CBIA BizCast

For nearly 140 years, Hall Neighborhood House has been a staple in the Bridgeport community. “It's a busy place,” the community center's director of development Nick Sentementes told the CBIA BizCast. “We serve about 500 people on a daily basis.” Hall Neighborhood House got its beginning in the 1800s when a woman named Sarah Hall opened her doors to immigrant women and children. Hall helped them find jobs and enroll children in school. Sentementes said over the years, the center expanded to serve people across the east side of Bridgeport. Today, the center features numerous programs for people of all ages from preschool and childcare to elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as a senior center, health and dental clinic, university partnerships, and sports clinics. “It's busy from 7 am to 9 o'clock in the evening,” Sentementes said. One of the center's most popular programs is its STEM classroom. “We have 3D printers, we have I-Bots, we have microscopes, and the kids really love it,” Sentementes said. “I think they love STEM as much as they love gym.” And Hall Neighborhood House's impact goes beyond the center's walls. The organization is working to bring STEM classrooms to Bridgeport's public schools. The initiative was started by a prominent donor and named in honor of Alan Wallack, a longtime Bridgeport educator who passed away several years ago. Sentementes said Hall STEM classroom teachers train staff at the schools and provide the curriculum and equipment at no cost to the schools. “The goal was to put a STEM classroom in all 30 of the Bridgeport K through eight public schools, and today, there are 22,” he said. “We have eight more to go, and we've had nothing but great results and good publicity regarding it.” Sentementes joined the center after a 30-year career in the banking industry. “I wanted to do something else,” he said. He joined Hall Neighborhood House after speaking with executive director Bob Dzurenda. “I found a sense of camaraderie," Sentementes said. “Everyone's helping each other, sharing their thoughts and ideas, best practices, and everyone's looking to assist each other.” The center has about 120 employees—Sentementes said many of them used the center as kids. “It's kind of a family environment,” he said. As director of development, Sentementes works with businesses, executives, and philanthropic organizations to build support for Hall Neighborhood House. And he said the response from the business community has been great. “The most rewarding for me is going out and meeting interesting, successful, generous, philanthropic people that want to help, and that makes it worthwhile,” he said. Sentementes said it's a busy time as the center looks to expand. “We have a waiting list for all our programs, so we're in the process of trying to add 10,000 square feet to our building,” he said. They're also looking into the possibility of using a piece of property next door to add a soccer field, a playground, or a splash pad for the kids. Sentementes called Hall Neighborhood House a “hidden gem” and said it's his job to make sure people know what the center is all about. “Our mission is to educate, empower, and enrich the local residents of the east side of Bridgeport,” he said. “So we're bringing in people, and I really don't have to say much—the place kind of speaks for itself.” Related Links: Hall Neighborhood House Website: https://hallneighborhoodhouse.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hall-neighborhood-house-inc./ Nick Sentementes LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-sentementes/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

The landscape surrounding tariffs and international trade has been at the forefront of conversations since President Donald Trump came back into office in January. Within the last week, the U.S. and China agreed to a temporary pause on triple-digit tariffs as the two countries work to negotiate a trade deal. Despite the pause, the administration's tariff policies and trade negotiations have led to increasing uncertainty for businesses. To get a better understanding of tariffs and their impact on businesses in Connecticut, Ulbrich Steel board chair Chris Ulbrich joined CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima May 5 on the CBIA BizCast. Ulbrich Steel imports about 30% of its products from outside the U.S. including China and Europe. “We're trying hard to figure this all out,” Ulbrich said. And Ulbrich added that the economy is just starting to feel the increased costs from the tariffs. Ulbrich said the company recently shipped metal from China at $100 a pound, but by the time it reached the U.S. the actual cost was closer to $300 a pound. He added that the only company in the U.S. that makes the product sells it for $400 a pound, leaving companies with a difficult decision to make. “Then the trick is—the domestic producers—are they going to tailor what they need?” Ulbrich asked. “Will we start seeing them increasing their prices?” Ulbrich added that they are currently “a couple million dollars behind” with costs that haven't moved down the supply chain. But he said the added costs of tariffs will impact customers. Ulbrich said the way their supply chain flows, it can take six-to-eight weeks for them to bring in raw materials and another six-to-eight weeks to get it out of their facility to the customer. “You've got to make the product,” Ulbrich said. “You've got to collect the money from the customer.” Ulbrich said adding to the unknowns is what happens to the products they ship to China from Connecticut. “All our orders are basically on hold because the customer, the Chinese customers, do not want to pay 145% tariff on our product,” he said at the time of the recording. Ulbrich said he can see positives from Trump administration trade policies. “We are seeing reshoring,” he said. “People want to buy from the U.S. So there are jobs coming back.” Still, Ulbrich said that reshoring brings its own set of challenges and uncertainty. A lot of the materials they use are not made here, noting that 90% of stainless steel rod is imported. “You don't build a billion-dollar steel mill here overnight,” he said. Ulbrich also said that a big concern is finding the workforce needed to take on the potential new demand. “Even if all this works, and they negotiate great treaties this week and in the months ahead, and more reasonable tariffs are put in, we need a workforce,” he said. “Where are the people going to come from?” With 82,000 open jobs, Connecticut is already dealing with a labor shortage. Ulbrich said the state can help by addressing important issues like housing, workers' compensation, and finding ways to develop and get polluted sites back on municipal tax rolls. “I've heard Gov. Lamont say, ‘76,000 people, if we can find jobs for those people, that's 76,000 people paying taxes,' and it's wonderful,” Ulbrich said. As the tariff situation unfolds, Ulbrich said its important for business leaders to meet with their employees regularly. “Everybody knows,” he said. “They see on the plant floor maybe the jobs are half what they used to be. “Full communication, I think, helps so much.” Related Links: Ulbrich Website: https://www.ulbrich.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ulbrich-stainless-steels-&-special-metals/ Chris Ulbrich LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-ulbrich-66a21b11/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Twenty five years ago this summer, The Latimer Group CEO Dean Brenner thought he'd be in crunch time training for the Olympics in Sydney, Australia.  He was sailing professionally and he and his wife quit their day jobs because they thought he had a shot.  While their second place Olympic selection trial finish wasn't the outcome they'd hoped for, it led them on a journey to starting their own business, one that is thriving, and helping other teams achieve their goals.  “One door closes, another door opens is the cliche,” said Brenner on the CBIA BizCast.  Brenner and his wife, Emily, built their business around their strengths and what they believed in–the power of effective communication. Today, The Latimer Group employs 15 people and works with corporations around the world to provide training and coaching to people and teams on powerful and persuasive communication skills.

Lawrence Ward will mark his first year as University of Hartford president in July. Ward sat down with the CBIA BizCast to discuss his journey to lead UHart, his first year, and his goals for the university. UHart is something of a homecoming for Ward, who grew up in Vernon and graduated from the University of Connecticut. Ward's career actually started in sales and marketing at Aetna. But said the “seeds for being an educator were first planted as a young child.” Ward said growing up, he looked up to his mother—a high school social studies teacher. With the help of several mentors, Ward shifted to consulting for an organizational training company, and ultimately becoming an associate dean at American University and a dean and vice president at Babson College. Ward said he was drawn to UHart's ethos of being a private university that works to serve the public good. He also said coming back to Hartford was a full-circle moment for his family. Ward's grandmother, who didn't have more than an eighth grade education, worked as a chambermaid to help put three children through school. “The only thing that makes my story possible, and that of my family, is the promise of higher education,” he said. “So it's really important, it's very personal, and it is a tremendous honor to come back as president.” Ward became president during a period of transition for the university. That includes post-COVID financial realities and the controversial decision to shift from Division I to Division III athletics. “I have a challenge of rebuilding confidence in this institution and rebuilding confidence in ourself organizationally,” he said. “That's a cultural challenge.” Ward said its been important to him to be present, engaged, and accessible to really understand the community. "I really prided myself on these first nine months, on doing exactly that," he said. "I have been really heartened by the university community's response to me and my leadership." Ward said his immediate goal is to make UHart a preferred destination for students and families. A big part of that is developing programs that prepare students for in-demand careers like nursing, robotics, and business. “We've got some really strong market-facing in-demand programs, and we need to match that with really high-quality student focused experience on campus,” he said. To do that, Ward said they are stepping up their efforts to engage with companies to create unique partnerships that will create career pipelines for students, benefitting the businesses and the university. Ward said as the university evolves, it's important they live up to their name and help lift up the Hartford community. “We feel as though we have a responsibility as a University of Hartford to be supportive,” he said. “Success for the region will mean success for the University of Hartford.” The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support! If you have a story to tell, contact Amanda Marlow. Related Links: University of Hartford Website: https://www.hartford.edu/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-hartford/ Lawrence Ward on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencepward/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

CBIA BizCast: Mentoring Next-Generation Talent How do you interest students in a career they may not know anything about? That's a question the team at Mercer Investments is working to answer. Mercer principal Siddhartha Kalita joined the CBIA BizCast to highlight the company's mentorship program, designed to inspire high students from disadvantaged backgrounds to explore financial services careers. Kalita said the initiative was created to bring the concept of financial awareness and career opportunities to young people while they're still in school. “I had a good foundation at home,” Kalita said. “My parents pushed me to a math program, and that helped me to get that first, first head start into this world of financial industries. Not everyone has that background.” To put the initiative into action, Mercer connected with several schools including Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven. They then built a three-phase program: Phase 1: Employees visit the school to tell students about careers in financial services. Phase 2: Interested students visit Mercer's Norwalk office to see firsthand what a financial services career entails. Phase 3: Mercer mentors work one-on-one with a small group of students on a research project that gives them about 50 hours of hands-on experience. About five students end up completing the program each year, which is now in its third year. Kalita said he'll know the program is a success when one of the students joins the workforce. “We try to bring them to the reality of what they have in the future when they get out of college, if they go to college, and then how could they be really happy in life,” Kalita said. Kalita said the program is part of Mercer's long-term efforts to build a diverse and inclusive workforce. “Inclusion is in the genes of our organization,” he said. “This is one way for our company and for us to contribute back to the society, to actually create a diverse pool that one day will become the employment pool.” Related Links: Mercer Website: https://www.mercer.com/en-us/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercer/ Siddhartha Kalita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhartha-kalita/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/ The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support! If you have a story to tell, contact Amanda Marlow. Related Links: Mercer Website: https://www.mercer.com/en-us/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercer/ Siddhartha Kalita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhartha-kalita/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

