PBN May 14-24, 2021

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

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CELEBRATING

35 YEARS: 1986-2021

MAY 14-27, 2021

FOCUS: SMALL BUSINESS EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS Eateries look for recipe to solve staff shortage | 18

She runs shop with worldly view | 15

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 36, NO. 1 | $5

For many, COVID-19 sparks desire for a venture

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

AFTER MICHELLE POLITANO WAS laid off when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived last year, she made the decision to pursue her lifelong dream of opening a food business.

“I’m not a risk-taker, but life is short,” said Politano, who added that the loss of her job in the travel industry led to some introspection about her career. “It was kind of this aha moment. I raised the question: What do I want? Is this the time to make that jump?”

Politano jumped, opening a vegan restaurant, Pianta LLC, in Providence in April.

FOCUS: SMALL BUSINESS

SEE STARTING UP PAGE 20

SURGE MENTALITY

CLOSE CALL: Lynn Corwin, a staff member at United Way of Rhode Island, stands on the bank of the Woonasquatucket River, which runs past the United Way headquarters in Providence. In 2010, the building narrowly escaped damage when the river, on the left, overflowed. Other nearby properties weren’t so lucky.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

New warning sounded on Providence’s widespread flood risks

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

ARNOLD

ONE LAST THING

Cliff Wood Collaborate to revive downtown | 38

“Buff” Chace Jr. was 7 years old when Hurricane Carol ravaged Rhode Island, with a storm surge that submerged downtown Providence in 12 feet of water and crippled the city even after the flood receded.

For many property and business owners too young to remember the 1954 hurricane, flooding is more of an abstract threat,

not a priority amid the more-immediate demands of life. And the local, state and federal agencies have, so far, not told them they need to be worried.

But the flood risk is mounting.

A coalition of property owners, community groups, environmentalists and government officials known as the P ­ rovidence SEE RISK PAGE 12

Employers: Get FREE rapid COVID-19 tests for your workplace.

Fast results keep your employees and others safe.

888-662- 4354 | covid.ri.gov/business RIDOH-38317-Testing for RI 575x125 PBN cover strip_f.indd 1

4/14/21 11:51 AM

CONTENTS

PBN

COVER STORY SURGE MENTALITY

New warning sounded on Providence’s widespread flood risks..........................................................1

400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903

FOR STARTERS: 5Q: Justine Hastings............................................................ 4 Dining Out: Obstacles to recovery...................................... 5 Spotlight: Traverse Landscape Architects LLC.................. 6 Something New: Bailey Beattie Apiaries LLC.................... 6 Hot Topic: So far, bizs hopeful about Matos...................... 7 Business Women: An idea Collinson just couldn’t let go to waste................. 8 Trending: Most-read stories on PBN.com, April 2021....... 9 What’s Happening.............................................................. 10

Main Phone: 401-273-2201 Subscription Services: 855-813-5805 President & Publisher: Roger C. Bergenheim 680-4848 | Publisher@PBN.com

FOCUS: SMALL BUSINESS | 1

ADVERTISING

Advertising@PBN.com | Fax: 401-274-0270 Director of Sales and Marketing: Annemarie Brisson 680-4800 | Brisson@PBN.com Marketing and Events Manager: Donna Rofino 680-4832 | Rofino@PBN.com

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS She runs shop with worldly view.......................................15

ANOTHER LOOK Matos: A voice for ‘business leaders at all levels’............16

Marketing, Events & Social Media Coordinator: Tracy Hoyt, 680-4818 | Hoyt@PBN.com Senior Account Managers: Linda Foster, 680-4812 | Foster@PBN.com Jim Hanrahan 680-4816 | Hanrahan@PBN.com Advertising Coordinator: Joyce Rylander 680-4810 | Production@PBN.com

IT’S PERSONAL People in the News............................................................30 Mackay’s Moral...................................................................31 To Savor: Jessica Norris Granatiero................................. 32 Guest Column: Lisa Rangel............................................... 35 Editorials and Opinion....................................................... 36 One Last Thing: Cliff Wood............................................... 38

5Q | 4

FOCUS: SMALL BUSINESS

EDITORIAL

For many, COVID-19 sparks desire for a venture

Editor@PBN.com | Fax: 401-274-0670

Rhode Island saw a record number of business starts in 2020, exceeding 10,000 in a single year for the first time, despite a crippled economy and people being forced out of work...................................1

Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820 | Mello@PBN.com Managing Editor: William Hamilton 680-4826 | Hamilton@PBN.com

Eateries look for recipe to solve staff shortage

Web Editor: Chris Bergenheim 680-4886 | Bergenheim@PBN.com

Restaurateurs say the extra $300-a-week federal unemployment bonus and competition for available workers are some of the reasons they are struggling to fill needed positions......................18

Copy Editor: Matt Bower, 680-4824 | Bower@PBN.com

Lists Rhode Island SBA Lenders................................................ 22 Rhode Island’s Largest SBA Loans................................... 24 Rhode Island Distilleries, Breweries and Vineyards........ 28

Special Projects Editor/Researcher: James Bessette 680-4838 | Bessette@PBN.com

BUSINESS WOMEN | 8

(EDUCATION, NONPROFITS)

Staff Writers: Nancy Lavin, 680-4822 | Lavin@PBN.com (ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FINANCIAL SERVICES)

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMPANIES Armory Revival Co. Bailey Beattie Apiaries LLC

14 6

R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council

12

R.I. Commerce Corp.

5

Brown University

14

R.I. Department of Environmental Management

Bryant University

18

R.I. Department of Labor and Training

Cassie’s Cans Inc.

8

R.I. Department of State

20

Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce

7

R.I. Emergency Management Agency

12 15

Chris Costa Media LLC

20

Rhode Island School of Design

Cornish Associates LP

12

Rhode Island Small Business Coalition

Federal Hill Commerce Association

18

Rising Sun Mills LLC

Himatsingka Inc.

15

Imbriglio’s Pizzeria Napoletana Marina Café & Pub

14 5, 16, 18

7 14

Sardella’s Italian Ristorante

5

5

Service Corps of Retired Executives

20

5

Siena

18

Narragansett Bay Commission

12

The Greysmith Cos.

18

Narragansett Brewing Co.

12

The Providence Foundation

14

National Grid

30

Tony’s Shoe Repair

16

Newport Needlepoint LLC

20

Trailblaze Marketing Inc.

7

Newport Restaurant Group

18

Traverse Landscape Architects LLC

6

pH Factor

15

United Way of Rhode Island

Pianta LLC

1

Providence Emergency Management Agency Providence Resilience Partnership

14 1

WHAT’S HAPPENING? SUBMIT YOUR NEWS AT PBN.COM/PBNCONNECT/

University of Rhode Island

14 12, 20

Warwick Mall WRIK Entertainment

www.facebook.com/providencebusinessnews @provbusnews www.linkedin.com/company/providence-business-news

2 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

12 7

Mary MacDonald 680-4830 | MacDonald@PBN.com (HEALTH CARE, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

Cassius Shuman 680-4884 | Shuman@PBN.com (GOVERNMENT, HOSPITALITY/TOURISM, WORKFORCE)

PRODUCTION

Production Director: Anne Ewing, 680-4860 | Ewing@PBN.com Art Director: Lisa Lagreca, 680-4868 | Lagreca@PBN.com

CIRCULATION

PBN@cambeywest.com | 1-855-813-5805

ADMINISTRATION

Fax: 401-274-6580 Business Manager: Tammy D’Antuono 680-4840 | Dantuono@PBN.com ©2021 Providence Business News Inc.

Providence Business News is published every two weeks by Providence Business News, 400 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903 (USPS 002-254) (ISSN 0887-8226) Periodical postage paid at Providence, R.I. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to 400 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903.

is part of your business.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 3

FOR STARTERS 5Q: Justine Hastings Founder and director, Research Improving People’s Lives

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

1

What is Research Improving People’s Lives and why did you start it?

Research Improving People’s Lives is a nonprofit tech-for-social-impact organization that works with governments to help them use data, science and technology to improve policy and lives.

We provide powerful, scientific-grade insights directly to policymakers so that they can positively impact lives, solve pressing social challenges, and build their own capacity to innovate and measure success going forward.

2

RIPL in 2019 launched a pilot program with the state of Rhode Island to integrate data analytics technology and training across state government. What are some of the major accomplishments of that program to date?

Rhode Island government and community leaders have had many tremendous accomplishments during this challenging year. Among these accomplishments was the development and launch of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance app to meet the surge of new unemployment benefits claims brought on by the COVID-19 crisis.

3 COURTESY RESEARCH IMPROVING PEOPLE’S LIVES

What have been the biggest challenges of the pilot program thus far?

One challenge is prioritization. Rhode Island state and community leaders are engaged and creative partners, eager to develop partnerships and innovative policies to measurably improve people’s lives. We were glad

to be in a position to help, given the historic challenges of the pandemic.

Those challenges continue, as does our collaboration and work to innovate with our state and community partners for Rhode Islanders in need.

4

How has integration of data analytics for Rhode Island proven useful during the pandemic?

The state’s Back to Work Rhode Island program is a great example. This program is helping people recover from the economic recession by using “Skipper,” an AI [artificial intelligence] and … [machine-learning-powered] chatbot that helps match people with jobs they can be successful in, identifying effective reskilling they may want to invest in and connecting them with resources to support their career.

5

Why is data analytics important for state government, and what long-term impact can it have on how the state operates and serves its constituents?

Using data, science and technology gives the government the tools to know what works, what doesn’t, and invest accordingly. Government can understand and measure unmet needs, and test and launch innovative policies [that] measurably meet those needs. n

We provide powerful, scientific-grade insights directly to policymakers.

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4 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOR STARTERS DINING OUT | BRUCE NEWBURY

Obstacles to recovery THE RESTAURANT JOBS PICTURE, like that in other industries, is proving to be a challenge to business owners as summer and our post-pandemic recovery is on the horizon. The “now hiring” signs and web postings appear to be going unanswered. There is no lack of theories as to why. While there is a shortage of staff, there are also other factors at work. As always, the truth is in the middle.

Many restaurateurs will acknowledge the problem, but very few will speak on the record. Richard Sardella, longtime restaurant owner and proprietor of Sardella’s Italian Ristorante, Imbriglio’s Pizzeria Napoletana and Marina Café & Pub, and former Newport mayor, did. Sardella says that it is a difficult and detailed issue. His staff was out of work when restaurants were among the first to be closed down. As he was able to reopen partially, first for takeout then for outdoor dining, he was able to bring employees back. With 41 years of business under his belt, Sardella and partner Patrick Fitzgerald were in a good position. Many staffers have been on board at Sardella’s restaurants for many years. Such long-standing employees are more likely to stay put.

There have been reports statewide of employees being aggressively solicited by competitors. Depending on individual circumstances, this action may or may not be to the advantage

of either the business making the offer or the staffer. It would appear to contradict the point of view being expressed by state employment specialists, as well as those in places such as R.I. Commerce Corp. Those officials are encouraging people from outside the restaurant and food service fields to apply. Also, the announcement in late April that the R.I. Department of Labor and Training would again require those receiving unemployment benefits to document that they are available and actively searching for work. This is resulting in a trickle of candidates and interviews.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has been accepting applications for grants from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. For the first three weeks only, applications from restaurants owned by women, veterans and “socially and economically disadvantaged” applicants were processed and paid out. Although any restaurant can apply, some say restaurants that remained open during the pandemic – that is, never completely closed their doors – have been informed they are not eligible for such grants.

Another business owner speaking on the record – Ted Tomlinsen, who owns a restaurant and pub in Colchester, Vt. – noted that it would have been to his advantage to close his doors, furlough his staff and then

Long-standing employees are more likely to stay put.

ON DUTY: Server Lauren Withers delivers food to a table at Sardella’s Italian Ristorante in Newport. Owner Richard Sardella believes his 41 years in the restaurant industry has been an advantage in retaining employees because they’ve been with him for so long.

COURTESY SARDELLA’S ITALIAN RISTORANTE

come back, funded by the government grant. Upon reflection, his analysis is that if he had done that, much of his staff would not have returned. As it is, he lost one employee out of a staff of 35 to an offer by a competitor.

It is interesting to note the response to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund by a San Francisco restaurateur who told The Associated Press that the grant would allow her to go back to February 2020 and apply the funds to help pay down debt and catch up on past due rent. What makes this interesting from a Rhode Island

standpoint is that the 1% meal and beverage tax collections for the month of February 2021 declined only 7.4% from February 2020 because the pandemic restrictions happened. Time will tell if the pre-pandemic period was as good business-wise as we want to remember. n Bruce Newbury’s radio show and podcast, “Dining Out with Bruce Newbury,” is broadcast on WADK 1540 AM and several radio stations throughout New England. Email him at Bruce@BruceNewbury.com.

When you’re ready to fly again.

We are ready.

PVDairport.com www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 5

FOR STARTERS SOMETHING NEW

SPOTLIGHT

HOMEMADE HONEY: Calvin Alexander opened Bailey Beattie Apiaries LLC after starting beekeeping as a hobby and expanding into 10 active hives in production.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Beekeeper turns hobby into career

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

WHEN CALVIN ALEXANDER was a young student in an agricultural program, he watched as a beekeeper, in short-sleeves and jeans, gathered a swarm of honeybees and put them into a box.

People nearby were in awe as the man went about his business.

“I was very impressed by that,” said Alexander, who would later move from his home in Trinidad and Tobago to pursue a degree at the University of Rhode Island.

Alexander went on to become a field scientist, but he never lost his fascination with bees. When he and his wife were house hunting, one of their requirements was enough of a yard to accommodate a few hives.

For a few years, those Warwick-based hives were a hobby.

But he kept expanding. In July, with 10 active hives in production, Alexander opened Bailey Beattie Apiaries LLC. The young business provides honey to the Industrious Spirit Co. distillery in Providence, which infuses it into specialty drinks. But otherwise, Alexander mostly sells his product to friends and acquaintances.

His bees are a study in intelligence, division of labor and industriousness.

“I grew up in the countryside.

Everyday life for me was growing what we ate,” he said. “When I got into beekeeping, it was an extension of that.” n

GROWTH SECTOR: From left, Kris Bradner, Arthur Eddy and Ashley Iannuccilli Cullion, principals with Traverse Landscape Architects LLC, at the Hammetts Hotel in Newport. The company, which recently completed the landscape planning for the hotel, has seen its portion of business related to the hospitality sector increase dramatically in the past several years.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

Outdoor spaces in demand Architect designs schools, hotels

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

LONG AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS GONE, its influence on school and hotel designs will be seen across New England.

Traverse Landscape Architects LLC, a small but growing firm based in Providence, has seen its portion of business related to K-12 schools and hospitality facilities increase dramatically in the past several years.

planning for the new Hammetts Hotel in Newport, which opened last year.

While the firm does not disclose sales revenue, it has seen annual growth exceeding 10% in the last four years, with the exception of 2020, which was down slightly, according to Bradner.

This year, the firm is projecting a smaller amount of growth.

Most of its contracts come through long-term relationships with people, according to Bradner.

The residential market, led by Ashley Iannuccilli Cullion, a principal with the firm, has seen 70% growth in the last few years, Bradner said.

Residential work includes design for new construction along the coast, as well as significant renovations. That portion of the business swelled as more people from other locations, including New York and Massachusetts, bought properties in Rhode Island, according to Iannuccilli Cullion.

“People have really honed in on the fact that during COVID, your landscape, your home, is your safe space, your oasis,” she said. “That’s been very exciting for us.” n

Schools, for example, including public and private new construction and additions, now represent about 60% of its business, according to Kris Bradner, a principal with the firm.

Traverse was hired to work on the site design and master planning for the state’s largest public school project, the new East Providence High School.

