PBN Business Women Awards 2023

AWARDS

BUSINESS 2023

CAREER ACHIEVER

PAULA IACONO

Chartercare Foundation

Iacono’s relationship-building lays strong foundation to help communities

PARTNER SPONSOR MESSAGES

Relationships feed success

Amgen is proud to sponsor the Providence Business News 2023 Business Women Awards. Your talents and contributions inspire women of all ages in helping them to believe and know that each of us make a difference. We believe our differences lead to better change and stronger outcomes and you’re evidence of that!

Congratulations on your hard work, resilience, commitment and passion!

Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. is proud to be the Partner Sponsor of the Annual PBN Business Women Awards Program.

It is with great pleasure to acknowledge some of Rhode Island’s most inspiring women. Our mission is our commitment to our associates, clients, and the community. We are honored to have the privilege of being part of this event.

Congratulations to all of the 2023 Business Women Award honorees!

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to being outstanding leaders in our community.

CAREER AND SALES growth are built as much on the strength of relationships as they are on good products and services. It’s a lesson Paula Iacono and several others among this year’s award winners learned early in their careers.

Iacono, Chartercare Foundation’s executive director and this year’s Career Achiever, first learned she had a talent for relationship-building when she began volunteering for Bryant University’s alumni council. She had plans to become a journalist but instead went on to become Bryant’s alumni director.

She then moved to the health care sector, working in fundraising and donor relations for a hospital that became part of Chartercare Health Partners. Iacono eventually helped set up the foundation, which awards grants to nonprofits, and she is still building on the relationships she’s developed to ensure the money is well spent.

Relationship-building has also propelled Judith Chace, this year’s Industry Leader in professional services, to a remarkable career in real estate. The Mott & Chace

Sotheby’s International Realty co-owner and broker learned early on that personal relationships lead to repeat clients and new leads.

Pick the industry and successful leader, and their relationships have boosted their careers and their employer’s bottom line.

Before she got into banking, Yahaira “Jay” Placencia, Bank of America Corp.’s senior vice president and private client adviser, worked for a startup providing capital to minority-owned businesses. The ability of this year’s Industry Leader in financial services to connect with those clients helped her land a job in community banking. And with the help of mentors along the way, it led to her current role in wealth management.

We thank returning partner sponsors Amgen Rhode Island and Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. for their support of the 2023 Business Women Awards program.

Michael Mello Editor

COVER PHOTO BY DAVID HANSEN

Iacono’s relationship-building lays strong foundation to aid communities

BY NOEMI ARELLANO-SUMMER | Contributing Writer

WITH 40 YEARS of experience in developing community partnerships and organizations, Paula Iacono understands what needs to be done. process to try to meet some of the needs of the community.”

Iacono – executive director for the Chartercare Foundation in North Providence – originally wanted to be a journalist, she said. However, Iacono began volunteering for Bryant University’s alumni council and her career trajectory began to change. Iacono became Bryant’s alumni director, helping grow an alumni chapter network and became a mentor for the student alumni association.

“It was really happenstance,” Iacono said of her time in alumni relations. “I just was in the right place at the right time.”

By 2001, Iacono had moved to the health care field to fundraise and handle donor relations for a hospital that eventually became part of Chartercare Health Partners. During her early years there, three hospital development systems merged and Iacono became the development officer for those entities.

When those organizations were bought up by a for-profit company, Iacono helped Chartercare create its own foundation. Chartercare Foundation now awards grants for nonprofit agencies that provide health care for Rhode Islanders. Iacono’s network grew because she already had relationships with the donors and knew how to use the funds.

Due to the partnership and knowledge gained about each organization, Iacono believes the foundation is often secure enough to go forward with further funding. Chartercare Foundation board Chair Patti McGreen admires Iacono’s ability to get everything done.

“Our organization is small and she does it all,” McGreen said. “She’s calm, capable and respected.”

Iacono is self-driven and develops the thoughts and direction of the foundation, McGreen said.

It’s important to get out in the community, maintain the relationships you make and keep your ear to the ground, Iacono said.

The foundation is currently reviewing

awards for medical education scholarships, and is also focusing on needs in behavioral health, nutrition education, and senior wellness and safety, Iacono said. The foundation also has a broad scholarship program for Rhode Island students studying in the health care field.

Since the foundation launched in 2014, it has distributed more than $1 million in small grants in the Rhode Island community. Overall, the foundation focuses on small nonprofit organizations so the funds can make an impact.

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people between health care and education and volunteering, and from all walks of life, and they’ve truly enriched my life,” Iacono said. “I’ve learned something from every one of them. Amazingly, I’ve kept in touch with most of them, so I think I’m most proud of the personal relationships that have developed from this work. It’s very rewarding.” n

“I view it as a real partnership,” said Iacono of the foundation’s relationships with other agencies. “I take an interest in it. We just don’t award them the grant and then never see or talk to them again. I go out and visit the site; I meet with the people doing the programming and the services; I monitor how it’s going; if they need additional funding, we talk about that. As a result, we’ve developed relationships with a lot of these health care agencies over time that have resulted in a lot of progress.”

As executive director, Iacono handles many foundation aspects, including working with donors, fundraising, handling grant applications, site visits and awarding grants. She also handles the foundation’s accounting and website development.

“The best advice I can give anyone wanting to get into this type of work is to be flexible and be mindful of changing needs in the community,” Iacono said. “It’s great to have processes and procedures, you [must] have those. But I think the flexibility allows you to react appropriately when emerging health care needs arise, such as when COVID-19 hit. We had to shift and deviate from our normal

Paula Iacono ❖ Chartercare Foundation executive director

‘Our organization is small and she does it all.’

PATTI MCGREEN Chartercare Foundation board chairperson

CHANGE OF PACE: Paula Iacono, executive director of the Chartercare Foundation, originally wanted to be a journalist, but her career path changed when she began helping the alumni council at Bryant University.

PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

FALVEY INSURANCE GROUP

PROUDLY CONGRATULATES

AMANDA LANGLAIS, Marketing Manager

Professional Services

“Woman to Watch”

Award Winner

The insurance industry is very traditional in nature. Most companies and their employees follow directly in line with this undertone. Companies must break the mold to do something different to stand out and not blend into the background. They must invigorate energy, inject new exciting perspectives, and foster excitement where sometimes there is none. This is such an understated task, but extremely important for every company. We just happened to be lucky enough to have Amanda Langlais leading this charge for Falvey.

falveyinsurancegroup.com

She’s determined to create opportunities for everyone

BY JENNA PELLETIER | Contributing Writer

WHEN A HEADHUNTER first approached her about a position at Shawmut Design and Construction in 2015, Marianne Monte admits that she wasn’t too thrilled about the idea of working in the construction industry. environment for women and minorities, Monte led the launch of Shawmut’s Inclusion Learning and Awareness Plan. The plan was developed for employees to understand and interrupt unconscious biases.

Monte recalled the headhunter saying the Providence-based construction company is “just doing things very differently.” That headhunter was spot on, said Monte, now Shawmut’s chief people and administration officer.

“I mean progressive and construction, I would never have thought of in the same sentence. But it’s clear that both our board and our executive leadership team wants us to be different,” Monte said. “And we work hard every day at it.”

Today, Monte is excited to go to work every day at Shawmut, a $1.3 billion, employeeowned construction management firm based in Providence. She oversees strategy and processes related to human resources, marketing, legal and information technology. Some of Monte’s main focus areas are related to hiring and retaining talent.

“The importance of her leadership and mentorship cannot be emphasized enough,” Shawmut CEO Les Hiscoe said.

Monte is heavily involved in driving the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Over the last eight years, for example, she has played a lead role in helping Shawmut retain a workforce that is more than 30% female, much higher than the 10% national industry average.

Monte and Shawmut also created sponsorship relationships, which pair high-potential, underrepresented employees – including women – with executive sponsors. These relationships leverage sponsors’ experience to support sponsees’ career aspirations.

Plus, Monte is Shawmut’s first-ever chief people and administration officer. The company feels Monte’s promotion provides an encouraging sign to women at Shawmut who are pursuing executive roles at the company.

“I make a conscious effort to identify our

high-performing, high-potential talent every year,” Monte said. “So, this can be someone who is only two years out of college and we think has great potential and really performs well. [It] could be someone who has been in their career for 20-plus years and just needs a little extra focus to get him or her over the goal line to be ready for the C-suite.”

One of Monte’s favorite sayings is, “Every good mentor had a mentor.” Decades later, she is still in touch with one of her first mentors.

“She showed me how to be a strong woman in a corporate environment, but not to put a costume on,” Monte said. “At the time, I obviously knew I was a lesbian, but I wasn’t open about it. But back in the early ’90s when no one talked about it, she created a safe environment for me.”

Roughly 30 years later, Monte still thinks of that mentor as she creates policies and programs that help employees bring their full selves to work. “I’m so grateful that she let me be me,” she said. n

Shawmut Design and Construction chief people and administration officer

Monte also partnered with Hiscoe at Shawmut to develop the firm’s diversity leadership council, which is made up of 70 employees nationwide. The council drives Shawmut’s work to create a diverse, equitable workplace with a culture of belonging and inclusivity.

It’s important for women, as well as people of color, to see a pathway for themselves to grow within Shawmut, Monte says. If an employee can’t see themselves in a higher position within a company, they’re more likely to leave.

“We want to be a place where we’re all valued,” Monte said. “We do this not just because it’s the right thing to do. We do this because we know our client gets a much better product. Our business succeeds when we have diverse voices and diverse mindsets around the table.”

Monte adds that when she visits job sites, members of the community often make comments such as, “Wow, there are a lot of women here.”

In wishing to create a supportive work

‘We want to be a place where we’re all valued.’

MARIANNE MONTE

EMPHASIZING INCLUSION: Over the last eight years, Shawmut Design and Construction Chief People and Administration Officer Marianne Monte has played a lead role in helping the company retain a workforce that is more than 30% female, higher than the industry average.

PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

Shawmut Design and Construction chief people and administration officer

CREATIVE SERVICES ❖ Judith Lynn Stillman Rhode Island College artist-in-residence and professor of music INDUSTRY LEADER

RIC’s Stillman uses music to inspire, unite the community

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS INFUSE every aspect of Judith Lynn Stillman’s life. Through her artistic endeavors, Stillman – Rhode Island College’s first and only artist-in-residence and music professor since 1980 – strives to raise awareness about issues that are close to her heart. Among them are women’s rights, human rights, diversity and inclusion, genocide education, climate change, bullying and speaking truth to power.

During the global Syrian refugee crisis in 2016, Stillman felt compelled to do her small part to alleviate refugee suffering with sustenance for the soul, while acknowledging food and shelter as essential basic needs.

“Bringing a small keyboard with me to refugee camps, I played folk tunes from refugees’ homelands and sang and danced with refugees in Greece,” Stillman said.

U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline, D-R.I., said that Stillman has used her talent and her music’s beauty to “underscore some of the ugliest periods in human history.”

“She’s caused people to become much more aware of important and ugly moments in world history,” said Cicilline, the soon-to-be next leader of the Rhode Island Foundation, “but she’s also shared her incredible talents as a musician, composer, artist and filmmaker.”

Stillman, an internationally recognized pianist, composer, music director, filmmaker and artistic visionary, earned her doctoral degree in musical arts at The Juilliard School. She discovered the joys of musical performance at a very young age. Even before attending Juilliard Pre-College in elementary school, Stillman recalled that her “concert career” began in kindergarten, performing for the entire school in assemblies with “unbridled excitement.” Stillman has won 18 piano competitions and performs in distinguished venues throughout the world.

Stillman’s mentors – her parents, grandparents and musical luminaries Rudolf Serkin and Leon Fleisher – nurtured her artistic passions.

“My mentors offered me words of wisdom and musical secrets and insights that I impart to the next generation,” she said.

As Stillman continues to perform, her students trust her, she says, to provide invaluable firsthand advice. “I have deep respect for the fragile nature of trust – the bedrock of a successful student-teacher relationship,” Stillman said.

Stillman, regarding her role as RIC’s artistin-residence, says she is honored to be an artistic ambassador for the state and to use her role to enhance the community’s cultural fabric.

“I’m not sure people fully realize what a world-class, internationally acclaimed artist she is. We’re lucky she calls Rhode Island her home,” Cicilline said. “She’s one of the real treasures of our state.”

Despite an extremely busy schedule, Stillman finds time to give back. With her “nurturing gene,” she visits hospitals and nursing homes with her therapy dog Poochini – a nod to composer Puccini – and plays piano at senior centers.

“I am grateful to use my art and craft to give voice to the voiceless, to heal, to revive, to educate, to enlighten,” Stillman said. “Arts are the foundation of civilization and artists have the power to transcend, to transform and to triumph.”

Calling her “the best you could expect of a human being and an artist,” Cicilline said Stillman uses her craft and visionary talent in a way that not only shares her artistic genius, but also elevates the importance of understanding the human condition.

“She’s one of the most remarkable people I know,” Cicilline said. n

Stillman has received more than three dozen prestigious recognitions. But she is most appreciative of the Pell Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Arts she received from the Trinity Repertory Company.

“Being nominated by the miraculous Oskar Eustis [formerly of Trinity Rep] … and having been presented with it by Wynton Marsalis were extraordinary moments in my life,” said Stillman, who, with Marsalis, created a SONY duo album that made the Billboard Top Ten.

Other recognitions that Stillman holds dear are her recent first prize in the OperaVision International Competition as composer, filmmaker and pianist for the mini opera she created, and being named Honored Artist of The American Prize as both pianist and composer.

‘I am grateful to use my art and craft to give voice to the voiceless.’

JUDITH LYNN STILLMAN

Rhode Island College artist-in-residence and music professor

GOING GLOBAL: Judith Lynn Stillman, Rhode Island College’s artist-in-residence and music professor, traveled in 2016 to Greece to play music as a way to aid the Syrian refugee crisis.

PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

Ally Maloney Winzer Maloney Interiors principal

Maloney Winzer an advocate by design

BY NANCY KIRSCH | Contributing Writer

WALLPAPER ON THE CEILING. An accent pop of hot pink or orange. These are “the thrilling streaks of the unexpected,” said Ally Maloney Winzer, principal of her Newport-based Maloney Interiors design firm.

Maloney Winzer earned a degree in interior design from Wentworth Institute of Technology and a certificate in yacht design. She began her career with Ted Hood Yacht Design and subsequently founded Maloney Interiors in 2014 as a solo practitioner. Her firm provides high-end interior design and project management services for new custom homes or entirely remodeled homes.

“There’s something fun about new construction where nothing ever existed there, but I truly love renovations, with that ‘wow factor’ when you see before and after,” Maloney Winzer said.

Maloney Winzer, more importantly, helps build relationships, strengthens access to continuing education resources and professional discounts, and advocates for

the industry. She is president of the American Society of Interior Design’s New England chapter and a member of the Rhode Island Builders Association.

As the Rhode Island representative for ASID’s advocacy efforts, Maloney Winzer and others are supporting proposed legislation in the R.I. General Assembly to recognize interior design as a distinct profession.

“I like being a member of these organizations … it’s important to have true relationships with other interior designers and industry partners,” Maloney Winzer said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Maloney Winzer successfully coled efforts to quash state legislation that would have taxed interior design services. Had that bill become law, Rhode Island designers would

have been seriously disadvantaged, as neither Connecticut nor Massachusetts impose such taxes.

Maloney Winzer’s “core team” is a full-time designer, a part-time bookkeeper and part-time marketing coordinator. The firm offers internships for college students and young graduates. Her firm’s clientele is focused on homes valued at more than $1 million.

Looking to the future and eager to pursue growth and new prospects, Maloney Winzer says expanding her firm’s size would not only allow for more job openings but also enable it to undertake bigger projects. It would also extend its reach to homeowners in more regions.

“I am optimistic about the possibilities ahead,” she said. n

Judy is the founder and co-owner of Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty. Under her leadership, the company has grown to seven offices and 140 agents serving the entire state of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts in just 10 years. With a career spanning over three decades, her unmatched real estate expertise and insistence on excellence have led to her reputation as one of the premier high-end specialists in the luxury market. She is the founder of The Whinney Fund, a foundation for the care and rescue of older horses at risk, and is also a member of the Providence Foundation. She enjoys spending time in the company of her rescue dogs, Fiona and Lolita. As the visionary of the company, her greatest joy is mentoring, strategizing and sharing her experiences to help others grow their business and be the very best they can be.

Judy Chace

401.207.9166

judy.chace@mottandchace.com

PUSHING FOR CHANGE: Ally Maloney Winzer, principal of Newportbased Maloney Interiors, is currently supporting proposed legislation in the R.I. General Assembly to recognize interior design as a distinct profession.

PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

LEADER

Yahaira “Jay” Placencia

Bank of America Corp. senior vice president and private client adviser

Stepping out of her comfort zone to better serve clients

BY NOEMI ARELLANO-SUMMER | Contributing Writer

YAHAIRA “JAY” PLACENCIA, a senior vice president and private client adviser for Bank of America Corp. in Providence, said her journey to becoming a leader in the finance world wasn’t planned. She was originally studying for a medical assisting certification but was hired temporarily for a startup that provided capital for minority-owned companies.

“I loved the impact we were having in our community,” Placencia said. “I saw the challenge that many small companies had, and I just fell in love with the role I played in serving these clients.”

A few board members at startup Minority Investment Development Corp. encouraged Placencia to apply for a position with Fleet First Co. They’d noticed her work ethic, Placencia said, and after meeting with the hiring manager, she pursued a job with Fleet. Placencia was hired as a business development officer with First Fleet, which later became part of Bank of America.

“I got to work for our community bank and I helped ‘demystify’ banking for a lot of these small businesses,” Placencia said. “Since then and over the years, I’ve grown throughout the bank and I’ve always felt supported by really great mentors along the way.”

Placencia has now been with Bank of America for 22 years. Currently, she works at the company’s Private Bank, which is part of the wealth management section. She helps families and organizations with high net worth organize their finances.

numerous others who’ve had the same experience,” she said.

Placencia serves on multiple boards and is very committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Recently, she participated in the Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development for Women Employee Network’s annual symposium, which focused on resiliency and leadership.

“She is a true proponent of diversity, [equity] and inclusion … and recognized for her community involvement, and is a leader both within the firm and the community,” Paul Anghinetti, a market executive for Bank of America Private Bank in Rhode Island and southwestern Massachusetts, said in an email.

“Within Bank of America, Jay serves as a mentor and role model to others by sharing her unique perspective, broad background and encouraging others to realize their full professional potential.”

Placencia, a first-generation Dominican American who grew up in Providence with little direction in life, is proud of how far she’s come in her career. Placencia also volunteers for athletics and student life boards at her alma mater, the University of Rhode Island.

In her free time, Placencia enjoys spending time with her family, connecting with people and networking. Placencia says she is making an impact by inspiring younger generations and by demonstrating that anyone can make a difference by sharing their voice, being present and showing a solid work ethic.

“I’m here. After 22 years with this great organization, I am the highest-ranking Latina at Bank of America in Rhode Island,” she said. “I love being able to bring my personal experience and perspective to every board I sit on and at every table I’m at.” n

Placencia advised a “lift as you climb” approach to others who want to work on their leadership skills.

“The advice I would give others and continue to give to myself is understand that this thing we call work and life is a collaboration and an amalgamation of all the important people you serve along the way,” Placencia said.

Placencia also advised continuing to learn and to step outside of one’s comfort zone, as well as to remember that your only competition is yourself. She is a leader within the Hispanic Organization for Latino Achievement, including becoming its co-chair. The organization gives employees opportunities to grow their leadership skills and professional development.

Today, Placencia is the organization’s executive sponsor, which means she gives advice and support to local leadership.

