PBN August 18, 2023

Ornaments still enticing collectors 42 years later

BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com

WHEN CHEMART fulfilled its first order of Christmas ornaments for the White House Historical Association in 1981, the nonprofit, established by then-first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, commissioned around 1,500 ornaments.

(Editor’s note: This is the 12th installment in a monthly series highlighting some of the region’s unsung manufacturers that make products essential to the economy and, in many cases, our way of life.)

That Christmas ornament, a simple angel design inscribed with “Christmas 1981, The White

CHEMART PAGE 15

EASING INTO IT: Theresa Barzyk, owner of TIB Creative Studio LLC in Providence, uses artificial intelligence technology in her work sometimes, but she finds its capabilities are limited, at least for now.

Businesses, workers grapple with navigating uncharted tech territory

BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com

most of the 10 years she has operated TIB Creative Studio LLC in Providence, graphic designer Theresa Barzyk has relied on a low-tech questionnaire given to new clients to spark project ideas.

But lately, she’s used another method, too. When Barzyk finds herself stuck creatively, she’s found that consulting with ChatGPT can nudge the process of generating fresh concepts back on track.

PIECE OF THE ACTION: Brian

The ideas spit out by the web-based chatbot are rarely impressive, Barzyk says. “But if it comes up with anything creative, I’ll work off of that,” she said. And whether it’s for idea generation or image enhancement, Barzyk

now uses AI on a near-daily basis.

Other small-business owners are sure to follow, as recent advances in artificial intelligence – and its accessibility and affordability – have fueled a meteoric rise in its use, or at least conversations and research about its use, and companies of all sizes try to figure out if and how the technology can give them an edge.

In the process, the technology has spurred diverse reactions, ranging from fear to excitement to uncertainty.

For some small-business owners and their employees, AI is a dark cloud that’s no longer just sitting on the horizon. They worry clients

Dubois, a chemical etcher at ChemArt in Lincoln, displays a sheet of material etched with patterns as part of the manufacturing process.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

FOCUS: LAW REVIEW

AG: New wage theft law is pro-business, too

Employers who fail to pay an employee more than $1,500 in wages could face fines and up to three years in prison after a new law was passed in June making wage theft a felony. 16

Ripple effect from challenge of shoreline law?

A lawsuit

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A COMING TOGETHER OF Rhode Island seafood, an iconic venue and a cause that everyone can get behind promises to make for a memorable evening.

On Aug. 18 at Fort Adams in Newport, Eating with the Ecosystem and the Rhode Island Seafood Mar keting Collaborative will present “Fishes at the Fort,” a fundraiser dinner and auction to support Eating with the Ecosystem.

Eating with the Ecosystem Executive Director Kate Masury says this event is more than just a dinner. The setting is idyllic and the menu topnotch but as each bite is savored, it goes down with the knowledge that important work is being supported.

Eating with the Ecosystem is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a place-based approach to sustaining New England’s wild seafood. It’s also an opportunity to meet and learn from local fishers and harvesters to bring fresh, responsibly caught seafood to our tables, engage in conversations about sustainable fishing practices and oyster aquaculture, learn about local marine ecosystems, and gain a deeper understanding of the

DINING OUT | BRUCE NEWBURY

Seafood on display

importance of preserving our oceans and supporting local fisheries.

Masury says her organization, based in South Kingstown, works throughout New England.

“Despite being small, we have a pretty big range in terms of our focus area, and for us it’s all about taking care of the habitats that produce seafood but also the communities,” Masury said.

This philosophy is reflected in the lineup of chefs who share the mission of environmental consciousness and global ideals. Masury calls it a combination of research, education outreach and some supply chain facilitation.

You may have been participating in this initiative and not been aware of it. Some progressive restaurateurs and chefs are using underfished and underutilized species in menu items with familiar names. One such place is Dune Brothers in Providence, a seafood shack-type restaurant in downtown Providence. Husband and wife team Nicholas and Monica Gillespie have what they call a “chef-driven, dock-todish” approach, which includes sea robin, a so-called bait fish on the menu at the dinner at Fort Adams, as well as

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST CRANSTON BRANCH.

a selection called “Bait Box,” which is described as “whole, bone-in bait fish, crispy and fun to eat.”

The evening is scheduled to begin with a cocktail hour with oyster raw bar and seafood appetizers, including scallops prepared by Jason Timothy, creative culinary director/co-owner of Troop PVD in Providence. Also in the kitchen brigade will be chef Joshua

Berman of JB Cuisine and Little Fish Food Truck; David Standridge of The Shipwright’s Daughter, a modern New England concept in Mystic, Conn.; and Lucie Moulton, a former yacht chef and current proprietor of The Gourmet Goddess in South Kingstown, which offers culinary classes, dinner parties, wine pairings, tasting menus and weekly personal chef services.

The seated four-course dinner will be accompanied by wines selected by Maria Chiancola of Newport Wine Cellar & Gourmet

The combination of the ecological knowledge of marine scientists and commercial fishermen, the creativity of the region’s most innovative chefs, the know-how of seafood businesses and the enthusiasm of local seafood lovers will help advance a New England seafood system that supports the region’s marine ecosystems and the people who depend on them. n

“Dining Out With Bruce Newbury,” syndicated weekly on radio, can be heard in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont and Indiana. Contact Bruce at bruce@brucenewbury.com.

CREATIVE CHEF: Jason Timothy, creative culinary director and co-owner of Troop PVD in Providence, will be a featured chef at the “Fishes at the Fort” on Aug. 18.

COURTESY EATING WITH THE ECOSYSTEM

FOR STARTERS

5Q: Lindsey Ramirez

Director, Center for Women & Enterprise Rhode Island

BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com

1You were promoted to director in June. What is your vision for the Center for Women & Enterprise Rhode Island?

My vision for CWE in Rhode Island is to be the leading business resource to women from all walks of life. We empower women by providing guidance on questions, consulting from trusted experts, tailored programs and collaborative events. We aim to increase the number of certified women-owned businesses in Rhode Island, providing them with access to a larger economic landscape while contributing to a more inclusive society.

2

What sparked your interest in entrepreneurship?

My interest in entrepreneurship was sparked by witnessing my parents navigate the highs and lows of starting and ending various small and shadow businesses. Traversing the globe as a solo adventurer and meeting women internationally also instilled in me a deep appreciation for the challenges and freedom in entrepreneurship.

4What challenges do women entrepreneurs face in the Ocean State and how can CWE help to mitigate these?

Challenges … mainly consist of access to funding and balancing multiple responsibilities – often with women being the primary caregiver. To mitigate these issues, CWE takes a multifaceted approach. We provide a range of virtual, in-person and pre-recorded classes, ensuring convenience and accessibility for all. We also hold monthly events that focus on the emotional well-being of women entrepreneurs.

5What other trends stand out to you among entrepreneurs at CWE as it relates to women in business?

3

After working internationally and elsewhere in the Northeast, what attracted you to Rhode Island, and why CWE? As a native Rhode Islander with roots here, I consider this state as home. Family ties brought me back in 2022, and shortly after, I joined CWE. I deeply resonate with the mission to

A trend that stands out among entrepreneurs at CWE in Rhode Island is the increasing emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility. … Women are striving to create businesses aligned with their values to make a positive difference in their communities. Another notable trend is the rise of tech-driven entrepreneurship. Women are leveraging free and low-cost digital platforms to launch and scale their businesses. n

I deeply resonate with the mission to empower

BankNewport collecting socks for adults, children in need

ALL ABOUT SOLE:

BankNewport employees collectively throw socks into the air in announcing the Newport-based bank’s “Kind Heart Warm Soles” campaign. The initiative, which runs through Sept. 1, allows customers and the public to donate new pairs of socks at any of BankNewport’s 18 branches for adults and children in need. The initiative is part of BankNewport’s All In Giving program. In 2022, the bank awarded $1.7 million through charitable grants and contributions, community sponsorships and proactive holiday support to organizations across Rhode Island. BankNewport employees also performed more than 8,500 hours of community service in 2022.

COURTESY BANKNEWPORT

FOR STARTERS

Unique cookware for chefs

BY CHRISTOPHER ALLEN | Allen@PBN.com

AS ONE OF THE operators of Mission Burger and Thames Street Kitchen, Anna Burnley knows there are some kitchen tools that culinary professionals simply can’t live without.

Burnley co-owns the newly opened Utility in Middletown with her husband, Tyler, and their longtime business partner, Chad Hoffer.

After noticing a void of unique “chef-driven” shops catering to those who labor in the back of the house – and those still sharpening their gastronomic skills at home – they decided to open a retail store providing “aesthetically pleasing,” professionalgrade kitchen tools, cookware, knives, gifts and pantry items.

“We are on the ‘anti-Amazon’ filter,” Anna Burnley said. “Sourcing only from independent, soul-driven brands that have a story and heart behind them.”

The trio spent a year vetting product vendors. They are already planning multiple “popup” sales and will launch a full e-commerce website in August.

“[We wanted] a place for people to come and shop for items that relate to all things food. A curated selection of tools for the chef and host, nailing the balance between aesthetic and function,” Burnley said. “We wanted to bring in brands you can’t find on Amazon or your basic kitchen shops.” n

Polishing walls of sound

Recording studio also offers classes

BY CHRISTOPHER ALLEN | Allen@PBN.com

FOR NOLAN QUARTAROLI, owner of True Music Studios, the music came first. He still recalls his introduction to production years ago while playing in several bands in his hometown of Smithfield.

“A friend purchased a recording device when we were in high school, but it was so complex that nobody could figure out how to use it,” he said. “After it sat around a few months, I foolishly figured, ‘How hard could it be?’ ”

A brief learning curve led to Quartaroli becoming enamored with polishing the walls of sound.

“I loved the idea of being able to capture a performance or moment in time, then enhance and preserve it to share with the world,” he said.

After high school he took a job at The Music Stand, owned by musician and engineer Brian Joseph Farrar, whom Quartaroli credits for not only teaching him music theory but providing a business education.

One of his greatest lessons was that passion alone doesn’t guarantee success. The store never recovered from the Great Recession and closed in 2011, leaving Quartaroli with a pile of unfinished albums and a collection of students.

So, he borrowed some money and took a leap of faith.

“I was only 20 years old and had

OWNER: Nolan Quartaroli

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Audio production, engineering, mixing and education studio

no idea how difficult it would be to build and run a business,” he said. “I loved the process, but [I was] outside my comfort zone.”

Employing a “lean and mean” mentality after securing a lease in the industrial building ideal for sound recording, he scoured eBay for used equipment and leveraged his relationships with wholesalers to slowly build up a studio, which now records podcasts, voiceovers, narrations, audiobooks and custom music for commercials and films for a diverse spectrum of clients.

From entering an industry where “if you are breaking even, you are doing well,” Quartaroli now works with companies such as Netflix, Interscope Records, Universal Music Group, the Hamilton musical and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, among others. True Music currently has about 60 students each week, representing about 40% of revenues.

Quartaroli is confident the studio business will continue to have a marketplace, despite encroaching technological advancement that allows musicians to record, mix and

LOCATION: 24 Lark Industrial Drive, Smithfield

EMPLOYEES: Five

edit from their smartphones.

“Equipment has become more affordable and sound quality is getting much better,” he said. “But there’s still no replacement for years of training as a recording engineer to achieve a professional sound.”

The company is now undergoing a minor restructuring. Quartaroli is bringing on Nick Lancellotti, a graduate of Berklee College of Music, as a partner.

Lancellotti, who studied record engineering, is moving from employee to executive.

“What makes this profession so special is the opportunity it brings to collaborate with an array of exceptionally talented people [and] bring their creative visions to life,” Lancellotti said.

Quartoroli is proudest of his partnerships with local high schools, which schedule field trips to the studio to learn production and editing. One class recently produced its own podcast.

Though short on personal time for working on his own music, Quartaroli isn’t complaining. Anything but a desk job, he says.

The common thread of musicians and entrepreneurs, “only they are unreasonable enough to work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week,” he said. n

YEAR FOUNDED: 2011

ANNUAL SALES: WND

SPECIALTY SHOP: Tyler and Anna Burnley, left, and Chad Hoffer, right, opened Utility in Middletown, a store that sells unique kitchen tools, cookware and pantry items.

PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

DYNAMIC DUO: True Music Studios owner Nolan Quartaroli, right, launched the audio production studio in 2011 in Smithfield. He recently promoted audio engineer and producer Nick Lancellotti, left, to business partner after Lancellotti helped him keep the business going during the pandemic.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

A split over Alviti’s actions at RIPTA

BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com

FOLLOWING R.I. Department of Transportation

Director Peter Alviti’s controversial appointment as the R.I. Public Transit Authority’s board chairman, transit advocates are divided on whether Alviti is demanding needed accountability from a mismanaged agency or undermining public confidence in an underfunded service.

One month into Alviti’s tenure, few dispute that RIPTA has a daunting task ahead: In May, the agency projected a $40 million shortfall in fiscal 2025 as COVID-19 pandemic relief funding runs out and reported a 50% decrease in ridership during the pandemic.

In Alviti’s first meeting as chair last month, he criticized RIPTA for what he described as a lack of accountability and direction.

Alviti also highlighted low ridership rates, with just 3% of Rhode Island residents using RIPTA, and he criticized the agency for seeking more funding without a plan to reform the service.

“I think what builds the taxpayers’ confidence … is first, the agency operating in a proper manner that breeds confidence,” Alviti told PBN. “It needs to provide a successful

product for the public.”

Like many public transit advocates, Patricia Raub, co-coordinator of Rhode Island Transit Riders, opposed the idea of Alviti, who she says tends to favor cars over buses, leading the RIPTA board. Instead, she preferred a continuation of independent leadership.

Raub says she wants to give Alviti a chance but wasn’t encouraged by his first meeting.

RIPTA has outlined a plan to adjust its services, Raub says, but chronic underfunding often makes bus routes inconvenient, in turn lowering ridership. She pointed to RIPTA’s Transit Master Plan.

“But it’s only doable with increased funding from the legislature,” she said. “I don’t think Alviti completely understands the equity issues involved here.”

John Flaherty, deputy director of Grow Smart Rhode Island, agrees that RIPTA’s issue is underfunding rather than mismanagement.

“I would like to see an earnest effort on the part of all leaders to understand what is most needed fundingwise … [and] less finger-pointing,” Flaherty said.

But other transit advocates – including some who have traditionally opposed Alviti’s decisions at RIDOT

– say they’re pleasantly surprised by his initial actions.

Barry Schiller, a former RIPTA board member and public transportation advocate, says he’s long harbored concerns with Alviti-led initiatives, including a push for a “multi-hub” busing system in downtown Providence.

But after Alviti’s first meeting, “I’m starting to see the other side a little bit,” Schiller said. “There’s no question the board needed a little oversight, and … [Alviti is] right when he says that a very small percentage of Rhode Islanders actually use RIPTA.”

Schiller believes that the RIPTA staff runs “a reasonably good system, but they’re ignoring the fact that not many people use [the bus], and I think Peter Alviti is right to call attention to that.”

He says he also appreciated that Alviti directed RIPTA staff to respond to public comment, noting that the agency previously was only required to hear comments.

Alviti has also won support from labor leader and current RIPTA board member Patrick Crowley.

“A cultural change is already starting to take effect,” Crowley said. “The prior board leadership, in my estimation, was too passive in its role as the leader of the agency.” n

R.I. joins interstate pact key to mental telehealth

BY

PROVIDING

mental health care to patients out of state has been a conundrum facing Rhode Island practitioners for as many years as there have been regulations in place regarding the practice.

While the COVID-19 pandemic brought temporary relief, through emergency allowances for telehealth visits across state lines, it also magnified the need for a permanent solution.

Many in the field say that the pandemic also accelerated Rhode Island’s joining of the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact – otherwise known as PSYPACT – an interstate organization that allows psychologists to treat patients via virtual appointment across state lines.

It’s a major milestone in improving access to mental health care in the Ocean State, PSYPACT supporters say.

“It’s a win-win-win as far as I’m concerned,” said Rhode Island-based clinical psychologist Joseph J. Trunzo. “It’s a good thing for Rhode Island, for the profession, but more importantly, the [patient] population.”