The pandemic has influenced design choices, inspiring the landscape architects to create new outdoor classrooms and designs that bring the outdoors into the building footprint, such as through courtyards.

“There has always been a trend, especially in the work we do in Massachusetts, for outdoor learning,”

Bradner said, “taking advantage of nearby wetlands for an outdoor classroom or creating a courtyard space that is great for outdoor learning that has shade or amenities. Those were trends that were already happening. With COVID, it’s become more so.”

The firm, which was established in 2011, conducts full site planning, as well as landscape architecture. In the past several years, it has grown from five full-time employees to 11, reflecting the growth in residential, hospitality and education sector clients.

Hospitality, and specifically hotels and restaurants creating more outdoor space, has been another growth sector. The company recently completed the landscape

OWNERS: Kris Bradner, Ashley Iannuccilli Cullion, Arthur Eddy

EMPLOYEES: 11

YEAR FOUNDED: 2011

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Landscape architecture

ANNUAL SALES: WND

LOCATION: 150 Chestnut St., Fourth Floor, Providence

6 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOR STARTERS HOT TOPIC

So far, bizs hopeful about Matos

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

MEMBERS OF THE small-business community have been buoyed by Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos’ initial actions in her role as Gov. Daniel J. McKee’s administration liaison to Rhode Island businesses, many of which are struggling to recover from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While McKee has continued to push a controversial plan to tax businesses for forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans greater than $150,000, Matos has said she is open to alternative proposals and is embarking on a “listening tour” to get a sense of how the business community is weathering the coronavirus crisis.

The office of lieutenant governor has traditionally lacked power, a source of frustration when McKee was second in command while Gov. Gina M. Raimondo was in office.

Unlike McKee, who was elected to the lieutenant governor’s office, Matos was nominated in March by McKee, who has vowed to make her a key part of the administration.

Lauren E.I. Slocum, Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce president, said it could pay dividends for the business community to have the

governor and lieutenant governor working together.

“We are really glad that it appears that this is really the first time in a very long time that it seems to be a team, and not two individual positions of governor and lieutenant governor,” said Slocum. “I think the more the governor and lieutenant governor are able to work together, are able to identify challenges within the state, there is nothing better to brainstorm solutions.”

Slocum said it is critical to have a lieutenant governor that focuses on issues and legislation that impacts businesses.

“We have to be willing to reach out, and not just expect the phone to ring,” she said. “And [the administration] has to be willing to not only accept the call but listen to what is said.”

While Matos is willing to consider alternatives to McKee’s proposal to tax Paycheck Protection Program loans, she said she is aligned with McKee in his support of small business and is joining him in touring businesses in the state’s 39 cities and towns in 100 days.

Christopher Parisi, owner of Trailblaze Marketing Inc. and co-founder of the Rhode Island Small Business Coalition, said that when he discusses small-business issues with Matos, she cites specific businesses that are

‘She understands her role, and takes it very seriously.’

CHRISTOPHER PARISI, Trailblaze Marketing Inc. owner

See related story on Page 16 experiencing those issues.

“That gives her a perspective that is really helpful,” said Parisi, who has appeared on Matos’ Facebook Live Small Business Town Hall events.

“She understands her role and takes it very seriously.”

Parisi believes Matos will serve in the same manner as McKee, who he said was an important voice for small businesses as lieutenant governor.

Richard Lataille is taking a waitand-see approach.

“She has only been in the role a very short time,” said Lataille, a sole proprietor of WRIK Entertainment, a North Smithfield business that provides entertainment services for events such as weddings. “I know it’s hard to hit the ground running, but I haven’t seen a whole lot being done for small businesses in general.”

Lataille said while the Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant program is beneficial to restaurant businesses, he would like to see the lieutenant governor find ways to aid other industries.

“Her office has influence,” he said.

“So, if she can bring to light what’s happening out in the community, then that would speak volumes.” n

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 7

FOR STARTERS | BUSINESS WOMEN

An idea Collinson just couldn’t let go to waste

BY JENNIFER L. GRYBOWSKI | Contributing Writer

THINK

about any dirty, feces-related joke, and Cassie Collinson guarantees she has heard it.

“People find out what I do and like to tell me jokes,” she said. “It doesn’t bother me.”

That’s because Collinson is the owner of Cassie’s Cans Inc., a port-a-potty rental company for construction sites, based in the South Kingstown village of West Kingston. It also doesn’t bother Collinson, or her all-female crew, to work in a male-dominated industry.

“It’s truly not a tough world to be in,” she said. “We treat the guys with respect, and they do the same back. We aren’t going on-site expecting to be noticed or treated differently because we are women. They are there to do their job; we are there to do ours.”

So how does a young woman end up in the port-a-potty industry?

“I worked with sewer lines at my dad’s rooter company and got my feet wet with blue-collar work in the waste industry,” she said. “I got the idea I wanted to start a business and my dad and I were throwing ideas around and sort of jokingly said I should start a Porta-John business.”

The idea stuck with her, and within a few months, she had secured financing and started her own business. She was 19 and had a couple of portable toilets she was ferrying to some local sites operated by friends. By the time she was 20, she had a full-blown rental business on her hands.

Now six years later, she has three service trucks and two employees.

“I think we have gained clientele through our attention to detail by providing toilets as clean as we can get them,” she said. “We are on small and large job sites and we treat every customer as if they are my first customer.”

She also has two mascots on staff: German shepherds named Ozzy and Kaiser.

“They go everywhere with me,” she said. “People are disappointed when I show up without them.”

Cassie’s Cans services the entire state, and it is difficult to overlook the lime and dark green structures.

“When I started, I didn’t want to step on any toes,” she said. “Nobody had that color yet and I wanted it to stand out. I came up with that from a marketing standpoint. I went with the loudest

LIFE OF THE POTTY: Cassie Collinson says she’s learned a lot about business since starting Cassie’s Cans Inc. six years ago, when she was 19. The South Kingstown company rents portable toilets for construction sites.

PBN PHOTO/ ELIZABETH GRAHAM

‘I’ve messed up in all departments and learned from it in all departments.’

CASSIE COLLINSON, Cassie’s Cans Inc. owner 8 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

color I could so that I’d have my own brand.”

Collinson said seeing site work move from start to finish is her favorite part of the job, but she also enjoys getting positive feedback.

“It’s nice picking up a new customer or starting a new relationship and having them say, ‘Hey, that girl was great, really friendly,’ ” she said.

“Positive feedback about staff is big to me.”

Fortunately, the pandemic didn’t affect her bottom line as much as it did in some industries.

“COVID-19 actually gave us a little bit of business,” she said. “Most sites stayed open as long as they were within regulations.”

The biggest challenge she faced in 2020 was the same one everyone else was facing: getting enough toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

“My vendors were backed up three to four months,” she said. “I was getting Purell at Walmart and grabbing whatever toilet paper I could at the stores, but I could only get two at a time, so I was going out to different stores every day. For a business 100% about sanitation, that was the biggest thing, but we got by and made it work.”

Collinson said the past six years have been a blur.

“Anybody can go out and pump a toilet, but I had to figure out how to get legit,” she said. “I was trying to understand business and what it means and build it up on paper. Who do I buy chemicals from? How do I get a state ID? What insurance do I need?

As far as growing a business, you truly only learn in those dark, nittygritty moments.”

Collinson often would spend all day pumping toilets and then work on administrative tasks well into the night.

“I’ve messed up in all departments and learned from it in all departments,” she said. “From learning to bid properly, to making mistakes on the clerical side, to lacking in maintenance on service trucks, I learned you have to have a strategy [instead of] panicking. Now I’m in a position where I feel a little more confident with anything that gets put in my lap.

If there is a mess-up, I can tackle it.

That growth is something I’m super proud of. I would never have pictured myself being able to do it.”

She is also proud of her two staff members, Karissa Doak and Selena Gordon.

“These girls are doing some pretty rugged work, and learning these skills and maintaining their schedules gives them a confidence boost,” Collinson said.

She feels good about where her business is now.

“I’m grateful that I got into business at a great time in a good economy, with supportive family and friends,” she said. “I had something to prove and I’m proud of the effort, blood, sweat and tears, and pushing through is something I’m proud of.

I’m not necessarily fighting for something now. I’m in the flow of a working business and that momentum has been so rewarding.” n

FOR STARTERS TRENDING

Most-read stories on PBN.com, April 2021

1

Applications open for new $200M rent assistance program POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 1 A new $200 million rent assistance program for tenants and landlords who have been hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic was launched.

The program, known as RentReliefRI, is intended to help eligible state residents who are having trouble covering their rent or housing-based utilities. pbn.com/applications-open-for-new-200m-rentassistance-program

2

CVS Health to reopen Woonsocket HQ in September POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 28 CVS Health Corp. will begin reopening its Woonsocket headquarters in September.

When employees return, it will be in a phased manner and the time frame could change deAP FILE PHOTO/GENE J. PUSKAR pending on public health guidance. pbn.com/cvs-health-to-reopen-woonsocket-hqin-september

3

Former Benny’s HQ and distribution center buildings sell for $20 POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 8 The former Benny’s headquarters and distribution warehouse on Waterman Avenue in Smithfield were sold for $20, according to real estate records.

COURTESY SWEENEY REAL ESTATE & APPRAISAL Esmond Realty Corp. sold the properties to 340 Waterman Avenue LLC on March 26. pbn.com/former-bennys-hq-and-distribution-center-buildings-sell-for-20

4

Should Rhode Island lawmakers OK a special tax on bottled and canned sugary drinks?

POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 23 Legislation under consideration in the R.I. House and Senate would add a 1.5-centper-ounce tax on sugary drinks such as soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened teas and coffees.

PBN FILE PHOTO/NICOLE DOTZENROD pbn.com/should-rhode-island-lawmakersok-a-special-tax-on-bottled-and-canned-sugary-drinks

5

Woman accused of embezzling $580K from Cranston auto body shop POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 1 Idalee Johnston, of Pawtucket and a secretary of Ideal Auto Body in Cranston, was accused in federal court of defrauding her employer of $580,000. She allegedly created a scheme in AP FILE PHOTO/J. DAVID AKE which she pocketed the proceeds from roughly 190 checks provided to customers by insurance companies as payment for repairs to their vehicles. pbn.com/woman-accused-of-embezzling-580k-from-cranston-auto-bodyshop

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R.I. to start significantly relaxing COVID-19 business restrictions in May POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 22 pbn.com/r-i-covid-19-cases-rise-by318-with-2-new-deaths

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Seagrave-Whittle heads PBN 2021 Business Women honorees POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 16 pbn.com/seagrave-whittle-headspbn-2021-business-women-honorees

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McKee committed to PPP taxation over $150K POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 7 pbn.com/mckee-committed-to-ppptaxation-over-150k

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Ice cream, wine and beer: I-195 District park to host new food and beverage options POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 23 pbn.com/ice-cream-wine-and-beeri-195-district-park-to-host-new-foodand-beverage-options

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Orsted, Eversource plan wind farm manufacturing facility at ProvPort POSTED ONLINE: APRIL 14 pbn.com/orsted-eversource-planwind-farm-manufacturing-facilityat-provport

NOT JUST ANY BUSINESS. We’re committed to creating

YOUR HEALTH PLAN SHOULD FIT YOUR BUSINESS.

a plan that’s right for your business.

WE HEAR YOU. SEE HOW.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 9

FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING EDITOR’S CHOICE

Auchincloss to speak at Chamber town hall

UPCOMING PLANS: U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., will answer questions about his agenda for southeastern Massachusetts during One Southcoast Chamber of Commerce’s May 18 virtual town hall.

ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER of Commerce will hold a virtual town hall meeting that will feature U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from the congressman and ask questions about his agenda for southeastern Massachusetts.

TUESDAY, MAY 18, 9 A.M. Free Online.

COURTESY ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/3w7up9dm

Networking on the links THE NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce will hold a “Nine & Wine” event, hosted by the Women’s Business Council. The networking event includes lunch, nine holes of golf and post-golfing cocktails. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

MONDAY, MAY 17, 11:30 A.M. TO 4 P.M. $60/lunch only; $200/golfer Kirkbrae Country Club, 197 Old River Road, Lincoln.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/4tjkd2u4

36th ANNUAL

May 26, 2021

WORLD TRADE DAY 2021

THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL TRADE:

THE CENTRAL RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce will hold a workshop titled “Getting to the Bottom Line” as part of the Chamber’s TuneUp Tuesday series. Richard Nagele, president of Advantage Marketing Information, will moderate the workshop and help attendees rethink ­marketing.

TUESDAY, MAY 18, 8-9 A.M. Free

CHANGES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Presented by: The John H. Chafee Center for International Business Please join us on May 26th for Bryant University’s 36th World Trade Day, an opportunity for learning and connecting. This virtual event will include keynote presentations, small group discussions and networking, centered around today’s important global trade issues.

The event will feature a message by Gina M. Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS:

GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS:

Responding to the crisis and creating resiliency.

Keynote Speaker: Peter Tirschwell, Vice President, Maritime and Trade, IHS Markit.

Skyrocketing freight costs, lack of containers, port congestion and an overall disruption in supply chains around the world are creating problems for both importers and exporters.

“The challenge for companies is how to assess which changes we are seeing now will become permanent and how to deal with the current crisis, while working to create resiliency within the supply chain and mitigate risk in the future.”

GLOBAL MARKETING:

Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/2nw5jh9e

Talk with legislators THE NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce will hold a discussion with local legislators from Pawtucket. The goal is to discuss the economy, as well as bills that are winding their way through the legislature that are of interest to the city’s business ­community.

TUESDAY, MAY 18, NOON TO 1 P.M. Free

Changes, Challenges and Opportunities

Online.

Trade Shows in the post-COVID Era As the world gets ready to recover from the COVID pandemic, what role will trade shows and exhibitions play, how will digital drive their development, and how can you be sure to be safe when you return to the show floor? Keynote Speaker: Kai Hattendorf, CEO, UFI Global Association of the Exhibition Industry

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/sjt633yn

Pivoting to Virtual: Fostering Connections and Driving Revenue Hear how one team quickly pivoted to a fully virtual event strategy in the face of the pandemic and learned how to foster close human connection through the screen. Keynote Speaker: Elle Woulfe, Vice President of Growth Marketing, InVision

Joining us on May 26th to kick off World Trade Day will be the Honorable Dan McKee, Governor of Rhode Island.

Working for yourself THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise, in conjunction with the AARP Foundation, will hold a webinar titled “Work for Yourself@50+.” The webinar will offer five steps on how older adults can easily decide whether they wish to start a new business.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 11 A.M. TO 1 P.M. Free Online.

SPONSORS: Diamond

Rethinking marketing

Gold

Silver

Bronze

TO REGISTER: www.bryant.edu/worldtradeday or call 401-232-6525 10 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/5fna5je9

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

WHAT’S HAPPENING | FOR STARTERS Business after hours THE SOUTHERN RHODE ISLAND Chamber of Commerce will hold a virtual Business After Hours networking event. Attendees will have the opportunity to address the group for one to two minutes to outline what they do, who they are looking to connect with, how their business has adapted to the pandemic and what other attendees can do to support their business.

There will be “breakout rooms” for attendees to connect.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 5-6 P.M. $5/members; $10/nonmembers

TUESDAY, MAY 25, NOON TO 1 P.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl. com/sstmts4a

Unconscious bias at work THE GREATER PROVIDENCE Chamber of Commerce will host a workshop titled “Unconscious Bias at Work.” Dionne Wright Poulton, vice president and chief diversity officer for Care New England Health Sys-

tem, will discuss how unconscious bias has manifested in the workplace and beyond, and provide examples of ways to practice self-reflection and self-awareness.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 10-11 A.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/5f3v6mt3

QuickBooks Q&A THE RHODE ISLAND Small Business Development Center will hold a workshop titled “Q&A on QuickBooks.”

