Rocky Knight has spent years helping young people and aspiring entrepreneurs find opportunities of their own. Last month, Worcester gave her one of its highest symbolic honors.
Knight, director of the Auxilium Center for Entrepreneurship at Quinsigamond Community College, was presented with the Key to the City during an Aug. 27 ceremony at the college, recognizing a body of work that stretches from Worcester’s small-business community to educational programs serving students in Massachusetts and rural Jamaica.
Mayor Joseph Petty presented the honor, continuing a city tradition dating to 1924.
“Rocky’s energy and commitment can be felt across every corner of Worcester,” Petty said in the announcement. “Through her educational initiatives and her steadfast support for our small business community, she has continually opened doors for students and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.”
At QCC, Knight leads the Auxilium Center for Entrepreneurship, which provides mentoring and other resources to students interested in starting or expanding businesses.
Her work outside the college has also centered on education and entrepreneurship.
Knight founded the For One Child Foundation, a nonprofit that has provided educational resources and infrastructure improvements benefiting more than 1,500 students in Massachusetts and rural Jamaica, according to the announcement.
The foundation also operates SATE, a weeklong summer program combining science, art, technology and entrepreneurship. Teenagers participating in the program receive instruction in areas including business planning, marketing, public speaking and awareness of artificial intelligence.
Knight previously served as director of the CWE-Central Massachusetts Women’s Business Center and is founder and CEO of Own Your Legacy Ventures LLC, which provides branding, consulting and strategic planning assistance to entrepreneurs.
During the ceremony, Knight characterized the honor as the product of a much larger community effort.
“I believe business and education can build community, solve problems, create opportunities and leave something behind,” Knight said, according to the announcement. “This is a community story. Everyone in this room, this key to the city has your fingerprints on it too.”
QCC President Luis Pedraja credited Knight with bringing the same entrepreneurial approach to the college that has characterized her work throughout the community.
“Her entrepreneurial spirit has served the community for so long and we are fortunate that she now brings that spirit to our students through the Auxilium Center at QCC,” Pedraja said in the announcement.
Knight was nominated for the city honor by Maria Lawson, a teacher, clinician and member of the For One Child Foundation board.
Her previous honors include Worcester Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award in 2024, Worcester Magazine’s Woman to Watch recognition in 2025 and designation as a Massachusetts Commonwealth Heroine in 2025.
The Key to the City tradition in Worcester dates to the administration of Mayor Michael O’Hara in 1924 and has continued under successive mayors, according to the announcement.