“This specific employee network, my involvement with them has changed my life and career path, as well. I’ve made some lifelong friends with this chapter, and there are

‘I loved the impact we were having in our community.’

YAHAIRA “JAY” PLACENCIA Bank of America Corp. senior vice president and private client adviser

HELPING FAMILIES: Yahaira “Jay” Placencia, Bank of America Corp. senior vice president and private client adviser, currently works at the company’s Private Bank, where she helps families and organizations with high net worth organize their finances.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Manners, morals make dollars, sense

BY KIMBERLEY EDGAR | Contributing Writer

❖ Elizabeth Desautel

JPMorgan Chase & Co. vice president

WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING clients grow and manage assets of $10 million or more, one investment banker boils it down to faith.

Elizabeth Desautel doesn’t mean she leaves financial success to happenstance. She’s talking about how good manners, strong morals and contagious motivation can make more dollars and sense with multimillionaires and their portfolios.

“It goes back to how you treat people,” the Boston-based JPMorgan Chase & Co. vice president said. “Meeting them with kindness; trying to be as effective as possible, continuously learning, being surrounded by great people, being in my community and being of value in my community by volunteering and giving of myself.

“I lean on my faith,” she said.

The Narragansett native admits her younger self didn’t share that perspective when her parents enrolled her in the all-girls St. Mary Academy – Bay View in East Providence.

“I went kicking and screaming,” she said, reflecting on that period as a time that “righted my path.”

From there, Desautel earned her bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Rhode Island. She also secured credentials as a certified financial professional.

Before joining JPMorgan in 2019, Desautel had served as equity analyst and managed portfolios for a full book of clients at America’s second-largest bank and worked as senior portfolio manager for a Fortune 100 privatewealth-management company.

At JPMorgan – which has a Providence office – Desautel offers “high-touch” concierge-style banking to a select group of fewer than 50 clients: planning “across the balance sheet,” including estate and tax planning, banking and

credit, and lending and investing.

“I’m taking on the role of investor and adviser,” she said. “I’m wearing a few different hats for each and every client.”

Desautel, who completed JPMorgan’s 12-month executive leadership and mentoringprogram for vice presidents in mid-May, embraces volunteer work, her charitable focus often helping women. A past Bay View

board member, Desautel sits on its finance committee and serves on URI’s Women’s Leadership Council.

Last year, Desautel helped the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce host a Women in Business event. In March, she discussed “The Power of Partnerships: Strategy and Success” as a Bryant University Women’s Summit panelist. n

MULTITASKER: JPMorgan Chase & Co. Vice President Elizabeth Desautel helps clients by taking on the role as both an investor and adviser.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Debra Reakes

Coastal Medical Physicians director of quality

Creating a healthy environment for patients and fellow employees

BY DONNA WHITEHEAD | Contributing Writer

FOR DEBRA REAKES, the director of quality for Providence-based Coastal Medical Physicians, gaining information about patients’ needs helps provide the best medicine possible.

As director of population health management at the Lifespan Corp.-owned health entity, Reakes leads a team of 20 employees who oversee gaps in care closure. She is responsible for reviewing contracts from insurance companies, quality improvement projects, the Medicaid accountable program and working with department heads on care management. Reakes also led the work to help Coastal Medical earn National Clinical Quality Assurance accreditation.

Reakes says she has always wanted to work in health care since she was 5 years old, saying her grandmother had been a nurse. Reakes started as a pre-med major and graduated from Rhode Island College with two degrees, one in nursing and one in biology – Reakes chose nursing as her career.

Reakes was in management in the visiting nurse field when she began working on projects and policymaking. In 2012, she became an electronic health record optimization specialist for Coastal Medical. More than a decade later, Reakes is Coastal Medical’s director of quality with 36 years of nursing experience.

Reakes also advocates for her team. Over the past four years, she recognized the need to review employee compensation to address high turnover, which many health care organizations were experiencing post-pandemic. To address the issue, Reakes and the vice president of human resources worked on an in-depth market analysis of what her team was being paid and adjustments were made.

“We had trouble recruiting staff and retaining staff,” Reakes said. “I advocated that people now can get a job at McDonald’s for $19 [an hour] and I have employees getting $19. Why should they work so hard at so much more difficult work for less than they can make at McDonald’s or Target?”

That push paid off for both Reakes and Coastal Medical. She said every position on her team has been filled, a stark contrast from last

year when Reakes’ team had a 50% turnover rate.

Ryan also lauded Reakes for being a “driving advocate” for her team to ensure her staff was being paid at a rate that was competitive and representative of the work “and the value they bring to patient care.” Ryan also describes Reakes as a great mentor and “amazing leader.”

Reakes has also volunteered for the Rhode Island Free Clinic. A reiki master, Reakes participates in community events and advocates for aging community members. She is also treasurer for the American Legion Auxiliary at Post 311 in Seekonk.

Reakes says she loved being a nurse and was “actually pretty good at it.” But at that time, a nurse can impact maybe eight people a day and maybe in a week impact 40 different people, Reakes said. Now, Reakes says her current role provides her a broader reach to assist others.

“In my job, I impact quality of care for up to 120,000 patients. So, I still feel like I’m using my nursing hat making sure all those patients get the best type of care possible,” Reakes said. n

Coastal Medical Physicians director of quality

One challenge facing Coastal Medical during the COVID-19 pandemic was how to conduct behavioral health screenings, asking questions such as if individuals could afford medications or food, if they have adequate housing or if they can pay their utility bills.

“It’s really about asking people about the social barriers that impact their health,” Reakes said. “Collecting such information about patients became really important with people in lockdown, some unable to go to work or go to the store.”

Within weeks during the pandemic’s onset in the spring of 2020, Reakes supported a cross-department effort to create an electronic way to conduct the screenings using email. At a critical moment, Reakes developed an initiative to help Coastal Medical navigate the worldwide health crisis, said Kelsey Ryan, Coastal Medical’s director of population health management.

“She has had the vision and been the driving force allowing us to succeed and ensuring we are providing the highest-quality care possible to our patients,” Ryan said.

‘I still feel like I’m using my nursing hat making sure all those patients get the best type of care possible.’

DEBRA REAKES

CARE DURING COVID­19: Debra Reakes, Coastal Medical Physicians director of quality, supported a cross-department effort to create an electronic way to conduct behavioral health screenings using email during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

HEALTH CARE SERVICES ❖ Rachel Best Small Steps Therapy LLC clinical director and speech language pathologist

Speech pathology is the ‘Best’ fit for her

BY KIMBERLEY EDGAR | Contributing Writer

IT IS A CAREER Rachel Best could not have choreographed.

After an educational tour that included a dance program in Mississippi, Best, clinical director and speech language pathologist of Small Steps Therapy LLC, stumbled onto her livelihood.

“I found speech by accident,” said Best, a speech-language pathologist. “It was definitely divine intervention.”

Best, who attended a small Christian school where her mother was principal in Mendon, Mass., planned to follow her into education but was intrigued by speech therapy after helping a preschooler overcome a lisp. She considered speech therapy for a double major or minor while transferring midjunior year to Bridgewater State University but learned she’d have to choose between early education and a communications track.

Before finalizing her enrollment, Best explored her options – first, with the communications

department and then the communications disorders department. Best was told she would make a great speech therapist.

“Twenty minutes later, I dropped education and signed up for communication disorders,” she said.

Several steps since – bachelor’s and master’s degrees and two speech-language-pathology roles in hospital and academic settings – Best finds herself owner of a burgeoning business based in Providence. She pivoted to a solo private practice in May 2013, about the time Best began maternity leave with her first child.

Her practice has grown to serve waiting lists of patients needing her niche services. Since spring 2020, Best’s company has more than doubled in size, adding locations in East Greenwich and Hopkinton, Mass. Two more – in Lincoln and Shrewsbury, Mass.

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– are slated to open this summer. Best also offers virtual appointments to patients clustered near Guilderland, N.Y.

Best also grew her team to 29 speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, floor-time clinicians and nutritionists, with more waiting in the wings to raise total employees to 35 by July.

Services have expanded beyond the initial focus – pediatric speech,

language and dysphagia – to include feeding and swallowing; occupational therapy; tongue tie; nutrition; orofacial myology and LSVT Loud, a speech treatment for people with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions. This allows Best to spotlight what she loves best, specializing in swallow therapy, while building a multidisciplinary collaborative and empowering women. n

Congrats Elizabeth

PSH congratulates the 2023 Business Women Awards honorees. We would like to extend a special congrats to our Partner & Nonprofit Chair Elizabeth Manchester for being recognized with this award.

Liz is deeply committed to supporting communities, giving back, and philanthropy. Her entire career is built around helping those in the business of doing good. She represents tax-exempt entities on compliance, formation, bequests, and best practices. Liz has extensive experience advising charitable and higher learning institutions with the inception of planned giving programs to advance the organization’s mission. We’re so proud of your achievements Liz! 1-800-880-6792

RAISING VOICES: Rachel Best, Small Steps Therapy LLC clinical director and speech language pathologist, helps people with pediatric speech, language and dysphagia, occupational therapy, tongue tie and other services.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Locke Lorde LLP partner

Helping shape Rhode Island’s landscape through finance law

BY DONNA WHITEHEAD | Contributing Writer

MANY NOTABLE LANDMARKS, including Roger Williams Park Zoo and the Newport Pell Bridge, help shape Rhode Island’s landscape, and Karen Grande has her fingerprints on them.

Grande, a public finance lawyer who is a partner at Locke Lord LLP’s Providence office, helps make the financing happen for public projects such as schools, sewers, recreation centers, sidewalks and beach pavilions. She has even a few times financed the iconic bridge that connects Jamestown to Newport over Narragansett Bay.

“I’m sure not a lot of people in the general public know who I am or what I do, but almost everyone has been to one of [those public projects] or benefited from services provided by [the firm],” Grande said. “We’ve done a lot of work for public and private schools. I really like school projects. I also like health care projects very much.”

At first, Grande did not pursue a law career. She was active in her high school music program, singing in choirs. Grande initially wanted to do something with music to make a living, she said, and originally studied music therapy.