Trunzo, whose private practice specializes in treating anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, and those coping with chronic illness, is a professor of psychology and associate

director for the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences at Bryant University

He will assume the presidency of the Rhode Island Psychological Association in January. Among his first priorities will be to provide statewide education surrounding PSYPACT to psychologists.

Rhode Island is the 36th state to join PSYPACT, which allows psychologists –but not other licensed mental health care professionals – to treat patients wherever either of them is inside the United States, as long as they are both in a PSYPACT member state.

State Sen. Alana M. DiMario, D-North Kingstown, co-sponsored the bill. She is also a licensed mental health counselor. She pointed to PSYPACT’s ability to protect Rhode Island’s psychological licensure regulations, which, she said, are in place to protect both practitioner and patient.

“I think it was the demonstration during COVID of how valuable telehealth was that tipped the scales,” she said, referring to the seven-year process to get PSYPACT through the state legislature.

Peter M. Oppenheimer, a practicing clinical psychologist in Barrington and chairman of the board of directors for RIPA’s professional affairs, was at the forefront of the effort.

Speaking from Washington, D.C., where he had traveled for a conference,

he noted that he wouldn’t have been able to treat patients while out of state prior to PSYPACT, without being allowed an exception for an in-crisis patient.

“Patients move. People want mobility. Part of this is to be reflective of the modern world,” he said.

PSYPACT will make it possible for out-of-state patients to seek help from Rhode Island psychologists who specialize in treatment areas for which there isn’t an expert in their home state – and vice versa for Rhode Islanders.

Across the U.S., Oppenheimer says, about 5,000 psychologists are currently PSYPACT members. Enrolling is a two-step process and psychologists can apply to provide telehealth services or in-person, temporary services in a state in which they are not licensed.

Both require obtaining an E-Pass from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, which costs $400 for telehealth and $200 for in-person services. Both e-passports require an annual renewal fee.

PSYPACT membership is $40 for each service type, with a $20 annual renewal fee.

DiMario is focused on opening up membership in interstate compacts for other health care professionals. She introduced a bill last session to allow mental health counselors to join such a compact. It wasn’t passed, but she plans to reintroduce it this year.

STAYING

PUT: Joseph J. Trunzo, professor of psychology and assistant director for the School of Health and Behavioral Sciences at Bryant University, says having Rhode Island join PSYPACT will help keep psychologists from leaving the state.

The hope is that membership in interstate compacts will positively impact Rhode Island’s ability to attract skilled clinicians and other mental health workers to build their practices here.

Oppenheimer, who opened his first practice in 1991, identified a workforce crisis in the mental health profession.

The high cost of education and rising startup costs, as well as low insurance reimbursement rates, are all factors that, he says, drive new psychologists and other professionals away from full-time private practice.

“There’s less of us and we’ve been swamped since COVID,” he said. “I think people are getting how expensive it is to get trained and licensed. My friends and I have trouble hiring because we can’t pay enough.”

Trunzo says making it worthwhile for psychologists to stay in Rhode Island, with such things as PSYPACT, is an important component of building up the workforce, pointing to the state’s ability to train skilled practitioners through many higher education programs, including at Bryant.

Some health insurers, he and Oppenheimer say, have made great strides in working to increase reimbursement rates.

“[We need] to come up with treatment and reimbursement models that work mostly for the patients to have easy access to services, but they also have to work for the clinician and the insurance company,” Trunzo said. “There are very good, smart and wellintentioned people on all sides and all of those stakeholders are working hard to improve that.” n

PBN PHOTO/ PAMELA BHATIA

‘It’s a good thing for Rhode Island ... but more importantly, the [patient] population.’

JOSEPH J. TRUNZO, Bryant University School of Health and Behavioral Sciences

REBECCA KEISTER | Contributing Writer

Pawtucket ready to resume $27M bond issue for stadium

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on Aug. 10)

PAWTUCKET – Another major financial domino will fall into place with the Tidewater Landing stadium construction project.

Grace Voll, a spokesperson for Mayor Donald R. Grebien, confirmed on Aug. 10 to Providence Business News that the city will issue $27 million in bonds in the fall, a major piece in the financing plan for the $124 million future home of Rhode Island FC, the minor-league soccer team set to play its first season next year.

The city’s announcement came less than 24 hours after Fortuitous Partners said it secured the remaining private funding needed to resume construction of the 10,000-seat waterfront stadium. Additionally, the state will move forward with its end of financing for the stadium.

Rhode Island FC said in total, Fortuitous and Rhode Island FC combined to raise $50 million in private equity for the project. Now, Fortuitous said it has signed commitment letters to fund the private debt required in the terms of the publicprivate partnership with the city and state.

Voll told PBN that the funding between the city, state and the developer must close “simultaneously,” and everyone’s intention is to do that in the fall. She said all parties have been meeting regularly.

R.I. Commerce Corp. spokesperson Matthew Touchette said on Aug. 10 that the total public commitment to the project will amount to $45.5 million. Touchette also said no further approvals from state officials are needed.

In March, the city postponed issuing the bonds because of eco-

nomic uncertainty caused in part by rising interest rates and a “looming banking crisis.” At the time, the developer also needed more than $10 million in additional private funds.

Voll said the city understood why Fortuitous had difficulty, but the city was not willing to burden the taxpayers by issuing the bonds until the developer “held up its end of the bargain,” she said.

“Now, we’re absolutely willing to issue the bonds,” Voll said.

It will take time for the bonds to close by the fall. Touchette said the underwriters have to market the bonds to prospective investors and get the financing commitments from them.

“That whole process takes time,” Touchette said. He also said in an emailed statement that the state, city and Fortuitous will “all be closely coordinating to ensure that taxpayer funds are safeguarded and that no additional state funds will be contributed to the stadium project.”

It is unclear who the private investors are that aided Fortuitous in securing $14.5 million in financing for the project over the last two months. Fortuitous spokesperson Mike Raia said the developer has declined to release the individual investors’ names.

“That’s been the policy from the start. A number of the investors want to remain silent and it’s a private enterprise,” Raia told PBN in an email.

He said Fortuitous expects crews to be back on-site “in the near future.”

Both Voll and Touchette said they are optimistic that the stadium will be completed by 2025. Rhode Island FC’s inaugural home schedule next year will be played at Bryant University. “Where we’re still at currently, we’re confident the stadium will open in 2025,” Voll said. n

BACK ON TRACK? Pawtucket officials say they will move forward with issuing $27 million in bonds to help finance the Tidewater Landing stadium project. COURTESY FORTUITOUS PARTNERS

FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING

Powering the future

THE UNITED WAY of Rhode Island Inc.will holda careerawarenessand workforce developmentevent,titled “Power theFuture.”The event will allowlocal youthsandtheirparents/guardianstolearnmoreabout industriesofthe future.Itwillfeature engagingspeakers,immersive and interactive experiences,andresources for the wholefamily.

SATURDAY, AUG.19, 7:30A.M. TO 3:30 P.M. Free R.I. ConventionCenter, 1 Sabin St., Providence.

All revved up

CUDDLES OF HOPE FOUNDATION will hold its Car and Bike Show. Various classic vehicles will be on display. All proceeds will support the nonprofit, which works to help comfort children in need.

SUNDAY, AUG. 27, 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. Free Governor Notte Park, 2 Governor Notte Parkway, North Providence.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/2kdwtfzz

Business bash

FEELING HEALTHY: The Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce will hold its 29th annual Worksite HealthAwards Breakfast on Sept. 7 at the Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick in Warwick.

COURTESY CROWNE PLAZAPROVIDENCE-WARWICK

EDITOR’S

CHOICE

Providence Chamber to hold 29th Worksite Health Awards

THE GREATER PROVIDENCE Chamber of Commerce will hold its 29th annual Worksite Health Awards Breakfast, hosted by the Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick. The event will recognize Rhode Island businesses that are improving the quality of life for their employees with demonstrated commitment to healthy workplaces through policy, workplace culture and educational opportunities. Alexandra Drane, CEO of Archangels, will be the keynote speaker.

THURSDAY, SEPT 7, 7:45-9:30 A.M. $30/person; $350/table of eight Crowne Plaza Providence-Warwick, 801 Greenwich Ave., Warwick.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/2ze22x32

INFOAND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/bdfc5896

Establishing connections

THE TAUNTON AREA Chamber of Commerce will hold a Noontime Networking event, hosted by Old Colony YMCA – Taunton Branch. The event will offer attendees a light lunch while providing them a setting to build business connections. There will also be tours of the new YMCA building.

THURSDAY, AUG. 24, NOON. Free Old Colony YMCA – Taunton Branch, 71 Cohannet St., Taunton.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/2hhvtbkn

ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER of Commerce will hold its annual End of Summer Business After Hours bash, hosted by Servpro of Dartmouth-New Bedford. The event will provide complimentary drinks, hors d’oeuvres, as well as plenty of time for attendees to network and build business connections with one another.

THURSDAY, AUG. 31, 4:30-7 P.M. Free Servpro of Dartmouth-New Bedford, 1476 Purchase St., New Bedford.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/5ajn3fsp

Interested in having your businessrelated event included in What’s Happening? Contact PBN Special Projects Editor James Bessette at (401) 680-4838 or Bessette@PBN.com.

Building new relationships

THE SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce will hold its First Friday Coffee networking event, hosted by the World War II Foundation Global Education Center. The event will allow local business professionals to meet and build connections with one another. Registration is recommended.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 1, 8-9 A.M. $5/ members; $10/nonmembers World War II Foundation Global Education Center, 344 Main St., South Kingstown.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/34vhf9rv

Tips to attain financial goals

THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise will hold an online workshop titled “Money But Make it Fun.” The workshop is the first of a three-part series designed to help attendees gain financial clarity, save more, spend less of what isn’t serving them and invest intentionally. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how to meet financial goals by the end of the year. Other dates for the series are Sept. 12 and Sept. 14.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 7, NOON TO 1 P.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/2p8dx8v2

Have a ‘blast’

SOUTHCOAST COMMUNITY

FOUNDATION will have its 19th annual “Summer’s Last Blast” fundraiser event. The event will feature seafood, hors d’oeuvres, hot food stations and live music. Proceeds will support the foundation’s efforts in providing financial contributions to local nonprofits.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 8, 5-9 P.M. $175 Weatherlow Farms, 845 Sodom Road, Westport.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/3jbs77se

Exploring opportunities

THE NATIONAL EXTENSION Association of Family & Consumer Sciences will hold its 2023 annual session, themed “Explore Oceans of Opportunities.” The event will offer attendees opportunities for mentorship, team building, innovative approaches to education, policy, systems and environmental change. Workshops and in-depth sessions will also be offered.

MONDAY, SEPT. 11, THROUGH

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14, 8 A.M.

$500/members; $650/nonmembers; $400/guests; $325/students

R.I. Convention Center, 1 Sabin St., Providence.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/4amu4u49

Help wanted

ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER of Commerce, along with Lafrance Hospitality, MassHire Greater New Bedford Career Center and the Bristol Workforce Board, will hold the SouthCoast Job Fair. The event will allow multiple local job seekers to meet with prospective employers looking to grow their workforces. Professional headshots will be offered for job seekers for free. Job seekers are encouraged to bring their resumes.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14, 9 A.M. TO 2 P.M. Free Rachel’s Lakeside, 950 State Road, Dartmouth.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/ykppwebk

Raising funds

THE ANNUAL “Fall for Lucy’s Hearth” event will take place. The nonprofit’s signature fundraiser will help increase funding and support for one of Rhode Island’s only family homeless shelters. Tickets cost $135 for individuals and $250 for couples.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14, 6-9 P.M. $135/individuals, $250/couples Wyndham Newport Hotel, 240 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/4d7xcvrk

Economic discussion

THE GREATER NEWPORT Chamber of Commerce will hold an Economic Outlook Luncheon, hosted by Wyndham Newport Atlantic Resort. The event will provide information on what the broader economy will look like, both locally and nationally. Curtis Dubay, a chief economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will be the keynote speaker.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20, NOON TO 1:30 P.M. $50/members; $60/nonmembers

Wyndham Newport Atlantic Resort, 240 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/28vsj6p5

WELCOMES

PRESENTING SPONSOR

UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The 2023 Leaders & Achievers Awards Program will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick. For more information, visit PBN.com. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

REGIONAL PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES

This publication connects top level business executives and their employees to the region’s nonprofit offerings. Profiles of nonprofit organizations highlight their mission and position them as worthy of support by community leaders who can devote their time, talent and treasure.

In addition to the lasting value of the printed guide, additional distribution includes a digital edition on PBN.com for the year, distribution to all attendees of the AFP-RI National Philanthropy Day Awards in November and emailed to the entire PBN database on Giving Tuesday.

RESERVE YOUR PROFILE TODAY.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

ANGST

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

and employers will settle for AI-generated work if it means saving money, even if the results are subpar or ethically dubious. Some workers who have spent their careers fine-tuning skills fear losing their jobs entirely to a technology that’s been touted in many cases as having the ability to do the same task in seconds and improve how to do it.

Others see an opportunity unlike any other in modern times. To those people, using AI to perform tasks doesn’t have to mean increased stress. Instead, AI could present an opportunity to free workers to focus on creative thought and innovation that require a human touch.

And for many, such as Barzyk, it’s something in between: at times useful, but also limited in accuracy and quality. Then there are those who aren’t sure what to think.

The technology’s limitations are significant, says Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a professor of data science and computer science at Brown University whose work has included national efforts to uphold ethics while using AI.

While the idea that AI and machine learning –computer systems that learn and adapt without following instructions by using algorithms and models – can easily replace most job functions isn’t accurate, Venkatasubramanian says, concerns that people will lose their jobs due to the technology aren’t unfounded, either.

“There’s a tendency that keeps happening where businesses say, ‘We can automate all of these systems, we don’t need to hire all of these people,’ ” Venkatasubramanian said. “They fire a bunch of people, then realize [the AI systems] don’t work as well as they thought they did. They don’t deliver on their promises, and at that point, people have already lost their jobs.

“I think there’s a tension between wanting to ride what looks like a big wave but not fully appreciating the degree to which there is a mismatch between the hype around AI and what it can actually do,” Venkatasubramanian said, noting that the technology already has a concerning track record of perpetuating discrimination against already-marginalized groups and producing inaccurate information.

Nevertheless, few dispute that businesses will feel the impact of AI advancements. Whether the technology will set businesses and workers up to fail or thrive depends largely on recognizing the technology’s actual capabilities, and where they need regulations, observers say.

DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD

AI has skyrocketed to the forefront of public awareness since the tech developer OpenAI launched its chatbot, ChatGPT, in late 2022. That launch caused a sensation in part because the technology crossed a crucial threshold in accuracy and its human-like capabilities to perform mental tasks, and because it’s free, easily accessible and made it easy for the average person to try.

That development has caused ripples of curiosity and anxiety in the Rhode Island business community.

Diane Fournaris, the director of the Rhode

Island Small Business Development Center, says the staff has been fielding multiple calls each week about AI. Many businesses that call with worries about AI are content-producing services, Fournaris says.

“Blogs, websites, that’s where the most concern is,” she said. “Our clients are asking us if this is going to be as good as having a person do it, and how good is the content, which leads us to believe it could have some kind of impact on those businesses.”

It’s still too early to predict the technology’s large-scale effect on Rhode Island’s business community, Fournaris says, but it seems to be “a double-edged sword” based on early questions and comments.

Chris Parisi doesn’t see it as double-edged.

Parisi, president of the Providence digital marketing agency Tr ailblaze Marketing, says if local companies embrace AI, Rhode Island has the chance to lead a massive shift in business and the workforce. In fact, the former chairman of the Rhode Island Small Business Coalition has launched a podcast

exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on Rhode Island businesses.

“The ultimate vision is to make Rhode Island a leader in the AI revolution,” Parisi said, just as “we were once a leader in the American Industrial Revolution.”

In his own business, Parisi and his employees use AI “in every service and process,” he said, from automated video editing to transcribing, creating social media clips and writing notes.

At the same time, Parisi said, he’s hired a new employee and expects to continue expanding his staffing due to “the demand for AI ... becoming more important for our services and for our clients” as more businesses adopt it.

While Parisi empathizes with business owners and workers who worry about AI, he says it would be a mistake to not capitalize on it.

Ideally, Parisi said, AI will “enhance you, not replace you,” and provide a big boost to small businesses without the time or finances to support more hiring or other resources.

