University of Tennessee or its personnel, published or made public.
- Applicants will be notified of their status by email. It is expected that your company attend the Rocky Top Business Awards event in Knoxville, so please plan to attend should you receive notice that you are an award winner. The full list of winners and company rankings will be announced during awards event, and a digital promotion toolkit will be provided for use following this announcement.
- Winning companies may invite guests to the awards event. Each award winner will receive two complimentary tickets, and additional tickets may be purchased.
