GRYP Leadership Program

Designed for Early-Career Professionals Ready to Grow.

The Greater ROC Young Professional (GRYP) Leadership Program is an 8-month (January through August) experience designed for early-career professionals who are ready to grow, make a bigger impact, and accelerate their path forward. Built for today’s fast-changing, unpredictable work environment, GRYP blends modern content, practical tools, and immersive experiences into one powerful program.

But GRYP is more than just learning, it’s a launchpad. You’ll be part of a peer group that sharpens your thinking, challenges you to apply new insights in real time, and becomes a powerful professional network you’ll carry for years. Through site visits across the region, you’ll gain behind-the-scenes access to dynamic workplaces and hear directly from accomplished local business leaders.

When you graduate from the GRYP Leadership Program, you’ll receive your official program completion certification, along with practical tools, regional connections, and the confidence to grow in your role and continue accelerating your career with purpose. You’ll also graduate with a tight-knit cohort of peers, a lifelong professional network you can turn to for support, collaboration, and shared growth.

Program Components:

Interactive Virtual Workshops

Every other month, you’ll join a highly interactive virtual session focused on practical, real-world skill-building. These aren’t lectures, they’re hands-on, workshop-style sessions where you’ll collaborate with peers, practice new tools, and apply what you’re learning in real time.

In-Person Site Visits

In the alternating months, you’ll gather face-to-face at standout organizations across Greater Rochester. These immersive visits combine professional development with behind-the-scenes exposure to how other teams operate, and give you the chance to learn directly from respected business leaders who’ve advanced their own careers.

Real-World Skill Building

At the heart of the GRYP Leadership Program is a learning experience that’s anything but ordinary. The sessions are led by Sesha Yalamanchili, our experienced trainer who brings real-world insight, consistent support, and a deep understanding of what helps professionals thrive in today’s workplace.

One-on-One Mentoring

The GRYP Leadership Program goes beyond training; it connects you to real people who can support your journey. Every participant is paired with a professional mentor from the Greater Rochester Chamber’s network of high-quality professionals. These mentors are carefully matched based on your goals, interests, and aspirations to ensure a meaningful connection.

The GRYP Leadership Program runs from January through August and is intentionally designed to fit into your schedule while delivering high-value, immersive learning. This is not a classroom. The GRYP Leadership Program offers a engaging, hands-on learning experience where you’ll actively practice new skills, connect meaningfully with peers, and gain insights you can immediately use in your role. The relationships and confidence you build will continue to grow long after the program. Participants will also receive access to GRYP events and the annual GRYP conference at discounted pricing.

Who Should Register?

The GRYP Leadership Program is designed for early-career professionals who are ready to grow, and want to build the skills that make a bigger impact at work and set them up for long-term success.

This program is for you if:

You’re motivated to take on more responsibility, lead projects, or guide others, even without a formal title
You’re driven, curious, and ready to move from doing the work to shaping how it gets done
You want real-world tools you can use immediately to grow in your role and with your team
You know the value of building a professional community early in your career, one that supports you now and continues to open doors and offer perspective for years to come
You want to strengthen your communication, influence, and decision-making skills
You want to be known as someone who thrives in challenging environments, someone who steps up, takes on more responsibility, and is committed to growth

If you're in the early stages of your career and ready to grow, the GRYP Leadership Program will equip you with the skills, mindset, and connections to move forward with purpose and momentum.

What You’ll Gain from the GRYP Leadership Program

Participants in the GRYP Leadership Program will walk away with:

Self-Awareness and Adaptability: Gain deeper insights into your work and communication styles through the DISC assessment, integrated throughout the program to support real-time growth.
Effective Communication and Influence: Learn strategies to communicate clearly, influence without formal authority, and contribute meaningfully, regardless of your role or title.
Personalized Career Guidance: Benefit from one-on-one mentorship with seasoned professionals from the Greater Rochester Chamber’s network, offering tailored career insights and support.
Exposure to High-Performing Organizations: Visit leading Chamber member organizations for unique behind-the-scenes access and direct interactions with their leadership teams.
Bridging Generational Differences: Develop skills to navigate generational workplace norms and learn how to balance fresh perspectives with team dynamics and expectations.
Independent Growth and Problem-Solving: Build the confidence and tools to adapt and succeed in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing work environments.
The Podcast Plus Leadership Workshop: Hone your leadership skills by stepping into the role of a podcast host, gaining experience in storytelling, active listening, and impactful communication.

The GRYP Leadership Program prepares you to thrive now and equips you with the mindset and abilities to take on greater challenges in your career with purpose and momentum.

Know Yourself, Grow Faster: The DISC Assessment

As part of the GRYP Leadership Program, you’ll complete a DISC behavioral assessment, not as a one-time tool, but as an integrated part of your journey. You’ll use your results throughout the program to strengthen your self-awareness, improve how you work with others, and accelerate your professional growth.

With DISC, you’ll learn to:

Recognize your communication and work style under pressure
Understand how others experience you, and how to flex your style
Build stronger, more effective working relationships

Your facilitator will help you apply these insights session after session, supporting deeper personal growth and stronger performance at work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the GRYP Leadership Program for?

What is the time commitment?

How will the mentor match work?

What are the key skills I will develop?

What is the program cost?

This 8-month program is offered at an exclusive discount for Greater Rochester Chamber members:

Partner and Corporate Members: $2,200
Business Builder and Basic Members: $2,500

Program cost for non-members is $3,200. To learn more about membership and the benefits of being in our community, please contact Membership Director Kevin Donahue at Kevin.Donahue@GreaterRochesterChamber.com.

Sign Up Today as Seats are Limited!

Take the next step in your career journey. Join the Greater Rochester Young Professional (GRYP) Leadership Program and we will be in touch!

Click here to register

To learn more about Greater Rochester Chamber's GRYP Leadership Program contact Events Manager Cassidy Pendell.

Email Cassidy

Greater Rochester Chamber's GRYP Leadership Program is supported in part by the Greater Rochester Chamber Foundation.