When you think about restaurants and dining experiences, you probably don't think about insurance companies. But that's exactly who is behind one of Hartford's new destination restaurants. Hartford Steam Boiler recently opened The Foundry on the 20th floor of One State Street in downtown Hartford. “We consider one State Street to be one of the preeminent buildings in Harford,” HSB president and CEO Greg Barats told the CBIA BizCast. “We've always had a top tier restaurant in here.” Those restaurants include The Polytechnic Club and On20. Like many restaurants, On20 closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly five years later, Barats said now was the right time to reopen. “We've been seeing an ongoing reinvestment in the downtown Hartford area,” Barats said. “A lot of other restaurants opening in the area, small businesses opening, more people coming back. We thought, okay, this is the time to do it.” Barats said they used the opportunity to reimagine the restaurant space and pay tribute to the company's history and the city's “can do” spirit. “We wanted to make a statement,” he said. “We want to give something back to the community and the capital that I think everybody can be proud of.” The Foundry offers a dining room with panoramic views of the city and multiple spaces that can be used as meeting spaces. Barats said the design honors the city's industrial and manufacturing heritage. The restaurant also has several nods to HSB's background, with rooms and areas dedicated to the company's 158-year history. One room, The Sultana Room, pays tribute to a maritime disaster that led to the company's founding in 1866. The Sultana was a steamship that was bringing prisoners home after the Civil War. Tragically, the ship was overloaded and its two steam boilers exploded, leading to the single largest maritime loss in U.S. history. Because of that tragedy, the Polytechnic Club, a group of engineers, formed HSB to solve the engineering design flaws. “We feel this restaurant's got a soul and we try to bring that through,” Barats said about the importance of leaning into their history. To help realize the vision of The Foundry, Barats and his team turned to a familiar face to lead the kitchen. Executive chef Jeffrey Lizotte is a Connecticut-native and the previous executive chef of On20. “We interviewed a lot of other chefs in the area,” Barats said. “Jeffrey was our pick. He's a hometown boy. He does exceptional work. He's just a great person, and we think he matched us very well.” Chef Lizotte's team has created a menu that Barats described as American Contemporary with a little European flair. “Very familiar dishes, but with more of an elevated, exceptional add to it,” he said. While its doors have been open for several weeks, The Foundry celebrated its grand opening March 11 with Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. Barats said they've been embraced by the community and the restaurant is booked 40 days in advance. Barats said HSB's and The Foundry's goal is to be part of the community and help Hartford's resurgence. “I think the more you're involved in, the live, work, play in a city, the more vibrant it can be,” he said. He said with restaurants like The Foundry and others, along with new housing, hotels, and street commerce, the city is returning to that vibrancy. “Every day, every week, every month, we try to be part of that,” he said. “I hope it continues to bring pride, you know, and something to look forward to and come and enjoy here in Hartford.” Related Links: Hartford Steam Boiler Website: https://www.munichre.com/hsb/en.html LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hsb/ Greg Barats LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-barats/ The Foundry Website: https://thefoundryct.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoundryct/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Dr. Albert Green has spent his career at the intersection of technology and economic development. “I often refer to myself as bilingual, because I kind of speak both languages fluently,” he told the CBIA BizCast. QuantumCT just announced Green as its new CEO. The Connecticut public-private partnership is working to drive the adoption of quantum computing technologies and position Connecticut as a hub for research, technology development, and jobs. The University of Connecticut and Yale University-led partnership is competing for up to $160 million in funding as part of a National Science Foundation competition. “When I first learned about QuantumCT and what Connecticut was doing in this space, it just fit exactly what I'd done my entire career,” Green said. That career includes a PhD in physics from Stanford, more than 20 patents, and leading several technology companies. Green said it's an exciting time to be part of the quantum ecosystem in part because of the building excitement surrounding the technology. “If you look at popular culture, you see all these movies like Quantumania and stuff,” he said. “Leveraging that excitement is kind of cool.” He compared the technology to what we're seeing with the growth of artificial intelligence. ““I'm a firm believer that quantum technologies and quantum computing is where AI was 10 years ago,” Green said. “The regions that really drove that have to turn away people. And the idea is for us to do the same thing with quantum technologies.” With QuantumCT, Green said Connecticut is perfectly positioned to build an ecosystem that will make the region the Silicon Valley of the quantum economy. “It's higher ed, it's workforce, and it's our business community,” said Green. “What we're trying to do is to create essentially a mechanism that allows these organizations to effectively collaborate in this area that we see is coming, and that's really the core mission of QuantumCT.” Green said it was that workforce, higher education system, and culture of collaboration that attracted him to the role. “I've been a part of many different ecosystems,” he said. “The ability for those three elements to work together, I saw here in Connecticut—mainly the ability of the large R1 research institutions to work with the state government, and also the workforce to really bring these new innovations to the marketplace—was exciting.” With QuantumCT, Green said he hopes to capitalize on that collaboration and engage with the business community to put a framework in place that will grow Connecticut's quantum economy. He said some of Connecticut's biggest industries like defense, advanced manufacturing, and finance give the state a leg up because they've been early adopters of new technology. “Regions that tend to thrive, there is an ecosystem around large anchor corporations,” Green said. “What's really, really important is that the large institutions, the large anchor organizations and companies, view and recognize the importance of those smaller new [companies]. “They recognize that importance by being early adopters, by being helpful and in partnering with them for government grants, engaging with them.” Green said that while there's a lot of work to do, he's excited about what QuantumCT means for the future of Connecticut's economy and workforce. “Ultimately,” he said, “we win when the seven year old says, ‘Oh, wow, I want to work in something associated with quantum,' when that's no longer a mystery.” “The idea here is that QuantumCT really is about building that ecosystem that accomplishes that goal.” Related Links: QuantumCT Website: https://quantumct.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/quantumct/ Dr. Albert Green LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-m-green/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Since the day it launched as Rebel Interactive in 2013, Rebellion Group has strived to do things differently. “I saw an opportunity to build an agency that was focused around disruption,” Rebellion Group CEO and owner Bryn Tindall told the CBIA BizCast. Tindall and senior vice president of client services Sam Barrett joined the BizCast to highlight the company's evolution and the growth of its Shaping CT's Future event series. The agency works with businesses for services including marketing, advertising, brand awareness, video production, customer engagement, and website development. “If you're going to do great things in life, then you have to believe you have it in you to do it,” Tindall said. “And we were associating the word rebel with that inner essence, that inner belief that you could do amazing things.” The rebel spirit extends not only to the name of the company and the workforce—team members are known as rebels—but also to the physical space. The company themed every room in their Cheshire office after a well known rebel from history or pop culture. “It's an environment that is fun to work in. You feel good when you're in a good place,” said Barrett, who joined the company in 2023 just before they rebranded as Rebellion Group. Tindall said that rebrand was the next evolution of the company. “There's a maturation that occurred,” he said. “So the version of today is a much more grown up version of what started 13 years ago.” “I feel like our aesthetic, the way we talk about ourselves, there's that sense of depth and nuance,” Barrett added. “I think that lends itself to us being in conversations that potentially we weren't in years ago.” Some of those conversations are happening in the form of Rebellion's Shaping CT's Future. The event series brings together stakeholders and thought leaders to dive into different important topics in the state. “We were in a perfect position to start to do something different and meaningful, to affect people's lives, to benefit them,” Tindall said. “We have these organizations pitching in, coming in, willing to lend their thoughts, their time, their expertise, and I think it starts to become a coalition,” Barrett added. In its first year, the series grew from about 90 people to bring in hundreds of people to Rebellion's event space. “I don't think that we produce conferences,” Barrett said. “I like to say that we produce experiences.” “And so we want people to network. We want them to have a drink. We want to have intelligent conversation.” Tindall and Barrett said they are focusing on building on the momentum from their events to develop broader solutions. “There has to be next. We have to be able to have a path forward from here,” Tindall said. The second year of Shaping CT's Future begins with a deep dive into the future of AI and cybersecurity. “We're going to start generating themes, conduct in-depth analysis, and ultimately, recommendations, and that is a tangible product from the event,” Barret said. Rebellion is partnering with GreatBlue Research to capture data from the event. They also partnered with Fox 61 to live stream the event and so a broader audience can take part. “If we can get people in the room that can help inform what's going on with important topics that are influencing business decisions, then our clients can be more successful,” Barrett added. “Ultimately, if Connecticut's more successful then so are we.” Related Links: Rebellion Group Website: https://rebelliongroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rebelliongroup/ Bryn Tindall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryntindall/ Sam Barrett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettsamuel/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

