PBN May 29, 2020 by Providence Business News

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MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020

ONE LAST THING

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Kristen Adamo The power of patience | 30

Health care students charging into action | 18

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 35, NO. 10 | $2

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Crush COVID app raises caution flags for some BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

MORE THAN 35,000 people have downloaded the Crush COVID RI phone app that’s designed to make contact tracing easier during the pandemic, but critics have raised concerns that the data might be shared or used in ways that may not have been intended. State officials say they are trying to get timely contact information and see the new app as a useful tool that protects people’s privacy. No names would be attached to the information, and the state would not store it, according to Gov. Gina M. Raimondo. At the heart of the app is the “location diary,” which can track where a user has traveled for up to 20 days at a time. The app is the digital version of what Raimondo has been asking people to do for weeks: Keep a logbook of their daily contact with others.

HOT TOPIC

STARTUP SHAKE-UP

Entrepreneurs scramble to revamp business plans

SEE HOT TOPIC

PAGE 7

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

many college seniors, biomedical student Abbie Kohler and engineering student Greg Fine were disheartened to have their final semester suddenly cut short and their commencement ceremony postponed for a year. But perhaps a bigger blow to the soon-to-be Brown University graduates was the one to their Providence company, ResusciTech. Since launching the startup in fall 2018, the pair poured countless hours, brainpower and passion into developing a wearable device and phone app that uses motion sensors to monitor chest compressions during CPR. SEE STARTUPS

SURVIVAL MODE: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Abbie Kohler and Greg Fine, co-founders of ResusciTech, have had to repurpose the technology used for their wearable device and phone app that uses motion sensors to monitor chest compressions during CPR, demonstrated above. PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

MORE INSIDE: nP andemic Diary: R&D altered in time of crisis. Page 15 nO nline shopping therapy reaching new heights. Page 16 nT raining on core skills still crucial during COVID-19. Page 19 n ‘ Marshall Plan’ needed for small businesses. Page 29

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CONTENTS

PBN

COVER STORY STARTUP SHAKE-UP Entrepreneurs scramble to revamp business plans........... 1

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400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903

Hot Topic: Crush COVID app raises caution flags for some............................................... 1 Who’s On the Board? Inspiring Minds................................3 5Q: Dr. Alan Kurose..............................................................4 Nonprofit In Action: Hands in Harmony.............................5 Spotlight: Sheahan Printing Corp....................................... 6 Something New: Beeline Loans Inc.................................... 6 New Construction: Lincoln Little School, Farm Fresh Rhode Island Food Hub, Amgen Inc. Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Plant.......................... 8 News Briefs.......................................................................... 9 What’s Happening...............................................................10

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People in the News.............................................................24 Mackay’s Moral.................................................................. 25 Guest Column: Nina Pande............................................... 26 Guest Column: Sean Donahue...........................................27 Editorials and Opinion....................................................... 28 One Last Thing: Kristen Adamo....................................... 30

Marketing and Events Manager: Donna Rofino, 680-4832 Marketing, Events & Social Media Coordinator: Tracy Hoyt, 680-4818

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Senior Account Managers: Linda Foster, 680-4812 Jim Hanrahan, 680-4816

Pandemic Diary: R&D altered in time of crisis................. 15 Another Look: Brown OKs $1.3 billion 2021 budget........ 15

Advertising Coordinator: Joyce Rylander, 680-4810

NONPROFIT IN ACTION | 5

Online shopping therapy reaching new heights............... 16

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

FOCUS: CAREERS/ WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820

Health care students charging into action

Managing Editor: William Hamilton, 680-4826

COVID-19 has heightened the need for health care workers and fed the motivation of college graduates prepping to join an industry many say is recession-proof......................................................... 18

Web Editor: Chris Bergenheim, 680-4886 Copy Editor: Matt Bower, 680-4824

Training on core skills still crucial in crisis The Rhode Island Core Skills Partnership provides English and literacy instruction for adults learning English as a second language, necessary skills amid the COVID-19 crisis........................ 19

Special Projects Editor: James Bessette, 680-4838 (EDUCATION, NONPROFITS)

Staff Writers: Alexa Gagosz, 680-4828

SPOTLIGHT | 6

Lists Regional IT Employers....................................................... 20 Biotechnology and Life Sciences Companies.................. 22

(HEALTH CARE, HOSPITALITY/TOURISM, WORKFORCE)

Nancy Lavin, 680-4822 (ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FINANCIAL SERVICES)

Mary MacDonald, 680-4830

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMPANIES

(GOVERNMENT, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island

Rhode Island Institute for Labor Studies and Research

Beeline Loans Inc.