Jim Crisafulli, a business consultant

for the RISBDC, will lead the workshop.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 12:30 P.M. TO 1:30 P.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/v4ak7tbj

UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The 2021 Business Women Awards program will be held virtually at noon on Thursday, May 27. For more information, visit PBN.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/yzu8zw88

Employer vaccine rights ONE SOUTHCOAST CHAMBER of Commerce will host a small-business seminar on employer vaccine rights, and how the American Rescue Plan Act will impact the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Wendy L. Hansen, an attorney for Foley & Foley PC, will be the event’s keynote speaker. Registration is limited to 100 attendees.

THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2-3 P.M. Free Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/u3eryk97

Tactical actions THE TAUNTON AREA Chamber of Commerce will hold a workshop titled “Practical and Tactical Actions for Small Business Owners.” Abram Claude of Ameriprise Financial Services will present tips and practices for small-business owners, such as taking care of employees, creating a productive workforce, salary, retirement plan and Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness.

TUESDAY, MAY 25, 10 A.M. Free/members; $10/nonmembers Online.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/aews99rr

Before we speak, we listen.

How do we build the relationship that will work best for your business? By listening.

So tell us about your plans, challenges, and goals. Then, we’ll talk about all the ways we can help you succeed.

centrevillebank.com/commercialbanking

Is a startup right for you?

THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise will hold a workshop that will explore entrepreneurship and small-business ownership. Attendees will learn about the common traits and characteristics of entrepreneurs, identify the risks and rewards of selfemployment, conduct a self-assessment that will help attendees decide if business ownership is right for them and discuss the importance of a business plan.

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER NMLS#402947 MEMBER FDIC

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5/4/21 2:46 PM

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 11

FLOOD

ADVANCED PLANNING: Arnold “Buff” Chace Jr., managing principal of Cornish Associates LP, is co-chairman of a group called the Providence Resilience Partnership, which is looking at how to better understand and prepare the city for flood risk and secure federal funding for its priorities.

RISK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Resilience Partnership is trying to sound warning bells about the looming threat to the capital city posed by rising water, a warming climate and even the less-obvious hazard of an archaic stormwater system.

The goal: mobilizing business and civic leaders to advocate for action on flood protection.

At stake is the state’s economic engine, a city where flood insurance covers about $163 million worth of properties, yet almost $3.8 billion worth would be exposed in a category 3 hurricane, according to data in a February report by the Providence Resilience Partnership.

“This is not just about a building getting water damage,” said Chace, founder and managing partner of Cornish Associates LP and also co-chairman of the Providence Resilience Partnership. “It’s about the organism or entity that is our capital city, our downtown. The state cannot lose its downtown to climate change.”

And it’s not just downtown. From the Port of Providence to Fox Point to Olneyville, block after block of city streets could be deluged. Add in vulnerable wastewater infrastructure and antiquated stormwater drains, and few areas of Providence are safe from floodwaters.

The warnings sounded by the resilience group have taken on increased importance with the change in the White House. Many believe President Joe Biden’s administration is poised to earmark funds for research and tools that could better gird cities such as Providence against rising tides.

To get a slice of that money, business and civic leaders need to be unified, officials say.

MIXED MODELING First, leaders need to understand the problem.

The 127-page resilience report says the lack of a comprehensive model for Providence’s flood risk is “an impediment to data-driven investment and decisions.” It also means people likely underestimate how vulnerable the city is, the report stated.

Several flood models have been developed but their conclusions differ widely, diluting the sense of risk.

Take, for instance, Cornish Associates’ Nightingale Apartments on Mathewson Street, a six-story, 143-unit building that opened last year.

The maps developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency conclude the building, like most of downtown, faces a 0.2% risk of a 500-year flood and does not require flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program, in part because the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is designed

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

to protect downtown from storm surges.

Meanwhile, the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council has developed its own, nationally recognized flood risk modeling but with a limited purview that focuses on the state’s coastal areas.

The CRMC’s Providence maps, which do not account for the hurricane barrier, predict a 100-yearflood would inundate the Nightingale in 7½ feet of water.

Meanwhile, a model developed by Isaac Ginis, a professor at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, anticipates a slow-moving hurricane with heavy rainfall would swamp most of downtown with 14-15 feet of water. Ginis’ model assumes the hurricane barrier wouldn’t close in a power outage likely to accompany a severe storm.

Chace has made sure his downtown properties have flood insurance coverage even though it’s not required. But many business owners aren’t aware of the risk and don’t seek coverage unless mandated by FEMA. Among them is Mark Hellendrung, CEO of Narragansett Brewing Co., which will soon open a brewery and taproom in the city’s Fox Point section in May. The 18,000-square-foot building is just a few hundred feet from the Providence Harbor.

Yet Hellendrung was surprised to discover that it falls just outside FEMA’s designated special

flood hazard area.

While the two-year, $6 million renovation project included environmental review and “a whole litany of stuff with the Narragansett Bay Commission” about stormwater, flood coverage wasn’t required, Hellendrung said. So he doesn’t have it.

He was unaware of CRMC’s models, which suggest that, with 2 feet of sea-level rise, parts of the property would be under more than 10 feet of water in a 100-year storm. But he also was not overly worried.

“It’s hard to manage your business on that kind of a ‘maybe’ of a 100-year flood,” Hellendrung said.

INLAND ISSUES Also impeding the public’s understanding of the risk is that most studies only look at coastal flooding from major bodies of water.

“If you get a quarter-mile away from a river channel, FEMA isn’t going to cover it,” said Jeremy Porter, head of research and development for New York-based nonprofit First Street Foundation, which has also created its own model for flood risk.

First Street’s analysis found that nearly 25,600 properties across Rhode Island faced some risk of flooding – 11% more than FEMA maps indicate.

Providence ranked No. 1 for the city with the most properties at risk – 5,200.

The risk became reality in the spring of 2010 when extended rainfall had Rhode Island rivers overflowing their banks. While the Pawtuxet River farther south garnered the most attention because it closed Warwick Mall, the Woonasquatucket River in the Olneyville and Valley sections of Providence did its share of damage, too. Flooding inundated shopping plazas, mills and businesses, and it forced the evacuation of residents. Countless other businesses and property owners were left to deal with flooded basements.

FEMA did not respond to multiple inquiries from Providence Business News for comment.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

PARTIAL PICTURE: A map created by the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council’s Stormtools software shows potential flooding in Providence during a 100-year storm, assuming 2 feet of sea-level rise. The map doesn’t account for the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier, and it doesn’t represent other flood risks throughout the city.

COURTESY R.I. COASTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL STORMTOOLS

12 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

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FLOOD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

But Joseph Dwyer, risks and hazards planner for the R.I. Emergency Management Agency, said the FEMA models are not intended to predict future events – they’re meant for insurance purposes.

Still, FEMA has acknowledged the need for an update, with plans to release a new risk-rating and insurance program later this year. Exactly how that will change assessments of risk or insurance costs is unclear.

Meanwhile, the CRMC’s Metro Bay Special Area Management Plan covers floodplain redevelopment, environmental protections and recreational water uses for the 24 miles of shoreline and riverfront near urban parts of Narragansett Bay, including along the Woonasquatucket River in Providence, according to Jeffrey Willis, CRMC’s executive director. But its oversight, which by statute is limited to within 200 feet of a coastal feature such as a tidal river, does not cover the inland parts of the city.

And neither of these models addresses how river and flash flooding, caused by heavy rainfall and stormwater runoff, might impact Providence, yet the city faces a 67% chance of river flooding and a 42% chance of flash flooding through 2024, according to a 2019 Providence Emergency Management Agency report.

‘AN OLD CITY’ Other sources of inland flooding also pose major risks, including an antiquated stormwater system that can be overwhelmed by heavy rainfall.

H. Curtis Spalding, a professor at Brown University’s Institute at Brown for Environment and Society and co-chairman of the Providence Resilience Partnership, said the weaknesses of the stormwater system could be the most alarming threat to Providence. Yet it has gone largely unnoticed.

“That’s the biggest hole we saw,” he said of the findings from the resilience report. “We have an old city [that] is not built to handle this kind of future.”

Gumming up the process of upgrading the system are complications over who owns which pipes and who is responsible for them – both the city and the Narragansett Bay Commission own portions of the stormwater system.

The commission and the city have agreed to make improvements in a legal settlement with the R.I. Department of Environmental Management, but so far, those efforts have been largely confined to monitoring, maintenance and identifying illegal sewer connections, the Providence Resilience Partnership report said.

‘We have an old city [that] is not built to handle this kind of future.’

H. CURTIS SPALDING, Institute at Brown for Environment and Society professor Just maintaining the system is “inadequate,” the report concluded.

Spalding said Providence needs a flood model that examines stormwater runoff to better understand weak points and develop priorities for improvements.

Pam Rubinoff, associate manager of coastal resilience at the URI Coastal Resources Center, acknowledged that inland flooding has not received the attention that coastal flooding has in recent years.

“The modeling available for coastal communities is just more advanced than what we have inland,” she said.

Still, city Planning Director Bonnie Nickerson said Mayor Jorge O. Elorza’s administration has made climate change a priority for several years.

“We’re thinking about how to bake in resiliency in every single project,” she said.

One example: the city’s efforts to overhaul an area around Kennedy Plaza. The original intent was to add lighting and safety features to a tunnel under Memorial Boulevard that leads to Waterplace Park. But earlier this year, the city and its consultant realized that was not an option, as the tunnel was already flooding during minor storms.

The plans were changed to include an elevated walkway, and the river walk around Waterplace Park would be raised 3 feet to account for future sea-level rise.

Those alterations are OK for a public project.

But Nickerson said requiring private developers to take such measures would be difficult. “That’s really for FEMA and CRMC to determine,” she said.

MAKING THE CASE Hellendrung was also wary of additional regulations, having waded through heaps of red tape around building codes, insulation and stormwater to renovate an empty warehouse into a beer-brewing and drinking destination. He said imposing flood requirements for developers would have a “massive impact” – and not, in his view, a good one.

Cliff Wood, executive director for The Providence Foundation, acknowledged that these ideas

SURGE PROTECTOR: Mark Van Knoppen, center, co-founder of the Armory Revival Co., and employees Ed Barbehenn, left, and Wilson Rosario, install a flood gate at the company’s Rising Sun Mills mixed-use development in Providence to protect against potential floods.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

14 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

can be “problematic” for businesspeople. But much of that stems from a lack of awareness.

“Most people are aware of climate change, but they see it in abstract terms,” he said.

The Providence Resilience Partnership’s report, which the foundation helped pay for, turns it into something more concrete, which is key to getting business owners on board, Wood said.

Spalding shared his sentiment.

“Business owners understand that in order to be successful, you have to manage risk,” he said.

“So when we put it that way, in terms of managing risk, it started to resonate.”

Also a key point of persuasion: developers and businesses looking to relocate or expand into Providence want to know their investments are protected against climate change. A city without a plan or an understanding of how bad flooding might get cannot compete, Spalding said.

Mark Van Noppen, managing director of the Armory Revival Co., often has prospective tenants ask about flooding when eyeing office space in his company’s mixed-use Olneyville development, Rising Sun Mills LLC. Many are aware that a portion of the renovated mill complex was damaged during the 2010 floods. It wasn’t catastrophic but caused headaches for the 40 office tenants temporarily displaced while Armory Revival replaced drywall and made other repairs, Van Noppen said.

A quarter-mile down Valley Street, United Way of Rhode Island headquarters sits on the bank of the Woonasquatucket. Lynn Corwin, executive adviser for strategic initiatives, recalled frantically lifting boxes, filing cabinets and computers off the floor before the flood in 2010 as she watched the roiling river creep up to the exterior doors.

When she and her co-workers were evacuated that afternoon, they could barely drive out of Olneyville, which was covered in shallow water.

When she returned three days later, she was amazed to find the building untouched.

The steep, 20-foot incline between the river and the building saved it, though United Way still conducts regular audits with its insurance company to assess flood risk, the nonprofit said.

ACT TOGETHER Van Noppen wasn’t interested in risking that kind of flooding again, and he knew his tenants wouldn’t be, either.

Now when marketing the space, real estate brokers point out the rows of wide steel strips inlaid into the pavement around the building. If a major storm hits and the nearby Woonasquatucket starts to rise, they will play an important role in stopping the surge from entering the Rising Sun. The 13 strips each connect to a custom-made, watertight flood gate. The 2-foot-tall steel structures take a few hours to construct, and the company holds regular training drills.

Van Noppen feels confident Rising Sun Mills now can hold back a flood. Mother Nature hasn’t yet tested it.

Most scientific models about flooding look out over a 30- or 50-year period, which might give the impression that there’s plenty of time to tackle the issue. But those leading the charge in Providence say the time is now.

Showing that the private, nonprofit and government representatives are aligned and organized on this issue is critical to winning what will surely be a competition for money the Biden administration is expected to make available, officials said.

“We need to get our act together, to be ready, so when the opportunity presents itself, we are ready,” Chace said. n

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS She runs shop with worldly view

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: This is the ninth installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each will be asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success.)

WHEN PRIYADARSHINI HIMATSINGKA moved to New York City from India for college, her dark skin and multisyllabic name sometimes prompted questions about her Indian upbringing.

“People would ask me, ‘Do you have electricity in India?’ ” Himatsingka recalled.

Himatsingka never felt maligned because of her race; rather, she saw the questions as a curiosity and, perhaps, a lack of awareness about other cultures.

Thirty years later, Himatsingka still finds herself discussing her Indian roots with strangers who come to peruse the eclectic assortment of jewelry, home goods and kitschy trinkets in her store, pH Factor, on Hope Street in Providence. But again, Himatsingka never views those discussions as negative; instead, she’s happy customers are interested to learn more about the origins of the textiles and Hindu god statues she sources from Indian merchants.

“People will come in and talk to me about India,” she said. “But I don’t think people come to pH Factor or buy my jewelry because I am Indian. My work speaks for itself.”

Before the pandemic, the East Side shop frequently offered free tea and cookies for shoppers, alongside a small parlor area specifically intended to foster casual conversations.

“I view my business as an extension of my home,” she said. “There’s no separation between business and personal to me.”

Indeed, it was the craving for that face-to-face connection that led Himatsingka to open the store in 2019. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she already owned and operated her own jewelry manufacturing business. She loved the work but found the hours of solitude in her Pawtucket studio isolating.

Handcrafted jewelry, both from her company Himatsingka Inc. and other local artists, features prominently among the Hope Street wares. But to categorize its products is difficult: framed vintage prints share shelf space with whimsical greeting cards. There are hand-painted piggy banks and bejeweled cashmere gloves “It’s my eye, things I like and appreciate,” Himatsingka said of how she chooses what to feature and sell in her store.

Much of her taste is influenced by her upbringing, not only in India but the many trips around the world she took with her family, thanks in part to the global nature of her family textile business.

While she was the first in her family to attend college outside India, New York already felt somewhat familiar – her family company had an office there.

And her initial academic interests – she earned a

CURIOSITY WELCOMED: ­Priyadarshini Himatsingka, owner of pH Factor on Hope Street in Providence, doesn’t mind discussing her Indian roots with customers who ask about her background.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Priyadarshini Himatsingka pH Factor owner, Himatsingka Inc. president bachelor’s degree in photography and philosophy at New York University before studying jewelry design at RISD – weren’t widely available in India.

In the three decades she has lived in the U.S., she has never felt discriminated against or mistreated because of her race – a credit, in her eyes, to the open-mindedness and diversity of the communities in which she has lived.

Opening her two businesses was by no means easy, but the challenges she encountered were not based upon her race. She never had to take out a loan – an oft-cited source of discrimination among minority business owners – nor has either business

ever been the target of racist comments or attacks.

Seeing the wave of hatred and violence against Asian Americans over the last year, and particularly in recent months, struck a chord with her.

