Dilijan-based foundation recognized in a global competition judged by more than 300 executives worldwide over two months of judging
Green Rock Foundation has been named a Silver Stevie® Award winner in The 23rd Annual International Business Awards® for its entry “A Replicable Blueprint for Small-Town Renewal,” the organizers announced today.
The International Business Awards are open to organizations of every size and type worldwide, public and private, for-profit and non-profit. According to the Stevie Awards, the programme draws nominations from organizations in more than 70 nations and territories each year, and Gold, Silver, and Bronze placements in the 2026 edition were determined by the average scores of juries made up of more than 300 executives worldwide over two months of judging.
The winning entry documents the model Green Rock Foundation has been building in Dilijan since it began operations in June 2025: a set of community programmes in education, culture, ecology, and public space that are designed from the outset to be transferable to other small Armenian towns rather than tailored to one location.
That work is measurable. In 2025 the Foundation ran roughly 60 events with more than 20,000 participants. The renovated sports complex it supports now serves over 400 children. Its programme portfolio includes Apicius Armenia, a hospitality school developed in partnership with Apicius Florence; Next Gen; the Dilijan Urban Design Framework; 100 Women of Dilijan; and DiliDogs City.
“Dilijan is where we work, but it isn’t the point. The point is whether a town of a few thousand people can build programmes that another Armenian town could adopt without starting over. An outside jury of 300 executives saying yes is useful to us,” said Katya Bredikhina, Head of the Green Rock Foundation.
Green Rock Foundation was established in June 2024 by Green Rock Management Group and spent its first year defining strategy before launching programmes. The two organizations work as partners on the same mission: Green Rock Management Group develops physical infrastructure in Dilijan, while the Foundation focuses on the community capacity that makes that infrastructure useful to residents.
Stevie Award winners in the 2026 International Business Awards will be honoured at a ceremony on Wednesday, 28 October 2026 at the Pullman Paris Montparnasse in Paris, France, held jointly with the German Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence.
The complete list of 2026 winners is available at IBA.StevieAwards.com.
About Green Rock Foundation
Green Rock Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Dilijan, Tavush Province, Armenia. Founded in June 2024, it leads community-driven programmes across four areas, education and employment, culture and heritage, ecology and responsible tourism, and community infrastructure, with the stated aim of giving residents reasons to build their lives in Dilijan rather than leave it. Every program is designed to be replicable in other Armenian communities. More information: greenrock.foundation
About the Stevie® Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in nine programmes, including The International Business Awards®, The American Business Awards®, and the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. Created in 2002, the competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations and territories. The name Stevie derives from the Greek word for “crowned.” More information: StevieAwards.com
Media Contact
Green Rock Foundation 7/7 Moldovakan St., Dilijan, Tavush,
Armenia a.sargsyan@greenrock.foundation | +374 44 240 205