Rhode Island School of Design

R.I. Commerce Corp.

Brown University

1, 15

Cherrystone Angel Group LLC

R.I. Department of Children, Youth and Families

Cloud Agronomics

R.I. Department of Health

Community College of Rhode Island

R.I. Department of Labor and Training

Cooley Group

R.I. National Guard

GoPeer LLC

R.I. Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner

12 7, 9, 18 9 14 4

Greater New Bedford Suicide Prevention Coalition

R.I. Public Transit Authority

Infosys Ltd.

Roger Williams University

Johnson & Wales University

Samaritans of Fall River/New Bedford

Lifespan Corp.

Seven Stars Bakery LLC

Loft LLC

Sheahan Printing Corp.

Medley Genomics Inc.

Slater Technology Fund

Naval Undersea Warfare Center

Social Enterprise Greenhouse

New England Medical Innovation Center

The Genesis Center

Omni Providence Hotel

Unite Here Local 26

ResusciTech

University of Rhode Island

RevUp Capital

U.S. Naval War College

Rhode Island College

Venture Cafe Providence

Rhode Island Core Skills Partnership

Wexford Innovation Center

Rhode Island Hospital

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WHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON THE BOARD?

Mission: To empower students to succeed in school and life by providing them with trusted relationships, tutoring and mentoring by inspired community members. Year founded: 1963 Executive director: Melissa Emidy 2019 revenue: $306,455

Board Members Lisa Pierce, board chair

Robert E. Baute Jr., director

Maggie Koosa, director

Semi-retired Providence

Counsel Locke Lord LLP

Financial adviser The Alchemists

Kimberly Bright, board vice chair

Mary Ann Shallcross Smith, director

Raman Shah, director

Chief of staff R.I. Office of Higher Education

CEO and president Dr. Daycare Learning Center

Data craftsman Raman Shah Data Science LLC

Rothel De La Cruz, board treasurer

Hugh Minor, director

Norma Rossi Mead, director

Capital management senior manager, vice president Citizens Bank

Director of communications Rhode Island Community Food Bank

Retired Providence

Nicole Shaffer-Thomas, secretary

Noni Thomas Lopez, director

Chief communications officer Building Excellent Schools

Head of school The Gordon School

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | 3

FOR STARTERS

5Q: Dr. Alan Kurose CEO and president, Coastal Medical Inc. BY ELIZABETH GRAHAM | Contributing Writer

Do you expect to see any changes, particularly with telemedicine, in Coastal’s primary care practices after the COVID-19 crisis ends? COVID-19 prompted us to accelerate adoption of telemedicine to care for patients in the safest way possible. We are grateful that the insurers and [the R.I. Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner] implemented new payment policies virtually overnight to support telemedicine. Coastal providers and staff quickly adapted their workflows to provide more than 600 visits a day using videoconference technology. Face-to-face visits currently comprise just 10% of daily patient encounters. Traditional office visits will once again be commonplace after the pandemic, but many patients may prefer some combination of face-to-face and telemedicine encounters. Telemedicine looks like it’s here to stay.

Are you concerned about patients not seeking medical care for nonCOVID-19 conditions right now? Yes. The circumstance of patients deferring necessary medical care for non-COVID-related conditions is a real problem. My hope is that this phenomenon has been mitigated at Coastal by easy access to same-day telemedicine visits and proactive outreach to our most vulnerable patients. I want to emphasize that any Rhode Islander with a medical problem should not delay seeking appropriate treatment.

Telemedicine looks like it’s here to stay.

Coastal and Lifespan Corp. signed a letter of intent to form an affiliation in February; has there been any more official progress on the agreement? Signing a letter of intent allowed Coastal and Lifespan to begin the work of creating a definitive agreement. That process was proceeding as expected until the pandemic forced both organizations to temporarily step away from the table to focus on treating patients with COVID-19.