She, like many, wants to use her success to address and talk about racial issues but feels at a loss for how to put that into action specifically through her business. Committing to only buying products from Asian artisans, for example, simply wasn’t practical from a business perspective.

“I am always mindful of who I am buying from and what I am introducing into the store,” she said.

“But there is that aesthetic guidance, too.”

1

4

Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do?

As a longtime resident of Providence, I personally feel that Rhode Islanders have been very fair and supportive of my store. However, launching a business is a daunting prospect, and minorities certainly face barriers that other populations do not.

2

How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model?

My store generally serves the East Side. I’m proud to say that we have people from all walks of life shopping at pH Factor. In our case, we don’t specifically rely on the support of any particular group.

We welcome everyone, and I appreciate that people from very diverse backgrounds have expressed that they enjoy the store and spending time there!

Launching a business is a daunting prospect, and 3 minorities certainly face barriers.

What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success?

Publicity for minority-owned businesses is a huge boost, and we are always grateful for coverage in the press. I feel strongly that local newspapers and magazines should be doing their part in featuring minority-owned businesses.

Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions generally treat minorities fairly?

We have been fortunate in that we have not had to turn elsewhere for a loan. In my experience, Rhode Island seems to be rather fair and unbiased in treating minorities – or at least the establishments that I have dealt with have been. My business-owner friends in the community – specifically businesses owned by people of color and women-owned businesses – have found support, and funding, and encouragement from the local community.

5

If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn to for support for their business, where would you direct them?

I’d suggest leaning on the larger community for help. Before I launched pH Factor, I talked with several business leaders in the community, and each of them provided me with guidance, recommendations and advice. It was incredibly helpful in informing how I navigated my launch.

The great thing about Rhode Island’s small size is that it’s easier to network and share information than other places I’ve lived. My advice would be to take advantage of that. n

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 15

ANOTHER LOOK | PBN.COM Matos: A voice for ‘business leaders at all levels’

BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

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

PROVIDENCE – Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos has been handed the reins of smallbusiness advocacy at a critical juncture, as many are still struggling to remain solvent amid the ongoing pandemic.

Sworn in as lieutenant governor on April 11, the former Providence City Council president and Gov. Daniel J. McKee have begun a tour of the state’s 39 cities and towns. McKee’s presence is in contrast to his own solo statewide tours as lieutenant governor and highlights the partnership he hopes to foster between the state’s two highest elected offices.

Matos’ office oversees the state’s Small Business Advocacy Council. McKee earned a reputation as a staunch small-business advocate during his six years as lieutenant governor.

In a recent Q&A with Providence Business News, Matos said she remains “completely aligned” with McKee on helping Rhode Island businesses recover from the pandemic. But she also wants to be a voice for businesses of all sizes.

And while McKee says he remains committed to a legislative proposal to tax Paycheck Protection Program loans greater than $150,000, Matos told PBN she remains “open to alternatives” to the tax that business groups have strongly opposed.

What do you see as your main area of focus in assisting the state’s small businesses? Do you expect to do it the same way Gov. McKee did, or do you have a different perspective?

We must support our small businesses and provide them with the access, tools and knowledge of how to launch and/or operate a business in the state, which is why I plan to continue doing the Facebook Live Small Business Town Halls. In addition, bringing the state’s directors together provides for valuable face time that a business owner might not be able to get because they are working and running their business.

Further, we will be working with midsize to large-size businesses to address their concerns as well. Of course, the focus on small business is essential, but in my role, I want to make sure that I am hearing from business leaders at all levels. During my term, I plan to visit as many small and large businesses as possible.

Gov. McKee and I are completely aligned on our approach to supporting and helping businesses recover from the past year.

Have you developed a strategy or plan for aiding the state’s businesses as they recover from the pandemic and adapt to the new economic landscape?

We have laid out the framework of a plan, but there is still more work to do on it, but we are getting there.

The lieutenant governor’s office oversees the Small Business Advocacy Council. We will engage them and other small-business partners in the coming weeks to further inform our goals and objectives.

I also plan to continue to work with the governor and Commerce Secre-

tary [Stefan] Pryor on what is needed and how best my office can continue to support businesses as they build back from the pandemic.

The governor has proposed taxing Paycheck Protection Program loans greater than $150,000. Why is it fair to affected businesses for Rhode Island to expect them to pay this surprise tax when most other states have already committed to not imposing this tax?

Right now, I’m going on a listening tour of businesses and am open to alternatives that the General Assembly and our business community may explore.

What do you think will be the most challenging issues for the state in addressing the needs of businesses?

What I hear right now is the lack of workers. Some businesses are desperate for employees. We need to encourage employees to go back to work with the knowledge that they can still access the additional stimulus provided by the federal government in unemployment insurance benefits.

I look forward to learning about [R.I.] Department of Labor and Training Director [Matt] Weldon’s plans and discussing the bill in the General Assembly to create opportunities for workers to slowly get back to work while maintaining that added boost of the unemployment insurance stimulus.

What has been your assessment of businesses from touring the state over the past few weeks? Is there an interesting story you could share?

Things are looking better. We aren’t there yet, but there is relief in sight. We are nearing our goal of 70% of the population with at least one shot

OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS: Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos says she’s aligned with Gov. Daniel J. McKee, left, on helping the business community, but she acknowledges she’s open to alternatives to McKee’s controversial proposal to tax forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans.

COURTESY R.I. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR/JONATHAN BISSONNETTE

in their arms and closer to being fully vaccinated. With that, things will get back to a more normal environment.

If I had to pick two words to describe our state’s business community, it would be resilient and innovative – because they are.

I was in Central Falls and paid a visit to Tony’s Shoe Repair, and it was terrific to hear how he has been working throughout the pandemic. His story was inspiring to me and how he has managed to operate in the everchanging business landscape of the past 15 months.

Providence, in many ways, is an economic engine for the state. Is there a role to play for state and local government in working with businesses to ensure downtown Providence, in particular, quickly rebounds from the pandemic-induced recession?

Our state and capital city are a regional tourist destination, from Westerly to Newport to the downtown corridor of Providence. As restrictions get lifted and our entertainment venues reopen, that will go a long way to helping our tourism, nightlife and entertainment industries.

Rhode Island is in a position to lead in the area of events and entertainment activation. Our location ... south of Boston and a few hours from New York, along with one of the best

Rhode Island is in a position to lead in the area of events and entertainment activation.

16 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

airports in the country, makes Providence and the Ocean State a perfect destination for conventions and large meetings. With that will come muchneeded revenue that our cities and towns are missing.

Are there any plans or innovative ideas that you would like to deploy to help Rhode Island businesses?

This is part of the framework that I stated earlier regarding helping our businesses. Because of the resiliency of our business community, I think innovation is our future.

Being a small state with so many major institutions of higher education and our proximity to other major cities makes Rhode Island a contender to harness the tech and innovation sector.

Rhode Island is the perfect place for businesses to locate. Being centrally located between two of the East Coast’s major commercial centers [Boston and New York], our commercial space is much more affordable than in those cities and desirable to many industries. In addition, as we have heard in the news, many corporations are rethinking their need for extensive and costly office space.

However, at the same time, as we are building back our businesses and bringing new companies into the state, we have to address the housing shortage that we are facing. Not just affordable housing but homes at all price points are pretty scarce at the moment. This is another area that I look forward to working on as lieutenant governor along with the governor and the members of the General ­Assembly. n

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 17

FOCUS | SMALL BUSINESS

Eateries look for recipe to solve staff shortage

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

WHILE

many iconic restaurants on Providence’s Federal Hill are starting to see a revival, the lights at Siena on Atwells Avenue remain off, tables empty and the doors locked.

The restaurant first closed in March 2020 due to state orders. Continued restrictions seemed too burdensome to justify reopening the restaurant later on. It does little takeout business compared to the Smithfield and East Greenwich locations, and the workers at nearby state offices and weekend theatergoers who comprise its customer base had disappeared, said co-owner Anthony Tarro.

Now what’s standing in the way of reopening is not the virus or state rules: it’s lack of workers. Tarro is already shortstaffed at the other two restaurants and has struggled to fill the two dozen open ­positions.

This doesn’t square with the state’s 7.1% unemployment rate in March, the latest data available. Just under 68,500 people collected continuing unemployment benefits as of the week of April 27, according to R.I. Department of Labor and Training data.

And here lies the problem, according to Tarro and other small-business owners.

The extra $300-a-week federal unemployment bonus has made not working more appealing than getting a weekly paycheck.

“It’s to the point where it’s so prevalent that people are straight-up telling employers that’s why they don’t want to work,” said Rick Simone, head of the Federal Hill Commerce Association.

Simone estimated that there are about 300 positions available at about 40 businesses on Federal Hill, many of which have gone unfilled for months. It’s not just busboys and servers; management and “backof-house” line cook and chef jobs are hard to fill, according to Tarro.

A trained chef himself, Tarro acknowledged that the life of a cook – long, stressful hours on your feet – made it hard to find qualified staff even before COVID-19.

Competition among the increasing number of restaurants, hotels and tourism businesses dependent on these workers doesn’t help either, said Casey Riley, chief operating officer for Newport Restaurant Group.

But what was already a challenge has become an insurmountable obstacle.

“We’ve had ads placed for almost two months looking for 52 cooks, and we are still looking for 52 cooks,” he said. “That’s not normal.”

The hospitality industry may be particu-

‘People may not feel the risk is worth the reward.’

EDINALDO TEBALDI, Bryant University economics professor 18 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

HUNGRY FOR HELP: Anthony Tarro, co-owner of Siena restaurant, says the business has struggled to find workers recently. In the background, sous chef Michael Lynch assists Tarro in the kitchen of Siena’s East Greenwich location.

PBN PHOTO/ ELIZABETH GRAHAM

larly vulnerable because it has to add both seasonal workers and backfill the many people laid off during the last year. But hiring woes can be found across all types of business.

More than 40% of National Federation of Independent Business members surveyed in March said they had job openings they couldn’t fill.

The Greysmith Cos., a Providence staffing agency, has seen a similar 20% decline in applications for its positions, said Briana Iannelli, the company’s director of performance operations.

A major contributor is the attitude of potential candidates has changed.

“The perception with job seekers is that remote jobs are abundant and [they] should be able to get one,” Iannelli said.

But that perception is not necessarily reality – only about 10% of the jobs Greysmith hires for in professional services, health care and customer service industries allow for telecommuting. Faced with applicant shortages, they are encouraging employer clients to consider a hybrid work model.

Those aren’t options in a restaurant. But restaurant owners are offering their own incentives. Newport Restaurant Group is giving an extra $125 weekly throughout the summer to back-of-house workers who are hired before June 1.

Tarro is also offering a one-time signing bonus, as well as a $250 gift card to anyone who refers a candidate who then gets hired.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers are considering how to rework unemployment benefits. A bill introduced April 16 by Rep. Carol McEntee, DSouth Kingstown, would increase the amount people can earn working part time and still collect partial unemployment benefits.

Matthew Weldon, DLT director, was optimistic this would “flip the disincentive” while also lessening the amount of unemployment benefits the state is paying out. Only about 10% of the 68,000 people collecting unemployment in April were working any hours at all; incentivizing just 2,600 more people to go from full to partial unemployment would pay for itself, he said.

The state is also looking to restart its pre-COVID-19 policies requiring unemployment recipients to actively look for work, Weldon said.

While this may help with temporary staffing shortages, it won’t solve the long-term labor market changes, including the 20,000 Rhode Islanders who dropped out of the workforce over the last year, said Edinaldo Tebaldi, an economics professor at Bryant University. Low wages will also pose problems if employers don’t increase their hourly pay, Tebaldi warned.

“Especially given the higher risk of these jobs now, people may not feel the risk is worth the reward,” he said.

Tarro said his company is considering offering benefits such as dental and vision coverage and wholesale club memberships.

“It has made us look inward,” he said. n

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FOCUS | SMALL BUSINESS STARTING UP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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Many others have jumped into opening businesses, too. Despite the public health crisis that crippled the economy, Rhode Island saw a record number of business starts in 2020 – a time that also saw a record number of business closures.

The R.I. Department of State recorded 10,533 new business filings last year, the first time the state has had more than 10,000 filings in a single year. And the deluge of new businesses has continued into the first quarter of 2021, with 3,585 new filings from January through March, which is a 43% increase from the 2,511 new business filings for the same period in 2020.

“You would think that in a pandemic it would be debilitating, but it hasn’t been,” said Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea.

Why? Edward M. Mazze, a University of Rhode Island distinguished professor of business administration, said the move by many people to establish businesses of their own is driven by an unprecedented stay-at-home economy, leading to increased internet activity and sparking a shift in consumer behavior.

“It shows a certain optimism about the future in terms of the overall economy,” said Mazze. “It’s built on the notion that people want to become the masters of their destinies.”

Megan McCutcheon acknowledged that she had no idea what she was doing when starting her business, Newport Needlepoint LLC, which she said began as a distraction, then a hobby, before filing articles of incorporation through the secretary of state’s website last year.

“I had a lot of extra time at home during the lockdown, so I had time to devote to a hobby – needlepoint,” said

‘Now I am trying to figure out how to become profitable.’

MEGAN McCUTCHEON, Newport Needlepoint LLC owner

McCutcheon, who is also a marketing director for a company that produces COVID-19 tests.

She now operates a website – newportneedlepoint.com – and has Facebook and Instagram pages for the company. She sells needlepoint products such as bracelets, headbands and cuffs.

“I realized I had a lot of fun designing patterns and coming up with product ideas,” said McCutcheon, who has been doing needlepoint for 15 years. “I also noticed a gap in the market for fashion-forward finished needlepoint goods, so the business idea was born.”

McCutcheon said it was reassuring to find free information about starting a business on the internet, including connecting with a volunteer mentor from the Service Corps of Retired Executives.

“Now I am trying to figure out how to become profitable,” she said.

While the internet has made it easier to start a business, it hasn’t eliminated the risk.

Mazze noted that about 60% to 70% of businesses fail within two years, and 80% fail in about four years. The reasons range from a lack of funds to no market for products or services.

The pandemic has taken its toll. In 2020, the state saw the largest number of business closures in its history.

State records show that 1,721 businesses dissolved last year, up from 1,379 the year before.

Chris Costa said he was hesitant about leasing office space to fully launch his business in December.

Costa operates Chris Costa Media LLC, a Pawtucket-based video production company, an industry that he has been working in for about 14 years.

“It was a bit risky,” he said. “Luckily, I don’t have any employees that I have to worry about. That is one thing that helped me stay afloat … I am such a small operation.”

At first, business was slow because of the crisis, Costa said. But the increased use of remote technology gave him a boost. “It’s because I do video production and marketing, and I think people are using video more now than ever,” said Costa.

Costa received a $2,500 Paycheck Protection Program loan that enabled him to lease his office space, which he felt legitimized his business. He had previously been working from home.

“That was a big financial commitment for me,” Costa said. “So the first few months that I was busy, I was

SMALL BUSINESS | FOCUS

PRODUCT OF THE PANDEMIC: Megan McCutcheon displays some of the items she produces for Newport Needlepoint LLC, a company she started when the state went into a lockdown last spring at the height of the pandemic.

PBN PHOTO/KATE WHITNEY LUCEY

Together under

still a little skeptical because of the pandemic.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” said Costa. “Through all the bad things that have happened, one of the good things is that we are reworking the way that people are doing business.”

Politano said that starting her restaurant meant taking a giant leap of faith during the unlikeliest of times.

“The whole thing was scary,” she said. “I never thought starting my own business was realistic because I never knew how I could take the pay cut to get started in the industry and maintain my life paying a mortgage and other things.”

