15 leaders honored for 2026 Business Excellence Awards

This year, NH Business Review marks the 24th anniversary of our Business Excellence Awards, which celebrate the initiative, creativity and tenacity of the Granite State’s business community.

In all of those years, the Business Excellence Awards have been presented to over 300 exceptional Granite Staters — people from across the state whose accomplishments can inspire others to make their own mark on New Hampshire’s future. For 2026, we recognize 15 businesspeople who embody the resilience and passion needed to defeat the odds and build successful businesses.

Each of them has a unique story to tell, but what they all have in common is ambition, industriousness, the ability to cultivate innovative solutions and respect for their employees, vendors, customers and clients. And each shares a commitment to serving their communities that will impact our state for generations to come.

Once again, we celebrate the induction of another member of our Business Excellence Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors people whose entire careers have been devoted not just to the business community of New Hampshire, but the whole state, and often beyond our borders.

This year’s winners, Ken and Grace Solinsky, embody that description. We’re thrilled to honor and thank them for their accomplishments and contributions to New Hampshire, and beyond.

Finally, we’d like to acknowledge all of the 2026 nominees, the people who have nominated business leaders over the past 24 years, the judges who have given their time to select our honorees and, of course, all of our past and present Business Excellence Award winners, who have set the standard for business success in New Hampshire.

Meet this year’s winners

Hall of Fame Inductees

Ken & Grace Solinsky

From humble beginnings, Ken and Grace Solinsky built success through hard work, determination and a shared entrepreneurial spirit. For 12 years in Northern Virginia, Ken worked as a civilian engineer for the Department of the Army, advancing to product manager, GS-15. Grace began a career in elementary education and then worked in real estate and as a contract specialist for the U.S. Navy.

After moving to New Hampshire in 1986, Ken and Grace founded Insight Technology, growing it into the leading producer of night-vision and electro-optical systems for soldiers, with 1,300 employees and more than $330 million in annual revenue.

In 2005, they founded Rochester Precision Optics to preserve a critical domestic precision-optics supply for key Insight programs. Their entrepreneurial work continued in 2015 with OnPoint Systems, creator of the SpotOn GPS Fence, and in 2019 with the formation of Envision Technology, which develops and produces products for defense and national security. Ken has also been a director of Primary Bank since its inception in 2014.

In 2023, Ken and Grace began developing the Village on Technology Hill, a community comprising 440 apartments, a 220-child childcare facility, a village store and more than 250,000 square feet of industrial space for SpotOn and Envision — a place where life is as it should be.

Through their philanthropic endeavors they support healthcare, veterans’ services, advanced education and animal welfare. Their journey reflects a shared vision of using business success to create additional meaningful businesses, employment opportunities and contribute to their community.

Business and Professional Services – Large Company

John H. Sokul, Jr., partner and executive committee member, Hinckley Allen

John Sokul’s practice focuses on commercial real estate transactions and development. He represents owners, developers, retailers and investors in the acquisition, permitting, development, financing, leasing and operations of commercial properties and shopping centers throughout the Northeast.

Sokul handles complex matters involving the intersection of real estate and municipal and state law, including public-private partnerships, development agreements, long-term ground leases, impact fees, tax abatements, betterment assessments and exactions.

He is a long-term member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and a member of the international Counselors of Real Estate.

Business and Professional Services – Small Company

Christopher Brackett, owner, Greater Nashua Technology Consulting, LLC

With nearly two decades of experience in IT and cybersecurity, Brackett helps organizations use technology with confidence. As owner of Greater Nashua Technology Consulting, he leads a people-first team supporting small businesses, nonprofits and charter schools across New Hampshire and Vermont with practical, security-focused solutions that reduce risk and downtime.

Brackett is a graduate of Leadership Greater Nashua (Class of 2025) and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (Class of 2025). He has led workshops through local Chambers and business groups.

Consumer Services – Large Company

Jared Maraio, general manager, Winnipesaukee Flagship Corp.

Jared Maraio is general manager of Mount Washington Cruises, guiding the iconic fleet through its most ambitious growth period in generations. Under his leadership, the fleet has expanded with new vessels, new experiences and new partnerships that celebrate New Hampshire’s cultural values. He authored “Here Comes the Mount” in 2022, is president of the Lakes Region Tourism Association and organizes community events, such as the Lakes Region Lantern Festival, which raises more than $100,000 per year for local nonprofit organizations.

Consumer Services – Small Company

Erik Mogensen, founder and managing director, Black Mountain NH & Entabeni Systems

Erik Mogensen has been disrupting the megapass-dominated ski industry and rescuing mom-and-pop ski areas for the last few seasons — most recently by purchasing and running New Hampshire’s Black Mountain with the goal of turning it into a self-sustaining co-op.

After growing up skiing and eventually working as a ski instructor in Europe, Mogensen returned to the U.S. and landed a job with Vail Resorts, then Alterra, then Powdr. Discovering that he was not aligned with the Big Ski mentality, he started dreaming up the framework that would become Entabeni Systems, which provides tech for dozens of independent ski resorts across North America. This led to the Indy Pass, a collective of over 230 independent ski areas.