Will linking up with Lifespan change the way Coastal operates as an accountable care organiza-

tion? Coastal and Lifespan have a long history of successful collaboration in caring for patients. The complementary strengths of each organization suggest there is an opportunity to realize significant synergies in joining together. Foremost amongst such synergies are opportunities to more closely coordinate hospital care, specialty care and primary care so that care becomes simpler and more effective for patients.

How did Coastal’s performance as an ACO compare in 2019 with previous years? 2019 was our best performance year ever in shared savings. We will receive payments related to that performance over the course of this year and most of those funds will be reinvested to maintain and expand Coastal’s innovative clinical programs. A portion of the savings we achieve under each contract is shared by the insurer and those savings are passed on to employers and consumers. n

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

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NONPROFIT IN ACTION | FOR STARTERS Doling out digital music therapy BY CASSIUS SHUMAN | Shuman@PBN.com

HANDS IN HARMONY, an organization founded in 2017 that treats patients using music therapy, has converted its operation from an in-person service to a virtual platform using remote-based technology to satisfy the needs of operating during the coronavirus pandemic. The move was bolstered by acquisition of a Paycheck Protection Program loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. “Though we prefer to conduct our music-based interventions in person, we have had success with telehealth and will likely maintain a portion of the virtual services after the pandemic subsides,” said Nicole O’Malley, the nonprofit’s founder and executive director. “We have seen a significant increase in need and have been inundated with requests for additional support from vulnerable populations to increase music therapy services focusing on stress, anxiety, isolation and behavioral health.” O’Malley said the nonprofit is also exploring larger initiatives and longterm growth opportunities, such as international mission work. Hands in Harmony, which treats about 1,500 clients a year, has evolved over the past five years to treating a greater assortment of conditions

DUAL HARMONY: Nicole O’Malley, left, is the founder and executive director of Hands in Harmony, which uses musical therapy to help individuals with complex medical conditions. Here, O’Malley works with longtime client Abigail Magiera, 21, of Coventry. PBN PHOTO/DAVE HANSEN

and clients in the community, said O’Malley, a neurological musical therapist who treated clients on her own before forming the nonprofit. The organization offers an assortment of services, including music therapy, family-centered care, early intervention, special education,

health care and hospice. O’Malley and her team operate a clinic located on the University of Rhode Island’s South Kingstown campus where they provide services to clients suffering from complex cognitive, social, communicative, behavioral, psychological, sensory-motor and physical

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FOR STARTERS SOMETHING NEW

SPOTLIGHT

NO STING: Beeline Loans Inc. coowners Nicholas Liuzza, CEO, and Jessica Kennedy, general counselor, aim to simplify the home mortgage process by allowing people to complete it online. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Making mortgages simpler BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

GETTING A HOME mortgage shouldn’t be painful. That’s the premise of a new mortgage company, Beeline Loans Inc., which recently opened in Providence. Launched in February by CEO Nicholas Liuzza and general counselor Jessica Kennedy, along with four other owners, the business originates conventional residential mortgage loans and refinances. Beeline formally launched in early May. Its model is built on technology and ease of use. The idea is people looking for a home loan shouldn’t have to walk into an office to apply for a mortgage, said Kennedy. “We can make this process less painful for people,” she said. “There is an inherent power imbalance, currently. We’re looking to invert that power imbalance, make people feel like there is humanity in the whole process and make it less transactional.” The new company has 27 employees and is located in the Rising Sun Mills in Providence. The onset of COVID-19 has made its model more relevant, according to Beeline Loans. “We do now at least have a solution for people that offers them the convenience of not having to go into a branch office,” Kennedy said. n

DIVERSIFIED: Kevin Sheahan, left, and David Sheahan are the owners of Sheahan Printing in Woonsocket, a multigenerational, family-owned printing company that has transitioned to making face shields. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Printer displays a new skill Sheahan now making face shields too

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

FOR THREE GENERATIONS, Sheahan Printing Corp. has focused on the commercial printing needs of its business and nonprofit customers, everything from rack cards and direct mail to brochures and newsletters.