At Florida State University, Grande decided music therapy was not for her and opted to pursue music education. Grande graduated from Syracuse University, where she studied English and music, but had not chosen a career path. It was her future father-in-law who told her to consider law school.

the state in the first utilization of a statute establishing a disaster emergency funding board. That establishment allowed the state to obtain $300 million in credit from Bank of America Corp. and Santander Bank N.A. to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state never needed to draw on the board, Grande said. But she said the state was prepared in an environment where no one knew at the time what was going to happen with the economy or how the health crisis would impact both state and federal government.

Mentoring men, as well as women, is important to Grande, she said, helping them better understand financing. There is a larger number of women in public finance law, as well, she said.

“Public finance is a form of public inter-

est law and because they finance schools and streets and sewers and recreational facilities, there’s something about that which attracts women,” Grande said.

Grande said Locke Lord has always had a strong focus on supporting women and other diverse communities. The firm, Grande said, has had a lot of accomplishments in terms of equity, and she describes the firm as “just a really supportive environment.”

Grande said Locke Lord encourages its staff to be involved in the community. She serves on Grow Smart Rhode Island’s board of directors and is vice chair of Greenwood Credit Union’s board. Grande is also on the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School’s board resources committee.

Grande sees exciting changes ahead in her field with energy efficiency and savings becoming more a part of public projects.

“The whole world is heading that way,” she said. “There’s a real demand out there for new [technology] and we see that a lot in public finance.” n

After completing her degree at Suffolk University Law School, Grande was recruited by a firm and given a chance to work on a project involving bonds for open space. Thirty-six years later, including 16 years at Locke Lord, Grande’s contributions to public finance law have shaped the landscape of Rhode Island.

Grande regularly acts as bond counsel to the state of Rhode Island, the quasi-public R.I. Health and Building Corp., as well as cities, towns, water districts and sewer districts across the state.

“Everyone, whether an individual or a company, everyone has financing needs and that includes the government,” Grande said. “The goal is to help with finance structures that achieve the goals of putting together a good project for a good purpose at the lowest cost to taxpayers.”

Grande also led a team that represented

‘Everyone, whether an individual or a company, everyone has financing needs and that includes the government.’

KAREN GRANDE Locke Lord LLP partner

STATE OF MIND: In 16 years with Locke Lord LLP, Karen Grande’s contributions to public finance law have shaped the landscape of Rhode Island.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

Community support is what drives her

BY JAIME LOWE | Contributing Writer

THE SPIRIT OF PHILANTHROPY is ingrained within Elizabeth Manchester.

Manchester’s parents instilled that value in her at an early age. She regularly saw her parents provide holiday meals for the homeless at their family’s restaurant in Fall River.

Manchester, a partner for Providence-based law firm Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, says her family promoted “a strong sense of civic duty” and to always give back to the community. When she first began practicing law, Manchester – also PSH’s chair of its charitable and nonprofit organizations practice group – was drawn to the work she did for nonprofit entities.

“I trusted my instinct and followed my passion. I continue to be impressed with the impact nonprofit organizations quietly make on communities. Nonprofits often

Before joining the firm in 2018, Manchester worked in private practice with nonprofit and taxexempt entities, helping with foundations and public charities. She previously was director of Providence College’s estate and planned giving program, where she managed a $60 million pipeline of planned gifts and $10 million in new gifts annually. That experience, Manchester says, gave her a unique experience that put her at the top of her field.

“I was uniquely qualified to counsel the nonprofit sector thanks to my direct, firsthand experience in the higher education industry. I believed I could provide a unique point of view as a legal practitioner,” Manchester said.

“This niche understanding of how nonprofits function, what fuels

me to guide their particular legal needs in practical ways.”

Additionally, Manchester currently serves on multiple community boards. She is a White Family Foundation board member, an immediate past chair and member

and co-chairs the Rhode Island Bar Association’s business and nonprofit organizations committee.

As a partner, volunteer, leader

BOARD ROOM: Elizabeth Manchester, a partner for Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, serves on multiple community boards, including with the Rhode Island Foundation and the White Family Foundation.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

❖ Judith Chace

Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty co-owner and broker

Mott & Chace co-founder helps people feel at home

BY ANDY SMITH | Contributing Writer

A LOT OF PEOPLE think real estate is just about selling houses, according to Judith Chace, broker and co-owner of Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty. But she said it’s more about building personal relationships, and then the sales will follow.

Chace has been in real estate since 1989, first with Lila Delman Real Estate Inc., then with Residential Properties Ltd. She started Charlestown-based Mott & Chace with Ray Mott 10 years ago.

“At some point I knew I wanted to have my own company,” she said. “I had sacrificed a lot for my career, and I thought the time was right.”

When the real estate agency started, there were just two other agents and the first company meeting was held in Chace’s car. Now, Mott & Chace has 140 agents in seven offices.

The connection with Sotheby’s, the famous British auction house, gives Mott & Chace name recognition and additional marketing clout. It also allows the agency to assist clients who want to buy almost anywhere in the world.

“Judy is one of the most entrepreneurial people I have ever met,” said Mary Leahey, head of business development for Mott & Chace. “She had a vision for what she wanted to accomplish with this company, and she’s worked tirelessly to achieve that. She felt there was a need for another voice in the luxury market in Rhode Island, and she wanted to be that voice.”

housing inventory – there are just not that many homes available. “If you build it, they will come,” Chace said. “But there’s a housing shortage in Rhode Island at all price levels.”

Climate change has become an increasing issue for companies such as Mott & Chace that sell a lot of coastal property. “We’re certainly more sensitive to that now. Superstorm Sandy really opened a lot of eyes,” Chace said.

COVID-19 was an unusual and unexpected experience for the agency, Chace said. When the pandemic first hit, Mott & Chace held a Zoom call with its employees to try and figure out the path forward.

It turned out that homes in Rhode Island became extremely desirable to affluent urbanites looking to get out of big cities. Mott & Chace-marketed houses were being snapped up

almost as soon as they went on sale.

“A global pandemic became a reason for people to discover Rhode Island,” Chace said.

Chace said that over the past decade, she has backed off from selling houses herself and spends more time as a mentor. “Sometimes I’m the ‘deal doctor,’ but it’s mostly about supporting the 140 agents in the company … I feel very close to my agents,” she said.

Leahey said Mott & Chace has taken great care to create a collaborative culture at the agency, which includes both agents and staff, and Chace herself is accessible to everyone in the agency.

Mott & Chace has also been a philanthropic force in the community, supporting organizations such as Crossroads Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Hospital Foundation and others.

Chace is known for her abiding interest in animals. The agency is among the top sponsors of the Potter League for Animals, and Chace is founder of The Whinny Fund, an equestrian rescue organization.

“I’ve loved animals all my life,” she said. n

Mott & Chace specializes in “the luxury experience” in locations such as Newport, Westerly, Little Compton, Jamestown, Barrington, Narragansett and more. Chace was born in Providence, grew up in East Providence and can trace her ancestry all the way back to Roger Williams.

“I’m very bullish on Rhode Island,” Chace said. “The state is becoming more and more popular, more of a destination people want to come to.”

She said the financial climate, such as mortgage rates, impacts all real estate, but luxury housing is a “micro-market” with its own particular issues. These are often second homes, or even third, and they might be discretionary purchases rather than necessities.

One issue Rhode Island faces is a lack of

‘She felt there was a need for another voice in the luxury market in Rhode Island, and she wanted to be that voice.’

MARY LEAHEY

Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty head of business development

FROM THE GROUND UP: Judith Chace, broker and co-owner of Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty, started her agency along with Ray Mott a decade ago with only two other agents. Now, the agency has 140 agents and seven offices.

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

❖ Amanda Langlais Falvey Insurance Group marketing manager

Making Falvey the star of the show

BY JAIME LOWE | Contributing Writer

A BRIEF TIME in show business became the foundation for Amanda Langlais’ professional marketing career.

Before joining North Kingstown-based Falvey Insurance Group six years ago, Langlais saw her life mostly being on the road. She worked in show business, touring North America with game shows such as “The Price is Right,” “Let’s Make a Deal” and “America’s Got Talent.”

“It was an amazing experience living on a tour bus, being able to see the world and creating lifelong friendships, all while putting smiles on people’s faces daily,” Langlais said.

In 2017, Langlais became the national insurance group’s marketing manager and went full speed ahead. Langlais spearheaded interactive events such as The Falvey Forum and Fore the Bay, which gathered more than 120 external attendees, kicking off with a charity golf tournament benefiting Save the Bay Inc., which raised more than $25,000.

She says her goal was to create an “interactive, fresh and exciting environment” for the event. The result was interactive sessions, numerous photo opportunities and networking, including dueling pianos during the reception. The feedback Falvey received was so positive that the company plans to continue the event every other year.

Langlais says being a manager is relatively new to her in the workplace but she “absolutely loves it.” She also says that her best leadership style is to be transparent and communicative, and always explain the “why” behind each project.

“It is a very rewarding experience to spend the time and energy to help someone else grow and reach their full potential,” Langlais said. “I’m extremely lucky to have such an amazing team and I look forward to seeing what the

future holds for all of us.”

Langlais has also helped instill philanthropy in Falvey’s culture, which she says is a passion of hers. She serves as co-chair of the company’s volunteer and philanthropy committee, working with organizations such as the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Operation

Stand Down Rhode Island, Save

The Bay and Buttonhole Kids Program.

Falvey Director of Marketing Megan Bell said Langlais’ experience in event management contributed to a “fresh perspective of injecting creativity, fun and excitement into a stagnant market.” n

We applaud Yahaira “Jay” Placencia and all of the 2023 PBN Business Women Awards Honorees. Leaders like you are a vital resource and inspiration to us all. Thank you for making our community a better place to live and work and for leading by example in Rhode Island. Visit

SHOWTIME: Before joining Falvey Insurance Group, Amanda Langlais worked on various game shows such as “The Price is Right” and “America’s Got Talent.”