Politano said she had received positive feedback about her cooking after delivering food to her family during the pandemic. She reached out to her aunt and a mentor for advice, leading her to sell her house, move to Providence and open a takeout-only operation in a 200-square-foot “cloud kitchen” on Bath Street. She has five employees.

The goal now is to open a cafe.

“It’s always been the dream, but I never thought I’d be able to actualize it,” she said. “So I’m over the moon to be where I am at right now.” n

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FOCUS | RHODE ISLAND SBA LENDERS (ranked by number of FY 2021 loans) FOCUS | RHODE ISLAND SBA LENDERS (ranked by number of FY 2021 loans) Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

No. of loans 1

Amount of loans

Preferred lender Certified lender

Ocean State Business Development Authority | osbda.com Russell Gaston, president

155 South Main St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 454-4630

14

$5.9 mil.

No Yes

Webster Bank N.A. | websteronline.com John R. Ciulla, chairman, CEO and president; Douglas E. Scala, regional president, southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island

50 Kennedy Plaza Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 228-2000

13

$6.6 mil.

Yes Yes

2020: 2

2

HarborOne Bank | harborone.com James W. Blake, CEO

770 Oak St. Brockton, Mass. 02301 (508) 895-1338

13

4

BankNewport | banknewport.com John F. Murphy

10 Washington Square Newport, R.I. 02840 (401) 846-3400

4

Bay Colony Development Corp. | baycolony.org David King

6

2021 rank

1

2020: 1

2

2020: 11

CLOSER LOOK

Re-ranked by amount of loans:

1

HarborOne Bank Amount of loans: $6.7 million

$6.7 mil.

Yes Yes

10

$2.7 mil.

No Yes

1601 Trapelo Road, Suite 222 Waltham, Mass. 02451 (781) 891-3594

10

$2.7 mil.

No Yes

South Eastern Economic Development Corp. | seedcorp.com Susan Murray, executive director

80 Dean St. Taunton, Mass. 02780 (508) 822-1020

7

$4.6 mil.

No Yes

7

New England Certified Development Corp. | newengland504.com Paul F. Flynn, president

500 Edgewater Drive Wakefield, Mass. 01880 (781) 928-1100

6

$3 mil.

Yes Yes

7

Citizens Financial Group Inc. | citizensbank.com Bruce Van Saun, chairman and CEO; Keith Kelly, president, Rhode Island

1 Citizens Plaza Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 456-7000

6

$4.9 mil.

Yes Yes

9

Community Investment Corp. | ctcic.org Mark Cousineau, president

2315 Whitney Ave., Suite 2B Camden, Conn. 06518 (866) 776-6172

5

$477,550

No Yes

Bank Rhode Island | bankri.com Paul A. Perrault, CEO and president, Brookline Bancorp Inc.; Mark J. Meiklejohn, CEO and president, Bank Rhode Island

1 Turks Head Place Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 456-5000

5

$4.5 mil.

Yes Yes

9

Navigant Credit Union | navigantcu.org Gary E. Furtado

1005 Douglas Pike Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 233-4700

5

$1.6 mil.

No Yes

9

Newtek Small Business Finance Inc. | newtekone.com Barry Sloane, chairman, CEO and president

212 West 35th St. New York, N.Y. 10001 (212) 356-9500

5

$4.9 mil.

No No

Bristol County Savings Bank | bristolcountysavings.com Patrick J. Murray

35 Broadway Taunton, Mass. 02780 (508) 824-6626

4

$405,000

Yes No

Bank of America Corp. | bankofamerica.com Brian T. Moynihan, chairman and CEO; William F. Hatfield, Rhode Island president 2

100 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (800) 432-1000

3

$1.1 mil.

Yes Yes

14

Centreville Bank | centrevillebank.com Harold M. Horvat, chairman and CEO

1218 Main St. West Warwick, R.I. 02893 (401) 827-9100

3

$932,500

No Yes

14

The Washington Trust Co. | washtrust.com Edward O. Handy III, chairman and CEO

23 Broad St. Westerly, R.I. 02891 (401) 348-1200

3

$1.1 mil.

Yes Yes

 William F. Hatfield will retire in July.

2020: NL

14

Berkshire Bank | berkshirebank.com Richard Marotta, CEO

24 North St. Pittsfield, Mass. 01201 (800) 773-5601

3

$285,000

No Yes

14

 George Charette III is retiring as CEO and president at the end of May. Brian A. Azar will become the credit union’s new CEO and president.

Eastern Bank | easternbank.com Robert F. Rivers, chairman and CEO

265 Franklin St. Boston, Mass. 02110 (617) 897-1008

3

$364,000

NA NA

19

Greenwood Credit Union | greenwoodcu.org Frederick W. Reinhardt

2669 Post Road Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 739-4600

2

$450,000

No Yes

Pawtucket Credit Union | pcu.org George J. Charette III 3

1200 Central Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02861 (401) 722-2212

2

$2.6 mil.

No Yes

Celtic Bank Corp. | celticbank.com Reese Howell Jr., chairman and CEO; Wade Newman, president and director

268 South State St., Suite 300 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 (888) 796-4543

2

$5.1 mil.

No No

2020: 15

TD Bank N.A. | td.com Steve C. Webb, regional president, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut

180 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 455-2900

2

$275,000

Yes Yes

2020: NL

23

Jewett City Savings Bank | jcsbank.com Kevin Merchant

111 Main St. Jewett City, Conn. 06351 (860-376-4444

1

$1 mil.

NA NA

2020: NL

23

Wells Fargo & Co. | wellsfargo.com Charles W. W. Scharf

100 Westminster St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 443-1721

1

$548,000

Yes Yes

23

United Midwest Savings Bank | umwsb.com Edward N. Cohn

101 South Main St. DeGraff, Ohio 43318 (800) 626-2913

1

$1.3 mil.

No No

2020: 2

2020: 4

2020: NL

2020: 10

2020: 4

2020: 20

9

2020: 6

2020: 7

2020: NL

13

2020: 20

14

2020: 15

2020: NL

2020: 9

2020: NL

2020: 11

19

2020: NL

19

2020: 20

19

2020: NL

22 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

1 Number of loans and amount of loans reported by the U.S. Small Business Administration from Oct. 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021.

2

Webster Bank N.A. Amount of loans: $6.6 million

3

Ocean State Business Development Authority Amount of loans: $5.9 million

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists for more information.

UPCOMING LISTS May 28: Diversity Officers, Intellectual Property Lawyers, Veteran Employers; June 11: High Tech Funding Sources, Regional Banks, Rhode Island Credit Unions WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

NL = Not listed last year.

FOOTNOTES j Number of loans and amount of loans reported by the U.S. Small Business Administration from Oct. 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021.

el e f u o y Can nt? e m e t i c the ex Thank you to all who applied.

Winners will be announced in early June.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact 680.4800 or Advertising@PBN.com #PBN40Uforty www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 23

FOCUS | RHODE ISLAND’S LARGEST SBA LOANS (ranked by size of FY 2020 loan) FOCUS | RHODE ISLAND'S LARGEST SBA LOANS (ranked by size of FY 2020 loan) Lender

Loan amount

Borrower

City

Transaction date

Loan program

1

Bay Colony Development Corp.

$5,500,000

SL Development Group LLC

Woonsocket

July 2020

504

2

Bay Colony Development Corp.

$4,998,000

Seaview Inn LLC

Middletown

Sept. 2020

504

3

South Eastern Economic Development Corp.

$4,465,000

Mussuchuck Properties LLC

Warren

March 2020

504

4

Citizens Financial Group Inc.

$4,000,000

Rhody Rug Inc.

Lincoln

March 2020

7A

5

South Shore Bank

$2,670,000

Gurudevtown LLC

East Greenwich

June 2020

7A

6

Webster Bank N.A.

$2,500,000

Grow Materials LLC

East Greenwich

Aug. 2020

7A

2021 rank

7

Live Oak Banking Co.

$1,950,000

JJ Duffy Funeral Home Inc.

Cumberland

Aug. 2020

7A

8

TD Bank N.A.

$1,810,000

305 Provisions Group Inc.

Warwick

April 2020

7A

9

Citizens Financial Group Inc.

$1,754,000

Saint & Sons Inc.

Smithfield

Jan. 2020

7A

10

Citizens Financial Group Inc.

$1,555,000

Sheehan Psychotherapy Associates

Warwick

Aug. 2020

7A

Bay Colony Development Corp.

$1,426,000

Joseph M Toole

Newport

Sept. 2020

504

12

Newtek Small Business Finance Inc.

$1,280,000

KR Enterprises Inc.

North Kingstown

Feb. 2020

7A

13

Bank Rhode Island

$898,000

Phoenix Property Management Inc.

Warwick

July 2020

7A

14

HarborOne Bank

$885,000

Pro Cut of RI Inc.

Cranston

Aug. 2020

7A

14

Gulf Coast Bank and Trust Co.

$885,000

Sorriso Pasta And Wine

Providence

July 2020

7A

16

New England Certified Development Corp.

$870,000

Perdan Enterprises LLC

Pawtucket

Jan. 2020

504

17

Bristol County Savings Bank

$850,000

87 CNE LLC

Coventry

Aug. 2020

7A

18

Webster Bank N.A.

$831,200

Nexgen Mechanical Inc.

Warwick

Sept. 2020

7A

19

Ocean State Business Development Authority

$665,000

Prosperity Properties, LLC

Westerly

March 2020

504

20

Wells Fargo Bank N.A.

$612,200

Nima Behazin, DMD LLC

South Kingstown

March 2020

7A

20

Wells Fargo Bank N.A.

$612,200

Taban Holdings LLC

South Kingstown

March 2020

7A

22

TD Bank N.A.

$550,000

SWN Food Service Corp.

Warwick

April 2020

7A

22

Bank Rhode Island

$550,000

Union Studio Architecture & Co.

Providence

May 2020

7A

24

New England Certified Development Corp.

$539,000

D4 Properties LLC

Warwick

April 2020

504

25

Ocean State Business Development Authority

$525,000

MJT Inc.

Warwick

July 2020

504

11

24 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

CLOSER LOOK

Number of 7(a) loans on the list:

17

Number of 504 loans on the list:

8

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists for more information.

UPCOMING LISTS May 28: Diversity Officers, Intellectual Property Lawyers, Veteran Employers; June 11: High Tech Funding Sources, Regional Banks, Rhode Island Credit Unions WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

VIRTUAL AWARDS EVENT WINNERS | APRIL 29, 2021 CAREER ACHIEVER

RISING STAR

The Washington Trust Company, EVP, Chief Retail Lending Officer

Town of North Kingstown, Personnel Manager

MARY NOONS

HALEY LATTINVILLE

CORTNEY NICOLATO

CHRISTOPHER EARLE

EDWARD MCPHERSON

MICHAEL EDWARDS

PHYLLIS PELLETIER

MARY HALPIN

SIOBHAIN SULLIVAN

STUART KIELY

United Way of Rhode Island, President & CEO

Family Service of Rhode Island, Chief Financial Officer

YMCA of Greater Providence, Director of Information Systems

Centreville Bank, SVP, Human Resources

Newport Mental Health Director of Marketing and Fund Development

Rhode Island Medical Imaging, COO, Clinical Operations

Falvey Insurance Group, Chief Financial Officer

MATOUK, VP, Digital Strategy

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS PRESENTING SPONSOR

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GIFT SPONSOR

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities for next year’s C-SUITE event, contact 680.4800 or Advertising@PBN.com

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 25

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PBN is now accepting nominations for our Leaders & Achievers Awards.

26 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

BESTPLACES WORK

2021 AWARDS

ARE YOU READY TO MEET THE NRI CHAMBER ELC CREW?!

Join us at the Emerging Leaders Council Launch Party on June 8 at the Isle Brewers Guild from 5-7 pm

Timothy Flanagan

Kerri Rawcliffe

Christopher Stevens

Cindy Lepore

Christina Rouse

Ralph B. Gillis

The word is out! The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce is launching new programing. The Emerging Leaders Council is an inclusive team of upwardly mobile professionals whose mission is to engage and develop the next generation of business leaders. Thriving on a desire to enrich, ELC will host guest speakers, events and share valuable insights about community and career development. It is a vehicle for those involved to grow professionally and create connections that will last a lifetime.

All are welcome. To register: www.nrichamber.com or call 401.334.1000

Save the date

August 26th 25 Leaders and Achievers* will be recognized for their notable success and strong leadership both in their fields and to the region.

Honorees will be chosen based on their long-standing commitment to the business community as well as a sustained demonstration of leading others, community service and mentoring. *Nominees should be over 55.

Now, more than ever, is the perfect time to recognize those company executives and business owners who are going above and beyond to lead their organizations through the toughest of times.

Apply at PBN.com For sponsorship and advertising opportunities contact Advertising@PBN.com | 401-680-4800

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 27

FOCUS | |RHODE RHODEISLAND ISLANDDISTILLERIES, DISTILLERIES,BREWERIES BREWERIESAND ANDVINEYARDS VINEYARDS (listed alphabetically)

(listed alphabetically)

Company | Website Owner/manager(s)

Address Phone

Flagship products

Amenities

Apponaug Brewing Co. | apponaugbrewing.com Tamara McKenney and Kris Waugh, owners and cofounders

334 Knight St. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 681-4321

Antilles, Aureate, Cabin Essence, Lonely At the Top, Senectitude, The Missing Piece, Viscosity

Restaurant/food on-site; tasting/ tap room

Beer On Earth | beeronearth.com Adam Henderson, owner

6670 Post Road North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 885-0580

Innocuous Blonde Ale, Up Before the Dog Coffee Porter

Retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room

210 Coddington Highway Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-6690

Blonde Ale, Chocolate Porter, Dopplebock, Irish Red Ale, Nut Brown Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Summer Wheat

Coddington Brew Pub | coddbrew.com Heidi and Billy Christy, owners

Re-ranked by newest breweries:

1 (tie)

South County Distillers Year founded: 2020 Restaurant/food on-site; tasting/ tap room

Crooked Current Brewery | crookedcurrentbrewery.com Jason Lourenco, president; Nichole Pelletier, vice president and brewmaster

560 Mineral Spring Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 473-8312

Blueberry American Wheat, Hawaiian Robust Porter, Irish Red Ale, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Oatmeal Raisin Stout, S'Mores Brown Ale, Tropical Milkshake IPA

Tasting/tap room

Foolproof Brewing Co. | foolproofbrewing.com Nick Garrison, founder and president

241 Grotto Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 721-5970

Backyahd IPA, Ocean State Lager, Tatour Rose Saison, The Depths Double IPA, The Grotto IPA, Vango Hoppy Sour Ale

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Greenvale Vineyards | greenvale.com Nancy Parker Wilson, president and general manager; Bill Wilson, operations manager and winemaker; Bill Wilson Sr., vice president and planning

582 Wapping Road Portsmouth, R.I. 02871 (401) 847-3777

Albarino, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay Select, Greenvale Vidal Blanc, Ramato, Skipping Stone White, Vermouth

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island | greysailbrewing.com Jennifer Brinton, owner and operator

63 Canal St. Westerly, R.I. 02891 (401) 212-7592

Captain's Daughter Double IPA, Flagship Ale, Flying Jenny EPA, Haze Ho New England IPA, Rotating Series, Leaning Chimney Smoked Porter, Little Sister Session IPA, Pour Judgement IPA

Tasting/tap room

The Industrious Spirit Co. | iscospirits.com Manya K. Rubinstein, CEO; Daniel Neff, distiller

1 Sims Ave., No. 103 Providence, R.I. 02909 (401) 626-4696

Sustainably sourced vodka, gins, bourbons and experimental spirits made from scratch at Providence’s first distillery since Prohibition

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Langworthy Farm Winery | langworthyfarm.com/thewinery.html Joe and Gail Sharry, owners

308 Shore Road Westerly, R.I. 02891 (401) 322-7791

Misquamicut Merlot, Pawcatuck River Red, Rhody Riesling, Shelter Harbor Chardonnay, Watch Hill Merlot