Financial Services – Large Company

Jerry Kadish, president, Beacon Payments

Jerry Kadish is president of Beacon Payments, a merchant services company he co-founded in 2005. For more than 20 years, Kadish has helped businesses navigate the payments industry while building Beacon around relationships, transparency and personal service. He also serves on the boards of multiple charitable organizations and is actively involved in fundraising efforts throughout New England.

Financial Services – Small Company

Cydney Shapleigh, president, NHTrust

Cydney Shapleigh brings more than two decades of experience in banking, wealth management, technology and strategic transformation. She is dedicated to building strong teams and helping NHTrust deliver personalized guidance that empowers clients to navigate their financial journey with confidence. Shapleigh is a certified trust and financial advisor and holds a B.A. in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Healthcare – Large Company

Susan Santana, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Southern New Hampshire Health

Susan Santana joined Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in 2022. She is a registered nurse and healthcare leader with more than 40 years of experience providing quality patient care and strategic leadership in an acute care hospital system. She previously held several progressive leadership roles at Tufts Medicine, Lowell General Hospital, most recently serving as associate chief nursing officer with extensive oversight of its nursing practice.

Santana is a certified nurse executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She holds a doctorate in nursing practice and a master’s in business administration from Rivier University.

Healthcare – Small Company

Brittany Barberian, founder, Compass of Hope

Brittany Barberian is the founder of Compass of Hope and a licensed mental health counselor serving New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine. An EMDR-certified provider and consultant, she specializes in trauma, PTSD, anxiety and grief. Barberian is passionate about expanding access to compassionate, evidence-informed mental health care and creating spaces where people feel safe to heal and grow.

Manufacturing – Large Company

Thomas Taylor, president and CEO, Foxx Life Sciences

Founded in 2008 by Thomas Taylor, Foxx Life Sciences began as a family operation and has since grown to a global company that now has six facilities across North America, Europe and India. The company designs and develops a wide variety of laboratory, biotech and pharmaceutical filtration, research and fluid management products.

Taylor acquired the assets of Roush Life Sciences in 2013, where he was president for five years. Before joining Roush in 2008, Taylor was president of Nypro Life Sciences, a division of Nypro Inc., a billion-dollar global manufacturer of custom plastics offering integrated contract manufacturing.

Prior to Nypro in 2003, Taylor was vice president of the OEM Healthcare Business Unit at Millipore Corporation.

Manufacturing – Small Company

Evan LaBelle, president, Autotiv Manufacturing Corporation

Evan LaBelle is the founder and CEO of Autotiv Manufacturing, a Salem, NH-based additive manufacturing company serving customers across aerospace, defense, robotics, medical devices, industrial automation and consumer products.

Over the past 14 years, he has grown Autotiv from a small startup into one of New England’s leading additive manufacturing operations. Today, the company manufactures thousands of precision components each week and supports customers from early-stage prototyping through recurring production.

In 2026, LaBelle was named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year for both New Hampshire and New England.

Nonprofit – Large Company

Dawn Zimmerman, regional director of family-centered early supports and services, The Moore Center

Dawn Zimmerman is the birth-to-three regional director at The Moore Center, where she strengthens and advances early intervention policy and practice across New Hampshire.

She is a healthcare and education leader recognized for her experience in strategic program development, compliance management, quality improvement, stakeholder engagement and family-centered service delivery.

Nonprofit – Small Company

Sandra Pierce-Jordan, executive director, Birchtree

Sandra Pierce-Jordan, PhD, BCBA-D, is executive director at Birchtree, a nonprofit that transforms the lives of individuals with autism and other diverse abilities. A doctoral-level, board-certified behavior analyst, she has worked with children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, other disabilities and behavior challenges for over 35 years.

Real Estate and Construction – Small Company

Tim Engelbert, director, Randall-Paulson Architects

Tim Engelbert, AIA, is director of Randall-Paulson Architects’ Nashua office, which he envisioned and established in 2020. A New Hampshire native, Engelbert’s mission has been to build a lasting New Hampshire firm that creates opportunities for employees to thrive, delivers meaningful value to clients and contributes positively to the community.

Social Equity – Small Company

Kastlé Harper, owner, Rhythm & Roots Studio

Kastlé Harper is the founder and owner of Rhythm & Roots Studio in Manchester, NH, where she has combined a passion for creative movement and community to create a space where people feel welcome to come as they are. She is passionate about making dance more accessible, supporting local artists and creating meaningful opportunities for people to connect, grow and build community.

Technology – Small Company

Michelle Strasburger, CEO, AI Rebooted

Michelle Strasburger is an accomplished HR executive with more than two decades of experience. As the founder and CEO of AI Rebooted, she is redefining how organizations prepare for the AI era by empowering HR leaders to take the lead in AI governance, compliance and workforce readiness.

A pioneer in AI adoption, she recognized early on technology’s dual power to enhance productivity and disrupt traditional workforce models, shaping her belief that HR must lead this evolution to ensure both ethical and effective outcomes.

She has served as a strategic business partner to organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500s, guiding initiatives in workforce planning, recruitment, culture transformation and organizational design.