PBN PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

LEADER

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future executive director

Providing the right skills to help R.I. economy thrive

BY SACHA SLOAN | Contributing Writer

NINA PANDE HAS been told that she can’t call herself a Rhode Islander because she wasn’t born here. But one would be hard-pressed to find someone who cares more about the future of the Ocean State than Pande, founding executive director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future

Unlike other career development agencies that focus on preparing job seekers for industries, SkillsRI seeks to serve as a demand-driven intermediary between those job seekers and the employers themselves. In practice, this means that SkillsRI tailors training programs to the specific needs of its employer partners.

SkillsRI looks to create an “ecosystem” in which the state’s workforce can thrive. From small businesses to large universities and corporations, SkillsRI manages more than 260 employer partnerships on any given day.

“We start with employers in mind,” Pande said. “We help build the talent pipeline.”

Pande’s journey began when her parents sought the same economic opportunity that she now helps others achieve. After immigrating to the U.S. from India, Pande’s father started a chemical manufacturing company in Rhode Island. Pande left the state to get a master’s degree in social work, and returned to work for the R.I. Department of Children, Youth & Families, where she worked with justice-involved youths. This job was “perhaps the most important part of my education,” shaping her priorities throughout her career, she said.

to fund an Ocean State “replication” of the Chicago-based organization Skills for Chicagoland’s Future. Then-Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said at the time that SkillsRI would put the state at the “forefront of innovating new solutions” to unemployment.

By the time SkillsRI launched, the organization received 150 hiring commitments from local businesses with help from connections made in Chicago.

Pande says education goes hand in hand with economic development. Her favorite SkillsRI programs are ones that involve students, such as the PrepareRI Internship Program. That program secures paid internships for Rhode Island high school juniors. These students, most of whom reside in districts where academic performance is lacking, also can take college classes, Pande said.

“We as an agency believe firmly that in our

public education system, students need to have significant exposure to career opportunities,” Pande said.

Pande doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges students and job seekers face, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic’s wake. The business community sees “more and more individuals who’ve come out of the pandemic with trauma,” she said, especially in industries such as education and health care.

After teaching for many years at Rhode Island College and serving until recently on the Providence Public School District’s school board, Pande sees education as a particular challenge for the state. Rhode Island, she says, needs to make some strategic investments in public education.

“We are encouraging our industry partners to help lead” those investments, Pande said.

Even so, Pande sees encouraging trends, such as an increase in new small businesses, that she wants to support.

“Rhode Island has everything we need to be the nation’s trendsetter in so many areas,” she said. “To get there, though, every Rhode Islander that wants to work should be able to get on a pathway to a skilled job.” n

Skills for Rhode Island’s Future executive director

After several years working for the state, Pande entered the nonprofit world. She created youth-focused programs for various Providence community organizations and served for nine years as Federal Hill House Association’s executive director. These experiences helped her understand the importance of education, especially in the “formative years” of youths, she said. But at the same time, Pande was beginning to look at the bigger picture, the context kids were coming from – families.

She began asking herself the fundamental questions that now drive her career. “How do we make sure folks have a path to economic mobility?” she said. “What are the systematic barriers to success? How do you disrupt systems that, intentionally or unintentionally, don’t allow people to grow?”

Pande confronted these questions headon. In October 2016, a group of Rhode Island officials and local businesses banded together

‘We as an agency believe firmly … students need to have significant exposure to career opportunities.’

NINA PANDE

HELPING STUDENTS: Skills for Rhode Island’s Future Executive Director Nina Pande, among other tasks, oversees the organization’s PrepareRI Internship Program, and secures paid internships for Rhode Island high school juniors.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

SOCIAL SERVICES/NONPROFIT ❖ Angelyne Cooper-Bailey

Cranston Municipal Court associate judge, R.I. Department of Labor and Training legal counsel and Roger Williams University School of Law adjunct professor

Raising the bar in practicing law

BY SACHA SLOAN | Contributing Writer

ANGELYNE COOPER­BAILEY is quite busy. She is a judge, professor, commissioner and attorney. But when she meets new people, she doesn’t like to talk about any of her roles.

“I sing in my car just like you sing in your car,” she said. “I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.”

Though her humility may be unmatched, Cooper-Bailey has a lot to brag about. In 2021, she made history becoming the first woman of color to serve on the Cranston Municipal Court as associate judge. Additionally, she works as legal counsel for the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, serves on the state’s human rights commission, sits on the boards of various nonprofits and teaches at Roger Williams University School of Law, her alma mater.

How does she do it all? “It’s hard,” she said. “I love doing different things.”

For Cooper-Bailey, the law’s breadth encourages varied in-

terests. Even so, she does have one overriding mission, which is making the law more accessible, whether that’s in the classroom or the courtroom.

“I love teaching legal writing, teaching new students how powerful it can be,” she said. “We were all students at some point. I don’t want people to forget [that] the government works for you. When people appear before me, I hope they feel heard, respected and hopefully have the exhale moment.”

Cooper-Bailey credits U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson as inspirational to her career. Thompson, the first Black person to serve in her position, may have seen a little bit of herself in Cooper-Bailey when she selected Cooper-Bailey

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for a clerkship.

“Those are highly coveted positions,” Cooper-Bailey said. With all the structural barriers working against her as a woman of color, she considered herself a long shot for the job.

But as a law student, CooperBailey interned with Thompson during the latter’s tenure on the

R.I. State Court, and “we just hit it off,” she said.

Eventually, Cooper-Bailey would love to serve as a judge full time. But she also loves teaching and could further pursue that opportunity.

“I’ve been practicing law for almost 15 years,” she said. “Every day, I learn something new.” n

BREAKING BARRIERS: Angelyne Cooper-Bailey became the first woman of color to serve as an associate judge on the Cranston Municipal Court.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

An announcement in PBN PEOPLE ON THE MOVE gets your name in front of the influential business leaders who you want to do business with.

Blazing a trail for others and helping build a future

BY JENNA PELLETIER | Contributing Writer

MIKEL INC. PRESIDENT Kelly Mendell was inspired to pursue a career in engineering in the 1990s, long before there was a concerted effort to encourage young girls to go into science, technology, engineering and math careers that exist today.

Having a supportive father certainly helped. “He was my mentor, and he has always encouraged me to stick with things that are challenging,” Mendell said.

Before becoming the leader of the military innovative solutions provider, Mendell worked alongside her dad, Brian Guimond, who founded the company in 1999. Guimond was previously a tactical analysis director for the U.S. Navy’s underwater fleet in Pearl Harbor. Guimond developed MIKEL’s proprietary SystAdmon, Audit, Network and Security technology after seeing the technological shortcomings of submarines’ ability to precisely navigate underwater terrain while submerged.

“I started working with my dad about 20 years ago, right around the time when my daughter was born,” Mendell said. “I had engineering and business degrees, so it was a good match. When I first started out, he just took me everywhere we went and introduced me to everyone. That really helped. Gradually, over time, he started giving me more authority.”

When Mendell was studying engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the early 1990s, there were not many female engineers to look up to, she says. Even though Mendell is busy with both her family and long days at the office, she makes an effort to support other women looking to go into science. Whenever possible, she goes back to UMass Amherst to speak with current engineering students.

basically to avoid collisions and to know where they are in the world.

“We are playing a small role in providing that capability to the submarine fleet and hopefully that will continue to grow,” Mendell said.

Since taking the helm, Mendell has grown the company significantly. It currently has more than 230 employees and generates more than $35 million in revenue annually.

“Kelly has grown our engineering service function 20-fold and helped pave the way to providing the necessary strategic, financial and operational resources to initiate and continue the development of the next-generation submerged acoustic tactical navigation and communication systems,” MIKEL Chief Financial Officer Craig Cameron said.

When asked about some of her proudest

moments, Mendell says it is seeing success, whether that’s winning an important contract, or being able to provide the fleet with a technology that it didn’t have before. She adds that this summer MIKEL will demonstrate a new underwater communications capability.

“Should that work, which we are confident that it will, it will be a very proud moment because we’ll be able to provide something that they don’t yet have and that they need,” she said. “It will allow submarines to communicate to each other underwater without having to come to the surface. When they come to the surface, they give their position away. With everything they do, they want to be quiet and unseen.”

The traits that have helped her succeed, Mendell says, include refusing to give up and leading by example.

“When the going gets tough, I roll up my sleeves and get in there,” she said. “If we have something with a deadline, I’m definitely inserting myself to help get it over the goal line.” n

“Getting to know some of the young women and encouraging them is the most rewarding thing,” she said. “I wish I could do more, and maybe someday I will be in a position to do that. It’s a huge need.”

Today, the company, which has an office in Middletown and a manufacturing facility in Fall River, continues to provide innovative underwater engineering and communication technologies, primarily for Navy submarines.

“The work we do for the Navy is incredibly meaningful to us,” Mendell said. “They’re doing dangerous, important work.”

She likens MIKEL’s SANS technology to a GPS on a car. Mendell says it is a navigation and communication capability that enhances the submarine’s ability to conduct missions,

‘When the going gets tough, I roll up my sleeves and get in there.’

KELLY MENDELL MIKEL Inc. president

HEAD OF THE CLASS: MIKEL Inc. President Kelly Mendell frequently returns to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, her alma mater, to speak with current engineering students and support other women looking to go into science.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

TECHNICAL SERVICES ❖ Alison Wicks

Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport policy division head and contracting officer

NUWC ‘go-to person’ leads by example

BY ISABELLA DELEO | Contributing Writer

ALISON WICKS HAS EXPERIENCED the sort of professional trajectory that interns everywhere would dream about. She not only secured a full-time position at her dream company but also built a thriving career at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport for around 16 years – and counting.

Wicks, described by her colleagues as a “role model” and “go-to person” within the organization, works in NUWC’s contracting department. Wicks is commissioned to ensure compliance with contracts, in addition to examining “award decisions for multimillion-dollar actions,” developing companywide trainings and more.

Wicks began interning for NUWC in 2007 and was promoted to various roles. Among them were a contracting officer in 2010, a branch head in 2019 and now her current role as the warfare center’s policy division head and contracting officer.

