Rensselaer Alumni Association Honors Brendan P. Keegan ’91 with Alumni Key Award

Award recognizes Keegan’s long-term service to RPI students, student-athletes, and young alumni — a commitment he shares with his wife, Dana, through the family’s philanthropy

NEW YORK, NY. October 28, 2026 — The Rensselaer Alumni Association (RAA) has presented Brendan P. Keegan, a 1991 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and founder, chairman and CEO of bFEARLESS Ventures, with the Alumni Key Award, which recognizes long-term and increasing levels of service in support of the advancement of Rensselaer. [The award was presented at the RAA Awards Dinner during RPI’s Reunion & Homecoming weekend in Troy, New York.]

Established by the RAA Board of Trustees in 1965, the Alumni Key Award is presented to no more than nine alumni each year. Recipients are selected by an RAA committee and approved by the RAA Executive Committee.

Keegan, who earned his Bachelor of Science in Management from RPI’s Lally School of Management and played varsity football as a student, has focused much of his service on the people coming up behind him. He has mentored over 100 RPI students, on campus and virtually, helping them prepare for internships and job searches. He serves as Vice Chair of RPI’s Athletics Advisory Council and as a member of the Lally School of Management Leadership Council, and he hosts gatherings in New York City that connect young RPI alumni with one another.

“Brendan Keegan’s recognition with the RAA Alumni Key is a fitting tribute to his profound commitment to RPI and RPI Athletics. As Vice Chair of our Athletics Advisory Council, he challenges us—in the best way—to think bigger about what RPI Athletics can achieve and what we can offer our student-athletes. What stands out is how deeply he believes in their potential and how dedicated he is to helping us create an experience worthy of that potential. He backs that belief with his time, support, and energy. From an administrative perspective, that combination is invaluable: he pushes us to raise our expectations, inspires others to do so as well, and helps us turn those higher expectations into action. I’m grateful to count Brendan both as a proud alumnus of our football program and as a trusted advisor as we build a bright future for RPI Athletics,” said Kristie Bowers, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost and Director of Athletics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Brendan and Dana Keegan have supported RPI student-athletes alongside that volunteer work. In 2023, the couple made a $1 million gift to the RPI football program, establishing the Brendan P. Keegan ’91 Football Locker Room and supporting coaching, recruiting, equipment, and team travel. They have also given $250,000 to RPI’s men’s and women’s lacrosse programs. Each is the largest gift in its program’s history. The Keegans also support the RPI Motorsports team.

The family’s broader giving runs through the Keegan Family Courage & Faith Foundation, which they established in 2012 to support young people through academic and athletic opportunity. In addition to RPI, the foundation has funded scholarships, athletic facilities, teacher endowments, and leadership programs at schools and organizations that have shaped the Keegan family, including St. Chris Academy, Bishop Guertin High School, Marymount University, and The Camphill School.

“Brendan is intentional about investing in the next generation of RPI students and young professionals, and I’m one of many who have benefited. He helped me recognize strengths I didn’t see in myself, and he still makes time for a call every two weeks. Those conversations have shaped how I think about my career, the decisions in front of me, and the kind of leader I want to become. When I interned at Merchants Fleet, I saw that he leads exactly the way he mentors. He lives by the same principles he encourages in others — discipline, commitment to his family, and a willingness to speak life into the people around him,” said Victory Abraham, a 2024 MBA graduate of RPI whom Keegan has mentored.

“Rensselaer gave me my foundation — as a leader, as a competitor, and as a person,” said Keegan. “Dana and I don’t give back to RPI with any expectation or agenda. We just love it, and we get back far more than we give. This recognition belongs just as much to the students, coaches, and fellow alumni we get to do this work alongside.”