David Greenwood OAM has been named Youth Entrepreneur of the Year at the Geelong Chamber of Commerce's 2025 Business Excellence Awards, recognising his leadership of two long-standing Geelong businesses — CentreStage Performing Arts Academy and Elevate Technology Solutions.
Announced on 30 October 2025 at the Geelong Business Excellence Awards (GBEA) gala, the Youth Entrepreneur category recognises business owners and operators under 40 who have shown sustained commercial success alongside meaningful community contribution. The award sits alongside David Greenwood's existing recognitions, including the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) awarded in January 2024 for services to the performing arts and to business.
01 / Two businessesCentreStage and Elevate.
David Greenwood founded CentreStage Performing Arts Academy in 2010. The Geelong-based academy now staffs around one hundred contractors, supports approximately five hundred volunteers each year, and produces between fifteen and twenty stage productions annually — making it Australia's largest amateur musical theatre operation.
Parallel to CentreStage, David Greenwood owns and operates Elevate Technology Solutions, a Geelong-based IT and office technology business. Elevate provides managed IT services, hardware and software procurement, and digital infrastructure support to local small businesses, schools and community organisations across the Geelong region. The Geelong Chamber's citation specifically noted Greenwood's ability to "run two unrelated businesses to a high standard" while maintaining a public-facing role in the arts and in community service.
David Greenwood OAM has demonstrated dynamic leadership across CentreStage Performing Arts Academy and Elevate Technology Solutions, combining commercial success with consistent contribution to the Geelong community. — Geelong Chamber of Commerce, citation, 30 October 2025
02 / The GBEA trailA familiar stage.
This is not Greenwood's first GBEA recognition. CentreStage Performing Arts Academy has been recognised at the Geelong Business Excellence Awards four years in a row:
- 2019 — Health & Wellbeing Promoting Workplace Award (sponsored by Barwon Health), plus the Edith Harrhy Award from the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria.
- 2020 — Small Business of the Year (sponsored by Bendigo Bank).
- 2021 — Inducted into the GBEA Hall of Fame for three consecutive award wins; second Health & Wellbeing Promoting Workplace win the same year.
- 2022 — Corporate Social Responsibility Award (sponsored by genU).
David Greenwood has also served as a first-year judge for the GBEA awards he was inducted into, and was named the Geelong Chamber's first Youth Entrepreneur of the Year for 2025.
About the award. The Youth Entrepreneur of the Year is presented annually by the Geelong Chamber of Commerce at the Business Excellence Awards. It recognises Geelong business owners under 40 who have built commercially successful operations while contributing materially to the region's community life. The 2025 award was announced on 30 October 2025.
03 / Why it mattersLocal recognition, local work.
David Greenwood has lived and worked in Geelong for more than thirty-five years — currently as a resident of Lara. He is standing for the You Yangs Ward in the City of Greater Geelong council election in 2028, having run for the same ward in 2024. The campaign office is open four days a week at Unit 2, 255 Hamilton Highway, Fyansford.
To get in touch with David Greenwood, email david@centrestage.org.au, call 0422 589 271, or visit the campaign office during business hours.