“These last 16 years have gone by in a blink of an eye,” Wicks

said. “Along the way I have learned an immense amount, have developed incredible relationships, and I hope have demonstrated that opportunities are available for those who don’t shy away from hard work.”

Throughout Wicks’ career, she has developed a work philosophy that centers on supporting and advancing her colleagues’ professional development, especially the women she works with. Wicks describes herself as a “strong advocate” for her workforce and mentees, and is accessible to them whenever they need help or guidance.

“I lead by example for my entire workforce, but most impor-

tantly as a female figurehead in a male-dominated industry,” Wicks said.

Wicks remains committed to championing the women in her department. She says she’s proud to be viewed as a role model and to show that “women have an important role in this organization and a critical seat at the table.” Wicks also said that supporting women

WOMAN TO WATCH

in her organization “is what continues to motivate me to this day.”

“As a female leader, I am not afraid to voice my opinions and to hold everyone on the team accountable to get the mission done,” she said. “I don’t shy away from difficult conversations, especially when they revolve around ensuring female perspectives are taken into account.” n

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BUILDING CAREERS: Throughout Alison Wicks’ career at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, she has developed a philosophy that supports her colleagues’ professional development, especially the women. COURTESY NAVAL UNDERSEA WARFARE CENTER DIVISION NEWPORT

A tireless matchmaker in temp job market

BY SARAH FRANCIS | Contributing Writer

IF LIFE IMITATES

ART, Dawn Apajee can offer proof in something she read: think like an immigrant. “It resonates with me and sums up who I am and how I run my business,” she said.

“When you’re an immigrant, you have to think and behave differently. Be brave, bet on yourself, learn new skills, embrace new ideas, be humble and always work harder,” she added.

That wisdom is in her DNA. Apajee immigrated to Chicago from London in 1995, when her husband, Deven, got a job as a manager at a youth soccer academy. They moved to Rhode Island when his job relocated here. That gave Apajee the impetus to launch City Personnel Inc., a staff recruiting agency in Providence, with one other employee in 2006.

Today, City Personnel has a staff of nine with a client list of more than 500 companies in small and midsize industries, ranging from finance and marketing to legal and medical. Apajee sometimes starts her day as early as 5:30 a.m. doing bookkeeping and adminis-

ACHIEVEMENT

trative work, or Zoom interviews with temporary and permanent job candidates. She says working in a small state where there are roughly three degrees of separation is a huge advantage. “You get to know everyone,” she said. “You have a relationship with staff who’ve moved on. The disadvantage is you can’t fail to deliver. It could come back to haunt you.”

As the job market has become unpredictable, it’s affected how the company does business. Apajee says demand has been especially high in the medical field, the result of burnout and an unwillingness by some to comply with vaccine mandates.

In a tight labor market with unemployment hovering just above 3%, finding the right person for the job takes creativity. Baby boomers are retiring, but younger workers don’t have the same skill sets,

Unexpected turns lead to being all in the family

BY SARAH FRANCIS | Contributing Writer

TRACEY BECK’S UNIQUE ENTREPRENEURIAL CAREER has become a family affair.

Along with her brother-in-law, Ken Beck, and husband, Brian, Beck runs The Beck Cos., a group of related businesses that make a range of complementary products. KB Surfaces does stonework. Atlas Fabrication handles engineered counters. CAS America produces commercial shelving. Dark Horse manufactures custom metal work, such as steel counters. Closettec creates storage cabinets. Great American builds pool, air hockey and foosball tables.

The roughly 80 employees do everything from customer service and design to engineering, skilled carpentry and cabinet installation. Tracey Beck, who serves as chief operating officer, oversees design work and general daily operations; Brian Beck is the chief financial officer; and Ken Beck is the company’s engineer. Everything’s manufactured at the company’s North Smithfield facility. Beck didn’t think she’d follow an entrepreneurial path. She

studied marketing and fashion merchandising at Southern New Hampshire College, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business. Beck discovered she had a penchant for selling and customer service. She was in sales at a travel agency, a furniture rental company and phone company MCI before pausing to raise her kids.

The creative, entrepreneurial itch was still there, and it came to her two decades ago.

“I was having dinner with my mother-in-law. I was in my early 30s and she was very into aesthetics,” Beck said. “It was around the time Botox and Restylane were coming into use, particularly in California. She wanted to bring these services to Rhode Island and offer them at a med spa, with gorgeous surroundings but observing the medical side.”

The facility Beck launched as a result closed in 2007. That same year, Beck and her husband bought a bankrupt stone fabrica-

Apajee acknowledges. It’s a trend that COVID-19 accelerated.

Apajee says she’s had a couple of clients who’ve recently left jobs because the office culture made them uncomfortable. As a woman of color, she emphasizes the importance of an inclusive and diverse workplace, a goal she sets for her

own company.

Has she experienced pushback herself as a woman of color in business? The answer’s nuanced. “I’m in a privileged situation,” she said. “There haven’t been times where I’m told you’re Black or female, so I’m not going to give you a job,” she said. n

tion company and relaunched it as KB Surfaces.

The Becks gradually acquired the five additional businesses.

Like many small-business owners, Beck doesn’t work a 9-to-5 schedule. It’s just as likely to be a text at 5 a.m. telling her that a truck has broken down, or another text an hour later that a big commercial client wants to come in that day.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on The Beck Cos., with labor shortages, long mate-

rial lead times and freight cost increases. While the company has grown some 40% from pre-pandemic levels, the pandemic aftereffects linger in the availability of materials. Skilled labor is also hard to find, Beck says.

“Each of my businesses has a spot dear to my heart,” Beck said, “but I love the challenge of optimizing closet spaces to make them functional and beautiful, and I love seeing the excitement on people’s faces when they tour the new showroom.” n

DYNAMIC LEADER: Tracey Beck, left, co-owner and chief operating officer of The Beck Cos. in North Smithfield, speaks with cabinet assembler Ruth Gomez.

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

RECRUITING ASSISTANCE: Dawn Apajee, right, owner of staff recruiting agency City Personnel Inc., works with senior recruiter Megan Atkins at her office in Providence.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Dawn Apajee ❖ City Personnel Inc. owner

Tracey Beck ❖ The Beck Cos. co-owner and chief operating officer

HONOREE

Blue built a business from ‘power in herbs’

BY ELIZABETH GRAHAM | Contributing Writer

HERBALIST AND COMMUNITY educator Mary Blue, owner and founder of Farmacy Herbs LLC, was barely out of high school when she realized she had a way with plants.

The Rhode Island native and Classical High School graduate spent some time at landscaping jobs but felt like she’d really found her way once she started working and volunteering at the now-closed Indigo Herbals on Wickenden Street. Blue trained with the shop’s owner, Danielle Cavalacci, for about five years, then moved on to work at Seven Arrows Farm in Attleboro.

In 2006, while she was still at the farm, Blue began selling her own herbal products and launched her Herbal Foundations program, a six-month series of classes. In 2008 in Providence, Blue opened the Farmacy Herbs shop on the lower level of the building she was living in.

Customers can find organic dried herbs, at least 40 tea variations and more than 100 types of tinctures, salves and extracts made

by Blue and her staff of six.

“I really find power in herbs to prevent diseases and support health. It’s something that people can do that’s proactive, and once people are healthier, there’s not as much pressure on the health care system to treat diseases,” Blue said. “The other thing I find really empowering is to kind of take my health into my own hands. It’s empowering to know what plant to use to help my own health.”

Students in her Herbal Foundations classes met there, and the business began to grow. Blue estimates that more than 1,000 students have completed the classes that she’s offered since 2006. Over the past three years, demand for her online classes has ballooned by 500%.

She’s embracing that rapid growth in enrollment in her herbology classes.

She’s brewed up a successful venture

BY SARAH FRANCIS | Contributing Writer

SOME SMALL­BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS take a roundabout route before finding their niche. Audrey Finocchiaro isn’t one of them. From the time she was a kid growing up in North Kingstown, Finocchiaro knew she was going to be in the food world, she says.

“When I was 6, I had a business called Neighborhood Yummies. I baked and sold cookies to the neighbors. I couldn’t see myself in any other industry,” she said.

Finocchiaro, along with her partner, Sam Landcaster, debuted The Nitro Bar in 2016. Since then, the pair have opened three brickand-mortar coffee houses and their nitro is on tap at more than 60 locations, from the East Bay to Boston.

With winter on the horizon, they went looking for a permanent home and partnered with local restaurants and breweries where customers could get nitro cold brew on tap. By the next spring, it was available at dozens of outlets.

In 2018, they set up in their first physical location, a cozy, plantlined, 600-square-foot shared space with Dash Bicycle, a Providence

bike store crammed with cycling gear.

Along with the nitro brew made with Rhody Roaster beans, caffeine lovers can get their fix of caramel and dirty chai lattes or a dirty wafer – two shots of espresso, chocolate and milk. Ever-evolving treats created by the in-house pastry chef include pesto smash bagels and banana trifle pudding.

Since then, the couple has opened two more locations in Newport, one on Pond Street and one on Thames Street. They plan to launch a fourth in Little Compton in June, next to Walker’s farm stand where they can take advantage of the fresh fruit for their pastries.

The couple share responsibilities in running the business, with Lancaster handling financials and

“Another of our main goals is to educate our community on using herbs to support health. That’s one of the big reasons we’re not pushing to grow our products. We’re looking to grow our education because that’s key for people to empower themselves,” Blue said.

She’s planning to expand class content and accept more students into the Herbal Foundations online

program as more people inquire about learning herbalism terminology and the secrets to making herb-derived tinctures, baths, syrups and teas.

Blue, 47, is well positioned to accommodate higher demand, as she plans to expand her online offerings, which include private consultations for people interested in personalized herbal remedies. n

day-to-day operations. With days that start as early as 6 a.m., the couple have agreed not to bring work home. He loves surfing, while she’s into yoga and owns a studio with her sister.