The Lee Company president and CEO Marietta Lee never saw herself leading the business her grandfather started 77 years ago. Today, the Westbrook-based manufacturer employs 1,200 people making miniature hydraulic components for the aerospace, medical, and automotive industries. “We are a family business,” Lee told the CBIA BizCast. “We've always treated our employees as our family and we've benefited from a lot of loyalty from our employees over the years.” But Lee, who was elected CBIA board chair in December 2024, started her career journey not just outside the family business, but far from the manufacturing floor. “It really wasn't my dream to work there at all,” she said. “I went off to school and became a lawyer.” “I worked in TV news for a long time, that was what I wanted to do.” After several years working as an investigative journalist and having children, Lee moved back to Connecticut to be closer to family. “My dad came to me and said, ‘Have you ever thought about working at the company?'” she explained. After a lot of “soul searching” she decided to join the family business. Lee worked her way up, including earning a master's degree in engineering management. “I worked in a lot of different facets of the company on my way to where I am now, which has been really invaluable,” she said. Lee became CEO of the company in 2023, but she points to the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point in her career. Lee said she not only worried about her workers' safety, but about getting groceries for her family as so many stores were impacted. “Somebody said, ‘How are you doing?' And I just lost it,” she said. “I was like, ‘I am not good. I go home, I cry.' I just totally let down my guard. “And the woman looked at me, and she was like ‘me too.' And we had the best conversation.” Lee she'd previously emulated the styles of those that came before her, which she perceived as stoic and strong. “It sort of dawned on me that I need to be authentic. I need to be me.” she said. “I don't have to be somebody else's leader or lead the way somebody else does. I can be myself. It was refreshing.” Lee said that by being authentic and vulnerable, she works to empower the people that work for her. “I think people respond to it. And I make better decisions as a result,” she said. Lee acknowledged that being a woman in manufacturing isn't easy. “I am usually the only woman at the table, and that's kind of a lonely place,” she said. She said that when she joined The Lee Company, there were a lot of women, including young mothers. But there were not a lot of women in middle and upper management—something that has changed during her tenure. Lee also started “The Ladies of Lee,” an informal group that gets together every few months to talk about issues unique to being a woman in the workforce. “It's always going to be tough, but to know that you have a little bit of a support system at work, I think is really great,” she said. Lee's term as board chair comes at an historic time for CBIA and a pivotal moment for the state's economy. “For the first time ever, we have more women than men on the board, which is really great,” she said. Lee said the diversity of the board of directors is critical, not just when it comes to gender, but also the size of the companies and the different industries represented. “Connecticut, I think, is in a really good place right now, and we have a great opportunity to make Connecticut even better for our business community,” she said. “I think it's very important that we work hard to make Connecticut an affordable state for both potential employees and for businesses.” Related Links: The Lee Company Website: https://www.theleeco.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-lee-company/ Marietta Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marietta-lee-17729410a/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

With the start of the 2025 General Assembly session, the CBIA BizCast team sat down with CBIA vice president of public policy Chris Davis to discuss the session and CBIA's ReimagineCT policy solutions. Supported by a bipartisan group of 73 lawmakers and a growing coalition of businesses, the policy solutions are designed to drive economic growth, address the high costs of living and running a business, expand career pathways, and foster innovation. "If legislators were able to really sit back and think about, 'Is this making Connecticut more affordable, and is it making easier to employ people here in Connecticut,' I think you'll see a lot of good legislation get passed," Davis said. CBIA developed the solutions in collaboration with residents and business leaders from across the state. “What's really impressed me is the level of engagement that our business community has, especially around public policy issues,” Davis said. “These are items that they have said to us, ‘If we can implement these changes, we can really start moving the needle here in Connecticut to grow our economy and improve our workforce.'” Davis said the ReimagineCT policy solutions are a way to build coalitions around critical issues to the business community. “It's a way for us to really have those conversations across party lines about these real solutions that will really grow our economy and our workforce," Davis said. "Because at the end of the day, that's not a partisan issue. “Trying to get your constituents more access to jobs and trying to help those businesses within their communities, is something that transcends party.” While Davis and the CBIA's policy team will be advocating for these solutions at the State Capitol, he said CBIA members and the business community also play an important role. “One of the key things that we do on our public policy team is getting out and meeting with members,” he said. “We oftentimes will bring a legislator with us and have them have the opportunity to see firsthand exactly how that business operates here in Connecticut. “Hearing directly from your own constituent business can play such a huge role in your decision making process as a legislator.” Related Links: ReimagineCT: https://www.cbia.com/news/media-center/reimaginect-cbia-2025-policy-solutions-2 https://www.cbia.com/resources/issues-policies/reimaginect-general-assembly-pledges CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

On any given day after school, you might think kids would rather play than to keep going to class. But in a way, that's just what's happening at the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club's new STEM lab at their Madison Avenue community clubhouse in Bridgeport. The organization gave the CBIA BizCast team an up-close look at the space that they built in partnership with global semiconductor industry leader ASML. “We have about 50 to 75 kids, depending on the day, that are coming in regularly, to use our space,” said Wakeman Boys & Girls Club CEO Sabrina Smeltz. “When you have the opportunity to see the students in the kids in this space, they look like they're playing, but they're learning,” said ASML program manager for society and community engagement Brian Amero. “They're actively learning. They're problem solving.” The Wakeman Boys & Girls Club first opened its doors in Southport in 1913. The organization opened its first location in Bridgeport about 15 years ago, and opened the Madison Ave. clubhouse in 2023. The facility offers programs for kids aged three up to 18, with an early learning preschool center and after school programs including sports, arts, technology, and STEM. “It's a community center, it's a partnership, and it's an awesome space,” said Smeltz. Wakeman's relationship with ASML began a few years ago. The Netherlands-based company, which employs 3,300 people at its Wilton location, is an advanced lithography company that makes machines used to produce microchips. Amero, who started with the company in 2022, was looking to build new community partnerships. “It's not enough for us to write a check, slap our logo on something, and walk away from it,” Amero said. “We wanted a seat at the table. This entire process has been incredibly hands-on for us.” That partnership led to the creation of the STEM lab. “There's been a lot of intentionality around this,” Smeltz said. “We both went into this being transformational.” “We built in staff time and training time to be able to be successful, because ultimately, we don't want a whole bunch of stuff just sitting in a room. ”We want it to be used all the time.” Smelz said ASML helped them train their staff to run the lab, which offers everything from robotics to hydroponics, mechanics, engineering, and STEM art learning opportunities. “We're challenging our kids to learn,” she said. And it's not just Wakeman staff that are getting hands on with the kids. ASML employees also spend a lot of time volunteering at the club. The company provides eight hours of PTO time for full-time employees to volunteer. “When the students here have the opportunity to engage with ASML employees, they see themselves reflected in our workforce,” Amero said. “And if they can do it, so can you. And I love that secondary benefit to giving back to our community." Smeltz said the skills the students are gaining in the lab go beyond learning technical skills. “Sometimes these projects don't go the way they planned,” she said. “And I think that sometimes is even the more exciting part of it, because our kids are learning in a day-to-day environment that isn't scripted, but is helping them learn how to solve the problem, deal with conflict.” “The skills that they're learning in this lab are the skills that will help elevate them to jobs and career success,” Amero added “It is absolutely magic. It's just great to see.” Related Links: Wakeman Boys & Girls Club Website: https://www.wakemanclub.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wakeman-boys-girls-club/ Sabrina Smeltz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinasmeltz/ ASML Website: https://www.asml.com/en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asml/ Brian Amero on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bamero/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

BizCast-Thomas Watson Group-R1-V1 by Connecticut Business & Industry Association

Over the course of this past year, we've spoken with some exceptional leaders on the CBIA BizCast. Some are entrepreneurs, growing successful businesses. Others are changemakers, leading organizations with lasting legacies in Connecticut. These leaders have not only shared their stories, but also insights and wisdom into overcoming challenges, building successful teams. To close out 2024, we wanted to share some of those stories. This episode features insights from: Jeremy Bronen, founder and CEO, SedMed Stephen Tagliatela, managing partner, and Chris Bird, general manager, Saybrook Point Resort & Marina Jill Mayer, CEO, Bead Industries Inc. Meghan Scanlon, president and CEO, Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Stephen Moroney, market president for Connecticut and Rhode Island, TD Bank Mike Abramson, General Manager, Hartford Yard Goats Jamie Lissette, president, Popup Bagels Kevin Barros, president and CEO, The Computer Company Jenny Drescher and Ellen Feldman Ornato, co-founders, The Bolder Company Carmen Romeo, president, Fascia's Chocolates Elona Shape, market retail leader, KeyBank Sal Marino, director of finance and operations, Charles IT Carl Zuanelli, founder and CEO, Nuovo Pasta Productions, Ltd Thank you to all of the leaders who sat down with us this year. And we want to thank you for listening and watching the BizCast. We look forward to sharing more insights, lessons, and stories of success in 2025. Connect with CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Fascia's Chocolates president Carmen Romeo has a sweet job. “I still have a vision that until everybody has had a piece of Fascia's Chocolates, then my job's not done,” Romeo told the CBIA BizCast. But Romeo wasn't always in the chocolate business. As an engineer, Romeo spent the first part of his career working for different manufacturing companies in different parts of the country. In 1995, he met his wife Louise, the daughter of John and Helen Fascia, the founders of Fascia's Chocolates. “When you marry into the family, you learn quickly about the business,” Romeo said. Fascia's has been part of the Waterbury community for 60 years, ever since John Fascia started the business in his basement when Helen was pregnant with Louise. “He just wanted to make a little extra money,” Romeo said. “He would go to New York and buy nuts—literally, big bags of nuts—and re-bag them and sell them to his coworkers. “And somebody finally said, ‘You should put chocolate with those.'” Fourteen years later, the business outgrew the basement and moved into its first retail store, even though John Fascia was still working full-time as an electronic technician. “When they finally went all in in 1985 it was a risk, but they had enough of a following that they were able to stay and grow,” Romeo said. Things changed in 2008, when the Fascias were notified that their lease was ending. “They're forced to move without a retirement plan,” Romeo said. “And that was really when it was a little bit of crisis mode.” At the same time, the company Romeo was working for was moving and he didn't want to move with it. “So I convinced my wife that we should be in the chocolate business,” he said. Romeo said it wasn't always easy, but they were able to slowly rebuild. That rebuilding process began with the product itself, still made the old fashioned way. “The product is as pure as it's ever been, and as long as I'm around, we'll stay that way,” he said. Romeo's main goal early on was getting the company more well known. Romeo said they began doing events, like chocolate lessons teaching people about making truffles or pairing classes. “We then focused on, not only making and selling chocolate, but what we call experiencing your chocolate,” Romeo said. He said that helped them buy the building they are in today, setting themselves up for future growth. Romeo said the company has evolved to focus on retail, tourism, and an expanding wholesale market. You can now find the company's chocolates in 135 locations—and counting. The company also offers custom orders for businesses, including using company logos to create molded chocolates for branded boxes. “It comes down to the product itself,” Romeo said. “If I can get it into people's mouths, it usually does the job.” Romeo said that it's not always easy to do business in Connecticut, but he's motivated to keep it going as a testament to his in-laws and the legacy they created. “I want to be able to live on the business,” he said. “I want to be able to say it was successful. “But the legacy from my in laws—it's the family name, and I don't ever forget that. It's the family name.” And Romeo said he hopes that legacy will continue with the next generation. His son has joined the family business as wholesale manager. In the end, Romeo said the goal is to keep creating memories for their customers. “When a mother comes in with her daughter and says, ‘I had Fascia's at my wedding as a favor, now my daughter is going to have it as a favor,' there's nothing more gratifying than that,” he said. “That's the legacy that we want to continue.” Related Links Fascia's Chocolates Website: https://faschoc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fascia's-chocolate's/ Carmen Romeo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmenromeo/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