He’s taken his cause to the Statehouse, discussing with Gov. Daniel J. McKee the possibility of forming an “AI task force” to start working on the challenges that the evolving technology creates.

“There are concerns with AI, and rightfully so,” he said. “That’s why we need to create a task force to understand, and so that businesses understand the ethics when it comes to AI, and so we can work with federal regulations … and lead by example.”

For his part, McKee appears to be interested in discussing artificial intelligence and its impact on

FULL STEAM AHEAD: Jason Kelly, right, executive vice president of Providence-based Moran Shipping Agencies Inc., says the company saw the importance of artificial intelligence in improving efficiencies in the shipping industry. Moran’s effort to build an AI platform was spun off to create another company, Attender Inc. Kelly demonstrates the Attender technology with, from left, interns Jackson Foscaldo and Dylan Jones. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

‘You really do need what they call a human in the loop.’

JASON E. KELLY, Moran Shipping Agencies Inc. executive vice president

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 the business community.

“As artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in our lives, it’s important that our state continues to stay on top of the advancing innovations,” McKee’s spokesperson Olivia Darocha said in a statement. “We look forward to exploring [it] further with stakeholders and business owners, including Chris Parisi, over the next few months.”

State Rep. Lauren H. Carson didn’t want to wait.

Carson said she saw enough potential for misuse of AI and machine learning that she sponsored two pieces of legislation in the last General Assembly session intended to get lawmakers thinking about it. “We as a state have an obligation … to really study this,” she said.

One bill would have authorized the R.I. Of fice of the Attorney General to adopt and enforce rules and regulations on generative AI models such as ChatGPT “in order to protect the public’s safety, privacy and intellectual property rights.” Another bill would have required mental health providers to disclose any use of AI to clients.

Both bills were based on legislation in Massachusetts, but neither measure made it out of committee. And a Senate bill that would have established a commission to study the use of AI in the decision-making process of state government suffered the same fate, never making it to the Senate floor for a vote.

In June, the House did pass a resolution asking that the R.I. Department of Administration and the Division of Information Technology review the use of “automated decision systems” in state government and develop recommendations for regulatory or legislative action. A report is due by Sept. 29.

Carson suspects there will be a raft of legislation next session proposing controls on AI.

In the meantime, Carson says she has had some success in her own experimentation with ChatGPT.

“I was playing with AI about two weeks ago and got it to draft a piece of legislation for me that was actually pretty good,” Carson said. “So it’s out there, there’s no doubt about that.”

LEGAL QUESTIONS

You don’t need to tell Nicole Benjamin and other lawyers like her that AI is out there.

Benjamin, a shareholder at Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. and president of the Rhode Island Bar Association, says that AI’s capabilities, such as performing sophisticated writing and research tasks, can allow lawyers to focus on other parts of their jobs.

“I’m hopeful if lawyers are using more artificial intelligence in their practices and becoming more efficient with the work they’re doing, that will free up additional time for them to take on more pro bono or low bono services,” Benjamin said.

But the technology has also shown its weaknesses. In June, two lawyers at a New York City firm were fined $5,000 after using ChatGPT-generated case law. The problem? The case law they cited, which included quotes and other citations, didn’t exist.

“ChatGPT created the case law instead of finding the case law, and inadvertently, the lawyers started citing case law that was not a court decision,” Benjamin said, demonstrating that “if ChatGPT can’t find case law that’s favorable, it might go ahead and create case law that’s favorable.”

That doesn’t mean lawyers need to avoid the technology altogether, Benjamin says, but ethically using AI “requires competency to know the technology and how it works.”

And the legal concerns go beyond lawyers using AI chatbots.

In professions involving confidential information, workers also are limited in what information they can ethically provide to AI technology such as ChatGPT, says Alicia Samolis, a partner at Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP

“The risk is [inputted information] is going to be discoverable, so you’re typing in a question and it’s recording what you’re saying,” Samolis said.

Businesses that don’t work with highly sensitive information may not take issue with that, “but you really can’t do it in a legal industry where much of what we generate … is either attorney-client privilege or at least has proprietary information in it,” she said.

But Samolis remains optimistic about the technology’s overall potential and said businesses should adopt AI even if it invokes anxiety.

“Whether you like it or not, if you’re a business, you need to learn how to have it help your business and adapt to it,” she said, “because your competitors absolutely will.”

DARK SHIFT?

Fournaris hopes to see AI used in such a way to complement, rather than eliminate, jobs, particularly among small-business owners who can’t hire a large staff.

“A lot of [small businesses] struggle with maintaining a schedule, an online presence, blog posting,” Fournaris said, “so it is possible to take some of those tasks away from a business owner and allow the business owner to concentrate on the business.”

Others see it playing out differently. Richard McIntyre, a professor of economics at the University of Rhode Island, said that while business owners may see financial savings through automating job functions, “AI is only going to exacerbate the root of not only our economic but our political problems.”

Like Parisi, McIntyre sees parallels to the Industrial Revolution – but he is thinking of workers’ struggles amid the massive societal shifts.

“Mechanization can make our lives better and easier, but it can also cause suffering,” McIntyre said. “Now, we’re going to see people who have invested time and money into education, which all of the sudden, very quickly is going to become devalued.”

And amid intense political polarization and numerous human rights crises, McIntrye doesn’t see the government as well-positioned to ease this transition.

In the past, the answer to people losing their livelihoods was to “dramatically expand social services,” McIntyre said. “That has been the answer in the past, that if there is a safety net that people can rely on, then the social consequences, the political consequences are less.

“That means though, that the state, and to some extent the nonprofit sector, has to do more,” he said.

‘HUMAN IN THE LOOP’

Long before ChatGPT, the maritime industry was using AI and machine learning to track such things as the fuel use of fleets of ships to suggest strategies to increase efficiencies.

Providence-based Moran Shipping Agencies Inc. saw the potential benefits.

For more than 80 years, agents at the company have been assisting foreign-flagged vessels as they sail through U.S. waters and dock at 100 domestic ports. Then the AI disruption came.

Two years ago, the company purchased a Singapore-based tech startup called Spoolify to jump-start an effort by Moran to build an AI platform for the maritime market. It was rebranded Attender and spun off from Moran.

“In layman’s terms, it’s an Angie’s List of port services,” said Jason E. Kelly, Moran’s executive vice president.

In the shipping industry, a superintendent in another country might be tasked with overseeing five vessels throughout the world, Kelly says. If one of those vessels comes to Providence, for instance, in need of an unexpected repair or inspection, working out logistics could take weeks.

Instead, Attender uses AI to match the job with the best-qualified vendors instantly.

Kelly says workers needn’t fear losing their jobs to Attender.

“You really do need what they call a human in the loop,” Kelly said. “One of the most exciting parts of emerging technology isn’t AI, but it’s how humans interact with AI.

“I just don’t see, in the foreseeable future, the ability of AI to be able to manage the ever-changing, sophisticated jobs these vessels need when they’re in port,” he said.

At TIB Creative Studio, Barzyk also sees AI as lacking a certain sophistication. At least for now.

Shortly after AI exploded into the public consciousness late last year, she subscribed to OpenAI, as well as newsletters focused on the rapidly growing field of technology.

“I try to be ahead of the curve when it comes to technology to help clients in a quicker way and come up with more ideas for them,” Barzyk said.

And while TIB Creative initially lost a few clients to the image-generating AI software Canva, they soon came back, Barzyk says, reporting that the software didn’t live up to their expectations.

“AI definitely can’t [replace] creativity,” Barzyk said. n

TWO SIDES: Nicole Benjamin, Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. shareholder and Rhode Island Bar Association president, says she’s hopeful AI will allow lawyers to be more efficient with their time, but there have been some snags.

PBN PHOTO/PAMELA BHATIA

‘We as a state have an obligation … to really study this.’

LAUREN H. CARSON, state representative

CHEMART

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

House,” began a yearly tradition that skyrocketed in popularity by the end of the decade.

In 1981, ChemArt produced around 300,000 ornaments for the association. And today, the annual iteration of the ornament calls for more than 1 million orders.

“Instead of just doing philanthropic work, it was a way to raise funds on a consistent basis” for the association, said ChemArt President David Marquis. “It just caught fire, and it’s a unique phenomenon.”

When ChemArt launched in 1976, the business was one of many thriving jewelry manufacturers in Rhode Island, then commonly considered the jewelry capital of the world.

The manufacturer hasn’t completely abandoned its roots, and still produces a limited jewelry selection at its Lincoln headquarters. But as that industry lost some of its luster over decades in the Ocean State, ChemArt pivoted to its primary focus to the niche market it’s known for today.

The company’s signature product traces back to a ChemArt representative approaching the White House Historical Association with a pitch for an annual Christmas ornament series, Marquis said.

Kennedy Onassis had recently founded the nonprofit “to restore the beauty of the house, the people’s house,” Marquis said, “but also to educate the public about the people who lived in the house, and the house itself. … So, for a lot of people who like history, this would be a must buy.

“Those types of individuals buy even in downtimes,” he continued. “This is a unique gift that they’ll give to friends and family, and they collect them.”

Now in its 42nd year, the ornament series’ popularity continues to boom, with around 2.5 million to 3 million ornaments sold per year, though mostly around the nation’s capital.

“It’s a very-unique-to-that-area service,” Marquis said, noting that around 70% to 80% of the presidential ornament sales take place in the Washington, D.C., metro area, with the association doing limited marketing.

In addition to growing in popularity, the ornaments have become increasingly intricate over the years. Ornaments typically correspond to a U.S. president in chronological order, with exceptions for major historical events such as the presidency’s bicentennial anniversary.

The upcoming 2023 ornament, which recognizes the Gerald R. Ford presidency, features an intricately designed wreath that includes homages to the former president, such as an image of his fam-

ily’s dogs, Ford’s college football number and his Eagle Scout troop number.

In addition to primarily serving a small geographic area, also distinctive to the company is its production method, which was invented by ChemArt founder Richard Beaupre.

Beaupre, who died in 2018, worked as a process engineering chemist before launching the company and was a “mad scientist” type, Marquis said.

“He created what is called the photo resist,” Marquis said. “So, the change he did was he took print circuit board technology, and he applied it to decorative pieces,” rather than using industrial component parts.

“What makes ChemArt unique is it’s a combination of about six or seven industries,” Marquis added, including design, etching, digital, and screen printing and plating. “Most people do one or a few – we do all.”

A team of 11 staff designers conceptualizes the keepsakes at the Lincoln manufacturing facility, which employs 127 employees across two buildings. The designs are then sent to the company’s manufacturing workers, who start with raw brass, then run the ornaments through these various processes before assembling the pieces.

In addition to its annual creation for the White House, ChemArt manufactures custom Christmas

ornaments and keepsakes for a variety of private organizations and companies, such as NASA and Disney, and also serves the retail market. But the business-to-business market continues to comprise the bulk of ChemArt’s business, with the company deriving about 20% of its business from retail, while the remainder comes from private orders.

Its Christmas ornament continues to be the primary earner for the White House Historical Association, with the single, annual ornament sale driving around 80% of its revenue.

But ChemArt has also significantly expanded its retail offerings in recent years, said CEO David Beaupre, who took over the company after his father, Richard Beaupre, died. The company previously did very limited sales outside of the East Coast but has since expanded its designs to serve a wider audience.

“You name it, we have the theme pretty covered,” Beaupre said, with ornaments geared toward “everything from southwest to coastal to mountains to seasonal, even just general items,” with coastal and nature designs standing out as the two largest general categories.

And soon, ChemArt will expand outside of the United States, Beaupre said, with plans to launch in Canada by January, and Europe in the near future.

n

KEEPSAKE: ChemArt President David Marquis holds one of the company’s ornaments depicting a Christmas tree in a gazebo.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

MULTISTEP PROCESS: ChemArt President David Marquis, standing above the Lincoln manufacturer’s factory floor, says the process to create the company’s popular Christmas ornaments, which number more than 1 million orders annually, involves designing, etching, digital, as well as screen printing and plating aspects.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

‘What makes ChemArt unique is it’s a combination of about six or seven industries.’

DAVID MARQUIS, ChemArt president

charging people that make an innocent mistake.”

Sen. Meghan E. Kallman, DPawtucket, a primary sponsor of the legislation, has heard from many constituents who have fallen victim to wage theft, usually “people with precarious legal status.”

“It’s a recipe for massive exploitation,” she said.

A 2022 study by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, which called Rhode Island a “hot house” for wage theft, found that in 2019, 9.3% of Rhode Island employers were illegally misclassifying workers as independent contractors; 20.3% of employers failed to fully report their workers’ wages and salaries to the DLT; and an estimated $185.3 million in workers’ wages and salaries went unreported. Payroll fraud was estimated to have cost taxpayers between $25 million and $54 million.

Patrick Crowley, secretary-treasurer for the Rhode Island AFLCIO, hopes the new penalties will have a deterrent effect.

AG: New wage theft law is pro-business, too

BY CHRISTOPHER ALLEN | Allen@PBN.com

more than four years Attorney General Peter F. Neronha sought to adjust an oversight in state law that he argues could have been a plot in the theater of the absurd.

Up until state legislators passed a law in June making wage theft and employee misclassification a felony, the criminal penalties for petty theft could be greater than if an employer pilfered wages of more than $1,500 from a worker. Now employers who knowingly fail to pay an employee more than $1,500 in wages could face up to three years in prison and pay fines. The prison term up to 10 years for theft of more than $10,000. Bringing the law over the finish line wasn’t easy. During the Statehouse debate, opposition came from a cross-section of industry lobbyists, trade associations and business owners who argued the bill would pave the way for owners and subcontractors potentially finding themselves in front of a judge for an innocent mistake.

The legislation keeps in place the R.I. Department of Labor and Training’s ability to open inquiries into accusations of wage theft and misclassification. But Neronha says his office doesn’t have

to wait for a DLT referral to open an investigation.

“We want to be able to move quickly,” he said, noting that industries such as construction often involve employers and employees moving frequently throughout the country from job to job.

Most wage theft cases, Neronha says, involve contractors who fail to distribute the last paychecks before finishing a job, often leaving the state and leaving local employees empty-handed. He met privately with the top executives of several large companies in the lead-up to the law’s passage, many of whom were frustrated with competitors who they argued were skewing the playing field to their advantage by not paying workers what they owed them.

“Companies that cheat can undermine these legitimate companies,” he said.

As for employers facing felony charges for what in essence would be a paperwork mishap, Neronha called this argument “nonsense,” adding that his office already kicks back more than 800 criminal referrals a year from local law enforcement agencies.

“They know exactly what they are doing,” he said. “We are not going to be

CROWLEY, Rhode Island AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer

CHANGE MAKER?

Patrick Crowley, secretarytreasurer for the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, says the wage theft law will alter the way management at many companies treats its employees when it comes to paying wages.

“[The judicial system] has this tool at their disposal. And it will be transformative as far as how management treats working people in Rhode Island,” he said. “This shows a commitment to the belief that wages matter more than rich people’s property.”

Crowley says he is happy the felony classification also gives the state grand jury subpoena power “to corral the bad actors.” Those with knowledge of these crimes will be less likely to try a coverup, and witnesses to wrongdoing will be quicker to call the state’s tip line knowing that perpetrators may have to return to Rhode Island to face a Superior Court judge.

Neronha says these provisions in the law were necessary to prosecute cases.

“You cannot extradite someone on a misdemeanor warrant,” he said. “Many of these cases are complicated, and you want to question the witness under oath. And you want to be able to subpoena records. This will make investigations of this kind much easier to do.”

It remains to be seen whether the legislation will have a transformative effect on labor rights, whether as a deterrent or otherwise. Some cases are so egregious that “a jail sentence would be appropriate,” Neronha said.

As an example, Neronha referenced the felony and misdemeanor charges filed in 2022 against Marcos Mutz, the owner of the now-defunct M.Mutz Construction.

The attorney general alleges he stole more than $93,000 in wages from workers during the construction and renovation of RISE Prep Mayoral Academy in Woonsocket. That case is now pending, and if Mutz is found guilty, Neronha would recommend prison time.

“I consider this legislation to be as much pro-business as pro-worker. It’s allowing law enforcement to go after businesses that aren’t playing by the rules,” he said. “Now working men and women will be protected from unscrupulous employers.” n

PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

‘[The judicial system] has this tool at their disposal.’