As the couple looks toward their 30s, Finocchiaro takes in

the view from her days as a first grader selling cookies to the neighbors.

“Sam and I started out with the Nitro Cart using maxed-out credit cards and this summer we’ll have a team of 60 to 65,” she said. “That’s pretty colorful.” n

STEADY GROWTH: Audrey Finocchiaro, co-owner of The Nitro Bar, has taken her coffee business from a simple cart in 2016 to now preparing to open her fourth location in June, in Little Compton.

PBN FILE PHOTO/TRACY JENKINS

READY WITH A REMEDY: Herbalist Mary Blue has carved out a niche in the health sector, building a business that offers herb-derived tinctures, baths, syrups and teas, as well as classes on how to make them.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Mary Blue ❖ Farmacy Herbs LLC owner and founder ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE

Audrey Finocchiaro ❖ The Nitro Bar co-founder ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE

Ageless Innovation more than pet project

BY ANDY SMITH | Contributing Writer

IT WAS A COMBINATION of soccer, Hasbro Inc. and Bryant University that brought Meghan Gamboa to Rhode Island, where she now works as co-founder and senior vice president of marketing and retail sales for Ageless Innovation LLC in Pawtucket.

Gamboa mostly focused on the Ageless Innovation brand called Joy for All, which makes animatronic cats and dogs marketed as a way to bring comfort and companionship to the elderly without the fuss of owning a real pet. The Joy for All cat can purr, meow, close its eyes, open its mouth, turn its head and more. The dog barks, wags its tail and has a “heartbeat” you can feel.

Research has shown that Joy for All’s animals can help combat what has become an epidemic of loneliness among the elderly, which has been accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinically validated evidence also indicates positive effects for those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

“It’s not just a stuffed toy,” Gamboa said. “It’s important for us to

have videos so people can see what they can do.”

Gamboa started working at Hasbro while still attending Bryant, assigned to the company’s on-site testing center. She was at Hasbro for 16 years, eventually reaching the level of senior director of U.S. marketing for franchises and new brands, including My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop. One of her projects was FurReal Friends, a line of electronic robotic animals.

By 2018, Hasbro executive Ted Fischer bought the Joy for All brand from Hasbro in a friendly management spinoff and started Ageless Innovation. A few members of the team at Hasbro who were responsible for Joy for All joined Fischer.

Gamboa had left Hasbro in 2017 to spend more time with her children, but then she heard from

Succeeding by giving accolades to others

BY SARAH FRANCIS | Contributing Writer

FOR SOME, THE PATH that life takes can emerge early on. For Kristen Gossler, it began unfolding when she was so small she could barely see above the top of the living room table as her parents, Virginia and Ralph, built a successful business.

“It was so fun. I did piecework for them as they crafted plaques and awards. Mark Twain had an adage in ‘Tom Sawyer’ about turning something that’s a chore into a privilege. I really believed it when my parents told me that,” Gossler said. “I felt like I was contributing.”

Founded in 1952, the Gosslers’ business, American Trophy and Supply Inc., produced and sold hundreds of mementos and plaques over the next two decades. But Kristen Gossler didn’t immediately go into the family business.

She studied philosophy at Connecticut College but also took a couple of art courses. It didn’t take long for her to recognize how much she loved it. “I realized, ‘Oh my gosh, this is what I want to do,’ ” she said.

Gossler transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a fine arts degree in painting. She found that she had absorbed her father’s dual vision of art and business.

Gossler and her husband, Peter Cameron, bought American Trophy from her parents in 1990. Today, the East Providence-based business has expanded far beyond its original trusty line of plaques and awards to include multiplatform brand marketing. The customer roster numbers roughly 500 to 750 repeat clients and some 1,000 one-timers.

Like many small businesses, the company scrambled at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago. Gossler compares that time to sticking fingers in the dam to stop it from collapsing. Sud-

Fischer about this new opportunity. “I jumped right back in,” she said. “Best decision I ever made.”

The company now has nine employees, although Gamboa believes the company will be hiring more employees soon. The company, which does not disclose revenue figures, sells products in more

than 40 countries. Ageless Innovation has a warehouse in the United Kingdom to serve its European customers and another in the U.S.

“I hope to be doing this a lot longer,” Gamboa said. “We’re just at the beginning of the ways we can bring fun and joy and happiness to older adults.” n

JOB: Kristen Gossler, president of American Trophy and Supply Inc., has expanded the business with her husband, Peter Cameron, since buying it from her parents in 1990.

denly, they had to overhaul their planning. “Long range” no longer meant looking ahead a year or more. Now it was a matter of one month or six months.

The company provided shirts for nurses on the front lines, signage to help people navigate through COVID-19 vaccine shots, and she launched a portal, PPENewEngland.com, to give a focus to personal protection equipment on one site.

Gossler points out that the

works American Trophy creates are more than just the standard keepsake with an engraved brass plate. The award must stand for an idea and an accomplishment of someone, she says.

“Whether you’re making a hundred tennis trophies, or the one that’s going to Serena Williams, it represents why someone gets up every day,” Gossler said. “This is a serious business. It means we’ve seen that you’ve done this accomplishment.” n

REWARDING

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

NEW BREED OF COMPANIONSHIP: Meghan Gamboa, Ageless Innovation LLC co-founder and senior vice president, holds an animatronic cat at the company’s Pawtucket headquarters. The cats, dogs and birds produced by Ageless Innovation have been shown to be beneficial for the mental health of the elderly.

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Meghan Gamboa ❖ Ageless Innovation LLC co-founder and senior vice president

Kristen Gossler ❖ American Trophy and Supply Inc. president

HONOREE

Her healing goes beyond skin deep

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

ACNE, SUN SPOTS, scars and pockmarks,

wrinkles. People find many reasons to feel bad about their skin.

But often that bad feeling goes much deeper: I’m ugly; I’m unpopular; I’m old and unappealing.

Marisa Head, founder and owner of Marisa’s Skin Care LLC in North Attleborough, has chosen a professional mission of healing and caring for skin and, in the process, helping her customers feel healthy, confident and soothed.

“We are all about inspiring and lifting each other up,” Head said of her business, which also employs her two daughters, Stephanie and Rachel Howard.

Head says many women are struggling with problems and pressures of one kind or another. “People are vulnerable,” Head said. “We are a safe place and a professional place. If someone comes in and says, ‘I had a bad weekend,’ we try to root them on and shift their mindset and help them feel comfortable.”

She mentions a teenage girl with acne who first entered the salon with her head down, her hair

throwing a curtain across almost her entire face. As her treatments continued over the weeks, she began to lift her head and emerge from behind the curtain.

The spa also treats some men, as well as teen boys.

She started in 2013 by renting a small space and marketing her fledgling business in every way she could think of – including by a lot of word of mouth. The business moved to another location and got a push when Head’s oldest daughter, Stephanie Howard, joined her mother and started a contemporary marketing campaign.

Then, Head’s second daughter, Rachel Howard, joined the group and became, like her older sister, a licensed esthetician. “That’s when we exploded as a team,” Head said, adding that each of her daughters brings a different dynamic into the business.

Leach’s jewelry bears emotional significance

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

HAVERHILL LEACH WORKS with her husband in her second self-made business from a waterfront maker space in Warren, creating goods for an appreciative, growing client base.

Leach’s eponymous-named business, Haverhill Leach Inc., creates jewelry, products she calls “a delight to the senses.”

Leach’s product line and promotional theme have hit on an inspired sweet spot. Haverhill Leach’s jewelry line is mostly composed of delicate, yellow-gold or white-gold chains that bear gemstones corresponding to birth months. She estimates gross annual sales at $10 million.

Working through Haverhill’s website, customers create bespoke rings, bracelets and necklaces bearing the birthstones of family members. It is a gift idea for mothers or any women who want to remember and honor family members via their jewelry.

“It is the one piece of jewelry that many of our customers claim they never take off,” Leach said.

“The pieces are understated and timeless; they go with anything in the wardrobe.”

Because customers design the jewelry using family birthstones, the rings and necklaces bear extra emotional significance.

“We have heard many beautiful stories” from customers, Leach said.

The business, founded in 2013, employs about 30 to 50 people, depending on the season. They design, cast, clean, set and polish chains and stones from a big waterfront space in Warren with giant windows looking out onto the Warren River. When they first rented the space, Leach and her husband and co-owner, Andrej Strojin, broke through a solid wall to create the waterfront window, welcoming light and beauty into the workspace. The couple lives

A few years ago, during the COVID-19 slump, Head and her daughters took a chance and bought a building on Washington Street in North Attleborough. They now employ six people and have about 2,000 clients, Head says. Services run the gamut from a 30-minute facial for $67 to a deep-cleaning and exfoliating using a HydraFacial device for $300.

They continued to reinforce the

business’s theme: that Marisa’s Skin Care is run and staffed by caring women who want to help clients cultivate healthy skin and a happy attitude toward their appearance.

“When you are looking for advice on what to wear or what to do, you go to your girlfriends,” Head said. The company began pushing out the message: “We are your trusted girlfriends.” n

FAMILY JEWELS: Haverhill Leach, founder, owner and designer at Haverhill Leach Inc. in Warren, says the company designs using birth month gemstones make a great gift idea for women who want to remember and honor family members.

right across the water from the shop, in Barrington, with their 12and 13-year-old children.

Leach’s genetic connection to jewelry goes back to 1899, when her great-grandfather founded the jewelry company Leach and Garner in Attleboro, later renamed LeachGarner Inc. The business made gold beads, posts, wires and even the tubing for Providencebased A.T. Cross Co. LLC pens. Her grandfather and father both

worked in the business, which her father later sold.

In addition to the company’s two-level space in Warren, where workers design and construct the jewelry, as well as do inspection, shipping, customer service and product development, the company has offices in Slovenia, the native home of Leach’s husband. The European office conducts digital marketing and created and continually refines the company’s website.

PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

SOURCES OF COMFORT: Marisa Head, center, has built her North Attleborough business Marisa’s Skin Care LLC in nine years with the help of her two daughters, Stephanie Howard, left, and Rachel Howard.