“Our number one market is Connecticut. We're all in on Connecticut,” Saybrook Point Resort and Marina managing partner Stephen Tagliatela told the CBIA BizCast. The BizCast sat down with Taglietala and general manager Chris Bird at the resort overlooking the mouth of the Connecticut River. “We're part of the community. We're all open doors,” Tagliatela said. Those doors have been open since 1980 when Tagliatela's family bought the former Terra Mar property, once a popular destination for Frank Sinatra and other members of the Rat Pack. Since then, the resort has grown to include not only the marina and guest rooms, but also restaurants, a full service spa, pools, and gymnasiums that are open to the community. “I think what makes it so special is the history, and 100% is the team,” said Bird, who joined the resort in 2022. “We hear it constantly, how genuine the team is. And you know, it's one thing to have and talk about being a family property or family business, and it's another that that is your value—run it like a business and have those family values.” Bird and Tagliatela said the team is indispensable to the resort's success. “What's really important for us is we have to take care of our customers,” Tagliatela said. “But in order for us to take care of our customers, we have to take care of our employees.” Bird said that when they look to bring on new employees, they “hire for personality and train for skill.” “We are very good about finding people who are gracious, are upfront, are very guest forward.” The company also partners with organizations like Lumibility, which helps people with differing abilities transition into the workforce. They've also worked with reentry programs, helping train formerly incarcerated individuals with skills to enter the workforce. “We just feel so strongly that we have to be the flagship, the steward of this area,” Bird said. “And so whenever it comes time for somebody who we can partner with we can help—we're quick to do it.” Another of the family and business values is to ensure that they help preserve the local environment. “We want to be good stewards of this environment, because it's so special,” said Tagliatela. The property was the state's first certified clean marina, green hotel, and Energy Star hotel. “We have this outstanding natural resource here that is so beautiful and has remained beautiful over the course of time,” Tagliatela said. Tagliatela and Bird also stressed the importance of being part of the broader tourism community. Tagliatela started the Connecticut Tourism Coalition seven years ago. The organization brings partners together from around the state to advocate for the industry and the importance of tourism marketing. “It's not just in my mind that you're marketing a guest room,” he said. “You're marketing a future resident. “Because so many people that come and visit us here, they move into our own neighborhoods. “We really try to bring home the revenue, demonstrate that the revenue is so much greater when they just put a little bit of advertising into the program.” Looking ahead, Bird and Tagliatela said they have some exciting initiatives on the horizon including personalized butler service. “We're seeing more and more of the luxury guests wanting more luxury experiences, more curated experiences, and so we're really excited to launch that next year,” Bird said. “When you have a team that knows that they can consistently do everything and to make it world class, they make it world class.” Related Links: Saybrook Point Resort and Marina Website: https://www.saybrook.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saybrook-point-inn-&-spa/ Stephen Tagliatela LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-tagliatela-ab7056b9/ Chris Bird LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-bird-5764a815/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

“If you like what you do and you like who you do it with, you don't run away from happiness,” TD Bank's Steve Moroney told the CBIA BizCast. Moroney has spent his entire 20-plus year career with the bank, including running the bank's Westchester and Fairfield markets before being named market president for Connecticut and Rhode Island. “I've always liked the culture,” he said. “I love the brand, I love the people.” While he's called Connecticut home since 2008, Moroney felt like he was starting over when he made the shift to New England. “The colleagues now that I have to lead, don't know who I am,” he said. “My peers that I need to get things done and be successful do not know who I am." Moroney said it was important for him to spend a lot of time getting to know his new team. “It's important for them to know that I'm someone that they want to follow,” he said. “So trying to be an empathetic leader, listening to them, finding out what's working, finding out what's not working.” As he's built relationships with businesses, Moroney said he's gained a new appreciation for manufacturing in Connecticut, and the industry's impact on the state economy. “It's just a lot of fun as a banker to work with people and work with businesses that create things and build things,” he said. Moroney said it's particularly rewarding to be able to help small and mid-sized businesses achieve their goals. “You feel like you're making more of an impact,” he said. “That piece of equipment that you're helping this company buy is really going to allow them to bring their business from good to great." Moroney said that many manufacturers in the state face similar challenges for their businesses' success. “I would say their concerns are all the same, which is mostly finding top talent, insurance costs, and energy costs." “I think our legislators and our local politicians in the state are going to be motivated to try to fix that for our manufacturers, because they see what a big part of GDP manufacturing is," Moroney said. Moroney also pointed to the shifting landscape surrounding interest rates as an important factor for manufacturers. He said when interest rates started spiking in 2022, manufacturers took a close look at their margins and profits. “I think a lot of manufacturers and other businesses started saying, ‘Maybe we're not going to invest in that piece of equipment, maybe we're not going to make that acquisition, maybe we're going to wait,'” he said. As rates come down, Moroney said many manufacturers will be able to take advantage of the lower cost of capital. Moroney said that as interest rates fall, TD Bank advises companies to be strategic about their opportunities to grow. “You want to make sure that you have the right talent for your growth,” he said. “The leadership table that you have might have allowed you to be successful, to grow from this point, it may not be the right leadership table to get you to the next point.” He said the second thing to consider is making sure companies are growing for the right reasons. “Sometimes chasing this new business that I don't have expertise in, I may not have the talent, I may not have the machinery, or I'm going to have to invest so much in machinery—if you don't execute, it could really hurt your business," he said. “So I think responsible growth and making sure you have the right talent is the key to the game. Related Links: TD Bank Website: https://www.td.com/us/en/personal-banking LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/td/ Steve Moroney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-moroney-3576094/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

When you think of the Department of Consumer Protection, product recalls and scam warnings may come to mind. But the state agency also covers enforcement and compliance for a wide breadth of industries and businesses, including gaming, liquor, and cannabis. The agency is also responsible for occupational licensing for many regulated trades and industries from accounting and architecture to contracting and electrical. “It's amazing to see how many areas that the agency actually does cover, and really the good work that we do every day,” said DCP commissioner Bryan Cafferelli. Cafferelli joined the BizCast to discuss how the agency works with the business community. Gov. Ned Lamont appointed Cafferelli commissioner in 2023. He previously worked as legal counsel for the Connecticut Senate Republican Office and as a drug control attorney for DCP from 2017 to 2019. “When I first started, the governor had a few marching orders,” he said. “One was ‘do no harm.'” “The other was, 'see what we can do about making one of the biggest regulatory agencies a little more business friendly.'” To do that, Cafferelli said they try to connect with industry groups and trade organizations to understand their challenges. “What I really believe is that there's a dialog that has to occur, because we don't have all the right answers,” he said. “Oftentimes we'll say, ‘we hadn't looked at it that way.' “And then maybe there is something we could do, not always, but it's worth the conversation, and I think that that's what we've encouraged.” Cafferelli said there has been a “huge push” to increase efficiency at DCP. A big part of that is improving the online licensing process. DCP's website has features to guide people through the application process, making it more streamlined and easier to understand. “We want to help people get to yes,” he said. “And that's really what the mission is. We want to get people licensed. We want to tell them how to stay in compliance, and we want to just let them do their business.” Cafferelli said the agency also works hand-in-hand with the Department of Labor and Department of Economic and Community Development in an effort to make sure people and businesses have a seamless experience. He cited DOL's apprenticeship program as an example. Because the agencies are now on the same computer system, when people complete their apprenticeship, DCP is automatically triggered to begin the licensing process. Cafferelli said the effort has made the agency more efficient and increased their turnaround time for licensing. And he said the agency plans to continue on this trajectory. “It's not time for a victory lap,” he said. “It's time to keep improving on what we've done.” Related Links: Department of Consumer Protection Website: https://portal.ct.gov/dcp?language=en_US LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ctdcp/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Like its labs—tucked away at the far end of a Branford research park—ViiV Healthcare's accomplishments may not be well known. But the company is an authentic Connecticut success, with a story that needs to be told. ViiV and its cutting-edge R&D to treat and someday to cure HIV because the company has had such a profound impact on so many lives. ViiV head of drug discovery Dr. Umesh Hanumegowda joined the CBIA BizCast for a conversation with CBIA Bioscience Growth Council executive director Paul Pescatello. Few of us realize that in the wake of the chaos and tragedy of the 1980s AIDS epidemic, some of the most consequential research into HIV—the virus that causes AIDS—occurred in Connecticut. Connecticut scientists were among the first to identify and find effective treatments for HIV. HIV is so devastating because it is, first, a virus and therefore almost indescribably small—one human cell is 100 to 1000 times larger than a virus. And viruses are wily and zombie-like, inserting themselves into a host's cells and then taking over the cell's protein synthesis pathways to replicate. HIV is uniquely threatening because it destroys the immune system, the very mechanism our bodies use to fight infection. “It's a tough virus, a challenging virus,” Hanumegowda described. “It's a sneaky virus, because it knows how to integrate, mutate and hide.” Yale University research produced some of the first effective HIV medications. Building on the work of Yale scientists, Bristol-Myers Squibb's Wallingford labs became a center for the development of the first antiretro-viral treatments. In many ways the intellectual heir to the rich Connecticut history of HIV R&D is ViiV. Founded in 2009, ViiV is in the forefront of HIV research. The company was the first to introduce the second generation HIV integrase inhibitor, now the backbone of HIV treatment. ViiV's HIV treatments suppress HIV to undetectable levels, dramatically improving the lives of HIV patients but also preventing transmission to others. ViiV is also a leader in pre-exposure medications to prevent HIV infection. ViiV's pre-exposure medications stop HIV from taking hold of a cell. They act as a catalyst to help the body produce antibodies which block the enzyme needed by the virus to replicate and spread throughout the body. Hanumegowda chose to make HIV and ViiV the focus of his career. ViiV has a “state of the art research lab right here in Connecticut,” he said. “And HIV is challenging, and I like a tough challenge.” Another factor in Hanumegowda's professional choices was the fact that “HIV disproportionately affects particular communities.” “There is a socio-economic aspect to the disease,” he said. “There is a deep stigma associated with HIV, and I feel this is a population I can help.” Will there be a cure for HIV? Hanumegowda is confident there will be. The cure could take the form of a vaccine, or “a combination of medicines and strategies.” One such strategy is the Initiative to End HIV by 2030. Among other measures, the initiative is about using testing and identifying barriers to treatment to combat HIV. Its goals are simple: diagnose, treat, prevent, and respond. It is a public-private partnership, built on collaboration with federal and state public health agencies and the business community. CBIA has signed on, pledging to make its employees and members more aware of how to prevent and treat HIV. As to ViiV, the company plans to stay focused. Hanumegowda emphasized that ViiV has “demonstrated that staying focused will fetch us the right results.” “So, we are in it till HIV and AIDS aren't,” he said. Related Links: ViiV Healthcare Website: https://viivhealthcare.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viiv-healthcare/ U.S. Business Action to End HIV: https://www.healthaction.org/endhiv CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/ Paul Pescatello on X: https://twitter.com/CTBio