PATRICK

Ripple effect from challenge of shoreline law?

BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com

It came as a surprise to few when, soon after shoreline access advocates celebrated the law’s passage in June, a group of coastal property owners filed a lawsuit challenging the legislation that advocates say solidifies a long-held right.

“With these types of cases where you have private property owners who have waterfront property, there are usually challenges,” said Monica Teixeira de Sousa, a professor at the Roger W illiams University School of Law.

The lawsuit, filed by a nonprofit group known as the Rhode Island Association of Coastal Taxpayers on July 7 in federal court, alleges that the law illegally seizes private property without compensation to landowners.

Rhode Island’s shoreline access debate has gone on for decades, and the origins of shoreline access go back even further, Teixeira de Sousa says –specifically to a concept known as the public trust doctrine, which predates the Rhode Island Constitution.

Since the 1800s, the concept –which requires federal and state governments to preserve public access to certain natural resources – has been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as law in every state. But the Ocean State has a particularly deep tie to this doctrine, Teixeira de Sousa says.

“Rhode Island is in a unique position because it’s one of only a handful of states that actually has this public trust doctrine enshrined in its constitution,” she said. “Basically, what that means is the state holds the shore in trust for the people of Rhode Island, and this access to the shore.”

Over the years, the state’s Supreme Court and constitution have gener-

ally adapted to strengthen shoreline access, Teixeira de Sousa says.

Advocates for access often highlight a specific portion of the Rhode Island Constitution that states, “The people shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all the rights of fishery, and the privileges of the shore …. including but not limited to fishing from the shore, the gathering of seaweed, leaving the shore to swim in the sea and passage along the shore.”

The Rhode Island Association of Coastal Taxpayers did not respond to a request for comment when contacted. But the Pacific Legal Foundation, a Sacramento-based nonprofit providing pro bono representation to RIACT, argues that federal constitutional law overrides the public trust doctrine and Rhode Island’s state constitution.

“The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says very broadly that you can’t take private property for public use unless you pay just compensation,” said Jeremy Talcott, an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, which often represents property owners nationwide and is known for its advocacy for libertarian and conservative causes.

Talcott also disagrees with the idea that the recent legislation clarifies existing law, and says he doesn’t believe Rhode Island’s codification of the public trust doctrine stands as a significant obstacle to overturning the law.

“Here we have property that’s been private traditionally, where delineation between public and private [land] has been the mean high-water line, and the state has … intentionally decided to change it by moving it substantially more landward,” he said.

Prior to the passage of the shoreline access legislation in June, members of the public were typically allowed access to the Rhode Island waterfront, up to the mean high tide line. But this measurement is impossible to visually determine and frequently underwater, according to Rhode Island Sea Grant, a group

CONTINUES ON PAGE 19

Six months after the legalization of recreational cannabis in Rhode Island, the Cannabis Commission has been appointed.

PBN’s 2023 Business of Cannabis Summit will feature a panel discussion with various industry experts, business executives, educators and community leaders to discuss the key obstacles the industry is facing and whether the potential revenue impact to the state, local businesses and economy will ever be realized.

‘I expect it will be important to see what the court does here.’

MONICA TEIXEIRA DE SOUSA, Roger Williams University School of Law professor

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CLOSER LOOK

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FOOTNOTE

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

based at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography that advocates for responsible use of coastal and marine resources.

Under the current legislation, the public can access the shore up to 10 feet landward of the high tide line, as delineated by seaweed or other ocean debris.

Private property owners have some protection in the sense that the law only allows for lateral access, Texeira de Sousa says, meaning that members of the public can’t cross private property to access the public shoreline.

Texeira de Sousa believes there’s a strong probability the U.S. District Court will uphold the new shoreline access law. And in late July, R.I. Attorney General Peter F. Neronha – one of the defendants in the lawsuit, which also named Coastal Resources Management Council Executive Director Jeffrey Willis, R.I. Department of Environmental Management Director Terrence Gray – filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit entirely, which could potentially end the legal challenge where it stands.

The Pacific Legal Foundation is still awaiting an additional briefing on that motion, Talcott says, but has already amended its complaint. A hearing for that motion will be held on Sept. 6.

Given the commonality of legal challenges in shoreline access cases, Teixeira de Sousa says, it’s possible other lawsuits could arise against the law. But if the case does proceed before the federal court, a decision against RIACT could have a ripple effect on the state’s shoreline access opponents.

“I expect it will be important to see what the court does here, depending on how soon a message is sent that the courts aren’t going to entertain these cases,” she said. “That may have a chilling effect on the willingness of other property owners to bring these challenges.” n

LINE IN THE SAND: Monica Teixeira de Sousa, a professor at the Roger Williams University School of Law, says the lawsuit against Rhode Island’s new shoreline access law has the potential to create a precedent that will either inspire similar challenges or have a chilling effect on other coastal property owners.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

FOCUS | TECHNOLOGY

should fund these types of programs and move away from subsidies that siphon money to private corporations.

The stakes are high. R.I. Commerce Corp. is in the planning stages of how to spend over $100 million from the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program.

“There is a lot the government can do to bring efficiency and economies of scale,” Bell said. “But it is critical that we make sure those funds go into the hands of people in the communities.”

Free networks similar to Olneyville’s are in the works elsewhere. The Newport Housing Authority installed free broadband Wi-Fi for the 110-unit Donovan Manor in 2021 and is working to add the service to another 600 units across the authority’s properties.

Brian Thorn, director of broadband strategy for R.I. Commerce, says there will be a “multifaceted” approach to connect the unconnected.

There are 2,800 Rhode Island households lacking access to high-speed broadband, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

“The [digital divides] are in places that you may not expect,” Thorn said.

Olneyville’s free internet narrows digital divide

BY CHRISTOPHER ALLEN | Allen@PBN.com

DURING

a pandemic Zoom meeting from home, Jennifer Hawkins had a revelation.

The CEO and president of the nonprofit ONE Neighborhood Builders felt guilty for the ease with which her family was able to make the digital transition necessitated by school closures and remote work. They had resources out of reach for the people the organization seeks to serve.

“I saw that I had this incredible privilege,” she said. “They didn’t have the same luxury.”

Hawkins was already hearing stories of parents driving to fast-food parking lots and shopping plazas so their children could access schoolwork. She began exploring ways to bring free Wi-Fi service to the Olneyville section of Providence, where One Neighborhood is headquartered.

While not a techie herself, she was versed in the disparities that made Olneyville an outlier even within Providence, a city lagging behind the rest of Rhode Island in terms of average household income and resources.

At the time in 2020, only 66% of Olneyville households had internet access, compared with the citywide rate of 78%. The median income was $46,250 and over one-third of its chil-

dren live in poverty, more than twice the statewide average. A quarter of the population is under 18 years old.

After consulting with modern networking experts, including the nonprofit OSHEAN Inc., the partners settled on a so-called “mesh network,” using a group of devices acting as a unified Wi-Fi network with multiple points of connectivity.

They embarked on a fundraising campaign to raise more than $260,000 and developed a heat map to determine optimal locations for access points to cover the greatest number of people with the fewest devices. The network was launched in October 2020.

Today, ONE/NB CONNECTS and its 12 access points and 24 transmitters provide high-speed access to more than two-thirds of Olneyville households, covering 7 million square feet of the neighborhood. There are currently 2,500 unique IP addresses –a numeric designation that identifies its location on the internet – using the service.

There is a growing movement to treat internet service as a basic utility such as electricity or running water.

Sen. Samuel W. Bell, D-Providence, whose district included Olneyville before redistricting, says the state

CONNECTORS:

Jennifer Hawkins, left, CEO and president of the nonprofit ONE Neighborhood Builders, and David Marble, CEO and president of OSHEAN Inc., check new network antennae on the roof of ONE Neighborhood Builders’ Providence headquarters. The antennae are helping to provide free Wi-Fi to residents in the Olneyville neighborhood.

The agency is now conducting statewide mapping and surveying, part of its preparation for a five-year plan being submitted to the federal government in October.

While completely cost-free programs such as the one in Olneyville are “rather unique,” Thorn said, thousands of Rhode Islanders are eligible for programs that would make internet service effectively free, including the federal broadband benefit funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that provides eligible households with a $30 monthly discount and up to $75 for households on qualifying Tribal lands.

But of the 173,369 Rhode Island households eligible, only 35% have enrolled.

“Raising awareness of the program is a major issue,” Thorn said.

That is no surprise to David Marble, OSHEAN’s CEO and president, who says the future rests on a hybrid model between fiber optic, Wi-Fi and cellular

And Marble expects internet providers to continue to fight for their place in a market that provides them with between 40% and 50% gross profit margins, despite a history of leaving large swaths of the state without reliable service.

“I don’t begrudge them. They are in business to make money. They’ll continue to say, ‘We’ve got this covered,’ but that’s not true if you are on the third floor of a tenement building and that building doesn’t have wiring to get it there,” Marble said.

Hawkins says ONE Neighborhood Builders continues to foot the approximately $165,000 annual bill to maintain its network. She says the purpose was to provide a “proof of concept” but hopes that municipalities and state officials eventually take the reins.

“We don’t want to be internet service providers for the rest of our lives,” she said. n

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

‘I saw that I had this incredible privilege.’

JENNIFER HAWKINS, ONE Neighborhood Builders CEO and president

In R.I., deep-tech firms struggle to find support

BY JACQUELYN VOGHEL | Voghel@PBN.com

ATOMICS INC., a startup founded at Brown University, chases an ambitious concept: molecular-level data storage that’s small and durable enough to revolutionize the market.

Co-founded by a small team of doctoral researchers and professors, AtomICs has already won plenty of local recognition: in just one year, the startup took top honors in Cox Business’ 2022 Get Started R.I. competition, placed as a finalist in the 2022 Rhode Island Business Competition, earned a spot in the MassChallenge U.S. early-stage cohort that same year and won the Brown University Venture Prize.

But achieving this early success has been an uphill battle, said Dana Biechele-Speziale, who co-founded the company alongside fellow doctoral student Selahaddin Gumus and professors Brenda Rubenstein and Jacob Rosenstein.

“Unfortunately, the infrastructure [to support the technology] isn’t currently here in Rhode Island, compared to other places nationally,” Biechele-Speziale said. And now, at the end of her doctoral program at Brown University, she says the startup isn’t long for the Ocean State.

“We wish we could stay in Rhode Island, but unfortunately, without lab space, we just can’t,” she said. Instead, Biechele-Speziale has her eye on locations with more support for “deep tech,” the relatively young sector AtomICs occupies.

It’s a type of technology that can overlap with better-known areas such as software and biotech. But deep-tech innovation, sometimes known as hard tech, stands out for its heavy emphasis on scientific and engineering research and development. Deep-tech efforts also require longer development times that require immense investments but have the potential to bring in soaring profits if successful.

The term “deep tech” itself doesn’t come up often in Christian Cowan’s work as executive director of 401 Tech Bridge and the University of Rhode Island Research Foundation

But it’s a type of technology that seems like it could have a place in Rhode Island, Cowan says, particularly with the state’s emphasis on clean energy and biotech, which can fit well into deep-tech innovation.

Stephen Eaves, CEO of the East Greenwich-based deep-tech company VoltServer Inc., also says that Rhode Island doesn’t have a robust sphere for this technology focus, with limited widespread awareness and a lack of in-state funding – an issue in Rhode Island facing entrepreneurs across innovation sectors, but even more glaringly in deep tech.

VoltServer has innovated an electrical energy distribution system, and Eaves has managed to find the funding and resources needed to keep the company in Rhode Island, where it continues to increase its footprint and staffing. But it’s not a

location that would naturally appeal to most in the sector, he says.

“I’m a native Rhode Islander, so I love the state,” Eaves said. But “if I was looking for money, it wouldn’t be in Rhode Island for deep tech.”

The Ocean State “has a bit of a brand for biotech,” he said. “They worked on that, and with Brown being involved, that’s a strong driver. But other tech spaces are more difficult.”

VoltServer was able to secure essential funding from local angel investors and the Providencebased Slater Technology Fund, a nonprofit seed-stage investor. But the company also had to look out of state for its funding, which Eaves says could easily be double what’s needed for a software company.

“I think there’s an appetite for it in the financial community,” Eaves said, especially with recent attention on clean-energy startups. “There is a fair amount of funding out there from the private equity and venture capital side, but it’s mostly distributed more into California, New York, Massachusetts than it is in Rhode Island.”

Deep tech also requires a very specific type of investor, Eaves says, in part due to its longer development time because companies are working on the

frontiers of knowledge and technology.

At VoltServer, “we’ve been at it for about 10 years,” he said, “and in deep tech, that’s not very long at all.

“In another tech play … you can be spinning up pretty well in a couple years,” Eaves said. “But deep tech is very long. You need very patient investors that understand the deep-tech environment because you’re changing fundamental infrastructure.”

And while Rhode Island undoubtedly loses some of its talent to Boston and Cambridge, Mass., which are both known for robust deep-tech environments, Eaves says he’s had success in attracting employees to VoltServer, in part by touting the local quality of life.

Biechele-Speziale also says that Rhode Island has its strengths in the technology sector, such as a strong network of general startup services and a lower cost of living than in larger cities.

Rhode Island’s much smaller deep-tech profile also provides opportunities for innovators to make a name for themselves in a newer sphere, she says.

“That’s where Rhode Island can really stand out and help founders who are coming out of universities like Brown,” Biechele-Speziale said. But at the moment, she added, “everyone in deep tech and biotech right now is coming out of the university then immediately going to Cambridge, for the most part.”

And while deep tech has funding opportunities and support at a broader level, Biechele-Speziale also noted, “it needs to start trickling down to states like Rhode Island, which have a lot to offer and are close to talent hubs.”

“I think there can be great success for Rhode Island in deep tech, so I hope it becomes more of a part of the conversation,” she said. n

‘You need very patient investors that understand the deep-tech environment.’

STEPHEN EAVES, VoltServer Inc. CEO

ON THE EDGE: Selahaddin Gumus, left, and Dana Biechele-Speziale are co-founders of deep-tech startup AtomICs Inc., which is developing molecular-level data storage that allows more information to be stored in a smaller amount of space, more sustainably and for longer periods of time. Biechele-Speziale is holding an aluminum plate that inserts into and is read by the mass spectrometer behind them.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

FOCUS | RHODE ISLAND CIOS (ranked by number of local IT staff)

FOCUS | RHODE ISLAND CIOS (ranked by number of local IT staff)

CLOSER LOOK

Ranked by total local employees:

1

Lifespan Corp.

No. of local employees: 17,331

2 CVS Health Corp. No. of local employees: 8,600

3 Fidelity Investments Inc. No. of local employees: 3,200

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette

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To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists for more information.

UPCOMING LISTS

Sept. 1: Employee Benefit Administrators, Property & Casualty Insurers; Sept. 15: Private Secondary Schools, Rhode Island-based Banks.

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FOOTNOTE

j IT workers are those persons engaged primarily in the conception, design, development, adaptation, implementation, deployment, training, support, documentation and management of information technology systems, components or applications.

 Lifespan Corp. includes Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Newport Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Coastal Medical Inc. and The Miriam Hospital.

 Also known as Computer Associates.

(ranked by number of local employees)

(ranked by number of local employees)

IT’S PERSONAL

Girl Scouts award Armstrong

NANCY ARMSTRONG, a North Kingstown resident and longtime supporter of the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, recently received the inaugural Hall of Fame award from the organization. The award was created to recognize a lifetime of commitment to the southeastern New England region. Armstrong has supported GSSNE in a variety of ways, including volunteering at programmatic and governance levels.

What does receiving the first Hall of Fame award from the Girl Scouts mean to you?

Three Girl Scout volunteers were awarded their 65-years-of-service pins, one of which was me. When the announcement was made that a new, special Hall of Fame award for GSSNE was being awarded to one of the 65-years-of-service awardees, I listened and was heartened by the fact that these too were my interests. It wasn’t until my name was announced that I realized this rare and special award was for me. It was a feeling of incredulousness that I received such an award.

What originally made you want to get involved with the Girl Scouts?