either of the divisions. Initially, when the printing company’s customers canceled events and facilities, and the work stopped on traditional printing, Sheahan had to lay off several workers. The work on the health care product has allowed the business to recall everyone. No longer solely a printing company, the adaptation has required Kevin Sheahan and his brother, David, who is company president, to communicate multiple times a day. “Our initial intent was to supply Landmark with what they needed,” Kevin Sheahan said. “It grew into a larger need [that] we want to make sure we can support. I’ve also got to make sure I’m able to print whatever my core customers need. There’s a balance.” His employees are adapting as well to the custom work required of printing and design, as well as the manufacturing needs. Everyone wants to be working, whatever the end product. “They are flexible and awesome to work with,” Kevin Sheahan said. “My staff doesn’t want to be at home. They’d rather be here, working.” n

In March, the business was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but it realigned. Now Sheahan Printing is as likely to be manufacturing face shields for health care workers, as it is playbills and marketing products for its core customers. Kevin Sheahan, the company’s vice president, said in March that the safety and security director of Woonsocket-based Landmark Medical Center approached him with a sample of a plastic face shield. The medical center had had a disruption in its supply chain for the critical shields, which are worn over the faces of health care employees who work directly with COVID-19 patients. “We’re not a manufacturer of products like this. We’re a printing facility,” Sheahan said. “But they approached us with a sample, and we thought that was something we could produce.” In fact, a month later, the print-

ing company has since produced more than 13,000 shields. It now has orders for 36,000, from Landmark, as well as another hospital group that includes Roger Williams Medical Center in Providence and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in North Providence, Sheahan said. To make the face shields, Sheahan Printing has ordered a thin and flexible plastic acetate in sheets, then is dye-cutting it into the necessary shape. Employees then attach a foam pad that rests against the wearer’s forehead and secure it with a strap that goes around the head. To do all of this required the stitching and dye-cutting machines that Sheahan already had, but the company has also purchased more stitching machines. In addition to making the face shields at a pace of about 1,000 a day, Sheahan continues to prepare printing work for its core customers. At any point, the company’s employees can be working on

OWNERS: Kevin and David Sheahan

LOCATION: 1 Front St., Woonsocket

YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1923

TYPE OF BUSINESS: Commercial printing company

EMPLOYEES: Seven

ANNUAL SALES: WND

6 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

FOR STARTERS HOT TOPIC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

For those who download Crush COVID RI and enable it for tracking, their smartphone will automatically map the addresses of places they’ve stopped for more than 10 minutes. And they could still decide whether to share the information with the R.I. Department of Health, if they’re infected by the coronavirus. The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has raised privacy questions, expressing concern that the app could be used in the future by third parties, including employers. Steven Brown, R.I. ACLU executive director, asked what protections workers have if an employer requires it to be used. And what guarantees are in place that the Department of Health doesn’t end up sharing the information with law enforcement or other agencies? “Just as the department has done with addresses in its database of COVID-19 positive individuals,” he said. Others question whether it’s reliable enough to be useful. Many

users have noted that the app doesn’t always record stops accurately. Dr. Michael Fine, a former state health director, said effective contact tracing requires human contacts. “It looks like it just records location,” he said. “The question is, will it be able to then get access to enough other people, with data, that will let the Department of Health figure out who else you were in contact with at that place, at the same time?” The app was designed by a team of state programmers who consulted with Infosys Ltd., an India-based corporation with offices in Providence. The company will not have access to the data, Raimondo said. Aside from its tracking function, Crush COVID RI also provides health information to users, such as where to obtain a COVID-19 test. And it performs a symptom-tracking function, asking users to self-report their health status, asking them questions such as “How do you feel?” and prompting them to report their ZIP code. Raimondo said that’s an important

CRUSH CONCERNS: Rhode Island health officials see the Crush COVID RI smartphone app as an easy way for people to track their activities for possible contact tracing. Critics see privacy issues with it.