“We are a service company first and foremost, rather than IT. We just happen to do IT,” Charles IT director of finance and operations Sal Marino tells the CBIA BizCast. The Middletown-based outsourced managed service provider has seen about 30% growth year over year since 2012. But the company has much smaller beginnings. Foster Charles started the company in 2006, when he was still in high school helping small companies with things like web development or sales systems support. In 2012, he helped a large hospital become the first hospital to migrate to Google Apps. “They basically offered him to come on and be their CIO. And he said, ‘no,'” said Marino. “And when he turned all those things down, that's when he was like, ‘We gotta get serious.” When Marino joined Charles IT in 2017, he was employee number 17. At the time, the company was generating about $4 million in revenue. “My job was to come on and take the hats off of Foster, who was trying to run all of those as well as manage the front end of the business,” he said. “Fast forwarding to today, we're about 150 people and closing in on 30 million in revenue.” Marino said one of the things that helped their growth is their expertise helping small to midsize companies navigate things like cybersecurity and compliance. “We have all the tools and tons of great tech, but we really focus on making sure that the policies are in place, that they're doing the right things,” he said. One of the challenges that comes with growing as quickly as Charles IT has, is finding the right people. “The hard part is making sure that you're finding the people that align to your business, the values, and the things that you're looking for,” Marino said. He added that during COVID, that became an even bigger challenge. “Because of our culture and our requirement of being 100% in office, it made that immensely more difficult than it would be for everybody else,” he said. “Our culture is all about collaboration, having people there to be able to bounce things off of in constant rapid change and growth. “And it's really hard to accomplish that if you're not all together.” He said the company works hard to create an environment where people want to come into the office. That includes benefits like free dry cleaning, the ability to bring dogs into the office, or free drinks and snacks. “If you have to leave home, it has to at least be as good, if not better, than being at home,” Marino said. “And that's, that's really what we're trying to emulate in our office experience.” Charles IT has also started its own training program to recruit talent and grow its workforce. For the past three years, the company has put 12 people through a 90-day, paid IT training program each quarter. Participants in the program come from a variety of backgrounds, including high school and college graduates. “You can go out and get a really senior level individual, but they have all of their own bad habits and all these other things that you have to change and tweak, and allow them to learn your style,” Marino said. “So why not train somebody who knows the basics, and then teach them in your ways so you don't have to break bad habits.” As for the secret to Charles IT's growth and success, Marino said “the magic behind the curtain is that we're just what you see is what you get.” “It's showing that we really care about the employees. When it's not a facade, people come in, they see it, and they want to be a part of it,” he said. Related Links: Charles IT Website: https://www.charlesit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/charlesit/ Sal Marino on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sal-marino-cfe-mba-44354a66/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

“Leaning into how we can fundamentally transform lives and make them better, has been something I've been personally passionate about,” CliftonLarsonAllen's strategic pursuits leader for manufacturing Jennifer Clement said about why she loves working with manufacturers. Clement and CLA New England Manufacturing Growth Network Leader Stephen Fuller joined the CBIA BizCast to highlight the company's work in this major industry sector. With 130 offices nationwide, including three in Connecticut, CLA provides accounting, tax, outsourcing, and assurance services for a variety of industries including manufacturing. “I explored different industries and just clung to manufacturing, probably because it was just cool,” Fuller said. “Seeing a tangible thing created, and seeing those things created in Connecticut just made it more special to me.” Fuller said that as a Connecticut native, he's passionate about seeing manufacturers in the state succeed. “This evolving industry within Connecticut has been there for a number of years, and that just means a lot,” he said. Fuller and Clement also shared their excitement with CLA's support of the Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut challenge. Starting with 16 things made by Connecticut manufacturers, companies will compete head-to-head with residents voting on their favorite products in each round. The CBIA Foundation is leading the initiative in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Manufacturing and CONNSTEP. “What a great way to promote what we do in Connecticut, not only for ourselves, but for the rest of the nation,” Fuller said. “I mean, there's some really, really cool stuff that we do.” Clement, who is based in CLA's Milwaukee office, said Wisconsin has had a similar competition for the past eight years. “It is a frenzy each year,” she said. “So far over the eight-year span, we've had over a million people voting for these products. Clement said manufacturers across the country and in Connecticut are all dealing with challenges including softening demand, labor, and inventory. She said they work with businesses to help shore up their bottom line. “We're seeing a renewed effort and emphasis on profitability,” she said. “And what can we do in the short term to look at our cost structure.” Fuller said there are a number of state programs available to help manufacturers with job retention and growth, training, and tax incentives surrounding R&D and capital investments. “I think it's more about educating the manufacturers about what is out there," he said. Fuller noted that when it comes to growing the manufacturing workforce, it's not just about recruiting, but also retaining workers. “There's this generational mind shift of what is important to this newer class of workers,” he said. “I think that's extremely important for manufacturers and companies across Connecticut to understand what makes them tick, and to work with them to develop programs that retain them.” Clement and Fuller said that many manufacturers are also looking to new technologies like AI to improve things like efficiency and predictive capabilities as well as attracting and retaining workers. “We've got to think about how we now transform the lives of especially the younger workforce,” Clement said. “Manufacturing is seeing the same thing.” “What we're starting to see is the understanding that it's time. It's time for that shift, and to have that investment in the future," Fuller addeed. Clement noted that their remarks are not intended to be legal, financial advice, or accounting advice. Related Links: CliftonLarsenAllen Website: https://www.claconnect.com/en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cliftonlarsonallen/ Stephen Fuller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenfullercpa/ Jennifer Clement on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-clement-1553b81/ CBIA Website: www.cbia.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Looking back over Nuovo Pasta's success, Carl Zuanelli said he wouldn't be where he is without overcoming major challenges. “Anybody who's looking to have a big change in their life or to go out and pursue their dream, should understand that there are no big breakthroughs without big breakdowns,” he said. One of those breakdowns for Zuanelli came with the 2008 financial crisis. At that time, 75% of the company's business involved producing pasta for chefs and restaurants, with about 25% retail. But during the economic downturn, people stopped going out to eat, and Zuanelli said it looked like the company was going to be wiped out. “I was at probably the lowest low of my life,” he said. “This was about as low as you can get. This was subterranean low. “I come to realize later, the strong that do survive are those that are able to adapt." Zuanelli said he took a close look at the state of the industry. With the struggling economy and the growing popularity of food television, more people were cooking at home. Nuovo shifted their focus to retail and consumer packaged goods, leading to what Zuanelli called meteoric growth since 2008. “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change," he said. Zuanelli said commitment to quality is a big part of the company's success. But he said Nuovo Pasta's employees are just as important as the pasta. “As the company continues to grow, and as we change the way that we grow, we can't lose the aspect of the culture of the company and that the people are the most important,” Zuanelli said. “One of the initiatives that we have, is a certification in a great place to work. We're working towards that.” Zuanelli said the company has monthly communication sessions with employees from different areas to get their feedback. “It's so important to get that perspective from your team, your company, the employees, so that you can continue to be a place that grows and be a great place to work,” he said. Zuanelli said that for both the company and his family, Connecticut is a great place to call home. “I think Connecticut is, in so many ways, a great place to do business,” he said. Zuanelli said organizations like CBIA and government agencies like the Department of Economic and Community Development have been helpful for businesses in the state. “Yeah, there's work to be done,” he said. “And, you know, I'm leaning in on that, but I think they've been very positive in creating jobs.” Zuanelli said he's pushing for more incentives for businesses to open more factories, or invest in new equipment or technologies. “I think that there's work to be done for manufacturers and attracting more manufacturers, and how we can keep more manufacturers here in Connecticut,” he said. Zuanelli also credited Connecticut's workforce, calling it “an asset for any company.” He said part of what makes the workforce so special is work ethic. “I think a lot of it is based on the old New England work ethic, but also the immigration that's taken place and how open Connecticut has been,” he said. Zuanelli said that growing up in a family of immigrants, he understands the immigrant experience. That passion for the immigrant community led him to join the board of the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants. CIRI is a nonprofit organization that provides support and services to immigrants, refugees, and survivors of human trafficking. “I don't think we can pay back the sacrifices that our families have made in terms of their immigrant journey,” Zuanelli said. “So if we can't pay back, we've got to pay forward, and that's why I think it's so important.” Related Links: Nuovo Pasta https://www.nuovopasta.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuovo-pasta-productions-ltd/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-zuanelli-88523230/ Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants https://cirict.org/ CBIA https://www.cbia.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

