Saunders College of Business at RIT will recognize alumnus James G. Gould with 2025 Vanden Brul Award
James G. Gould, president and co-founder of Alesco Advisors LLC and an RIT alumnus, has been named as the 2025 recipient of the Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award, presented by Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology.
The award, established in 1984, is presented annually to a Rochester-area entrepreneur who has enhanced the regional economy through innovative business leadership.
The recipient is selected by a committee of area civic leaders, business leaders, former awardees, and RIT faculty and staff, symbolizing the important connection between RIT and the Rochester business community. Gould will be honored at the Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award Luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, inside the Susan R. Holliday Center on campus. Registration remains open until May 30.
Gould, who graduated from RIT with his master’s degree in accounting in 1985, co-founded Alesco in 2000 with a vision to offer objective, fee-only investment advisory services tailored to the needs of institutions and individuals. Under his leadership, the Pittsford-based firm has grown steadily, managing billions in assets for clients across the country, while remaining deeply rooted in Western New York.
“I’m proud of what we do for our clients,” Gould said. “Our mission is simple in that we just try to help others. We have a talented group of professionals who enjoy working with one another and with our clients.”
Gould added that early credibility was one of the firm’s biggest hurdles, especially having to navigate early troubles like the 2000 dot-com crash and the 2008 financial crisis.
“There’s always a gap you have to bridge when you’re starting from scratch, especially at that time,” said Gould. “But in hindsight it was a blessing in disguise. There were a lot of investors at the time who felt that they were ill-served, and we were able to tell our story and open some doors. Our investment philosophy resonated, and that carried us further than we imagined.”
Alesco Advisors operates across three distinct business lines, each designed to meet the unique needs of its clients. The firm’s high-net-worth practice offers personalized wealth management services to individuals and families. Its Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) practice supports nonprofit organizations, including endowments and foundations, as well as corporate accounts, by providing strategic investment guidance. Alesco also manages a robust retirement plan business, advising on both defined benefit and defined contribution plans, such as 401(k) and 403(b) programs.
Gould and his Alesco team are also widely recognized for their community engagement. Gould served on the boards of many regional nonprofits and educational institutions like ROC2025 (OneROC), Al Sigl Center Foundation, Catholic Charities, and the Greater Rochester Health Foundation. Gould, whose Odessa, N.Y., farm upbringing paved the way for his future success, consistently promotes civic responsibility as an essential part of business leadership.
“Our exposure to the not-for-profit community has made us aware of the needs of the communities we serve,” he said. “We see the good work that they’re doing and want to help out with gifts of time and treasure.”
Gould said receiving the Vanden Brul Award is considerably humbling and inspiring.
“Herbert Vanden Brul was an amazing person,” Gould said. “He was a renaissance man, successful in law, real estate, and communications. And he was very philanthropic. He checks all the boxes of what it means to be a community leader. To be recognized as someone following even part of that path is a tremendous honor.”
Prior to founding Alesco Advisors, Gould served in leadership roles at Clover Capital Management, as a sales representative for IBM, and was a financial analyst at Xerox. He resides in Pittsford with his wife, Ann. They have four daughters and 11 grandchildren.
Saunders College will also honor three RIT students with the Herbert W. Vanden Brul Student Entrepreneurial Award. This award, established in 2019, recognizes outstanding RIT undergraduate or graduate students who have demonstrated the potential to become successful entrepreneurs. The students will find out their placement of finish at the awards ceremony on June 10.
- Will Gamroth, a computer science major from Mercer Island, Wash., is the co-founder of Tacoma Web Design and SEO, a web design firm which serves over 34 clients across the United States. He also works as a software engineer intern for FM Global.
- Benjamin C. Hart, an MBA student from Rochester, N.Y., is the founder of Hart Homes, a real estate investment company focusing on the revitalization of urban Rochester with affordable housing. He also serves as the president of RIT’s Real Estate Club.
- Joshua Michaels, a marketing major and entrepreneurship minor from Far Rockaway, N.Y., is the founder of OnCall, a digital healthcare platform which connects qualified nurses to nearby healthcare facilities. He also serves as the founder of RIT’s Black Artists & Records Society and the president of the Personal Finance Club.
“Jim exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit, ethical leadership and dedication to the Rochester community that the Vanden Brul Award was created to honor,” said Saunders College Dean Jacqueline Mozrall. “We are also proud to honor Will, Benjamin, and Joshua, for their creativity and work ethic—representing the future of innovation and entrepreneurship."
Past Vanden Brul award recipients include Marc Fiore, president and founding owner of Mindex; Dwight “Kip” Palmer, a fifth-generation CEO of Palmer Food Services and the Palmer Family of Companies; Susan R. Holliday ’85 (MBA), former president, publisher, and owner of the Rochester Business Journal; and E. Philip Saunders, Saunders Management Co. Inc., and the namesake of RIT’s Saunders College of Business.
Information about the Vanden Brul award is available on the Saunders College website.
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