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Leyden Farm Vineyards & Winery | leydenfarm.com Jack and Maureen Leyden, owners

160 Plain Meeting House Road West Greenwich, R.I. 02817 (401) 392-1133

Jack's White Merlot, Leyden Vineyard Merlot, Leyden Vineyard Riesling, Leyden Vineyard White Zinfandel

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room

LineSider Brewing Co. | linesiderbrewing.com Jeremy Ruff, owner and head brewer

1485 South County Trail, Suite 201 East Greenwich, R.I. 02818 (401) 398-7700

VII Stripes, Black Point, Blonde Jovi, Harvest Kent County Common, Patience & Prudence, StrIPAh, White Knuckles

Retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room

Long Live Beerworks Inc. | longlivebeerworks.com Armando DeDona, president and brewer

40R Sprague St. Providence, R.I. 02907

Weekly releases

Tasting/tap room

Mulbury Vineyards | mulberryvineyards.com David and Melissa Wright, owners and managers

95 Pound Road Glocester, R.I. 02814 (401) 217-9288

Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gamay Noir (Blush), Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Narragansett Beer Co. | narragansettbeer.com Mark Hellendrung, CEO and president

461 Main St. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 437-8970

Allie's Donuts Porter, America's Cup Pilsner, Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout, Narragansett Lager

Tasting/tap room; tours

Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling Co. | newportcraft.com Brendan O'Donnell, CEO

293 JT Connell Highway Newport, R.I. 02840 (401) 849-5232

1639 Pale Ale, Rhode Rage, Storm Amber Ale, Storm Blueberry, Thomas Tew Single Barrel Rum

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Newport Vineyards and Winery LLC | newportvineyards.com John Nunes, owner, vintner and brewmaster

909 East Main Road Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 848-5161

Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Rose, Gewurztraminer, Newport Merlot, Newport Riesling, Rising Tide

Private event/meeting space; restaurant/food on-site; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Nickle Creek Vineyard | nicklecreekvineyard.com Steven J. and Sheri O'Connor, owners

12 King Road Foster, R.I. 02825 (401) 369-3694

Cabernet, Foster Red, Foster White, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Riesling

Retail sales on-site

Proclamation Ale Co. | proclamationaleco.com Lori Witham, president

298 Kilvert St. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 787-6450

Adelia, Derivative: Galaxy, Ethereous, Flummox Pilsner, Knock It Off, Nomenclature Double IPA, Tendril, The Ender

Retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room

Ragged Island Brewing Co. LLC | raggedislandbrewing.com Kathryn Gray and Matthew Gray, owners

200 High Point Ave., Unit B6 Portsmouth, R.I. 02871 (401) 318-2991

Baulston Porter, Beach Night IPA, Hydrofoil Double IPA, TwoTree IPA, Ruggles ESB

Tasting/tap room

Ravenous Brewing Co. | ravenousbrew.com Dorian Rave, founder and brewer

10 Industrial Road Cumberland, R.I. 02864 (401) 216-5331

Bienvenu French Quarter Red Ale, Blackstone American Pale Ale, Coffee Milk Stout

Private event/meeting space; restaurant/food on-site; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

28 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

CLOSER LOOK

1 (tie)

The Industrious Spirit Co. Year founded: 2020

3

Rhode Island Spirits Distillery & Tasting Room Year founded: 2019

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists for more information.

UPCOMING LISTS May 28: Diversity Officers, Intellectual Property Lawyers, Veteran Employers; June 11: High Tech Funding Sources, Regional Banks, Rhode Island Credit Unions WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write to Research@PBN.com.

FOCUS | |RHODE RHODEISLAND ISLANDDISTILLERIES, DISTILLERIES,BREWERIES BREWERIESAND ANDVINEYARDS VINEYARDS (listed alphabetically)

Company | Website Owner/manager(s)

Address Phone

Revival Brewing Co. | revivalbrewing.com Owen Johnson, CEO; Sean Larkin, brewmaster

(listed alphabetically)

Flagship products

Amenities

50 Sims Ave. Providence, R.I. 02909 (401) 372-7009

Locally brewed craft beer

Restaurant/food on-site; tasting/ tap room

Rhode Island Spirits Distillery & Tasting Room | rhodeislandspirits.com Kara Larson and Cathy Plourde, co-owners and distillers

59 Blackstone Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 744-9363

Rhodium Gin, Rhodium Vodka, Rhode Island Red Vodka, Rhodium Coffee & Black Walnut Vodka, Rhodium Limoncello, Rhodium Grapefruitcello

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Smug Brewing Co. | smugbrewing.com Robert DaRosa, founder and master brewer

100 Carver St. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 642-5701

Be Fruitful and Multiply, Blocker, Driving Miss Hazy, Short and Stout

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

Sons of Liberty Beer & Spirits Co. | drinksol.com Mike Reppucci, owner

1425 Kingstown Road South Kingstown, R.I. 02879 (401) 284-4006

Battle Cry Single Malt Whiskey, Bourbon, Loyal 9 Cocktails, True Born Gin, Uprising Single Malt Whiskey

Private event/meeting space; restaurant/food on-site; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room; tours

South County Distillers 1 | southcountydistillery.com Ryan Gwozdz, owner and distiller; Jennifer Brinton, owner and business manager

63 Canal St. Westerly, R.I. 02891 (401) 212-7592

Craft spirits and canned cocktails

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room

Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery | tappedapple.com John Wiedenhelf IV, John Wiedenhelf III and Adam Mercer, owners

37 High St. Westerly, R.I. 02891 (401) 637-4946

Cerise Noir, First Bite Cider, Light my Fire, Respect the Elder, Sweet Temptation, Watch Hill White

Private event/meeting space; retail sales on-site; tasting/tap room

Taproot Brewing Co. at Newport Vineyards | taprootbeer.com John Nunes, owner and CEO

909 East Main Road Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 848-5161

Barrel Aged, NewPorter, New England IPA, Vineyard Pils

Private event/meeting space; restaurant/food on-site; tasting/tap room

Trinity Brewhouse | trinitybrewhouse.com Joshua Miller, owner; Bianca Gallagher, manager

186 Fountain St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 453-2337

Belgian Gold, Belgian Quad, Belgian Strawberry, Darkness, Kolsch, RI IPA, Russian Imperial Stout, Screaming Viking

Private event/meeting space; restaurant/food on-site; retail sales on-site

Whalers Brewing Co. | whalers.com Wesley Staschke and Josh Dunlap, owners

1174 Kingstown Road South Kingstown, R.I. 02879 (401) 552-0002

Rise APA, Blockstar, East Coast IPA, Hazelnut Stout

Tasting/tap room

1 South County Distillers is a sister company to Gray Sail Brewing that launched in July 2020.

Their expertise, professionalism, and dedication helped our family-owned and operated business achieve a critical legal resolution in federal court—an outcome that preserved our business and its reputation.

With sincerest gratitude,

Re-ranked by cities and towns with most brewery locations:

1

Pawtucket No. of breweries: 5

2

Providence No. of breweries: 4

3 (tie)

Middletown No. of breweries: 3

3 (tie)

Westerly No. of breweries: 3

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette UPCOMING LISTS May 28: Diversity Officers, Intellectual Property Lawyers, Veteran Employers; June 11: High Tech Funding Sources, Regional Banks, Rhode Island Credit Unions FOOTNOTE j South County Distillers is a sister company to Gray Sail Brewing that launched in July 2020.

CONNECT LEARN PITCH

We wish to publicly thank the law o ce of David E. Maglio & Associates in Providence.

Because of David and his sta , we can again focus on manufacturing the best Americanmade apparel and gear for the men and women of our armed forces.

CLOSER LOOK

C

GE T STA RT ED

M

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

The Boezi family

K

Sponsored by:

*You can enter the Contest by visiting the official registration page at www.GetStartedRI.com and completing all of the required information and following all posted instructions. Contest is open only to legal residents of Rhode Island who: (1) are at least 18 years of age; (2) are the owner, principal, or general manager of a business that is physically located within a Cox Business serviceable area. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT (1) YOUR MATERIALS ARE NOT CONFIDENTIAL AND NO CONFIDENTIAL OR FIDUCIARY RELATIONSHIP IS INTENDED OR CREATED BY ENTERING THE CONTEST; AND (2) THE CONTEST ENTITIES MAY POSSESS OR COME TO POSSESS INFORMATION THAT IS SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL TO YOUR MATERIALS, AND YOU HEREBY AGREE THAT THE CONTEST ENTITIES MAY USE SUCH SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL INFORMATION WITHOUT LIMITATION, COMPENSATION, OR CREDIT TO YOU. Void where prohibited. Contest subject to Complete Official Rules. To obtain a copy of the winner’s list or a copy of these Official Rules, send your request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to “Cox Business Get Started” Winners/Rules, Heather Hall, Cox Communications, Inc., 6305 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA 30328. Sponsor: Cox Communications, Inc., d/b/a Cox Business, 6205-B Peachtree Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA 30328. © 2021 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 29

IT’S PERSONAL Neronha elected to law institute PETER F. NERONHA, R.I. attorney general, was recently elected to the American Law Institute. The institute is an independent organization producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize and otherwise improve the law.

What do you hope to bring the institute in your role as a member?

I look forward to participating in the work of the American Law Institute and hopefully being able to contribute in some small way. Although I’m sure some of it will be from a 50,000-foot, directional approach, I think there will also be an opportunity to get deeper into it and really have a direct impact on where the law should be headed. I see the opportunity with ALI as an extension of work my office is already doing to advocate for improvements in the law.

Where do you feel the laws in Rhode Island need to be improved the most?

For the past three years, we have submitted legislation to try to fix Rhode Island’s consumer protection statute but we haven’t gotten it over the finish line. Why is that legislation important? I can point to the National Grid gas outage on Aquidneck Island a few winters ago and the ensuing

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

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2021

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30 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

calls by legislators and gas customers for my office to look into what happened. With the way our state’s consumer protection statute is currently interpreted, my office cannot investigate any entity regulated by a federal or state agency. Another improvement would be to allow Rhode Island grand juries to release reports on their investigations, whether they hand down an indictment or not.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic heightened the urgency to improve the law?

If so, how?

From the beginning, COVID-19 presented unprecedented challenges to the criminal justice system and virtually every aspect of society. The pandemic has really laid bare many inequities and challenges that were already there. I think the consumer issues facing Rhode Islanders stemming from the pandemic will be with us for a long time. When things shut down, people couldn’t go to their

gyms, people had gift cards for restaurants that closed, travel was canceled, events were postponed. Stimulus checks and the large amount of people collecting unemployment benefits have created a perfect storm for scammers and fraud. Time will tell how our systems, and our laws, need to adapt.

What challenges need to be cleared for the laws to be improved?

Again, over time I think you start to see the need for laws to change in a particular way. For example, we have long believed as an institutional legal culture that you present your evidence in the courtroom and not in the press. But the state of where we are as a country right now, we know that “putting evidence out there” can sometimes tamp down the tensions that stem from the need for accountability. How to balance those factors – the rights of the accused, the public’s right to know, the interest of the press in what happens, and the credibility of law enforcement – really involves cutting-edge emerging issues that we need to take on as a country and as a state. n

r spot u o y e Reservuff today!

021 in St ER 1, 2

CTOB 1 ATE: O D 27, 202 N T O S I U T G A U C ION: A PUBLI ERVAT S E R E SPAC

IT’S PERSONAL MACKAY’S MORAL | HARVEY MACKAY

Manage your time wisely “HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN the relativity of time?” a professor was asked.

“Well,” she replied, “if I am rushing to catch a plane, and the check-in clerk is so slow that I miss my flight, the extra two minutes don’t mean much to him, but they sure make a difference to me. That’s relativity.”

Time is one gift that we are all given equally. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. The only variable is how many years we each have. And that alone is reason enough to make every minute count.

Have you ever wondered where all your time goes?

The average person spends seven years in the bathroom, six years eating, four years cleaning house, five years waiting in line, two years trying to return phone calls to people who aren’t there, three years preparing meals, one year searching for misplaced items and six months waiting at red lights.

That’s why prioritizing your time should be a top priority.

Now is a perfect time to develop a plan to ensure that everything you do is moving you in the direction of your goals and limiting the distrac-

tions that prevent you from realizing them. Do a quick audit of your day to consider whether you’re working hard or smart.

I’m a time-management freak, so anything I can do to save time is important to me. That includes returning phone calls at the end of the day, being specific in leaving messages when I’m available to prevent telephone tag, calling ahead to confirm an appointment and even the best place to park to get going quickly. Time is money. I can get more money, but I can’t get more time.

The value we place on each minute of every day will have a cumulative impact on the remainder of our lives.

Maybe that’s why Ben Franklin said, “Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both.”

Peter Drucker, the late manage-

ment guru, said, “Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed.

“Everything requires time,” he added. “It is the only truly universal condition. All work takes place in time and uses up time. Yet most people take for granted this unique, irreplaceable and necessary resource.”

My friend Wally “Famous” Amos sent me this story years ago. A man was working on a Saturday when he realized how he had lost track of his life’s priorities, including spending time with his family. He did a little arithmetic and figured the average person lives about 75 years. He multiplied 75 times 52 and came up with 3,900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person will live.

With his age, he figured if he lived to age 75, he would have 1,000 Saturdays

The value we place on each minute of every day will have a cumulative impact.

left, so he went to a toy store and bought 1,000 marbles and went home and put them in a large jar.

Every Saturday after that, he took one marble out and threw it away.

He found that watching the marbles diminish helped him really focus on the important things in life.

There’s nothing like trying to gauge your time here on Earth to get your priorities straight. When every minute is precious, you learn to use them to the fullest. As humorist Bob Murphey said, “The only person to succeed while horsing around is a bookie.”

A little boy, late for school, asked God to help him get there on time. He ran, stumbled and breathlessly said, “God, I asked you to help me, but don’t push me.”

Don’t let your time push you. Take the time to manage your time.

Mackay’s Moral: You can save time, but you can’t bank it. n Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com.

INNOVATION FOR A GREATER GOOD.

W

hen the pandemic hit, our physician research scientists were front and center, leading the way on the COVID-19 response. From important vaccine trial research and antibody testing validation, to serving as the faces of public health nationwide and in our state, Brown Medicine doctors continue to be at the forefront of medicine.

Brown Medicine physician-scientists partner with hospitals, clinicians and researchers in the U.S. and worldwide to address many kinds of global health challenges. It’s exciting to know our breakthroughs in research help lead to the improvement of healthcare and medical treatments throughout the world.

Affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

www.BrownMed.org

Transforming, inspiring and impacting the health of people and society.

That’s innovation for a “greater good.”

Louis B. Rice, MD

Angela M. Caliendo, MD, PhD

Leonard Mermel, DO, ScM, AM (Hon)

Karen Tashima, MD

Philip A. Chan, MD

Mitchell Levy, MD, MCCM, FCCP

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, PhD, FIDSA

Corey Ventetuolo, MD

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 31

IT’S PERSONAL TO SAVOR | JESSICA NORRIS GRANATIERO

A step up from Prosecco I’VE BEEN REMINISCING more about life before the pandemic. I recall one of my spring business trips to Italy for Vinitaly, the premier international wine event at which more than 100,000 people amass in Verona, a city in central northern Italy.

I enjoy the buzz of Vinitaly, yet I long for unexpected experiences outside of the event’s hustle and bustle.

This is when I discovered Lombardy, a hidden gem within a bucolic hour’s drive from Verona. It has mountainous glory, flora, fauna and food. It also has Franciacorta, an area that is home to Italy’s most renowned sparkling wine of the same name.