Carl Zuanelli knows his pasta. As founder and CEO of Nuovo Pasta Productions, Ltd, Zuanelli has been making fresh pasta for 35 years. “I refer to pasta as joy on a fork,” Zuanelli told the CBIA BizCast in the first of a two-part conversation. “I've never seen anyone eat pasta and not be enjoying it. It brings a smile to their face.” Since Zuanelli started the company in 1989, Nuovo Pasta has become a leading national producer of premium refrigerated pasta and sauce. “We make things like ravioli and tortellini and long cut pastas, like fettuccine, or linguini, tagliatelle,” he said. But Zuanelli's career journey didn't start with pasta. “I was in the financial services world,” he said. After college, Zuanelli worked for Citbank and Merrill Lynch. But he said that, even as a child, he knew he wanted to have his own business. “There was this thing inside of me that just said that I wanted to have my own business,” he said. And while that dream wasn't to own a pasta company, the classic Italian food was always part of his life. “I grew up in a home that had an Italian culture in it, because my grandparents lived in the home with us,” Zuanelli said. “They had brought a lot of culture from the old country, including the food and how the food was prepared.” Amid market turmoil in 1987, he decided to exercise his entrepreneurial spirit. Through research, he discovered a boom in pasta consumption and an emerging market for refrigerated pasta. “I had actually put together a business plan at that time,” Zuanelli said. “And I presented it to investors.” Zuanelli only had one problem. “I had actually no experience except eating pasta,” he said. That experience came from a chance encounter, after a night out for Zuanelli's parents. He said his mother told him, “your father and I just had a magnificent meal at a restaurant called Pasta Nostra in South Norwalk. You should just go down and check it out and see what it's all about.” So on a Tuesday morning, he stopped at the restaurant and got the attention of the chef making pasta in the window. “I told him that I was interested in learning how to make pasta,” Zuanelli said. “He said, ‘if you're willing to cook with me at night, I'll teach you how to make fresh pasta.' “I said, ‘you got a deal.' And I went back to Merrill, and that week, I gave them my notice.” For the next year and a half, Zuanelli worked at the restaurant, learning how to make different types of specialty fresh pasta. In 1989, he started Nuovo Pasta, and said he's never looked back. “Some people say, ‘you know, you should have something to fall back on. If you're going to start a business you should have something to fall back on,'” he said. “My advice is have no fallback position. Because if it's something that you're passionate about, you have to burn the bridges behind you.” Today, the company has more than 300 employees in four facilities in Stratford, including two state-of-the-art pasta manufacturing facilities. They also have a facility in Cleveland, Ohio where they make long cut pastas and sauces. While he says his passion and commitment to excellence plays a role in his success, Zuanelli said the company's most valuable asset is the people. “I think it's a commitment to the quality of a product and the respect for the people that use their talents and their skills every day.” In part two of the discussion, Zuanelli will share some of the darkest moments of his career, and how he turned them around. Related Links: Nuovo Pasta Website: https://www.nuovopasta.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nuovo-pasta-productions-ltd/ Carl Zuanelli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-zuanelli-88523230/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

“We love to say we're not from Colorado,” Bolder Company co-founder Jenny Drescher told the CBIA BizCast about how the company got its name. “It does not have a ‘u' in it. It's Bolder, like ‘be a Bolder version of yourself.' That's how the name was born.” Drescher founded the professional training and coaching company in 2014 with her longtime friend Ellen Feldman Ornato. At the time, Ornato owned a training and development company and Drescher had an executive coaching business. “We were taking courses in theatrical improvisation and realizing that the skills that we were learning in improv were directly affecting the way that we were facilitating conversations with other people in our individual businesses,” said Ornato. “I immediately just said, ‘Oh, this was the toolkit I was looking for,'” added Drescher. The two decided to take that toolkit and start their own business. “We don't teach improv, we don't teach comedy,” Drescher said. “But improvisation is an applied toolkit that works really well for learning.” Drescher and Ornato said they work with companies to create tailored and customized programs for their teams. “If their goal is to enrich the whole team,” said Ornato. "We found it's most effective to have people learning the same things together, and then applying them together so that they have a common language so that they have the energy of having gone through that process together, and they deepen their relationships.” Their programs can include conference speaking and one-off sessions. But Ornato and Drescher said long-term programs have a deeper impact. “When you learn with your team over time,” Ornato said, “we're celebrating each other's successes, we are acknowledging that sometimes we mess up and we didn't die, and we support each other forward.” Drescher added they work to take deep dives to find out what's hurting a business. “We help people find hope in the midst of the things that are hurting them the most,” Drescher said. “We like to drill a little further down, because nine times out of 10, it's not the culture. “It's specific behaviors, inside the culture, inside the working climate, that are working for or against what the company is after.” At the beginning, Drescher and Ornato focused The Bolder Company on working with entrepreneurs. The business evolved to work with nonprofit organizations and eventually with the architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing industries. “If you look at manufacturing, there's like, 150 year legacy of, you're a part of the machine," Drescher said. “And manufacturing is, across the board, changing that, which is wonderful and amazing.” Ornato and Drescher's passion for manufacturing has now led to a new venture. They recently launched a new podcast, the Manufacturing Shake-up. Sponsored by the Connecticut Office of Manufacturing, the goal is to promote and highlight women at different levels of the manufacturing industry. “And there's some great stories there,” said Ornato. “So that's really what we're highlighting as well as the skills that women need to develop—things like becoming better at networking, understanding emotional intelligence, understanding presence and presentation, and how you walk into the room and finding a seat at the main table.” Related Links: The Bolder Company Website: https://www.theboldercompany.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bolder-company/ Jenny Drescher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bolderjenny/ Ellen Feldman Ornato on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-feldman-ornato/ The Manufacturing Shake-up Website: https://www.manufacturingshakeup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-manufacturing-shake-up/posts/?feedView=all YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ManufacturingShakeUp CBIA Website: www.cbia.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

For C4 Communications founder and president Colomobo DiSalvatore III, success is all about problem solving. “We try to go into our clients, we try to add value, and help solve problems,” DiSalvatore told the CBIA BizCast. “And we know that if we do that, that we will be rewarded over time.” C4 Communications is a telecommunications company specializing in helping small and midsize companies evaluate, select, implement, and manage telecommunications solutions. DiSalvatore said he sort of “fell into” the telecommunications industry and founded the company in 2001. “Between the ages of 16 and 24, which is when I started the company, I had 10 different jobs,” he said. “I was effectively unemployable. So I had to come up with my own company.” DiSalvatore credits his father for instilling an entrepreneurial spirit and for teaching him lessons about business ownership. “He also made this point of trying to find a business where you can make some sort of residual or some sort of royalty income,” he said. “I'm really grateful for that advice.” For nearly 10 years, DiSalvatore ran the company by himself with some help from his sister-in-law. He said he's grateful for that experience, because he was able to work from home and be there for his growing family. “My wife, Amy and I, we had six children in that period of time, so we have a large family,” DiSalvatore said. “I really captured a lot of moments in my kids that I may not have captured otherwise.” DiSalvatore also said that time period also taught him the importance of finding a work-life balance. “Work can very much dominate if you're a hard worker and if you're possibly a workaholic,” he said. “I had to be really intentional at a point to turn off the work and to stop working to make sure that I didn't sneak down into the basement or sneak into my office when it's time to be with the kids.” Eventually, as the company grew, DiSalvatore began to bring on more people. But he kept the company virtual and tried to instill that balance as a core value. He said when the pandemic hit, it was actually an asset to be a virtual company. Because the team was already remote, they didn't miss a beat and were able help their clients pivot quickly. “As everybody was trying to set their employees and their teams to be able to work from home, we were actually positioned well to help them do that,” DiSalvatore said. C4 Communications is now a team of about nine people, and DiSalvatore said he had to shift his mindset as a leader and give people freedom to grow. “I had to learn that there were people out there that could actually deliver excellence, and they could even do it differently than the way that I did it,” he said. He said he loves getting positive unsolicited feedback from clients about his team. “When I get a comment like that, I'm just reminded of what an amazing group of people that have been willing to come work for me.” DiSalvatore said they have clients all over the country, but he loves growing and doing business here in Connecticut. “Relationships matter in Connecticut,” he said. “Your reputation matters.” “People care about meeting face to face and having a personal relationship with who they do business with. “And because we like to operate like that, I think Connecticut's a great place for us to continue to do business and to grow this business.” Related Links: C4 Comunications Website: https://www.c4communications.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c4-communications-llc/ Colombo DiSalvatore's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colombo-disalvatore-iii-1502139/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/