I attended Port Dickinson Public School in New York from kindergarten through ninth grade. The girl’s gym teacher and the Girl Scout leader was Mrs. Orr. Most girls joined Girl Scouts at that time. I continued in Girl Scouts well into high school, where I was the patrol leader and we had access to camping at Amahami. Much later in my life, I found out that my mother and father were Girl and Boy Scout leaders in 1921 in East Aurora, N.Y.

In what ways have you helped local scouts within the community?

I continued my Girl Scout experience in 1969 when I

joined Girl Scouts of Rhode Island, where I served as vice president of the board and as finance chair. I served as volunteer cookie chair for 20 years, getting acquainted with the troops, emphasizing the skills being learned while selling cookies, having sold cookies myself as a younger Girl Scout. I also assisted troop leaders in North Kingstown helping the girls with badge work. When the United Way restructured, eliminating the donation that made up one-third of our budget, the finance committee, which I chaired; the treasurer, Russ Silva; and our CEO, Jan Feyler, realized and initiated an investment program, which is still fully functional today.

W hat was the one thing you enjoyed the most in working closely with the Girl Scouts?

Working with other dedicated volunteers to support the dedicated staff as we reach out to communities to provide the Girl Scout experience. Mentoring some girls as they worked toward their Gold Award was always a joy. Our work together resulted in the pure joy of listening to the Gold Award Girl Scouts present their projects. One recipient, Megan Scarborough, wrote and published a book for her project: “The Color Blue,” which is about a young elephant’s journey as it handled grief, emphasizing the lack of emotional support available for children. I’ll never forget Megan walking to the podium, shoulders back and head held high. n

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

LAW

Adler Pollock & Sheehan welcomes James Bass. James is a member of the firm’s litigation group where he represents clients in both state and federal Courts in matters involving general liability, product liability and construction litigation in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Additionally, he has extensive experience representing medical and other professionals in all aspects of litigation. James received his J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law and his B.S. in Sociology from the University of Rhode Island.

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The FEATURED listing includes all Standard listing elements, in a larger format, with company logo and 100 additional words of text (sample at left).

LAW

Adler Pollock & Sheehan welcomes Sasha Meyer. Sasha is a member of the firm’s Business & Corporate Law Group. His practice focuses on assisting clients in various business, corporate, and real estate matters. Prior to joining the firm, Sasha served in the United States Marine Corps as an Artillery Officer, holding various billets including Forward Observer in Afghanistan and Platoon Commander in California. After transitioning from the Marine Corps, he worked as a Project Manager for Eversource Energy, supporting electric utility operations in Eastern Massachusetts. Sasha received his J.D. from Suffolk University School of Law and his B.A. from Wheaton College.

For a Featured listing, contact your account manager or Advertising@PBN.com 401.680.4800

FAMED SCOUT: Nancy Armstrong, center, is presented with the inaugural Hall of Fame award from the Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England. Pictured with Armstrong are Girl Scouts CEO Dana Borrelli-Murray, left, and Girl Scouts Director of Properties and Facilities William Webster.

COURTESY GIRL SCOUTS OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND

AN IRISH MISSIONARY once described how character is formed:

“Consider the walnut: If you compare a walnut with some of the beautiful and exciting things that grow on our planet, it does not seem to be a marvelous creation. It is common, rough, not particularly attractive and certainly not valuable in any monetary sense. Besides, it is small. Its growth is limited by the hard shell that surrounds it. The shell from which it never escapes during its lifetime.

“Of course, that’s the wrong way to judge a walnut. Break one open and look inside. See how the walnut has grown to fill every nook and cranny available to it? It had no say in the size or shape of that shell but given those limitations, it achieved its full potential of growth.”

How lucky we will be if, like the walnut, we find ways to blossom and bloom in every crevice of the life that is given us.

Character is not an inheritance; each person must build it on their own. Character is comprised of many positive traits, as well as moral principles such as caring, cooperation, diligence, fairness, honesty, loyalty, patience, positivity, responsibility,

Keys to good character

reliability and unselfishness.

Character lies in how you conduct yourself as a person and demonstrate empathy and compassion. You must also be accountable, give credit where it is due, forgive others, apologize when you are wrong and always strive to be helpful.

Let’s look at just a few other hallmarks of good character: Dependability – You are there to support others and keep your promises. People can trust you to listen attentively and make rational decisions, while taking responsibility for your actions.

Kindness – Kind words and kind actions start with kind thoughts. In a hyper-competitive world, we might be tempted to take a dramatically different approach. But that tactic doesn’t produce any winners. Funny thing about kindness: The more it’s used, the more you have of it.

Respectfulness – I learned long ago to be respectful or be regretful.

There are four very important words in life: love, honesty, truth and respect. Without these in your life, you have nothing.

Courage – It’s easy to be ordinary. Courage is what sets you apart from the crowd. Courage is one of the major human virtues. Courage is bravery, valor, standing up to danger, guts and nerve all rolled into one. I’m not a soldier, a policeman, a doctor or a relief worker. I’m a businessman. So, what does courage have to do with running a business? Plenty. I admit that most folks’ daily lives are not filled with such dramatic challenges. We all face situations that require us to reach deep down within ourselves to do what is right and brave and occasionally difficult. Courage can involve making decisions that are unpopular, time-consuming or even expensive.

Integrity – Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing to do. We have an epidemic of blaming others for mistakes, or worse, attempting a cover-

up, rather than taking responsibility and swallowing a few bitter pills. We need to teach kids that their actions have consequences, and then apply those consequences. And we need to be prepared to forgive those who are truly sorry for their behavior, and not just because they got caught.

As I have said so many times before: If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.

Legendary college basketball coach John Wooden said: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

I like to say that reputation is precious, but character is priceless. Reputation is for time; character is for eternity.

Mackay’s Moral: Good character is like good soup – it is usually homemade. n

Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com.

SENDING A CHILD off to college comes with its fair share of concerns. One worry that’s been added to the list for parents is health care emergencies involving students who are at a distant school.

Picture this situation: Your child is away at college and gets into a car accident, ending up in the hospital, unconscious. That bad situation could get even worse. We had a client last year who could not find out which hospital their child had been transported to during a medical emergency or they couldn’t get updates on their child’s condition.

With today’s adherence to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – otherwise known as HIPAA – if a student who is 18 years of age or older faces an emergency at college, the parents might not know. Basically, when a person turns 18, the parents lose access to their medical care, even if the child is still on a parent’s health insurance plan.

It’s comforting to know that your child’s college probably has a plan for emergencies, and you would like to think the college will notify you, but if a serious accident occurs off college grounds, it might be impossible to put all those pieces together.

A new college concern

There are three simple yet critical legal documents that we recommend and, as a mother of one college graduate and one current college student, I have implemented them for my daughters.

HIPAA release. With this document, you’ll have access to crucial medical information, to be informed and supportive in case of an accident. Your college-age students can navigate some patient privacy provisions. For instance, keeping mental and sexual health from being shared while still allowing you to have essential insights into their well-being. Without the HIPAA authorization, parents have no legal right to obtain medical information about a child over 18.

Health care power of attorney. No one wants to think about the need to designate a trusted individual to make important medical decisions for your child if they’re unable to com-

WOMEN IN LAW

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PUBLISH DATE: October 13, 2023

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Profile your firm’s female rising stars and veteran attorneys, in this feature: Positioned within the pages of PBN’s Law-focused editorial on October 13

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municate their wishes. It’s daunting and a bit overwhelming. But we have seen many cases where a young, healthy child has needed that kind of decision-making, and these decisions are generally best handled by the parents who know the child’s medical history.

General durable power of attorney. A durable power of attorney ensures that you can handle financial and other matters on behalf of your child when they’re unable to do so. While we don’t normally think of our college students as financially selfsufficient, there are often financial and practical matters that require attention when a child faces unexpected challenges. This document offers a vital safety net in such situations.

While college is certainly a major concern at this time of year as we look to secure both a child’s future and a parent’s peace of mind, we know that

children living away, not necessarily at college, might also benefit from implementing these legal documents.

In fact, we recently learned of a Rhode Island client whose healthy and athletic 20-something daughter experienced a life-threatening blood clot in her lung while living in the Midwest. She fainted outside her apartment, was found by a stranger and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Luckily, she regained consciousness long enough to give her doctors the go-ahead to consult with her parents via phone. It’s important to note that, legally, some doctors and hospitals might not be comfortable with mere verbal permission.

Implementing these three legal documents may cause some apprehension during the process and decisionmaking but, in the long run, they take worries off the table and allow the focus of the child’s college journey to remain on growth and exploration. n

Kristen Prull Moonan is a partner at the Providence law firm Moonan | Stratton, focusing on trusts, estates and elder law. She also works with businesses on transactional, real estate and other legal matters for businesses and individuals.

RESEARCH STUDY

August 2023 www.nenpa.com/screener

Newspaper Readers Needed!

about which qualities separate good newspapers from great ones.

If selected, you’ll receive $100 for sharing your time and opinions in a 3-hour study.

When a person turns 18, the parents lose access

(Editor’s note: This is the 13th installment of a monthly column on the growing number of cyberthreats facing businesses of all sizes and what they can do about it. A version of this column was first published on PBN.com on Aug. 16.)

FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, one of the most diverse gatherings of cybersecurity professionals, hackers, researchers and experts from across the globe has been taking place in August. These people train, engage in discussions, share experiences and brainstorm innovative security solutions. The event is called Black Hat, and it isn’t just a conference. It’s a catalyst for pushing the boundaries of what is possible in cybersecurity.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the key takeaways from Black Hat USA 2023:

The central theme this year revolved around artificial intelligence. In her keynote address, Maria Markstedter, the founder of Azeria Labs, dove into the impact of generative AI on cybersecurity. As AI revolutionizes industries, businesses must navigate the unknowns of its potential while keeping control over their data.

Markstedter highlighted the im-

Findings from Black Hat

portance of internal AI training and protecting against the risk of external influence that could compromise a business’s information. As AI agents gain access and authorization to more business data, protecting it from external manipulation becomes vital. For business leaders, this means a laser focus on evaluating the current state and implementing robust data protection strategies for guarding information from being corrupted by threat actors, insider threats and unintended human error.

Cybersecurity experts also highlighted that we as business leaders must move beyond the hype around AI and focus on practical applications. Manuel Acosta from research and consulting firm Gartner Inc. stressed that fully understanding AI’s capabilities and limitations is necessary. Business leaders should ask themselves how they intend to use AI, how they will secure data and how they will enable their users to use AI securely within the organization’s

2023

We are now accepting applications to our Manufacturing Awards Program.

We are looking for innovative and dedicated organizations and leaders who are committed to delivering high quality products and making manufacturing in the state of Rhode Island stronger.

Now entering its 10th year, the PBN Manufacturing Awards recognizes manufacturers in multiple award categories including Lean Manufacturing, Exporting, Workforce Development, Product Innovation & Design and Supply Chain Management.

policies.

Black Hat founder Jeff Moss and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced the “AI Cyber Challenge.” This two-year competition asks software developers, cybersecurity professionals, AI experts and computer scientists to design innovative AI-powered cybersecurity tools. With awards in the millions of dollars, the challenge emphasizes the magnitude of AI in safeguarding the digital realm. The arrival of AI-powered defenses is a call to action for businesses to explore advanced tools that can help predict and counter threats.

At Black Hat 2023, clear trends appeared that demand attention from business leaders. Steve Winterfeld of Akamai Technologies Inc. highlighted the increasing threat posed by unknown vulnerabilities and the need for better supply chain security. The trends increase the importance for businesses to adopt core security practices, such as periodic security

testing, to stay ahead of attack techniques and improve the visibility of risks.

Cloud security also stayed at the forefront of discussions. Businesses must adapt to ensure fast detection and response to threats. With the reliance on applications, organizations are challenged with getting control over risks. Application and cloud security convergence is critical for assessing security risks accurately.

Black Hat is where many cybersecurity trends make their way to the world, from AI’s influence to supply chain security, the evolving role of security executives, and the convergence of communication and automation. As we navigate the sophisticated state of cybersecurity challenges and opportunities, one thing is sure: the journey toward a more secure digital landscape demands the active involvement of business leaders, cybersecurity professionals and innovators alike. n

Jason Albuquerque is the chief operating officer of Pawtucket-based Envision Technology Advisors LLC. You can reach him at www. envisionsuccess.net.

theme this year revolved around artificial intelligence.

EDITORIALS

Amid budget shortfall, only new riders can save RIPTA Trade mission boost for R.I. businesses

RIDERS

NEEDED:

An estimated 3% of Rhode Island residents use the state’s public bus system. Pictured is the Charlesgate stop on North Main Street in Providence, southbound on the R-line.

One month into Peter Alviti’s tenure as board chairman of the R.I. Public Transit Authority, it is clear that change is coming.

Whether he’s right that a big part of its budget woes is tied to a lack of accountability and direction remains to be seen. It’s likely the agency bears some responsibility for allowing itself to fall into a projected $40 million shortfall for next fiscal year.

But the multiyear pandemic’s effects on dwindling ridership should not be glossed over either.

The question now, however, is not who is to blame but what must be done.

And Mr. Alviti, the director of the R.I. Department of Transportation, is right to point the transit authority to the people it serves to earn back their support.

No amount of additional government funding will get the agency on track toward self-sustainability without significantly growing ridership, which now stands at a paltry 3% of state residents.

That means making reliable bus service a viable option in more communities for workers and other paying customers who would welcome cheap, daily transportation they can count on.

The agency, of course, is working on that, having just received $13.5 million in federal grants to expand service and its fleet of electric vehicles.

But Mr. Alviti has put RIPTA on notice that the effort needs to be agencywide – including being responsive to complaints from riders – before it looks for more government financial support. n

Gov. Daniel J. McKee and R.I. Commerce Secretary Elizabeth M. Tanner are leaving the Ocean State to lead what hopefully will be their first of many economic trade missions.

The Aug. 21-23 trip to the Dominican Republic is supported by the John H. Chafee Center for International Business at Bryant University and the state office of the U.S. Small Business Administration. And importantly, it includes representatives of several Rhode Island-based businesses.

The governor’s office touts the trip’s potential to boost local tourism thanks to direct flights between Rhode Island and Santo Domingo, the island nation’s capital.

It also might surprise many Rhode Islanders that the Dominican Republic last year was the state’s third-largest export partner.

Such trips by themselves don’t move the needle much for the statewide economy. But they should help position R.I. Commerce Corp. to aggressively boost global business opportunities for local companies while staying connected to the needs of Main Street businesses. n

POLL CENTRAL Love ‘Slack’?

EXECUTIVE POLL

In addition to email, does your company utilize Slack or other digital messaging systems with employees?

Yes: 67%

No: 33%

Has digital communication at your company increased since the COVID-19 pandemic?

Yes: 83%

No: 17%

Does digital communication make it easier to connect with employees?

Yes, it makes it easier to send a quick note: 50%

Our company doesn’t utilize digital messaging with employees, except for email: 33%

Yes, but would still prefer in-person communication: 17%

No: 0%

Do you frequently check digital messages when not in the office?

Yes: 83%

No: 17%

PBN.COM POLL

Does Rhode Island need a recognizable marketing tagline or slogan to help boost statewide tourism? AUG. 4-10

Yes, if it wants to compete with other destinations 73%

No, that money would be better spent by local communities selling themselves 24%

I’m not sure 3%

THIS WEEK’S POLL: Would you consider taking a bus to work if its availability fit your schedule and location?

• Yes, at least several days each week

• Yes, it would be a financial lifesaver

• No, RIPTA has a poor record of reliability

• No, I’ll only use my own vehicle

• I’m not sure

To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

OPINION

R.I.’s driving force: Our small businesses

Our small businesses play a crucial role in fostering innovation, job creation and community identity here in the Ocean State. Rhode Island’s small businesses have shown resilience and adaptability over the last three years, helping to serve as the driving force behind our state’s economic growth. When small businesses thrive, so do local communities.

GOV. DANIEL J. M c KEE

That’s why Rhode Island’s small-business owners were among our highest priorities as we worked with the General Assembly to craft the fiscal 2024 “RI Ready” state budget.