Franciacorta sits under the radar of many consumers. The country’s mass-produced and inexpensive Prosecco receives more attention. But there is great sparkling life beyond Prosecco. When talking with clients and friends who want to gift bubbles or virtually celebrate with team members, I often discuss Franciacorta. It is a “step up” from Prosecco, yet not as pricey as Champagne.

Franciacorta is often touted as Italy’s version of France’s Champagne. I make this comparison, too, but merely as context in describing the differences among Champagne,

Prosecco and Franciacorta. The care and attention to making Franciacorta are at a different level than Prosecco and that comes out in the resulting wine and price, which is often from $25-$50.

Italy, like other European countries, has a wine classification system that governs where and how a wine can be made. The highest level within the quality system is DOCG. DOC is the next tier. Prosecco was established as a DOC in 2009. Franciacorta

started as a DOC in 1967 and then was granted its higher DOCG status in 1995, with even more-stringent rules released since then.

Franciacorta is made in the same style as Champagne, with a second fermentation occurring in the bottle.

Prosecco’s secondary fermentation is in a tank, and then the wine goes into the bottle. Prosecco also is typically younger and fruit-forward than Franciacorta, which ages longer in bottle.

Some age up to five years in the bottle.

DRINK IN THE SCENERY: A vineyard in the territory of Franciacorta in Italy’s Lombardy region. The territory is where the sparkling wine Franciacorta is produced.

The grapes used to make Franciacorta are chardonnay, pinot bianco and pinot nero. Prosecco is made from mostly the Glera grape. Champagne is made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.

Does price equal better taste? My answer is: not always. However, typically, there is a direct relation to quality and price. So, is the $25-plus price of Franciacorta deserved? To me, yes. This does not mean Prosecco is not good. Believe me, I have enjoyed my fair share of Prosecco, which can be found under $15.

Lastly, Franciacorta is a great food pairing partner. No longer do we think just about red, white and rosé wines. Personally, I think sparkling wine, with its many fruit profile variations and acidity, is the best style of wine to pair with food. So, the next time you want to expand and elevate your or your team’s and client’s palate, ask your local wine shop for its Franciacorta options. Mirabella Franciacorta Rosé (under $30) is one I have been enjoying during spring. n Jessica Norris Granatiero is the founder of The Savory Grape, a wine, beer and spirits shop in East Greenwich.

COURTESY JESSICA NORRIS GRANATIERO

Reach our region’s most influential business and philanthropic leaders. Share your message with key placement in the 2021 edition.

2021

T

MISSION STATEMEN

SKILLS FOR’S RHODE ISLAND

FUT UR E S

BOARD OF DIRECTOR Ronald Arigo Amanda Bailey Timothy Byrne Cindy Erickson Jenifer Giroux Susan Hannon

REGIONAL PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES

David Himsey Jeffrey Lackey Rajani Mahadevan Amy T.M. Oakley Nina Pande Marie Trzupek Lynch John Sinnott Patricia A. Thompson Vera Tyagi Laurie White Jason Witham

INDUSTRIES SKILLSRI SUPPORT

CALLING ALL N O N- P ROF I T S I N RH OD E I S L A ND

Don’t miss out on the chance to have over 24,000 readers learn more about your mission.

MATERIALS DUE:

October 1, 2021 PUBLISH DATE:

October 29, 2021 32 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

• Administrative/Professional Services • Customer Service/Call Center • Financial Services • Food Service & Hospitality • Information Technology • Healthcare • Human Services • Maintenance/Custodial • Manufacturing • Retail • Sales • Transportation

for Rhode The mission of Skills is Island’s Future (SkillsRI) n to create demand-drive to solutions for employers and get the unemployed to work. underemployed back Through various workforce we development initiatives, of vision our meet to strive transforming lives through and meaningful employment economic mobility.

30 Exchange Terrace Providence, RI 02903 com 401-680-5960 ❤ skillsforri.

ABOUT SKILLS FOR (SKILLSRI) RHODE ISLAND’S FUTURE

nonprofit Future (SkillsRI) is a unemployed and Skills for Rhode Island’s opportunity by connecting down barriers to economic civic-minded employers. organization that breaks socially responsible, Islanders to jobs with underemployed Rhode the workforce skills gap SkillsRI works to close n workforce intermediary, Islanders into open A statewide, demand-drive underemployed Rhode nt, contributing growth, and move unemployed/ empowerme economic in RI, drive business is a key driver of of sustainable wage. SkillsRI that meet the demands positions that pay a of workforce services vitality through the provision achieve upward mobility. to the state’s economic and helping Rhode Islanders talent development local employers, fostering

BREAKING DOWN

IC MOBILITY

BARRIERS TO ECONOM

opportunity by connecting barriers to economic Future, we break down responsible, civic-minded At Skills for Rhode Island’s to jobs with socially ed Rhode Islanders their skills, resume and unemployed and underemploy each candidate to assess work one-on-one with team from initial employers. SkillsRI recruiters member of the recruitment partners. are paired with a dedicated than 100 employer career goals. Candidates with one of our more through to a job offer Jobs RI initiatives, a Real multiple phone call all the way services for recruitment and placement designed to meet SkillsRI also provides skills training for workers targeted education and provides that statewide initiative employers. the hiring needs of local and offers services enhancement SkillsRI provides career a pipeline of talent, to real-world work And to further foster to expose individuals designed internship programs network. SkillsRI services high school and college and develop a professional soft and technical skills, experiences, build both residents. to eligible Rhode Island are offered at no cost

SUPPORTING SKILLSRI

donations no cost. We rely on and hiring partners at offered to job candidates support of our public SkillsRI services are grateful for the generous and sponsors and are two options: organization, you have from our amazing supporters support our non-profit If you would like to and private donors.

Donate by Mail Future Skills for Rhode Island’s 30 Exchange Terrace Providence, RI 02903

Donate Online donate http://www.skillsforri.com/

l through meaningfu Transforming lives omic mobility employment and econ Oricel M.

Accelerated CNA Training

Program

every guided me through “The SkillsRI staff and they truly cared step of the process, With the help of the about seeing me succeed. on a path to a better SkillsRI team, I’m now and I path of my dreams, future in the career in my home state.” get to make a difference Marie Ghazal CEO

Joshua B. Honeywell

ANNUAL REVENUE of its The Clinic raises 100% budget $1.3 million operating patients from donations. Our With receive care at no cost.

Clinic this $1.3 million, the leverages over $6 million of goods more in donations and services each year.

changed.”

AAA Northeast

contacting SkillsRI, “If you’re hesitant about them to start by calling my suggestion is about your concerns. and asking questions and they aren’t selling They aren’t pushy, your focus is on turning you anything. Their into a reality.” hopes and dreams

Dana L.

Goetz Composites

for a month, and I love “I’ve been working here with a up every morning what I do. I wake with hope for a brighter positive outlook and I’m me that hope, and future. SkillsRI gave I to do something that thankful to be able son proud.” know will make my

William Fitzgerald Board President

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 13 FTE 5 AmeriCorps VISTAs

very hands-on through“The recruiters were helped me find a role out the process. They the me, prepared me for that made sense for the notified throughout interview and kept me my life has completely process. Since then,

Cheri W.

Clinic’s mission The Rhode Island Free e is to provide free, comprehensiv health medical care and preventive have no services to adults who cannot afford health insurance and serve as an those services; and to site for educational training professionals. aspiring health care

You can help us provide HARDEST HIT BY COVID-19. are on the front RHODE ISLANDERS PROVIDE CARE FOR of color in urban communities You can low-income adults. People ately and need healthcare. vital care to uninsured, suffering disproportion labs and pandemic. They are care, specialist services, lines of the COVID-19 a donation. Primary time. and follow-up care with this unprecedented provide COVID-19 Tests are essential during and behavioral health NOW. tests, medicine, dental, NEED YOU TO VOLUNTEER WE AL, E PROFESSION IF YOU ARE A HEALTHCAR today!

You can make a difference

GOALS

YEAR ESTABLISHED The Clinic was established First Lady in 1999 by former The Clinic Stephanie Chafee. anniversary celebrated its 20th in 2019.

R SKILLS FO ND’S RHO DE ISLA

TOP FUNDING SOURCES 32% Individuals 28% Corporations 40% Grants

FU TU R E 401.680.5960

www.SkillsforRI.com

FUNDRAISING / EVENTS

Test Site to make sure We are operating a COVID-19 volunteers who serve in time for the Clinic. serve and our This is a critical moment a test. The people we about how to pay for more than ever before! no one has to worry need your help now lines of this crisis. They is increasing every day. them are on the front and demand for care NEED! Founders’ Event Fundraiser, GET THE CARE THEY We canceled our annual MORE PATIENTS TO NOW WILL ALLOW DONATING RIGHT

OPPORTUNITIES

to Rhode Island adults effective health care g Clinic provides cost . We need Spanish Interpreters VOLUNTEER: Our award-winnin and dental professionals seek volunteer medical 700+ volunteers coordinate who need it most. We patients. Each year our We screen our to Spanish speaking Tests and follow-up. to help provide care and now, COVID-19 demand including medicines, COVID-19 has increased 11,000+ patient visits safety is our priority. at If you volunteer, your contact Sophie Silvia patients for COVID-19. information to volunteer, your help now. For more for care, and we need x203.

7 or 401.274.634 to deliver ssilvia@rifreeclinic.org and services. Our cost of donated medicine less $1 donated into $6 person per year, far every per $500 leverage just We is GIVE: Islanders our care to vulnerable Rhode go further by visiting comprehensive health Make your donation 7 ext. 329. average of $11,000. estimated 401.274.634 or national ifreeclinic.org than the Sam Lawrence at slawrence@r website or contacting

BOARD

President | Carrie William Fitzgerald, Board Vice President | Jeffrey Bridges Féliz, MPH, | Domenic Chase-Lubitz, Esq., Secretary | Caroline Troise, MD, Delmonico, Treasurer Gim, President Emeritus Medical Director | Mark Bjornebye, Esq. | Andrew MEMBERS: Jehanne | Jerry Fingerut, Davis, Esq. | Loree Dubois | Whitney Clarke | Michele MD | George Greer Rakatansky, MD | Philip Lederberg | Herbert Perroni Rizzuto, MD | Joseph

info@SkillsforRI.com

| OCTOBER 2020 E BUSINESS NEWS ■ PROVIDENC GIVING Guide 2020 www.pbn.com | m Guide 2020 | www.pbn.co NEWS ■ GIVING | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS 16 | OCTOBER 2020

T

MISSION STATEMEN

Providence, RI 02907 655 Broad Street ❤ .org 401.274.6347 ❤ rifreeclinic

| 17

Right on

mothers and Chapter for helping of Dimes Rhode Island better.

Here’s to the March uninsured adults feel Free Clinic for helping and to the Rhode Island 20-326155 © 2020 United HealthCare EI20324405.0 9/20

Services, Inc. All Rights

babies,

Reserved.

| OCTOBER 2020 E BUSINESS NEWS ■ PROVIDENC GIVING Guide 2020 www.pbn.com |

| 15

TO VIEW THE 2020 EDITION VISIT PBN.COM/GIVING-GUIDE-3/

Find out more on how to include your profile in the 2021 edition.

Contact your account manager or Advertising@PBN.com | 401-680-4800

| SPONSORED CONTENT |

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE CONSTRUCTION Site Specific is also pleased to announce that Jannel Hill has joined the company as Human Resources Director. In this role, Jannel will lead the strategic direction of all talent management and human resources efforts including recruitment, benefits, compensation, diversity and inclusion, and employee communications. She has over 10 years of human resources experience, most recently as a Director of HR for YMCA of Pawtucket. She has a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Southern New Hampshire University. Jannel also serves as a Vice Chair on the board of directors for MENTOR Rhode Island.

NONPROFIT Jennifer Watkins, BSW, who has been with Crossroads in a variety of roles for 21 years, will serve as Vice President of Emergency Shelters, making her the newest member of Crossroads’ Senior Leadership team. Crossroads Rhode Island is the leading provider of housing and services to those experiencing homelessness in the state. Crossroads strives to help homeless or at-risk individuals and families secure stable and affordable housing. The local non-profit owns more than 370 residences statewide and provides a range of support services including 24-hour/7-day-aweek emergency shelter, basic needs assistance, case management, and education and employment services.

CONSTRUCTION

SENIOR CARE

SENIOR CARE

Site Specific is pleased to announce that Tom King has joined the company as a Construction Manager for their Residential Group.

Tom will work on the oversight and development for renovation work and new construction.

Previously, he was an Executive Site Supervisor at Parker Construction where he worked for 15 years. He has managed many high-end residential construction projects in Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts. He has extensive knowledge in sourcing materials, managing schedules, budgets, and designing custom hardware. Tom studied archaeology and has a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University.

Beth Russell has been promoted to Director of Operations of Saint Elizabeth Community(SEC), overseeing operations of five SEC entities, including, Saint Elizabeth Home, (nursing/rehab center) THE GREEN HOUSE® Homes at Saint Elizabeth Home (innovative nursing home), Saint Elizabeth Court (assisted living), Saint Elizabeth Place and Saint Elizabeth Terrace (apartments for seniors). Russell previously served as Administrator of Saint Elizabeth Manor in Bristol for the past 30 years.

A graduate of Stonehill College, and Warren resident, she has served as President, LeadingAge RI, Chair, Bristol Rotary, and in many volunteer leadership roles in Rhode Island.

Kathy Parker has been promoted to Director of Admissions & Care Navigation for Saint Elizabeth Community.

She will lead community wide initiatives, including building a single point of entry referral process for all of Saint Elizabeth Community entities, and streamlining the navigation for consumers as they access SEC’s services across a full continuum of care.

Parker will manage the admissions of the organization, focusing on Saint Elizabeth Home, Saint Elizabeth GREEN HOUSE® Homes, and Saint Elizabeth Court. She previously was Director of Admissions for Saint Elizabeth Manor and Saint Elizabeth Home. A graduate of Salve Regina, Parker resides in Middletown.

NONPROFIT

NONPROFIT

LAW

Cicely Dove, BSW, MS, will take on the role of Chief Program Officer, Crisis & Shelter Services for Crossroads Rhode Island where she will oversee operations of Crisis Services including Housing Navigation, Coordinated Entry and Crossroads’ five emergency shelters, which provide more than 1,000 individuals and families with access to emergency services each year. Dove has been with Crossroads for twenty years, most recently as Vice President for Family Services.

Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C. is proud to announce the addition of Carlos Montemor as its new Chief Operating and Financial Officer.

Within this role, Carlos will lead and administer the firm’s finance, human resources, marketing, information systems and technology facilities. Carlos comes to the firm with years of leadership experience. Prior to joining the firm, he was the Chief Financial Officer at LEK Consulting, Director of Finance at Goulston & Storrs, and Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Bain & Company. Carlos received his M.B.A. and M.S. at Boston College Carroll School of Management. He received his B.S. at Northeastern University.

FINANCIAL PLANNING

John F. MacDonald, MSW, LCSW, will serve as Chief Program Officer, Housing and Supportive Services for Crossroads Rhode Island where he will help the organization provide people with permanent housing and access to ongoing support. John has worked for Crossroads for nine years, most recently as Vice President for Adult Services. Crossroads strives to help homeless or at-risk individuals and families secure stable housing. Its services include housing in more than 370 residences statewide, 24-hour/7day-a-week emergency services, education, employment services and case management.

HEALTH CARE

COMMUNICATIONS

NONPROFIT

Thomas Rocco, MD, FACS has joined the Ortho Rhode Island team with extensive experience providing care for patients with chronic spinal pain. He is fully trained in spinal injections and is an active member of the North American Spine Society. Dr. Rocco completed his undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, earned his medical degree at University Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School, and completed his Surgical Critical Care fellowship at Brown University. He is now seeing patients at Ortho Rhode Island’s new state-of-the-art campus at 300 Crossings Blvd. in Warwick.