For The Computer Company president Kevin Barros, a career in IT was something of an accident. “I kind of started off individually on my own, just kind of doing a little bit of side work, make a few extra bucks on the weekends and nights,” he told the CBIA BizCast. Barros said he always liked technology, but never thought he'd own a company. “Slowly it kind of grew to one referral, to another referral.” Barros launched the venture with name KBIT Group, before acquiring Shell Systems in 2018. Through those early years, he was working by himself, while going to school. “Iit was very difficult, a lot of hours, a lot of white hairs, but it was all worth it in the end.” In 2020, Barros realized that he needed help to keep up with the demand and acquired The Computer Company. The company offers IT services for small and medium businesses, education institutions, and government entities. Those services include helpdesk support, networking, development and website design, and cybersecurity. The company also has data centers in Cromwell, and Las Vegas to help ensure disaster recovery capabilities. “Everyone has their own unique challenges,” Barros said. “But at the end of the day, the goal is the same.” “People want to be up, they want IT to work, they want it to be productive, and of course, they want it to be secure.” Barros said cybersecurity is becoming a bigger concern for companies, especially small businesses. “Even large companies have breaches,” he said. “But those can weather the storm, they can weather that breach and they could weather the bad publicity for a little bit.” “But the smaller guys don't have that luxury as much. They don't have the financial backing. So the impact is much greater for those smaller ones for sure.” Since Barros acquired The Computer Company,the business has grown from 12-13 employees to nearly 40. He credits that team for the company's success and growth, adding that seeing his employees thrive is one of his favorite parts of his job. “The team is everything to us,” he said. “The company is not just me, it's them.” “I love seeing when they kind of get really excited about tech and saying, ‘Hey, I figured this out.'” Barros said that as a Connecticut native, he's committed to growing the business here. “This is my backyard,” he said. “I have this push to stay here even if there are some struggles.” Barros said growing the business is all about taking risks, and knowing that you aren't always going to get a return on it. But he was encouraged by a family member to take the leap and grow the business. “He was kind of like, ‘Listen, you can do this,'” Barros said. “‘Yeah, it's gonna be stressful. Yeah, you're gonna hate it some days. But you gotta just do it.'” “And I really appreciated that.” Barros said that as he grew the business, he realized that acquiring companies is about a lot more than money. “You have to also think about that old business owner,” he said. “It's kind of their baby.” He said that they want to know that their clients and employees will be taken care of. “It's trying to show or build that trust with them to kind of say, ‘Hey, don't don't worry about it, I got it, we can take it to the next level.'” As for what that next level is for Barros and The Computer Company? He said they're looking for additional acquisitions and bringing on more employees. “40 is cool. Four hundred would be better,” he said. Related Links: The Computer Company: https://computercompany.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-computer-company-inc./ Kevin Barros on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-barros-a55a2ba9/ CBIA: https://www.cbia.com/

In a lifetime, one-in-four women and one-in-seven men will be affected by domestic or intimate partner violence. And each year, the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence serves about 40,000 people. “We are the state's leading voice for survivors and victims of domestic violence and their families,” CCADV president and CEO Meghan Scanlon told the CBIA BizCast. The organization has 18 member agencies across the state providing services ranging from sheltering and counseling to children's, family, and survivor services. Their mission is to also reduce violence through outreach, education, training, technical assistance, and advocacy. “We made a lot of progress in terms of talking about it more openly and publicly, and there being reduced stigma and shame around sharing stories, which has been great,” Scanlon said. “But we still have a lot of work to do.” Scanlon said that one of her goals is to change the mindset around domestic violence from a criminal justice issue, to more of a public health issue. “The coalition is really focused on how do we get to people and provide them the education and training and awareness before they end up in the criminal justice system,” she said. One of the ways they hope to raise that awareness is by working with employers. “Statistically, one of the places that survivors feel the safest is in their workplace,” Scanlon said. “So oftentimes, it's one of the only places that they go to during a day where they're getting away from the abuse.” CCADV applied for a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to work with employers to provide basic awareness and education about how domestic violence impacts the workplace. Scanlon said that includes understanding performance issues, or safety issues if a perpetrator calls or shows up at a workplace. She said the education and awareness starts as small as having posters or magnets in the workplace. It can also include training for employers and employees and specialized training for those who raise their hand and say they want to be a go-to person in the office. The overall goal is to let employers and coworkers know what to look out for and what to do when somebody discloses they are in an abusive situation. That can be as simple as sharing information about ctsafeconnect.org or the statewide domestic violence hotline. That number is 888-774-2900. "If you can connect them to the resources that we have across the state, chances are we can we can work with them on a safety plan, we can make sure that they're being thoughtful around that strategy," Scanlon said. Scanlon said the resources aren't just for a crisis situation, but can provide support or information to family members, coworkers or bystanders. “When somebody gets to a place where they disclose something that vulnerable to you, you have this moment to build trust with them and connect them to something,” Scanlon said. “It's very much a culture shift for employees and employers to recognize that this is something that happens in the workplace, and we should know what to do if and when it does happen.” If you or someone you know needs help, or more resources, visit https://www.ctsafeconnect.org/ or call or text 888-774-2900. It's free, confidential, and available 24/7. And for more information about the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, visit https://www.ctcadv.org/

Jeremy Bronen didn't set out to be known as “the toilet entrepreneur.”  But four years after founding SedMed, that's exactly what transpired.  “Essentially, we make toilet lifts to help older adults, people with disabilities get on and off the toilet,” Bronen told the CBIA BizCast. The concept behind the SedMed toilet lift is simple.  It mounts to any toilet and helps slowly lowers users down and locks for safety. When they are ready to get up, it lifts 80% of their body weight. “The problem was so big and I knew that a solution could solve this problem.” “I said, ‘I can make a great company and help people.' And you know, what better career is there than doing those two things?” he said. SedMed website: https://www.sed-med.com/

Like many people Adam Goldberg started to bake during the COVID-19 pandemic. Goldberg specifically baked bagels, selling them to friends out the back window of his kitchen in Westport. That hobby turned into an idea that became PopUp Bagels. “Fast forward two or three years, he opened a store in Westport, opened another store in Greenwich, and then in the city, and it's really just exploded,” PopUp Bagels CFO Jamie Lissette told the CBIA BizCast. PopUp has achieved success quickly, thanks in part to social media. “It's just really organic, because people love the product. So it makes it really super easy.” Lissette discussed the company's Connecticut roots and plans for growth. “We only have five stores,” he said. “In the next six months, we'll add almost seven stores.” “We love Connecticut,” Lissette said, adding "We've got this great runway to really become nationwide with the concept.” PopUp Bagels website: https://www.popupbagels.com/

KeyBank market retail leader Elona Shape credits her mother for giving her a passion for helping women in business. “She's one of those women that continues to inspire me today, but really instilled the value of what women in business or women in leadership bring to the table,” Shape told the CBIA BizCast. Shape is co-chair of KeyBank's Key4Women for Connecticut and Massachusetts. “It's a program that really helps our women entrepreneurs motivate, empower and advocate around the things that can help their businesses thrive,” she said. She said it's important that women in business get the support and guidance they need. “As women probably more than our male counterparts, you don't typically go into a bank and say, ‘Hey, I need some advice, I'm starting this new business, this is my vision, this is my business plan, I really need your help,'” Shape said. KeyBank and Key4Women sponsored When Women Lead, CBIA's annual women's leadership summit March 20. “I love the work that we've done,” Shape said. “I think it's really critical to keep building that up—to help elevate women-owned businesses is going to be critical.” More information: KeyBank's Key4Women: https://www.key.com/small-business/services/key4women/overview.html

This episode of the CBIA BizCast is the second of a two-part discussion on a key issue in Connecticut and across the country—whole genome sequencing. In this episode Paul Pescatello, CBIA senior counsel and executive director of the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council speaks with Dr. Adam Matson and Dr. Louisa Kalsner from Connecticut Children's. Dr. Matson is a neonatologist and lead researcher for Genomic Sequencing in the neonatal and pediatric population at the hospital. And Dr. Kalsner is the division head for Genetics. Doctors Mtson and Kalsner highlight the importance of whole genome sequencing in both research and clinical settings. They also discuss the technology's future and its value to patients, caregivers, and families. Please click here for part one of our discussion on whole genome sequencing with Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s Dr. Tom Defay: https://www.cbia.com/news/issues-policies/cbia-bizcast-whole-genome-sequencing

The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer. Spring is officially here, and that means the return of baseball to Hartford April 9 as the Yard Goats take on the Bowie Baysox at Dunkin' Park. Looking over Dunkin' Park in Hartford, general manager Mike Abramson tells the CBIA BizCast that he's ready for the first pitch to be thrown. “It's always an exciting time of year,” he said. “You know, in March and April, hope springs eternal, and we are on the cusp of what I hope will be our best year ever.” On this episode of the BizCast, Abramson shares the keys to the Yard Goats success in Hartford both on the field and in the community and discusses how Dunkin' Park became an important piece of the city's redevelopment. https://www.milb.com/hartford

This episode of the CBIA BizCast is part one of a two-part discussion on a key issue in Connecticut and across the country— whole genome sequencing. In this episode Paul Pescatello, CBIA senior counsel and executive director of the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council speaks with Dr. Tom Defay. Defay is a computational biologist and Deputy Head Diagnostics Strategy & Development at New Haven-based Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He details how the technology is valuable to patients for early diagnosis and treatment, and a cost saver for our healthcare system. This legislative session a bill to promote expansion of whole genome sequencing, HB 5367, An Act Concerning Medicaid Coverage of Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing for Critically Ill Patients, is before the Connecticut General Assembly. This is important legislation and it is strongly supported by the CBIA Bioscience Growth Council.