‘A program is designed for one thing, and then quickly gets used for other purposes.’ STEVEN BROWN, American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island executive director

tool to help the state know where groups of people are starting to get sick. “If we are going to get ahead of the virus, we need to know about outbreaks before they happen,” Raimondo said May 19 in introducing the app. “If everyone does that, over time, we’re going to have a good view across the state.” That will only work if the app is used regularly by people in sufficient numbers. So far, the app has been downloaded by about 3% of the more than 1 million Rhode Island residents. Brown said the app has important safeguards on the front end – requiring people to twice opt-in before they can be tracked and before that information is shared with the state. It’s what happens on the back end, after it is shared, that can be problematic. The state already has plans to make updates, but Brown questioned how it will be changed in future versions. “A program is designed for one thing, and then quickly gets used for other purposes,” he said. “That’s something that happens all the time.” n

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FOR STARTERS | NEW CONSTRUCTION Lincoln Little School expansion 301 Butler Ave., Providence The Lincoln School is constructing a 4,700-square-foot expansion of its Little School that will cost $5 million to build and is expected to be completed in July. Ground was broken in December 2019 on the state-of-the-art facility, which was designed by studioMLA Architects of Brookline, Mass., and is being constructed by Deslandes Construction of Warwick. The addition will feature two classrooms, a dedicated outdoor play area and a Reggio Emilia-inspired studio. The project will be registered with the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED certification will also be pursued, which means construction could include a highly insulated building envelope; an air-exchange ventilation system; use of sustainable and recycled materials; energy-efficient fixtures, appliances and heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment; renewable energy systems, such as photovoltaic systems; and natural landscaping. Lincoln’s Little School will not have gas or oil systems, meaning it will not be producing any on-site combustion or carbon emissions. COURTESY LINCOLN SCHOOL/ASHLEY RAPPA

Farm Fresh Rhode Island Food Hub 498 Kinsley Ave., Providence New construction of a 60,000-square-foot facility for a Farm Fresh Rhode Island Food Hub began in August 2019 and is expected to be completed in the fall. The 3.2-acre site is located amidst the Woonasquatucket River Valley corridor, an area of Providence that was an industrial stronghold until the latter half of the 20th century. The facility will cost $15.6 million and will be built on the site of an old mill that was destroyed by fire in 2015. The site will host the organization’s Food Hub, a mixed-use facility that will serve as a local food and produce distribution center and offer food production facilities, nutrition education, job training and retail markets. Farm Fresh will occupy half of the building, and food-related businesses will rent the rest. The project is funded through public and private philanthropic donations, as well as an R.I. Department of Environmental Management award of $480,000 aimed at converting the fire-damaged site into a food and agricultural campus to provide jobs and local food. Case Construction Co., based in East Providence, is the project’s general contractor and Providence-based DBVW Architects designed the facility. COURTESY SCOTT LAPHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

Amgen Inc. Next-Generation Biomanufacturing Plant 40 Technology Way, West Greenwich After the foundation and site work was laid, modular pieces for the $165 million plant construction project arrived at Quonset Point in North Kingstown in June 2018 and were put together on-site in West Greenwich. Ground broke on the project in early July 2018 and the facility is expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2020. The 120,000-square-foot plant on the Amgen campus will allow the company to use single-use materials to decrease the amount of downtime for cleaning of the plant’s stainless-steel infrastructure used during the manufacturing process. As a result, more products will be run with the new plant. Jacobs Engineering Group, which has offices in Providence and Portsmouth, is the main manager of the project. Japan-based Morimatsu Group is constructing the building modules, which are built off-site in a controlled warehouse and shipped to the construction site. COURTESY AMGEN INC./DAVID HENSON

8 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

NEWS BRIEFS | FOR STARTERS SBA: 16K R.I. businesses approved for PPP loans PROVIDENCE – Less than 200 Rhode Island small businesses secured payroll relief loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration between May 16-23, as demand for the Paycheck Protection Program slows to a crawl. The latest update from the SBA, reflecting loans approved through May 23, shows that roughly 16,000 Rhode Island business applicants have been approved for $1.8 billion across the two rounds of loan funding. The dollars allocated to Rhode Island were roughly unchanged from the prior week update and the number of total business recipients rose by less than 200. Nationally, too, the program’s once-rapid growth has ground nearly to a halt. As of May 23, the program has approved 4.4 billion loans totaling $511 billion – roughly 90,000 more loans than the week prior – with $147 billion of the total $660 billion allotment still available. The average loan size continues to drop, now at $116,000 as smaller-size companies become the latest to benefit from the program. n

Bill would allow R.I. senators to vote by proxy

DLT: Hospitality, food jobs hardest hit by virus in R.I.

