Adrian I. Hale

Adrian Hale is a proud son of Rochester, NY, and a civic leader throughout the greater Rochester community. He the immediate past Director of Economic & Community Development at Foundry. And previously served as Senior Manager of Workforce Development, Talent Strategy, and Education Initiatives at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. Adrian has been driven by a deep belief in leadership through service and has been a passionate advocate for advancing equity and opportunity for all!

Adrian's life in public service began in the United States Marine Corps. Adrian was an active-duty Marine for five years. As a Marine, he made two combat deployments to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). After his honorable discharge from the Marines, Adrian re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, where he served for three years.

Adrian started his collegiate education at SUNY Monroe Community College (MCC), where he graduated with an A.S. in Liberal Arts, with distinction, while concentrating his coursework in the Social Sciences. While at MCC, Adrian became a leader in student government and maintained a 4.0 GPA, earning him the 2014 SUNY Chancellors Award for Student Excellence before transferring to Yale University, where he earned a B.A. in Political Science and studied politics.

As a Chamber of Commerce executive Adrian worked to improve the educational outcomes for greater Rochester’s youth, enhance the quality of its regional workforce, and promote a more inclusive economic development strategy. For his efforts at the chamber of commerce in 2019, he was awarded the Center for Teen Empowerment's Champion for Youth Leadership award, and in 2020 Adrian was recognized by Rochester Business Journal (RBJ) and the Association for Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) as a member of their 40 Under 40.

Adrian joined the Foundry team because he believes in the socio-economic problem-solving power of decentralized infrastructure and emergent technologies, particularly for communities such as Rochester. At Foundry, Adrian worked to build community relationships and lead efforts to enable users and democratize access to future-focused technology.

As a thought leader, Adrian has and continues to serve on committees throughout the community, such as co-chairing the NYS FLREDC Regional Economic Development Council's Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the NYS Governor's Workforce Development Initiative Committee, the Democrat and Chronicle Editorial Board, and currently the New York State Board of Regents.

For Adrian's contributions toward the progress in Rochester, he was a 2024 recipient of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce’s Ignite Award, an award annually bestowed upon one young professional who strives toward the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishment in their given fields. Adrian lives by the ethos of "Do what you can today until you can do more tomorrow."