ELIZABETH M. TANNER GUEST COLUMN

To ensure an environment conducive to small-business growth, it is imperative for us to make it easier to do business and provide accessible financial assistance and mentoring programs. The General Assembly recognized that and as a result, the FY24 budget includes more than $13 million in funding opportunities for our small businesses through the Executive Office of Commerce and R.I. Commerce Corp. That total doesn’t include tax relief by exempting the first $50,000 of tangible personal property for businesses – a policy that will effectively eliminate the tax for 75% of Rhode Island businesses and save municipalities time from having to process paperwork that typically results in little revenue. Likewise, it doesn’t include the elimination of the litter permit fee, which is a big win for more than 1,000 food establishments. We are refocusing our efforts on a litter-free Rhode Island and are asking all small businesses to take the pledge at www. litterfree.ri.gov.

The new budget provides $5 million

for “Gateway to Government,” creating a one-stop shop for businesses to register –eliminating the need for business owners to visit multiple websites and locations. From businesses affected by the pandemic, we heard of the need to expand eligibility to R.I. Commerce’s programs so that more could take advantage of the assistance they provide. Now, businesses with less than $2 million in revenue can take advantage of the Rhode Island Rebounds, Technical Assistance, and Take It Outside programs at a higher amount. These programs have proven incredibly successful and have helped hundreds of local businesses rebound from the pandemic, grow and thrive.

The importance of innovation when it comes to building a sustainable, diverse economy cannot be overstated. That’s why we included $2 million in funding for R.I. Commerce-led innovation incentives such as Innovation Vouchers, which help small businesses access research so they can innovate and scale in a rapidly changing marketplace, and Innovation Networking Matching Grants, which allow companies, institutions, nonprofits and startups to innovate and expand on things ranging from energy efficiency to designing new medical devices. That’s in addition to the $45 million to grow our life sciences economy with the development of wet-lab incubator spaces and establishing a quasi-public agency to coordinate life sciences investments.

We’re also providing an additional $1 million to fund our main streets through the Main Street RI Streetscape Improvement

When small businesses thrive, so do local communities.

Program, which – among many other major projects – has helped fund the renovation of the historic United Theatre in downtown Westerly and provided upgrades to Conimicut Village in Warwick. We’ve also allocated $1 million to continue to expand the SupplyRI program, which connects small businesses with large suppliers to help them grow and expand their businesses, and a further $2 million in funding to the Small Business Assistance Program, which helps Rhode Island’s small businesses access capital.

Legislation also plays a pivotal role in our strategy to help small businesses. This year, we revised the arduous process for renewing a secondhand dealer’s license. The removal of the annual public hearing has eased the way for thrift, antique and consignment shops to operate without unnecessary bureaucratic hoops to jump through. This helps our communities foster a richer, more varied retail ecosystem.

Collaboration goes a long way, and we applaud House Speaker [K. Joseph] Shekarchi, Senate President [Dominick J.] Ruggerio, the General Assembly and our community groups and leaders for continuing to work hard with one goal in mind: to make our economy stronger and Rhode Island a better place to do business.

We thank our small businesses for their hard work, dedication, sacrifices and determination to succeed. Our communities are pools bursting with diverse talent waiting for us to tap into them. Creating an economy rooted in inclusivity and equity and ensuring everyone has a level playing field to innovate and excel helps lay a strong foundation for long-term success and prosperity for generations to come. n

Daniel J. McKee is the governor of Rhode Island. Elizabeth M. Tanner is Rhode Island’s secretary of commerce.

LETTERS With clean car standards, R.I. driving toward greener future

To the Editor:

Revving into a greener future, Rhode Island is set to join over a dozen states in embracing the electrifying potential of zero-emission vehicles. In May, Gov. Daniel J. McKee announced plans for the R.I. Department of Environmental Management to adopt Advanced Clean Cars II and Advanced Clean Trucks standards, which will help protect Rhode Islanders from the health and climate harms of tailpipe pollution and expand the electric -ehiclenmarket. This is just one of many steps needed toward a cleaner and more sustainable transportation system.

I leased my first electric vehicle in 2014 and never looked back. Besides providing smooth acceleration and a quiet ride, EVs offer drivers long-term savings on fuel expenses and lower maintenance costs due to their simplified design and fewer moving parts.

Recent advancements in EV technology have been remarkable – with increased battery capacity, allowing for longer trips without the “range anxiety” of running out of energy with no access to a charging station. Over the past decade, I have witnessed a significant increase in the number of charging stations across the state and region.

Thanks to automaker commitments, federal charging infrastructure investments, EV buying incentives from legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and consumer demand, the availability of EV models continues to grow, providing options that suit the needs and preferences of different individuals, families and businesses. These improvements, coupled with incentives and rebates offered by state and federal governments, have made transitioning to EVs more accessible, affordable and appealing than ever before.

As the EV market grows, it stimulates demand for manufacturing, charging infrastructure development and associated technologies, creating employment opportunities in battery production, electric-vehicle manufacturing, and charging station installation and maintenance. This growth presents an opportunity for the Ocean State to foster innovation, attract investment and position itself as a leader in the EV revolution.

Currently, the transportation sector is the leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Rhode Island, accounting for 39.7% of total emissions in 2019, according to the DEM.

By transitioning to EVs, we can significantly reduce pollution to meet our climate goals and drastically improve air quality for communities. While it is true that the production of electric vehicles has some environmental impacts, they are significantly safer and cleaner than their gas-powered counterparts and do not emit harmful pollutants such as smog-forming nitrogen oxide pollution and diesel soot pollution, which can cause respiratory problems and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Low-income and communities of color are disproportionately shouldering the burden from polluting vehicles because highways, transportation corridors and polluting fossil fuel infrastructure are more often located near these communities.

As the wheels of progress turn, Rhode Island must accelerate the adoption of cleaner vehicle standards to make EVs more affordable and available. The public health, climate and economic benefits of EVs make them a critical part of a greener economy. It is crucial for policymakers, automakers, businesses, and communities to work together to drive us toward a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable future for all.

Joel Gates, Gloucester

Balance avoids burnout

Revive Therapeutic Services co-founder

Providence-based Revive Therapeutic Services was founded by sisters Akos and Abby Antwi in 2021. It also has an office in Somerville, Mass.

REVIVE

has been on a mission to tackle the mental health crisis that continues to plague our communities.

As business and community leaders, we all have a role to play in supporting our employees’ mental health and well-being, especially in light of the pandemic and its impact on mental health. Workplace burnout is a significant concern, and it’s time for leaders to take action. Burnout leads to disengagement, decreased productivity and ultimately loss of revenue.

So, what can we do to combat burnout and support mental health in the workplace?

Here are a few key lessons and strategies that we’ve learned:

n Encourage work-life balance: Encouraging employees to take time off and unplug from work is essential for preventing burnout.

n Provide mental health resources: Offering mental health resources such as therapy or employee assistance programs can help employees deal with stress and improve their mental wellbeing.

n Lead by example: Leaders who prioritize selfcare and promote a healthy work-life balance set the tone for their team to do the same.

n Foster a supportive culture: Creating a supportive workplace culture where employees feel comfortable sharing their mental health challenges can help reduce the stigma around mental health. n

Akos Antwi

5,000+ EMPLOYEES CVS Health Corp.

500-1,499 EMPLOYEES Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc.

1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES AAA Northeast

100-499 EMPLOYEES Children’s Friend & Service

2-99 EMPLOYEES Groov-Pin Corp.

It’s strictly a matter of pride. At Hilb, there isn’t a challenge we haven’t seen or a problem we haven’t solved. So naturally, when we expanded throughout New England, we recruited only the best agencies in insurance, benefits, retirement and HR. Their unwavering commitment to professionalism, excellence and performance validates our decision and ensures your satisfaction. Call it the Hilb Way – and never settle for anything less.

Staying connected through virtual care

PAY AND TIME OFF STILL speak the loudest to many employees, but to stay competitive, top companies are becoming increasingly creative with health-related benefits. That includes virtual care tailored to diverse workforces.

“It’s not one size fits all,” said Carmilla Tan, CVS Health Corp.’s head of benefits. That includes a host of virtual offerings, including primary care services and even a new mobile exercise app. The latter features a simulated jungle experience that allows participants to walk and run while exploring.

No wonder CVS is a repeat winner this year in the 5,000-plus employee category.

AAA Northeast, again first this year among companies with between 1,500 and 4,999 employees, takes great pride in its annual virtual health fair. The not-for-profit developed a platform to allow employees to learn about a host of health and financial topics suited to their personal needs, as well as easily schedule wellness appointments.

Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc.’s employee assistance program app includes activities for meditation and mindfulness exercises that family members can also use. RIMI came in first this year among companies with 500-1,499 workers.

Children’s Friend & Service’s virtual offerings include around-the-clock Doctor on Demand care, virtual therapy and a service that offers second opinions from medical specialists.

The nonprofit, this year’s winner among companies with 100-499 employees, works with vulnerable children and families and has long prioritized mental health care for its workers. That includes free virtual behavioral health visits and other counseling services. The growing emphasis on virtual care as a supplement to long-standing, in-person benefits is helping these employers stay connected to employees’ varied needs when they are home and in the workplace.

We thank Healthiest Employers for again surveying and judging this year’s competition.

Michael Mello Editor

Taking a virtual trip toward feeling better

BY SACHA SLOAN | Contributing Writer

A FEW YEARS AGO, Melissa Richardson would have never imagined herself traversing a jungle with 12 of her co-workers.

In this case, the tropical forest adventure is a handheld simulation in a mobile exercise app, one of many virtual wellness services offered by CVS Health Corp.’s new employee benefits package. While Richardson and her colleagues make their way through an artificial intelligence-generated jungle in the digital realm, they’re walking or running for many miles in the real world.

Apps such as this one have been invaluable for Richardson, a retail trainer for CVS. Two years ago, after gaining “a significant amount of weight that was negatively affecting my life. I realized I had gotten off my path,” Richardson said. She decided to make a change.

Richardson’s parents both struggle with health issues, so doctors urged her to take action sooner rather than later. Initially, she was hesitant.

“When we’re young, we don’t believe everything we’re told,” she said. But eventually, “I just took it upon myself and said, ‘I can do this,’ ” she said. “I decided, ‘I’m going to buckle down, so I can be here for my parents – and myself.’ ”

With the help of CVS-provided wellness apps such as Newtopia and Attain, Richardson began eating differently, exercising more and prioritizing her health. She now attributes her success to not just CVS’ employee benefits but also to her caring community of co-workers.

Richardson couldn’t stop smiling as she described the “jungle walk” exercise app. In the beginning, “my team really encouraged me,” Richardson said. Before long, “I was pretty impressed with myself that I could walk the 3 miles.”

The team has grown from six to 12, she said. Especially in those early days, their support meant everything to Richardson. “Every day I received a morning message saying, ‘You can do it,’ ” she said.

Richardson’s story isn’t unique, according to CVS Head of Benefits Carmilla Tan. The Woonsocket-based pharmacy and health services conglomerate is striving to make its workplace the healthiest it can be, from offering free counseling and holding virtual exercise sessions to offering speedy primary care appointments.

“CVS Health is top of the stack,” Tan said, “and we bring the same focus to our teammates as we do our customers.”

This broad spectrum of personalized benefits is meant to address CVS’ “diverse population” of employees, Tan said, adding, “It’s not one size fits all.”

Fellow employees at CVS are also loving it. The company touts improved health outcomes for more than 7,000 employees in 2022, with sizable reductions in absenteeism, likely surgeries, and anxiety and depression.

Tan emphasized the community focus of CVS’ approach. During the “Stamp Out Stigma” campaign, the company showcased mental health success stories from employees with the goal of making their peers aware of available benefits, as well as showing them they aren’t alone.

Easy access to a primary care provider has also been a boon for employees. In the thick of the pandemic, “many were unable to get preventative screenings done,” Tan said. Getting physicals and screenings back to pre-COVID19-pandemic levels remains a key goal for the company.

Having a primary care physician and actually seeing them are two different things, she explained. “Some people can get into their primary care physician very quickly. For others, it takes months to get in,” Tan said. With virtual primary care options, CVS makes sure its employees fall into the former camp.

“The best strategy,” Tan said, “is to have a primary care relationship.”

For Richardson, CVS’ holistic approach couldn’t have been better.

“Whenever I see someone who hasn’t seen me in a long time, they say, ‘You’re no longer your old you, you’re a better you,’ ” she said. “It’s affected how comfortable I am engaging with people.” n

FEELING FIT: CVS Health Corp. employee Angelique Mendez utilizes an aerobics machine at the company’s on-site fitness facility. COURTESY CVS HEALTH CORP.

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Karen S. Lynch, CEO and president NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 313,000

‘CVS Health is top of the stack, and we bring the same focus to our teammates as we do our customers.’

CARMILLA TAN, head of benefits

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

Moving wellness in good directions

BY ISABELLA DELEO | Contributing Writer

WHEN PEOPLE THINK of U-Haul International Inc., cross-country road trips or journeys packing off to college might come to mind. But customers might not know that the self-trucking company also makes a point of helping employees prioritize their physical and mental health through a strong benefits program.

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Edward J. “Joe” Shoen Chairman and CEO

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 17,170

The benefits program is top of mind for Becca Gibson, the wellness program manager at U-Haul, which has multiple locations in Rhode Island.

“Every day, I get stopped in the office, receive an email or call from a team member telling me how a program has helped them with their depression, their Type 2 diabetes, or aided in their fitness journey,” Gibson said. “It is truly rewarding to see the positive outcomes and being able to help our team become the healthiest versions of themselves.”

Some of U-Haul’s employee benefits include Virta programs for Type 2 diabetes reversal, prediabetes reversal and weight management, and the employee mental health program You Matter. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

Caring for others, and themselves

BY SACHA SLOAN | Contributing Writer

WALK INTO A LIFESPAN CORP. FACILITY, and you’ll see nurses in scrubs, patients in wheelchairs and perhaps a wailing baby or two.

But you may also see the Providence-based health system’s newly installed lactation pods: egg-shaped booths where employees can conveniently and privately pump breast milk.

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

John Fernandez CEO and president

11,781

The lactation pods, opened in February, are just one element of Lifespan’s updated benefits package, which also includes free breast pumps, lactation consultations and more. There’s even a “Lactation Champion Award” for employees who go “above and beyond” in promoting the practice.

“We’re doing what we can to have a family-friendly atmosphere,” said Greg Salgueiro, Lifespan’s director of well-being.

Salgueiro also highlighted the company’s May “I CARE for Me” campaign, during which more than 50 employees shared their methods of self-care with peers. “You really can’t separate the physical, mental and emotional pieces,” he said.

Salgueiro has more plans for the future, but he says employees are already expressing their gratitude. n

‘A successful wellness program isn’t possible if you don’t have leadership support.’

BECCA GIBSON, wellness program manager

‘Our employees spend a lot of time caring for patients, but we want to ask: Are you caring for yourself ?’

GREG SALGUEIRO, director of well-being

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

BY ISABELLA DELEO | Contributing Writer

IT MAKES SENSE that a company that strives to improve health care would in turn offer an array of health care benefits for employees. According to Denise Bachman, senior human resources benefit analyst at Prime Therapeutics LLC –a pharmacy benefits solutions organization with a Warwick location, “Everyone that works here wants to do a great job, learn and excel. We all want to make health care better.”

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Ken Paulus CEO

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 6,486

To help bolster employees’ health, Prime offers a robust employee benefits plan that supports employees’ physical and mental health. These include annual wellness screenings that examine 18 panel results.

Depending on the results of those screenings, where more than half of the company – 56% – participated, employees can reduce their annual medical premiums by up to $1,600. Additionally, Prime’s “be well” programs can support employees’ mental health. One aspect of this program is the company’s employee assistance program, which includes free counseling sessions, among other benefits. n

BY MELANIE KALMAR | Contributing Writer

CBIZ & MAYER HOFFMAN MCCANN PC, an accounting, tax and advisory services firm, works diligently to keep employees happy and healthy. The firm allows staff to buy CBIZ stock at a 15% discount on the current day’s trading price.

A. Wragg Senior managing director

Vesting in one year from the purchase of the stock provides employees ways to obtain equity in the company. Additionally, the CBIZ Wellness Program gives employees the opportunity to choose activities that are meaningful to them such as participating in an employee resource group.

“Our employee assistance program is available to all employees and their immediate family members at no cost to them,” said Joanna Davis, CBIZ’s senior generalist. The EAP includes direct counseling, virtual group therapy, text therapy and online cognitive behavioral tools. Should an emergency occur at work, Davis says on-site counseling is available.