COURTESY JESSIE WYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Marisa Head ❖ Marisa’s Skin Care LLC owner and founder ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE

Haverhill Leach ❖ Haverhill Leach LLC founder, owner and designer ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE

Building a venture in pop-up matchmaking

BY ELIZABETH GRAHAM | Contributing Writer

DURING THE EARLY PART of her career in the technology sector, Jo Lee’s perspective was global. The industry’s momentum swept her up into jobs on the West Coast, in New York City and overseas.

Lee, a California native who’s lived on Providence’s East Side for 20 years with her family, has adjusted her focus. As the founder of PopUp Rhody, she’s zeroed in on the local economy and nurturing the small businesses that sustain it.

Founded by Lee in 2020, PopUp Rhody connects businesses and locations that have available space with other small businesses that need a spot to set up shop or to hold an event. Most recently, PopUp Rhody landed space at Farm Fresh Rhode Island for Rhode Island Fashion Week’s 2022 runway shows.

“For people who do events, it’s a bit of a godsend because Rhode Island is rich in unique spaces, but there isn’t a dominant repository where you can go to find them,” Lee said. “There’s all this legwork, and it becomes a process of stumbling upon [a spot] and maybe

finding a phone number to access space.”

PopUp Rhody also helped the startup Muse Mirror set up shop at Providence Place mall in May 2022, giving mall visitors a peek at a high-tech makeup mirror created by four University of Rhode Island graduates.

At its core, she says, PopUp Rhody makes connections that benefit small businesses that don’t need or want a permanent physical location, and larger, more established businesses with space to spare.

The platform went live just as the COVID-19 pandemic began to force a tidal wave of business closures. Lee put the idea “on ice” until doors started reopening and fledgling entrepreneurs were becoming adept at doing business virtually.

“PopUp Rhody gives businesses a lever to generate revenue,” Lee said. “It gives creative businesses a

Moore’s interpreting skills are in demand

BY MARY LHOWE | Contributing Writer

IT WASN’T UNTIL she took a Bootstrap Bootcamp course for entrepreneurs that Shirley Moore, 40, fully realized the idea for her business, something that had been by her side for most of her life.

What no one could have predicted, however, was how essential the business would become during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how its services would lead to a quadrupling of sales.

Moore’s company, based in Pawtucket, is Be Moore Interpreting LLC. She provides both interpreting (oral conversation) and translation (written word) services for non-English speakers. Since founding the business in 2016, Moore has amassed a database of about 160 subcontractor interpreters, nearly half of whom regularly help her clients, which include educational institutions, attorneys and medical offices.

When she was 6, Moore moved to Massachusetts from Puerto Rico with her mother. They first lived in Boston for a year, where Moore spent time in a bilingual class with pull-out English tutoring.

After they moved to Rhode Island, Moore said she was expected to sink or swim linguistically, having entered an all-English-speaking second grade class.

Moore also served as interpreter and translator for her mother, who never learned to speak English. In Spanish families, Moore said, the oldest girl tends to be put “in charge of everything; she is like the second mom.”

Moore previously worked for various nonprofits for 18 years, including a stint as an interpreter for Catholic Charities USA in Massachusetts. Then came the Bootstrap Bootcamp course by the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Leadership. The first several weeks were aimed at the self and internal resources, while the second part focused on business formation.

When a course leader asked participants what they did that they

place to touch down, make contact and then go back online. We’ve emerged into a business environment that’s very conducive for PopUp Rhody. PopUp Rhody helps businesses connect and share space to thrive in our new hybrid world.”

After the stagnation of the pandemic, Lee enlisted her longtime friend Julie Holabird to join PopUp

Rhody as her equity partner. Holabird, who spent years building developer relations and a customer support system at music metadata company Gracenote, is Lee’s “alter ego,” Lee said.

“[Holabird] is one of those people who says, ‘Let’s develop a process for it,’ ” Lee said. “For her, everything is a problem to solve. Together, we are a nice match.” n

could monetize right away, the answer came to Moore in a flash: “Interpreting. I’ve been doing that all my life.”

Moore also knew quite a bit about securing clients. She said her first year in business led to sales of $2,000. Sales doubled the next year, reached $30,000 by 2019, and in 2020 exploded fourfold to $125,000.

The need for interpreting blew

up because of the pandemic. Along with not speaking English, many of Moore’s clients are in immigrant communities, living close together, doing front-line service work. The pandemic brought a flood of need for communicating information about COVID-19, from health care and hygiene to personal protection and vaccinations.

“We had to get information out to communities,” Moore said. n

HELPING OUT: Shirley Moore, left, owner of Be Moore Interpreting LLC in Pawtucket, provides interpreting services for the attendees at the Latino Financial Summit at Farm Fresh in Providence.

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

WHAT’S IN STORE? Jo Lee, founder of PopUp Rhody, at a Botanic Providence pop-up retail site organized by her company at Stock Culinary Goods on Hope Street in Providence.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Jo Lee ❖ PopUp Rhody founder ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE

Shirley Moore ❖ Be Moore Interpreting LLC owner ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE

Promise of a better life motivated her

BY SARAH FRANCIS | Contributing Writer

FROM THE TIME she was in her teens, Enith Morillo has faced down challenges and reinvented her life. As a high school junior in Venezuela, she applied to Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho, a national scholarship program that sent students to study abroad.

She came from humble beginnings and didn’t speak a word of English. Her father, a self-taught technician, had a sixth grade education, and she’d never thought she’d leave home. On the other hand, she was studious and loved math.

That determination has been an underpinning to her life story; she was the first person in her family to graduate college. Today, Morillo is the principal consultant of Cadoret Global Inc., a Cumberland company that supports pharmaceutical and biotech companies as they take drugs through clinical trials and on to the commercial market.

Cadoret Global supports startup, virtual, early-phase and small-size pharmaceutical companies through the arduous process of drug development and clinical

trials while navigating regulatory requirements and ensuring overall product quality. The company’s consultants are spread across the U.S., Europe and Asia. The majority of their clients are domestic startups going through clinical trials for the first time, she says.

Much of Cadoret’s business is referral based, conducted on-site or virtually via videoconferencing, and the stakes are high. The vast majority of drugs that go through phase 1 tests fail to make it to market. Clients have been known to call as late as 11 p.m. or on weekends because of unexpected problems, and sometimes it means an unexpected trip to a manufacturer’s facility. “We want clients to trust our expertise, that we’ve been through these drug phases and trials before,” she said.

She left corporate life to be a bagel artisan

BY SUSAN SHALHOUB | Contributing Writer

MILENA PAGAN WAS A RETAIL STRATEGIST for CVS Health Corp. in 2016 when she told the pharmacy giant she was quitting this steady job with a good salary to open a bagel shop. She told her family and friends, too.

Did she get pushback?

“I am sure people privately thought that I was crazy,” said Puerto Rico-born Pagan, who had no experience in professional bagel-making or owning a food establishment at that point. “But I am not here for people who tell me I can’t do something. To those people, I say, ‘Just watch me.’ ”

Pagan, who has a chemical engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, set about putting the pieces in place to launch Rebelle Artisan Bagels LLC on Providence’s East Side. Her goal was to make the kind of bagels that she used to get when she lived in Brooklyn, N.Y.

First, some patience came into play. Tinkering with the bagelmaking process in her home kitchen gave her confidence that she could do it. Creating high-quality bagels may be time-consuming,

but she’s proved the result can be worth it.

Over 24 hours of work go into each bagel. The dough is divided and rolled by hand, then put in a cooler for slow fermentation. The bagels are then boiled in a malted barley bath before they are baked to the point that a blistery crust forms, making them crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, Pagan says.

So, after quitting her job, spending experimentation time in her kitchen and committing to taking her venture large scale, she used kitchen space in the Hope & Main incubator in Warren. But there was no small-business loan. Rebelle was bootstrapped in part with a Kickstarter campaign. Pagan said the company didn’t access financing until the opening of a second Providence location in 2020 – an all-day cafe called Little

TRIAL SUPPORT: Enith Morillo is principal consultant at Cadoret Global Inc., a company she launched in 2019 to provide assistance to small companies going through the process of drug development and clinical trials.

“I love on-site audits,” she added, “getting on a plane, meeting new people, seeing how compliance is approached by other cultures.”

Sandy Tremblay, Cadoret’s executive administrator, met Morillo through the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program two years ago. She was impressed with the example Morillo sets for minority and young women, that

if you work hard enough and are determined, you can accomplish things.

“So much of what you see on TV is ‘Shark Tank,’ but you don’t need to have a product to pitch,” Tremblay said. “Enith coming here not knowing English, putting herself through school, finding a way to make it happen. There’s a message that if you want to make it happen, you’ll do it.” n

Sister LLC.

Rebelle Artisan Bagels’ success has come in many forms: its profits, reviews and growth. Even Pagan’s former boss at CVS frequents Rebelle and eats the bagels.

“He loves them,” Pagan said proudly. Having brought that little bit of Brooklyn to Providence, Pagan moved on to tackle challenges and expand on her accomplishment.

Dynamics on the East Side

don’t always mesh with hourly work, says Pagan, meaning staff members have to commute in from Federal Hill and other neighborhoods in the city.

But she sees the challenges as rewarding to tackle.

“I’m in this because it’s a fun ride,” said Pagan, who is planning a third location in Cambridge, Mass. “I’m not trying to build a rocket and go to the moon. I’m just making bagels in Providence.” n

HERE TO SERVE: Milena Pagan, left, pours mimosas for Jessica Tynan, center, of Salem, Conn., and Rebecca Saenz of Cambridge, Mass., at Little Sister LLC on Hope Street in Providence. Pagan owns Little Sister and Rebelle Artisan Bagels LLC.

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Milena Pagan ❖ Rebelle Artisan Bagels LLC owner ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE

PROUD SPONSOR

Amgen is a proud sponsor of PBN’s Business Women Awards. As a company dedicated to developing women and diverse leaders, we want to congratulate this year’s winners.