When Jill Mayer joined Bead Industries, the average age of an employee was 60 and there were little to no women in senior management. Today the average age of an employee is mid 30s and more than half of the management positions are filled by women. “Changing a culture at an organization takes a lot of patience and time, it doesn't happen overnight,” Mayer told the CBIA BizCast. “You don't want to throw out the good parts of the culture that you have. You're not scrapping the culture. You are just improving what is there.” Mayer, the fifth generation leader of the company, will share more about her experiences and leadership advice at CBIA's When Women Lead conference March 20. Event details can be found here: https://www.cbia.com/events/when-women-lead-2024 Bead Industries: https://beadindustries.com/

With approximately 16,000 students, 20 school sites, two aerotech sites, and 18 trade school sites, the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System is a leader in technical education in Connecticut. “We have almost 2000 employees working very hard to make us the premier workforce provider in the state of Connecticut,” CTECS executive director Dr. Ellen Solek told the CBIA BizCast. CTECS offers a Work Based Learning program, offering students an opportunity to get paid work experience while still getting high school credit. “Industry has been coming around in a big way to access our students in ways that have never happened before,” said CTECS educational consultant Brent McCartney. This spring, CTECS is launching its new Career Center. The center will have both a physical location in Middletown and an online platform. “It's really going to be a game changer,” said McCartney. CTECS Career Center: https://www.cttech.org/about/getinvolved/

CBIA released its 2024 Transform Connecticut Policy Solutions, a 12-point package of recommendations designed to unlock Connecticut's economic potential, on Feb. 1. CBIA vice president of public policy Chris Davis joined senior public policy associate Ashley Zane on the CBIA BizCast to discuss the process behind the development of the policy priorities. “We looked to identify some solutions that help leverage the state's strengths and really foster new opportunities focusing on a vibrant, robust, and equitable economy,” said Zane. The 2024 solutions focus on expanding career pathways and making the state a more attractive and affordable place to live and work. “We're going to be spending a lot of time at the state legislature over the next three months, as you can imagine, right up until the deadline, as things get negotiated right up to the end," Davis said.

Since 1970, Waterford's Millstone Power Station has been a key part of Connecticut's energy supply. Millstone, which was acquired by Virginia-based Dominion Energy in 2001, currently supplies about 50% of Connecticut's energy needs, and more than 90% of the state's clean power, according to Millstone vice president Michael O'Connor. “Our mission is to reliably produce nuclear power for our customers,” O'Connor told the CBIA BizCast. “It's got to also be affordable, and it's got to be increasingly green.” O'Connor highlighted Dominion's core values of safety, ethics, excellence, embracing change, and being one company. He said those values have remained consistent throughout years, with embracing change added most recently. “We want people to think differently,” O'Connor said, adding that to improve safety and efficiency, the business demands innovation.

Over the course of the last year, business leaders from across the state joined the CBIA BizCast to share stories of how their businesses innovated, overcame challenges and found new levels of success. Whether it's manufacturing, healthcare, real estate, public service, law, or banking—all of our guests have had something in common—they have learned invaluable lessons along the way that have gotten them to where they are today. As 2024 begins, we are taking a look back at some of those lessons, experiences, and advice.

Just on the outskirts of the UConn campus in Storrs sits the UConn Tech Park, a center for cutting-edge research, collaboration, and innovation. “The Tech Park is a really amazing initiative that the state and university funded to act as a kind of front door for industry into the services that are available at the university,” said Michael DiDonato, business development manager for the Innovation Partnership Building. The Innovation Partnership Building is the first and flagship building of the Tech Park. The facility features 19 centers focused on four pillars: sustainability, defense materials, cybersecurity, and systems manufacturing. The goal of the Tech Park is to connect businesses with their research facilities and technology services.

“We need to be looking through the windshield, and not the rearview mirror, because that's where the opportunities lie,” says Fuss & O'Neill CEO and newly elected CBIA board chair Kevin Grigg. Grigg sat down with CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima for a special episode of the CBIA BizCast. He said for the state to achieve its economic goals, it's important to focus on issues like housing, education and training, workforce development. “This is kind of like the threshold of opportunity,” he said. “I think we have all the elements in place to really accelerate the growth and prosperity of the state, and I'm looking forward to doing whatever I can to help.”

RSM partner Dan Wheadon joins the CBIA BizCast to break down the results of the 2023 Connecticut Manufacturing Report. Among the findings: 86% of manufacturers report difficulty finding/and or retaining employees, with 48% calling the issue the greatest growth challenge. “The manufacturing industry is really going through a pretty significant change in recent years with industry 4.0, and a number of new technologies out there, and now the emergence of AI and machine learning,” Wheadon said.

With hundreds of locations worldwide, COBS Bread's Karen Frost-Spokes talks to the CBIA BizCast about plans to expand in Connecticut and the U.S. “It's a pretty simple concept,” she said. “It's really just about focusing on great bread, great customer service, and then connecting with the community and giving back.” “The intent is to replicate that here in the Northeast." COBS already has franchises in Stamford and Greenwich. Their third location, in Westport, is set to open by the end of November with more locations in Connecticut and the Northeast planned for the next 12 months. “It's risky, but I think we've got a great product out there," she said.

For Chris O'Connor, becoming president and CEO of Yale New Haven Health was something of a homecoming. “I was born at Yale New Haven Hospital,” O'Connor told the CBIA BizCast. “I was a little premature, so I needed their special care unit and grew up here in New Haven.” He joins the CBIA BizCast to share his story and what is ahead for the health system.

Nearly 600 middle and high school students from two dozen schools spent part of their school day recently learning what Connecticut's manufacturing industry has to offer. They took part in EXPLORE MANUFACTURING: A Stop on CT Manufacturing Roadshow '23 Sept. 28 at Dodd Stadium in Norwich. It was a chance for more than two dozen manufacturers and training and support organizations in attendance to meet young people, and expose them to the industry. “We're really excited to really plant seeds early of manufacturing in young people's minds,” said Chris Jewell, president of Collins & Jewell Company

TD Bank's Mike LaBella joins the CBIA BizCast to discuss ways the bank is supporting manufacturers' growth and success. “The bank's been a tremendous supporter of all industries, but especially manufacturing, because it's so key to our economy,” LaBella said. TD Bank is sponsoring CBIA's Made in Connecticut 2023 Manufacturing Summit Oct. 11 at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. With interest rates rising, liquidity winding down, and ongoing challenges from the workforce shortage, LaBella said “it's more important than ever to really have a strong bank relationship.” “I think manufacturers really need to take that long-term view now of what's going to make them more productive, reduce their cost of operations, and bring them into a better position technologically for their future growth.”

Marcum LLP's Hartford office managing partner Michael Brooder joins the CBIA BizCast to break down the 2023 Survey of Connecticut Businesses. The survey highlights some of the top concerns for businesses, including workforce and the costs of living and doing business in the state. “These days? It's labor, labor, labor, and costs,” said Brooder. “If you look at the open jobs and the availability of people that are there to fill them, it's just that they're not there. “Let's figure out how to grow, and let's figure out how to be competitive, and let's figure out how to make Connecticut a place where people want to do business.”

As students across Connecticut begin the new school year, some are returning to class after a summer filled with learning. More than 70 students recently completed ReadyCT's G.R.I.T. (Get Ready! Immersive Traineeship) summer program. The CBIA BizCast team traveled to Pathways Academy of Technology and Design Aug. 9 for the annual G.R.I.T. showcase. “It really just allows them a way to learn more skills while still practicing a real business project," said Rachel Bader, Travelers assistant vice president, multi-national and chair of the Insurance and Finance Pathway at Weaver. "G.R.I.T. and Travelers have taught me how to communicate and work with others and step outside my comfort zone,” said Darren Burdette, a rising junior at Weaver.

After 40 years in business, Seymour-based Microboard has become known for two things: producing high-quality, high-tech circuit board assemblies and humanitarian missions helping people around the world. “There's not enough hours in my day to run this and listen to all that good news,” said Microboard CEO and president Nicole Russo. “You know, I just try to fit it all in.”

The Hartford Athletic started playing in the United Soccer League in 2019. Chairman Bruce Mandell started the club with his partners as a way to create something for the community and help the city economically. “I've always been involved in the community, and I wanted to do something really big for Hartford and wanted to bring people together and have a spot in Hartford to do that,” Mandell said. “Whether it's, you know, parents with their kids, or whether it's soccer fans, or whether it's people coming out to have a great time, we got to get our niche, and our fans have been unbelievable.” In 2020, the Athletic established the Green and Blue Foundation, raising money to give back to the community in different ways. “You know, that feels good to kind of utilize the Hartford athletic brand to support these community elements that really need help,” Mandell said.

Starting a business and launching a new product can be a daunting prospect. From creating a prototype to connecting with manufacturers and suppliers, there is a lot for entrepreneurs and startups to navigate. That's where FORGE Connecticut comes in. FORGE helps connect innovators with product development assistance, regional manufacturers, and supply chain resources. “There's a lot of great innovation coming out of Connecticut,” said vice president Adam Rodrigues. “There's over 4000 manufacturers in Connecticut. So if we can facilitate these connections that's really the work we're trying to do here.”

Brian Zelman took what he calls a “circuitous” path in real estate. “I've always been interested in real estate from a young age,” said Zelman, principal of Zelman Real Estate on the CBIA BizCast. The Bloomfield native, who now lives in West Hartford, began his career as a residential broker, before migrating to commercial real estate and land development. Those developments started in the retail and healthcare spaces, but migrated to multifamily housing.

Bright Feeds, a Berlin-based startup, is working to solve the food waste crisis by turning unwanted food into high-quality animal feed. But for CEO Jonathan Fife, that mission is a long way from where he started his career at an investment in New York City. “While I was at the investment firm, I met our co-founder, Tim Rassias, who's a serial entrepreneur who had started several successful businesses," Fife said. “He originally had the idea and got me into this craziness.” Fife and Rassias researched the food waste industry, and felt they could develop a technical solution to the problem. Now, the company is growing. With more than 20 employees they are quickly expanding their capabilities.