Also, the CBIZ medical plan covers inpatient and outpatient mental health care and prescription drugs. n

‘ Wellness is a journey and something that needs to be worked on daily.’

DENISE BACHMAN, senior human resources benefit analyst

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

‘Proactively working to emphasize well-being and healthier lifestyles has had a positive impact.’

JOANNA DAVIS, senior generalist

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AAA prioritizes safety first throughout its organization

BY JENNA PELLETIER | Contributing Writer

BEST KNOWN FOR ITS ROADSIDE assistance services, AAA Northeast puts safety first – for members, as well as employees. For the Providence-based auto services not-for-profit, this means providing staff with access to tools and services that support physical, mental, emotional and financial health.

“We’re an organization that provides security and peace of mind to our members, so employees deserve benefits that give them and their families that same reassurance,” said Kristen Botelho Pires, the organization’s vice president of total rewards systems and employee health and safety. “Many of our benefits are embedded in our culture.”

Botelho Pires and Chief Human Resources Officer Ron Arigo are directly responsible for benefits and programs, but all leaders and executives support and uphold these goals, according to AAA Northeast benefit specialist Gina San Giovanni.

One especially popular program is the organization’s wellness rebates. Employees can take advantage of stackable reimbursements for a variety of services, including $125 toward weight management products, fitness, tobacco cessation, mental health and prescription sunglasses. An additional $250 is available for new parents or grandparents to spend on a car seat.

Employees often “light up with excitement” describing how they put their rebates to good use, said AAA Northeast benefit specialist Rosie Guindon.

Also popular among AAA Northeast employees is a program that allows them to be paid to volunteer in the community for 40 hours per year. This benefit “ensures employees have time to invest in their communities

in a meaningful way,” according to the organization. Additionally, AAA Northeast organizes group volunteer opportunities at local shelters, food banks and other charitable organizations.

“Volunteering reduces stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings,” said Karen Diehl, AAA Northeast’s senior employee experience specialist. “By spending time in service to others, employees feel a sense of meaning and appreciation, both given and received.”

AAA Northeast employees also regularly support the American Heart Association by participating over several years in the Southern New England Heart Walk. Diehl says multiple employees at the events share their personal stories of triumph and loss related to many heart-related conditions.

Supporting employees’ physical health is also a main priority, and about 70% of those who are eligible are on the AAA Northeastoffered health care plan. The not-for-profit also offers its workers access to the diabetes management program Livongo.

“We work closely with our benefit vendors to understand what benefits or programs we should offer, expand, or enhance to further support employees based on market offerings and utilization data,” AAA Northeast Benefits and Human Resources Operations Manager Chelsie McMann said.

For emotional and mental health support, employees can log in for free to myStrength

by Teledoc Health. The online-based program provides education, tools and coaching on a range of topics, including mindfulness, relaxation, sleep and stress.

“The importance of mental health and well-being is top of mind throughout the club,” Guindon said. “The programs offered help create an environment where people can openly discuss their mental health concerns and treatment.”

AAA Northeast’s HR leadership is also proud of its annual virtual health fair. The benefits team worked with colleagues in the company’s Learning & Development department to create a platform, accessible via a QR code or web link, for employees to learn about health topics in an engaging way. The most recent fair was themed “Passport to Health” and featured information on physical, mental and financial well-being, as well as environmental, social and governance investing.

Through the virtual fair, participants accessed materials such as coverage charts to help make informed enrollment decisions; links to schedule appointments with wellness program vendors; a schedule of live events; and pre-recorded sessions on topics, including yoga, Medicare and healthy cooking. The fair even included a “reflection corner” that featured relaxing treats, including puppy and kitty cams, coloring activities and relaxing nature videos. n

‘Volunteering reduces stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings.’

KAREN DIEHL, senior employee experience specialist A HEALTHY THOUGHT

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): John Galvin, CEO and president NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 3,097

FULL OF HEART:

Multiple AAA Northeast employees participate in a recent Southern New England Heart Walk in support of the American Heart Association.

COURTESY AAA NORTHEAST

Employees rewarded for staying healthy

BY MELANIE KALMAR | Contributing Writer

BEING PROACTIVE on employee health and well-being is a key component of Gilbane Inc.’s culture.

The Providence-based construction company rewards employees with substantial discounts on health insurance for attending an annual wellness visit. Establishing a relationship with a primary care provider is part of Gilbane’s voluntary wellness program.

A new blood test that saves lives

BY JAIME LOWE | Contributing Writer

POINT32HEALTH CO. offers a holistic, inclusive and innovative approach to wellness, including testing for deadly diseases.

CEO

Thomas F. Gilbane Jr. Chairman and

CEO

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 3,005

Other aspects of the program involve taking a written health assessment that reveals areas for improvement and participating in challenges such as tracking steps to earn prizes.

“This proactive approach has made a difference,” said Thien Nguyen, Gilbane’s benefits specialist. “We had 70% participation in our Gilbane Wellbeing Program last year.”

The company offers counseling through its insurance carrier and employee assistance program, coaching via WebMD Health and flexible schedules. Gilbane’s internal Lifesavers Group trains managers to recognize signs of mental health issues and support employees who are struggling. n

Proud

The organization, which merged Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care into a single entity, recently partnered with Grail to pilot a screening test to detect cancer at its earliest stages. This includes a newly approved blood test, which can screen for up to 50 different types of cancer through a blood sample.

Cain A. Hayes CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 4,414

With its hybrid environment, they have adjusted their approach to both on-site and virtual programs with features that include a fitness center, classes, primary care physician visits and wellness coaching. Summer well-being hours and programs, with early release on Fridays to encourage a healthy work-life balance, are also offered.

“We aim to create an innovative and inclusive workplace culture that prioritizes the holistic well-being of our colleagues, recognizing them as our most valuable asset,” said Jennifer Mangiaratti, the company’s director of benefits. n

create an innovative

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

inclusive

culture that prioritizes the holistic well-being of our colleagues.’

JENNIFER MANGIARATTI, director of benefits

Well-Being and Being Well

Well-Being and Being Well

At Greenwood, we know that our customers’ financial well-being starts with our employees being well. We couldn’t be prouder and more thankful for our amazing employees, and we’re honored you have voted us one of the healthiest places to work in Rhode Island!

At Greenwood, we know that our customers’ financial well-being starts with our employees being well. We couldn’t be prouder and more thankful for our amazing employees, and we’re honored you have voted us one of the healthiest places to work in Rhode Island!

‘If we can do these things as a community and support each other, we will be successful.’

THIEN NGUYEN, benefits specialist

(OR EQUIVALENT):

‘We aim to

and

workplace

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

to be a 2023 Healthiest Employer

We are committed to supporting our employees – mentally, physically, and emotionally – as they deliver high-quality care for our patients every day.

A one-stop shop for well-being

BY JENNA PELLETIER | Contributing Writer

OCEAN STATE JOB LOT

provides its associates working in its North Kingstown corporate office, distribution center and retail stores throughout the Northeast with a thoughtful array of programs to support physical, mental, emotional and financial health.

Highlights include no-cost virtual visits with primary care physicians and mental health clinicians through a partnership with Accolade Care, free vacation stays in New Hampshire and other destinations, and a dedicated day off each year to use for personal wellness.

Springing toward a better mentality

BY JAIME LOWE | Contributing Writer

FM GLOBAL’S MULTIFACETED APPROACH toward well-being involves improving employees’ mental health.

#5

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 1,668

Additionally, Job Lot well-being adviser Beth Mainville prioritizes promoting health through creative communications, including employee surveys, newsletters and monthly seminars on health-related topics, such as ways to safely lift. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

The Johnston-based mutual insurance company recently launched an emotional well-being and mental health initiative through Spring Health. This benefit provides employees and their dependents globally with therapy or coaching appointments within two days, a vast improvement from typical wait times for mental health care. Additionally, the program features on-site health providers at the corporate office for convenient care.

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Thomas Lawson Chairman Malcolm Roberts CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 3,903

“With this platform we have been able to support our employees and their families’ mental health and have heard many inspiring success stories from employees who have utilized the service,” FM Global benefits consultant Jennifer Kelley said.

The company’s program involves two companywide wellbeing days off for employees, providing them time to recharge and unplug. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

Making mental health a priority

BY SACHA SLOAN | Contributing Writer

DAY IN AND DAY OUT, Marcum LLP employees ensure the health of their clients’ finances. But the nationwide accounting firm with a Providence office is just as adamant about the health of its associates.

The firm is most proud of its fertility benefits, which Chief Human Resources Officer Molly Crane said are “unmatched by our peers.”

#6

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 3,503

“We have no cycle or lifetime maximums, no waiting period, and do not require an infertility diagnosis to cover the benefits,” Crane said.

Mental health, in particular, took on a new importance for the firm as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the U.S. in 2020. Marcum Wellness expanded its number of covered counseling sessions, handed out subscriptions to a meditation app, and began offering mental health and sleep webinars.

“More and more people across the country were seeking mental health resources, and we responded,” Crane said. “Marcum’s emphasis on wellness allows me to make it a priority.” n

‘We continue to evolve our partnerships to include a “whole-person approach.” ’

BETH MAINVILLE, well-being adviser

‘We aspire to … listen to our workforce and what well-being needs our employees have.’

JENNIFER KELLEY, benefits consultant

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Thomas Lisi and Michael Tikoian Managing partners

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Marc Perlman, Principal owner and CEO; Alan Perlman and Steve Aronow, Principal owners

‘More and more people across the country were seeking mental health resources, and we responded.’ MOLLY CRANE, chief human resources officer

w

AAA Northeast congratulates all Providence Business Heathiest Employer Award winners.

Healthier, together.

This recognition underscores our continuous effort to support our employees through a dedication to their health and wellness journeys.

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND - 1,500-4,999 EMPLOYEES

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND

(based on companies wth 1,500-4,999 employees)

2 Gilbane Inc. | gilbaneco.com Thomas F. Gilbane Jr., chairman and CEO, Gilbane Inc.; chairman, Gilbane Building Co.; Thomas Laird Jr., CEO and president, Gilbane Building Co.

Jackson Walkway Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 456-5800

3

Co. 1 | point32health.org

4

A. Hayes

State Job Lot | oceanstatejoblot.com Marc Perlman, principal owner and CEO; Alan Perlman and Steve Aronow, principal owners

Commerce Park Road North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 295-2672

Retail 1,668

Fewer workweek hours for employees, Accolade Care health visit program

5 FM Global | fmglobal.com

Thomas Lawson, chairman; Malcolm Roberts, CEO and president

6 Marcum LLP | marcumllp.com

Michael Tikoian, managing partner

270 Central Ave. Johnston, R.I. 02919 (401) 275-3000

100 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 600-4600

Commercial property insurer of multinational organizations

3,903

Two well-being days off each year for employees, yoga sessions, healthy picnics and walking sessions

Accounting firm

3,503

1 Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care combined into a single entity and the parent company became known as Point32Health Co.

Partners with Exubrancy to offer virtual yoga and meditation classes, offers 10-12 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents

(based on companies with 1,500-4,999 employees)

Office comfort includes working out, 4-legged friends

BY REBECCA KEISTER | Contributing Writer

MAMMOGRAPHER AND X-RAY

TECHNICIAN Hannah Williams has a very distinct idea of a fun Sunday morning.

That’s the day she and a co-worker head to Orangetheory Fitness for a workout. Williams recently won a oneyear membership sponsored by Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc., her employer, as part of the company’s employee wellness program.

“It’s really helped me, mentally and physically,” Williams said, adding that she’s seen the program grow immensely in the six years she’s been employed with the Warwick-based diagnostic imaging organization.

Sponsored Orangetheory memberships is just one standout benefit offered to employees last year. RIMI also worked with the fitness studio franchise to host classes.

Sarah Beaulieu, RIMI’s human resources manager, says the wellness program is extremely important to the company’s leadership and board of directors.

Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2023, RIMI employed 584 total staff and 224 medical professionals in 2022, ranking second in employment amongst similar businesses in the state at the time. Imaging services include preventative and diagnostic screenings for breast and lung cancer. Interventional services, such as dialysis access and vertebroplasty, which treats spinal compression fractures, are provided at affiliated hospitals.

There are 16 imaging sites, including four diagnostic breast imaging centers, and 11 hospital partnerships working to provide patients with “world-class care.”

Beaulieu has been with the company for three years. In her role, she’s been deeply involved in helping to grow RIMI’s employee wellness program over the last few years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Within the last year, RIMI hasn’t had an increase in a “chronic condition” category in its health insurance claims. Program initiatives address all aspects of health.

As part of its push to help employees’ mental health, the company partners with local police departments and agencies to bring comfort dogs to visit employees across RIMI. Accompanied by their handlers, the comfort dogs visit employees at RIMI sites and are trained to recognize people who may be dealing with stress brought on by a work situation.

“They put a smile on everyone’s face,” Beaulieu said. “We definitely get positive feedback that the employees love when the dogs come to visit.”

RIMI’s wellness committee, which includes

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

C-suite team members, meets regularly to talk about potential wellness programs. Employee feedback is deeply considered in programmatic decisions.

This process also fosters team member participation.

Last year, RIMI produced a healthy recipes cookbook comprised exclusively of employee submissions. Cook-offs followed the cookbook’s release.

Other team-building wellness programs have included quarterly challenges, including bingo. RIMI also offers an employee assistance program app that employees, including Tara Grant, an electronic medical records coordinator in RIMI’s information technology department, have used for activities such as meditation and mindfulness exercises.

Grant wrote in this year’s RIMI Healthiest Employers program application that she used the app with her middle-school-aged daughter to help work on stress management. Grant also wrote that last year’s walking challenge was immensely helpful to her personal health.

“[It] jump-started me into walking at least

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Dr. John Pezzullo, President

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 500

10,000 steps daily,” she said. “And through our insurance, I have been able to use nutrition counseling to lose [more than] 50 pounds.”

Grant also enjoys how her hybrid work schedule has helped foster her and her family’s health and well-being.

“Our hybrid schedule has allowed me to participate in more activities with my family,” Grant wrote. “I am also able to work out and eat healthier at home, as well as have time to meal prep for my days in the office.”

Beaulieu said there’s still more to come for employee wellness this year. The committee, she said, has some ideas up its sleeves for fall programming. “We try to leave it as a surprise for employees. We definitely have some fun and exciting things coming up this year,” Beaulieu said. n

‘I look forward to my Sunday mornings. We talk about [our workout] and other co-workers want to engage, too.’

HANNAH WILLIAMS, mammographer and X-ray technician

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TRAINING DAY: Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. employees, from left, Alla Kapustin, Carlene Hervieux, Lisa Handy and Sara Anne Poirier, recently participated in an eight-week personal training program at the company’s on-site fitness center.

COURTESY RHODE ISLAND MEDICAL IMAGING INC.

Thinking outside the box improves lives

BY REBECCA KEISTER | Contributing Writer

INNOVATION AND ENGAGEMENT are what keep driving health and wellness programming at Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island

Going digital with wellness

BY MEREDITH WILSHIRE | Contributing Writer

BLUE CROSS & BLUE

SHIELD of Rhode Island ensures that its employees focus on their mental health just as much as their physical health.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 631

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve really tried to revamp our wellness program and the results show that employees are engaged,” said Nicole Voller, the Smithfield-based health insurer’s manager of total rewards. “They look to Neighborhood as an organization to help guide them in living a healthy lifestyle and it shows that what we are doing is impactful.”

Voller pointed to initiatives such as a serenity room, building a walking path and continuing webinars and app-based programs that spurred an overall increase in participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, the company will host an online wellness fair for the first time.

“We’re always trying to do new and different things. Our wellness program can also be used for spouses and domestic partners, dependents. To see that trickle down means the most.” n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

Enhancing conditions collaboratively

BY MEREDITH WILSHIRE | Contributing Writer

SOUTH COUNTY HEALTH

knows that wellness can’t be tackled alone, and the people who care for others need to be taken care of.

How? By creating a system of connectivity and sharing. The Providence-based health insurer gave its employees an all-associated Well-Being Day in March, allowing them time to disconnect from work and share their experiences on social media.

