DANBURY, CONN. — Austin McChord, the founder and CEO of a billion-dollar tech company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, is being honored as theMacricostas Entrepreneur of the Year by Western Connecticut State University.

As chief executive officer and major shareholder of Datto, Inc. since itsfounding in 2007, McChord has built a rapidly growing and highly innovative company that provides comprehensive data backup, recovery and business continuity services. Recognized for three consecutive years by the business magazine Inc. as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the United States, Datto posted year-over-year sales growth exceeding 50 percent and expanded into European and Pacific Asian markets during 2015. McChord’s trailblazing corporate leadership has earned prestigious recognitions including selection as one of Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30” top young entrepreneurs and as a finalist for Ernst & Young’s 2016 Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Western will honor McChord on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, at The Amber Room Colonnade, 1 Stacey Road in Danbury. Networking will begin at 11:30 a.m. and the luncheon is at noon. At the ceremony, McChord will discuss the transformation of Datto from its beginnings in his parents’ basement to an international company with 700 employees, address why he chose Connecticut as his headquarters, and how he stays competitive in his field, among other topics.

McChord earned a degree in Bioinformatics from Rochester Institute of Technology, and holds several patents. In 2014 he was named a Finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, as well as a CRN Top 25 Innovator and a CRN Top 50 Midmarket IT Vendor Executive. McChord sits on the Board of the Connecticut Technology Council.​

The annual Entrepreneur of the Year ceremony is made possible through the generosity of Constantine “Deno” Macricostas, the founder of Photronics Inc., in Brookfield, who endowed a fund to support entrepreneurial-focused educational projects for students at Western Connecticut State University.

Additional sponsors include the Savings Bank of Danbury, Newtown Savings Bank, Yamin & Yamin law offices and the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce.

For more information or to reserve a seat at the luncheon, go to www.wcsu.edu/eoy or call (203) 837-8279.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.