Agency veteran Lizzi Weinberg has been named Partner at NAIL Communications a Providencebased design, and branding communications agency. Weinberg, who joined the firm in 2007 as NAIL’s first producer, will oversee process and performance initiatives for the agency.

Her previous roles include stints as Head of Production and Managing Director for NAIL. Prior to joining NAIL, Weinberg spent six years with Walt Disney Studios’ Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California, where she held several positions including Manager of Staff Development.

Agency veteran Jeanette Palmer has become a partner at Providence ad agency, NAIL Communications.

Palmer, who joined NAIL in 2010, will continue to bridge the internal and external worlds of the agency.

As a partner, Palmer will lead business development, strategy and partnerships. She previously served as Managing Director and Head of Client Services. Before NAIL, Palmer worked for Raison Pure International in New York City. Palmer was Principal / Founder of Genetic Communications, VP, Partner at the RISE Agency and began her career as Senior Account Executive at Clarion Marketing.

To submit a listing: WEB PBN.com/pbnconnect | EMAIL Advertising@PBN.com

|

Martha Clancy has been named as the Client Relations Assistant for Lax & Company. Clancy will be the first point of contact for client inquiries and handle all service-related aspects of the firm. Bringing over 2 decades of industry experience, she is an outstanding professional who will advocate for and support the Lax and Company client base. A member of Forbes, Lax & Company is an independent Rhode Island based firm offering concierge financial planning to high net-worth individuals, business owners, and their families. For half a century, the firm has been an industry leader and trusted advisor.

PHONE 401.680.4800

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 33

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LARGE EMPLOYERS (150 - 499 employees) BankNewport | Brown Medicine | Children’s Friend | Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD | Crossroads Rhode Island | Dominion Diagnostics | Embrace Home Loans | Gilbane Building Company |KLR | Navigant Credit Union | Performance Physical Therapy | RIHousing | Rite-Solutions, Inc. | Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc. | The Narragansett Bay Commission

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IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN |

LISA RANGEL

It’s time to explore jobs HOPE IS RETURNING to the workplace. With vaccines more widely available, COVID-19 cases decreasing and restrictions being cautiously lifted, job seekers are seeing increases in job openings and an increase in hiring to fill those open roles. There’s no doubt that things will be different; however, the new normal might have more positive effects than previously anticipated.

For executive job searchers, these are encouraging signs stemming from this soon-to-arrive post-pandemic period. It is imperative to be ready and ahead of the game to snatch coveted six-figure positions.

Job searching has undergone much change recently. It’s more remote in nature, but the good news is that there are proven techniques available to still succeed in this climate. The shift to remote work will stay with us to some extent, even as we recover from the pandemic. This includes a new way of job searching.

One successful way of landing a new role, and a role that may not have

even been posted yet, is using exploratory interviews. Once looked upon by employees as annoying requests, they are now viewed more as a welcome interaction in our virtual-work world as we seek more human interaction and want to avoid being isolated from others.

Using exploratory interviews can embolden you to start better conversations, which can lead to qualitatively better job opportunities.

So what exactly is an exploratory interview?

They are high-value conversations that allow you to network, obtain information and leave a good impression in a workplace that might interest you. Even without a current job opening, company management often welcomes these conversations with high-caliber talent as a proactive way

to find good candidates for the next open position. You can access their expertise and investigate your options by arranging an exploratory or informational executive job interview.

And today is the perfect time to do so in preparation for more executive job positions becoming available.

An exploratory interview can be an information resource. It gives you a chance to learn and understand the critical current issues of an industry or a position. Because there is no hiring pressure, you can thoughtfully tailor your questions to achieve a candid industry perspective not otherwise available to you.

This type of interview presents opportunities for career and social networking. Creating opportunities is an essential element of an effective job search plan. Open executive posi-

tions are not always posted, or by the time they are, a candidate is already under consideration. An exploratory interview enables you to meet and greet influential stakeholders in a company or field of interest. Because you are not positioning yourself as a job candidate, you and your contact can naturally explore the questions and answers that arise during the meeting. This informal approach – and the relationship that results – can be a powerful networking tool.

Making a personal connection through an informational exploratory job interview just may lead to the position you want. We are entering a new type of marketplace. Employing these tactics successfully can lead you to a job opportunity that makes you excited to get back to work or is a catalyst to change jobs to something that is a greater fit. n

It is imperative to be ready … to snatch coveted six-figure positions.

Lisa Rangel is the founder and managing director of Chameleon Resumes LLC, an executive resume writing and job search consulting firm.

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 35

OPINION EDITORIALS

UI changes a Band-Aid for wounded R.I. job market It’s surreal to think that after a more than yearlong pandemic and 450,000-plus COVID-19 unemployment filings in Rhode Island, that jobs would now be going begging.

But that’s what’s happening, not only here but across the country.

There are many legitimate reasons why some people are not able or ready to work.

But it seems silly, despite the views of some economists, to think that generous federal benefits that served their purpose during the height of the pandemic are now not keeping some able recipients from returning to work.

EASING IN: Gov. Daniel J. McKee supports letting the unemployed and underemployed ease back into the workforce, so they can continue to collect unemployment benefits while working part time.

Several other states are moving to end supplemental weekly $300 payments to encourage more people to consider available jobs.

AP PHOTO/ PAUL SAKUMA

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is among the business groups seeking an immediate end to a supplemental weekly $300 federal benefit due to continue until Labor Day. Several states plan to do just that on their own.

Gov. Daniel J. McKee, however, said recently Rhode Island won’t follow suit.

Instead, he’s offering a Band-Aid to a wounded job market.

The state is restoring the unemployment work-search requirement, on May 23.

But that overdue move could be undermined by planned changes allowing unemployment recipients to work more without losing government payments.

Proponents see this as a win for all sides. Desperate businesses get more help, while the unemployed or underemployed can ease back into the workforce without losing government benefits.

But legislative fixes designed to satisfy everyone rarely do.

And no one knows whether there will be enough local businesses, especially in hospitality, to welcome available workers back full time when the easy federal money runs out. n

Timing right for new airport name The multiyear effort to rename Warwick’s T.F. Green Airport thankfully appears to be over.

The House and Senate have both approved renaming it Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport. That’s a mouthful, reflecting the sometimes bruising fight over what should be a simple nod to airport operators’ desire for a fresh way to market the state’s largest airport outside the region.

Each piece of the new name has its own constituency, including the family of the late Theodore Francis Green, a former governor and U.S. senator.

Deputy House Speaker Charlene Lima, D-Providence, has long opposed discarding the Green name. But she also thinks including the state’s name will be a marketing disaster because she claims no other airport in the country carries a state name.

Airport operators, however, think the new name can improve public awareness of its location, especially in Europe. Given how much traffic the airport has lost during the pandemic, it’s the right time for a new name – even if no one is able to remember it in full. n

POLL CENTRAL EXECUTIVE POLL

PBN.COM POLL

News to use?

Has your consumption of local/national news increased in the past year?

Where do you typically get your news from?

Yes: 83.3%

Television: 50%

No: 16.7%

Newspapers/magazines: 33.3% Radio: 16.7%

Do you mostly follow local or national news?

Split about equally: 50% National: 33.3% Local: 16.7% I don’t follow either closely: 0%

Social media: 0% Online outlets: 0% Other: 0%

What pandemic-related news have you paid the most attention to in the past year?

Cases/hospitalizations/deaths: 66.7% Government restrictions: 33.3% Financial help: 0%

The Providence Business News Executive Poll is a weekly survey of 70 business leaders throughout the state, representing small and large companies in a variety of industries.

Community service: 0% Other: 0%

36 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

How should the state spend an anticipated $1.1 billion in new federal pandemic relief? APRIL 30-MAY 6 By targeting longer-term budget issues, such as affordable housing

25%

First, by using some of it to eliminate a proposed tax on Paycheck Protection Program loans over $150,000

36%

By eliminating as many fiscal 2022 budget holes as allowed

11%

All of the above

20%

I’m not sure 7%

THIS WEEK’S POLL: What would make you feel comfortable attending indoor business events this year?

• I am ready now to attend such events that follow state health guidelines • I would need to know everyone in attendance has been fully vaccinated • I’m not ready now but could be before the end of the year • I won’t be ready to attend such events until 2022 • I’m not sure To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

OPINION OPINION

Paid leave proposal aids employers, too

JOYA MISRA GUEST COLUMN

The Biden administration is proposing a massive expansion of federal benefits through a 10-year, $1.8 trillion package that includes new spending on child care, the continuation of the expanded child tax credit and more-robust nutrition programs.

Notably, it would introduce a new federal paid family leave benefit costing an estimated $225 billion over the next decade. If phased in as proposed, workers could get up to $4,000 a month for a total of 12 weeks in paid leave to care for a newborn, another loved one or themselves.

How much of a change would this be?

Federal law currently guarantees many employed Americans the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave to care for family members through the Family and Medical Leave Act. Because of eligibility restrictions, less than half of all U.S. workers can technically access this benefit.

The U.S. is truly exceptional in this regard.

Employed women get paid maternity leave in almost every nation in the world.

Many countries also provide workers with paid leave to care for their ailing parents, partners or other relatives who need care.

Nine states, including Rhode Island and Connecticut, and the District of Columbia already offer some form of paid family leave.

Their track records provide strong evidence regarding the advantages of paid – as

opposed to unpaid – family leave.

How would Biden’s paid leave plan benefit workers? When workers need to care for a family member with an illness, or a new child, they often find themselves out of a job. Researchers have found that the lack of paid leave leads to at least $20.6 billion in lost wages per year. Paid family leave especially helps low-income workers stay employed when they need it most. In states that fund paid leave, women are 20% less likely to quit their jobs after having a baby.

In states with paid leave, evidence suggests that those policies make it easier for workers to financially weather a birth, an adoption or a short-term health crisis.

How would employers benefit? Researchers have found that paid leave is good for business.

It increases worker retention, productivity and loyalty, while also allowing smaller businesses to compete more fairly with big companies. Public opinion polls and surveys have long found that most Americans, including small-business owners, support paid family leave.

Nearly all businesses surveyed about the effects of the California paid leave program, adopted in 2004, said that the program had either a positive effect or no noticeable impact on productivity, profits and morale.

Employee turnover fell in California once it enacted its paid leave policy.

It increases worker retention, productivity and loyalty.

Other states have seen similar results.

U.S. workforce participation has been decreasing for years, especially for women.

Comparing the United States to Canada, some researchers estimate that with more access to paid leave and affordable child care, as many as 5 million more workers could enter the U.S. labor force.

Is the Biden administration’s estimate of the cost realistic? The Biden administration estimates that its proposed paid leave program will cost $225 billion over the next decade. I think that this is a reasonable expectation.

In most states, paid family leave has been funded through employee payroll taxes, though some states jointly fund the program between employees and employers. Funding through a payroll tax spreads the cost across millions of workers and employers.

However, Biden seeks to fund this program and others through taxes on people who earn more than $400,000 per year and corporations.

The nonprofit National Partnership for Women and Families estimates that someone earning the median income, currently around $36,000 per year, would pay about $1.48 per week, or $76.85 annually, to fund this program. In Massachusetts, workers pay no more than 38 cents per every $100 that they earn to fund the state’s paid leave program. Self-employed workers can opt into this system. n Joya Misra is a professor of sociology and public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Distributed by The Associated Press.

Why don’t business schools have more-diverse faculties?

SONYA A. GRIER GUEST COLUMN

Despite the increasing diversity among America’s college students, business school professors remain overwhelmingly white.

In U.S. business schools, Black and Hispanic individuals make up 23.2% of students, yet only 6.7% of the faculty.

As a researcher with an interest in the reasons business schools lack diverse faculty, I – along with marketing professor Sonja Martin Poole – talked to 21 Black and Hispanic professors who have served on search committees at business schools throughout the U.S. We found four major reasons professors of color often get screened out of the process.

Race is unmentionable. Search committees rarely have open conversations about race, the professors in our study told us. They described conversations about race as “anemic” and “uncomfortable,” which in turn led people to avoid the topic.

The faculty members in our study described a variety of reasons they believed search committees avoided talking about race. These include different beliefs about fairness and fear of saying something that could lead them to be seen as racist.

When discussions about race are hampered, we believe it makes it more difficult to recruit diverse faculty.

“Diversity” is poorly understood. Faculty members told us that many of their colleagues thought their school was already diverse since the schools had business pro-

fessors from around the world.

This view is at odds with most diversity efforts in American higher education, which aim to increase Black and Hispanic faculty members from the U.S. because of historical disadvantages that both groups have faced in this country.

Others discussed broad views of diversity, which included sexual preference, gender orientation and diversity of thought as important criteria.

The absence of a clear definition of diversity enables individual search committee members to define or interpret diversity as they see fit.

Blind faith in “colorblind” criteria. Even though search committees were using supposedly merit-based or “colorblind” criteria, Black and Hispanic candidates still got screened out of the process.

For instance, search committees might consider the number of times a candidate has been published in an academic journal. But this ignores the fact that many Black and Hispanic scholars may study race-related topics, which are largely absent from and marginalized at top-ranked marketing journals.

Search committees also consider the status of the school from which the candidate received their doctorate, as well as who was their adviser. Historically, elite schools have had limited racial diversity among their faculty.

Hierarchy and gatekeepers matter. Faculty

members in our study felt they were invited to be on search committees to be the token “diversity voice.” But powerful committee members – such as the department chair and full professors – often determine whom is eventually hired.

Given Black and Hispanic faculty members were often “the only one” from their group on these search committees, and rarely at the full professor level, typically they felt they had to go against the grain to disrupt any observed bias.

At business schools that had more racially diverse faculty, some participants told us that there were strong diversity advocates in senior administration or on the faculty. This suggests that strong diversity advocates are what’s yielding a diverse faculty. Once they leave, future hires may not be as diverse.

The absence of racially diverse faculty cheats students out of a high-quality education by limiting their exposure to the views of educators from diverse racial backgrounds.

In order to bring about more diversity among business school faculty, I believe colleges and universities must acknowledge the various ways race influences faculty hiring in order to find ways to make hiring more inclusive. n Sonya A. Grier is a marketing professor at American University Kogod School of Business. Distributed by The Associated Press.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 14-27, 2021 | 37

ONE LAST THING WHEN

people come back to downtown Providence, they need to find it safe, active and inviting. Here are some ways business and nonprofit leaders can help make the vision a reality through their own staffs and operations: Patronize:

n Support through sponsorship,

promotion and engagement programming activities and events to enliven streets and create a welcoming, safe-feeling atmosphere. n Buy local – support small

businesses to get them over this hump and into recovery.

Shop local during organized outdoor events. Promote these events to your employees and tenants.

Cliff Wood The Providence Foundation executive director

n Eat local – Enjoy the safety of the outdoors and patronize outdoor dining.

Cliff Wood was named executive director of The Providence Foundation in 2017, with a goal of promoting the physical, economic and cultural development of the capital city’s downtown. He’s also served as the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy’s executive director since 2008.

n Patronize and support the local

arts and cultural institutions that are significant contributors to our local economy. n Make sure these places enjoy

the support needed to transcend this transition period, as vaccines roll out, to ensure that they are still here when the pandemic fades.

Maintain/beautify: n Invest in lighting and beautification in and around property and workplaces. Support public art. Maintain the cleanliness and presentation of public gathering spaces. Advocate for city and state government to invest in and maintain the parks and public spaces that will be the safe gathering spaces during the recovery.

Collaborate: n Downtown Providence has been badly

impacted by COVID-19. The resources that we have will go further [if] we strategize and work collectively. Market events together, share infrastructure for planning events – security, maintenance, equipment, guidance, bathrooms.

We are not alone in this situation.

Downtown revitalization requires creativity and those that creatively adapt can come back stronger. n

Collaborate to revive downtown PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

38 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

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40 | MAY 14-27, 2021 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com