Martha L. Wofford CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 850

The company’s long-standing Rhodes to Well-being program, according to Kelsey Owen, Blue Cross’ senior benefits and well-being analyst, is a “holistic approach” to health and well-being designed to address employees’ physical, emotional, financial and social well-being.

Part of the employee experience at Blue Cross is being engaged through the community via Virgin Pulse, which provides daily support for well-being activities, from mindfulness to movement to nutrition. Using the Virgin Pulse app, associates engage in “healthy habits” challenges ranging from steps taken to acts of kindness demonstrated to rethinking stereotypes. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 906

The South Kingstown-based health organization is stressing a better experience around understanding and managing chronic conditions through implementing the wellness program Livongo. Executives have pledged $125,000 to Livongo, a chronic condition management program for staff with diabetes, pre-diabetes or hypertension. The program provides participants free connected devices, digital scales, blood pressure meters and glucose monitors, and access to health coaches.

South County Health has also made strides to continuously focus on staff having a healthy work-life balance. It offers health care providers a regularly scheduled time to openly discuss the social and emotional issues they face in caring for patients.

“Our focus on improving employee resilience and emotional well-being is what makes our program unique,” said Drew Murphy, South County Health’s manager of benefits and systems. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

‘We’ve really tried to revamp our wellness program and the results show that employees are engaged.’

NICOLE VOLLER, manager of total rewards

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Peter Marino CEO and president

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Aaron Robinson CEO and president

‘It’s critical to help caregivers take the time to recharge their own batteries.’

KELSEY OWEN, senior benefits and well-being analyst

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

‘ We have made great strides to increase our program offerings to improve the health and wellness of our staff.’

DREW MURPHY, manager of benefits and systems

Physical, financial well-being join as one

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

THE 654 EMPLOYEES at The Washington Trust Co. regularly receive an abundance of health support from the Westerly-based financial institution.

Dianne Morrone, Washington Trust’s assistant vice president of corporate training, says the bank each month offers employees options to participate in a health challenge and attend a health-focused activity or program in person or online. Additionally, employees may access yoga classes, stretching classes to prevent injuries and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island-sponsored quarterly webinars.

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Edward O. Handy III Chairman and CEO

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 654

Creating camaraderie among employees

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

AN ON-SITE GYMNASIUM with Nautilus equipment, free weights and a full-size, regulation basketball court that’s currently free to all employees and retirees is just one of Toray Plastics (America) Inc.’s wellness offerings.

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Plus, Washington Trust creates fact sheets on various health-related topics, such as heart disease or seasonal affective disorder, Marrone said. “Mental health problems used to be stigmatized; we’re doing awareness and education on the issue,” she said.

With four wellness program options, the bank “goes above and beyond” in helping employees maintain good health, she said. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 695

“A core group of people from different departments play basketball or volleyball at lunch,” said Lisa Ahart, the North Kingstown manufacturer’s vice president of U.S. corporate human resources. “They get exercise and … building that camaraderie is important for us.”

By encouraging competition among employees, the Virgin Pulse Wellness app builds participation and motivation, Ahart says. Some incentives include an annual $500 cashback maximum per employee.

Employees and their families have lifetime access to the company’s employee assistance program. Ahart says the EAP assists with mental health, child care and elder care issues. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

Happy staffers leads to happy patients

BY MELANIE KALMAR | Contributing Writer

THE MEDICAL TEAM and administrative staff at University Orthopedics Inc. come face to face with patients receiving treatment for orthopedic-related injuries daily. Understanding that employee morale directly impacts patient morale, the East Providence-based health group hosts events and provides benefits year-round to inspire the team, and a 100% company-paid employee assistance program.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 644

“If our employees are happy, they’ll do a good job for our patients,” said Kimberly Mittelsteadt, University Orthopedics’ human resources director.

Dedicated to promoting mental health and reducing stigma, University Orthopedics offers counseling through its employee assistance program and recently held suicide awareness training. Depending on the month, employees may enjoy complimentary food trucks, Jeopardy Night, a painting or yoga class, spirit week activities, or ice cream. Seasonally, the company hosts a December bus trip to New York City and a holiday party. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

‘When employees are mentally and physically healthy, they are happier, motivated, creative, and more productive within the organization.’

KIMBERLY MITTELSTEADT, human resources director

‘The wellness program makes me think about trying to eat better, walk a little more, and make sure I get enough sleep each night.’

LINA GHARIOS, operations associate

‘We’ve offered [employee assistance program] services to families of deceased employees for support and guidance.’

LISA AHART, vice president of U.S. corporate human resources

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Dr. Edward Akelman President

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Ken Kurokawa Chairman and CEO

HEALTHIEST EMPLOYERS OF RHODE ISLAND - 500-1,499 EMPLOYEES

(based on companies with 500-1,499 employees)

Having strong employees crucial to serve those in need

BY HUGH MINOR | Contributing Writer

EVERY DAY, employees at Children’s Friend & Service address difficult situations while delivering services to the community. It’s not an easy scenario given that the Providence-based nonprofit supports the area’s most vulnerable children and families.

But the leadership at Children’s Friend understands the importance of maintaining a healthy workforce, which now numbers 384, so that the staff can properly offer those services to residents in serious need. Children’s Friend wants to ensure that each staff member can thrive by offering everything from a robust benefits plan to employee assistance programs.

Health insurance is available to all fulland part-time employees and is subsidized by Children’s Friend. The employee contribution to these plans has not increased in 17 years, yet benefits have been added based on the needs identified through plan usage.

Some examples of recently added resources include 24/7 Doctor On Demand online care, as well as Talkspace virtual therapy and even 2nd.MD, which provides a second opinion from top specialists.

“We have incredible, free wellness benefits added to the plan based on where we see employee needs through our claims data,” said Julie Colangeli, the nonprofit’s manager of benefits and employee experience.

Given the nature of their work providing support to vulnerable children and families, employees’ mental health is always a top concern. Children’s Friend’s health insurance includes free virtual behavioral health visits along with other counseling services.

Whether an employee is facing an issue in the workplace or at home, the employee assistance program is there to help. There’s even the Calm mindfulness app available for staff members and five of their dependents. Should

an employee need time out of work, Children’s Friend’s leave policy is more extensive than what is allowed under the federal Family and Medical Leave and Paid Family and Medical Leave acts.

“We know that mental health can be affected by so many areas in life, including work. We are touching upon all of these areas as we address mental health within our agency,” Colangeli said.

Katy Killilea, a Head Start nurse at Children’s Friend, said she feels happy to work for the nonprofit “knowing that my workplace leadership prioritizes self-care.”

The Head Start program promotes school readiness in low-income preschool children. Staff members encounter families who experience everything from homelessness to physical and mental disabilities. That’s why a robust health care package that focuses on making wellness a priority is so critical in this particular environment.

“By promoting comprehensive benefits and well-being programs, Children’s Friend helps employees lead more balanced lives, and allows us to model that balance for the kids and families who share our days,” Killilea said. Killilea especially appreciated participating in the Walk This May steps challenge, which

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): David Caprio, CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 384

qualified her to pay nothing for her health insurance plan and save $1,500 in deductible expenses for the year. By joining in the challenge, she restarted some of her old healthy habits.

“I joined the challenge and realized that I could take a lot more steps each day. I remembered that I love running and the habit has lasted well beyond the duration of the incentive challenge,” Killilea said.

The organization’s benefits and wellness programs encourage employees to maintain their health, but they also lead to increased job satisfaction and retention. In citing a recent survey, Colangeli said that 87% of employees are proud to work at Children’s Friend and 78% are happy in their jobs.

The questionnaire also asked employees to recommend other programs and services they’d like to see. The results included a wide range of topics such as increasing compensation, employee recognition, leadership training and development, site beautification projects and hybrid work arrangements.

“Our employees are caregivers and are incredibly dedicated to our mission and to the healthy well-being of the children and families we serve,” Colangeli said. n

‘Children’s Friend helps employees lead more balanced lives, and allows us to model that balance for the kids and families who share our days.’

KATY KILLILEA, Head Start nurse

OUT FOR A DRIVE: Children’s Friend & Service employees take some swings on the driving range during a recent summer outing the nonprofit hosted.

COURTESY CHILDREN’S FRIEND & SERVICE

Taking steps toward better health

BY KIMBERLEY EDGAR | Contributing Writer

EMPLOYEES AT Cooley

Getting its gym back into shape

BY KIMBERLEY EDGAR | Contributing Writer

COASTAL1 CREDIT

UNION’S 20-year-old in-house gym is back in shape, helping employees boost health and wellness with $80,000 in cutting-edge fitness equipment.

CEO

(OR EQUIVALENT):

Daniel Dwight CEO and president

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES:

125

Group took 7 billion steps toward better health this spring through the company’s 13th annual walking challenge. About 125 employees – 65% –at the manufacturer’s Rhode Island, South Carolina and Ontario plants donned free activity trackers monitoring steps, sleep, calories burned, distance traveled and active minutes. About 71% of the participants each walked more than 10,000 steps a day for six weeks, earning a wellness day off.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Megan Herne, Cooley’s director of human resources.

Founded in 1926, Pawtucket-based Cooley has woven its reputation by manufacturing state-of-the art technical textiles and geomembranes. Cooley also nurtures healthier lifestyles among its employees.

Noting money is a top stressor, Cooley Cares, the manufacturer’s wellness, charity and social programming umbrella, has begun offering financial well-being programs to help employees. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT):

Brian A. Azar CEO and president

About half of the company’s workforce attended the gym’s December grand reopening at the credit union’s Pawtucket headquarters. Employees explored the expanded space, watched Matrix representatives demonstrate how their new machines work and learned from a local partner gym how to use resistance bands for 15-minute workouts during breaks.

A highlight of Coastal1’s wellness program last year, the $110,154 renovation has renewed interest in the gym, with hours accommodating employees at the 18 – soon to be 19 – branches in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

“We’ve had a lot of usage, especially with the ellipticals,” said Heather Thurber, Coastal1’s vice president of human resources. Employees also welcome cardio equipment such as treadmills, a rowing machine, free weights and weight machines. n

‘Mental health and well-being are integral to Cooley team’s ethos.’

DANIEL DWIGHT, CEO and president

‘The pathway to health is sometimes simple encouragement and teamwork.’

ANNE BERNIER, senior vice president of human resources

A well-conditioned lifestyle gets employees into a ‘Groov’

BY JOHN A. LAHTINEN | Contributing Writer

WHETHER ITS EMPLOYEES learning how to save a life or finding ways to de-stress on the job, Groov-Pin Corp. has built quite a reputation on company wellness.

As a smaller company, the Smithfield-based manufacturer works to get valuable feedback from its 90 employees and ensure team members know exactly what is offered through the company’s health and wellness programming.

Lauren Ciuba, the manufacturer’s marketing specialist, says the company believes employee health and the firm’s financial well-being do not have to be mutually exclusive. Groov-Pin, Ciuba says, approaches its employee wellness programs similar to how it looks to lean manufacturing principles on the business side.

“There are always ways to improve our offerings and a big part of that is working together and listening to our team. Changes don’t have to be monumental to make a difference,” Ciuba said. “We focus on small, consistent changes that will make an impact over time.”

This year, Groov-Pin welcomed North Providence-based Menard CPR Training to its facility, paying for any employee who wished to get certified. More than 20 team members learned lifesaving skills both individually and as a group. Additionally, the company’s Cheers for Peers program promotes community and positive mental and emotional health. Each month, employees can nominate their colleagues for a variety of honors such as “Team Player,” “Fast Learner,” “Good Listener” or “Great Mentor.”

Equally popular is Groov-Pin’s yoga program. It features indoor and outdoor classes led by Providence-based yoga instructor Jessie Dwiggins, who adapts sessions based upon what employees’ needs are, all with a focus on

allowing the team to de-stress and feel better physically.

A unique benefit Groov-Pin offers its employees is the GP-N-Motion program, part of GP Fit. This program allows employees to earn up to $95 per month to use for health care costs by completing daily, weekly and monthly wellness challenges. These challenges include topics such as hydration, mindfulness, brain health, nutrition and sleep.

“They allow participants to try new things and GP-N-Motion has exposed them to different topics to see which they might want to continue on their own,” Ciuba said. “We try to provide as much of a variety as we can so that each person can find what works best for them.”

Wellness at Groov-Pin extends beyond personal fitness. This year, the company introduced a quarterly incentive for employees who donate blood. The idea was suggested by an employee who regularly donates, with the hopes it would encourage others to give back as well. Other focuses include charity or community walks supporting causes such as lung cancer and mental health awareness.

Through surveys and other check-ins with all its employees, Groov-Pin’s wellness committee designs and creates programs that support employee health and well-being.

“Specifically, they look for ways to support employee physical, mental and financial

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NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 90

health through quarterly walking challenges, daily fitness goals and quarterly Lunch-NLearns,” said Nichole Smith, Groov-Pin’s wellness program coordinator and human resources assistant. “This company is consistently innovative and focused on growth and wellness for employees by developing new programs and adapting to employees’ needs in new and thoughtful ways.”

Smith also says Groov-Pin has been the only company she has worked for that regularly puts employees’ health at the forefront, and makes it a “consistent priority.” The ease and variety of the programs available, she says, make it effortless and enjoyable to participate.

Ciuba also says the effort the company makes is not only good for employees but for Groov-Pin as well. She said Groov-Pin notices that employees who focus on their well-being show up to work more engaged, more willing to collaborate and better equipped to problem-solve.

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

“When someone is healthy – and that includes physical, mental and social well-being – it allows that person to show up to work ‘on purpose,’ ” Ciuba said. “When someone feels good, they can be more present in their dayto-day life and that makes a huge impact at work. Healthy people tend to be more resilient and that is something we are focusing on.”

‘Healthy people tend to be more resilient, and that is something we are focusing on.’

LAUREN CIUBA, marketing specialist

CEO (OR EQUIVALENT): Scot Jones, CEO

SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH:

Employees for Groov-Pin Corp. in Smithfield gather for the 2022 National Alliance of Mental Illness Rhode Island’s NAMI Walk at Roger Williams Park in Providence.

COURTESY GROOV-PIN CORP.

Walking strong toward better health

BY HUGH

WHEN IT COMES to providing a healthy environment for employees, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island’s leadership talks the talk and walks the walk. Literally.

The Providence-based organization’s Walking Club provides staff with paid break time to take a 30-minute walk each day. Even remote workers can participate in the club on their own. There are also meditation and stress-reducing sessions offered by Coastline EAP at the nonprofit.

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“We promote a culture where we put employee well-being first, and encourage a healthy work-life balance,” Big Brothers CEO Katje Afonseca said. “We continuously encourage our staff members to care for themselves.”

Big Brothers’ work in matching young people with adult role models can be challenging. The nonprofit believes it’s important for its employees to take care of themselves to help serve the community. “We believe that a healthy and happy staff is paramount to achieving our mission,” Afonseca said. n

A HEALTHY THOUGHT

Making employees feel welcome

TAKING THAT EXTRA

STEP to actively promote and support wellness goals for the nearly 80 employees at Warwick-based Greenwood Credit Union makes the financial institution stand out.

Greenwood partners with a wellness platform, employee assistance program, retirement plan sponsor and other providers to bring the team all-around wellness. More than three-quarters of Greenwood’s employees are enrolled in company-sponsored health benefits, with 80% of those also utilizing the wellness platform.

In 2022, Greenwood added Zumba classes to its wellness programming – a big hit with the staff. The credit union’s human resources department also coordinated an all-employee benefits fair with a biometric clinic giving employees a chance to meet insurance and retirement plan vendors.

“I believe that when employees join our team, a culture of embrace is one of the things that they notice,” said Elaine Medina, assistant vice president of human resources. n

HEALTHY THOUGHT

‘We believe that a healthy and happy staff is paramount to achieving our mission.’

KATJE AFONSECA, CEO

MINOR | Contributing Writer

‘Employees ... [notice] a culture of embrace.’ ELAINE MEDINA, assistant vice president of human resources

A

JOHN A. LAHTINEN | Contributing Writer

Better health for all starts right here.

Point32Health is committed to serving our communities, and we firmly believe that the journey to better health starts within our walls. Everyone scores big when employers prioritize health in the workplace, and that’s why we proudly prioritize our employees’ well-being above all. We’re honored to be recognized as one of the Healthiest Employers of Rhode Island in 2023.