PROVIDENCE – Sen. Frank Lombardi, D-Cranston, has introduced legislation that would allow state senators the right to request permission to vote by proxy during declared states of emergency, WPRI-TV CBS 12 reported May 26. According to the bill, an approval of a proxy vote request would take into consideration “whether the senator making the request would face a hardship in attending session, or, during a contagion, falls within a high-risk category as defined by the R.I. Department of Health.” The right to vote by proxy would “cease on the date that the state of emergency is officially declared over.” Senators granted permission to vote by proxy would receive a form with checkboxes to indicate yea or nay for each vote. The Senate secretary would deliver the forms either by hand or email and they must be returned in the same manner. A hearing on the bill is likely to be scheduled next week, Senate spokesperson Greg Pare said. n

PROVIDENCE – The three industries in Rhode Island hardest hit by unemployment claims during the COVID-19 crisis are accommodation and food services, health care and social assistance, and retail trade, WJAR-TV NBC 10 reported May 26. According to a detailed unemployment breakdown of industries and jobs most affected by COVID-19 from March 9 to May 8, by the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, accommodation and food services accounted for 21% of state unemployment claims, including workers in hotels, casinos, bars and restaurants; health care and social assistance accounted for 16%, including workers in hospitals, nursing care facilities and child day care services; and retail accounted for 12%, including employees in clothing stores, department stores, furniture stores, sporting goods, book and music stores. Lower-wage workers earning between $11.98 and $18.89 an hour accounted for 66% of jobless claims, according to DLT data. n

Study: R.I. essential-worker pay gap among highest in U.S.

Mass. county sees rise in deaths by suicide

PROVIDENCE – Essential workers in Rhode Island earn 26% less than the average salary in the state, ranking as the No. 4 biggest difference in the nation, according to a recent study from Business.org. The study looked at May 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for retail salespersons, postal service mail carriers, light truck drivers, cashiers, janitors and cleaners against states’ average annual wage. The essential-worker positions in Rhode Island earned $32,668 per year, while the average salary in the state was $44,170. In the U.S., the $32,474 essentialworker salary was 18.4% less than the $39,810 average salary. Connecticut had the highest gap of all states in the study at 29.2%, with essential positions earning $34,358, compared with an average state salary of $48,530. Nevada had the lowest gap in the study at 7.8%, between an essential employee earning of $32,474 and an average state salary of $39,810. n

NEW BEDFORD – Bristol County, Mass., is experiencing a rise in the number of deaths by suicide compared with this time in previous years, The Herald News reported May 24. Citing statistics from the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, the Rev. David Lima, chairperson of the Greater New Bedford Suicide Prevention Coalition, said as of May 15, 29 people in the county have died by suicide this year, including 10 people who lived in the Greater New Bedford area. That compares with 54 people that died in the county in 2019, including 17 in New Bedford; 86 total in the county in 2018, including 27 in New Bedford; and 60 total in the county in 2017, including 17 in New Bedford. Although it couldn’t be confirmed that the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the higher numbers, Samaritans of Fall River/New Bedford, which operates a free and confidential crisis hotline, found that 46% of local callers from May 1-18 mentioned COVID-19 as a stressor, the Herald reported. n

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844-866-1683 Get the Most Out of Our Lists The Book of Lists is available in Excel format • New lists for 2020 • Exclusive access to extended lists • Excel format lets you easily sort, merge and import data Plus, a complete contact list with name and address EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION IN PUBLIC COMPANIES (ran(ranked by total fiscal 2018 compensation) (ranked by total fiscal 2018 compensation) 2019 rank

2018: 8

3 2018: 1

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2019 rank

1 2018: 1

2 2018: 2

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$10,124,947 $3,374,995

$6,142,000 NA

79%

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CVS Health Corp. Executive vice president, chief operating officer

$16,066,968 $6,882,764

$1,162,500 NA $227,557

$9,624,917 $2,124,994

$2,927,000 NA

133%

($596,000,000) -109%

Scott C. Donnelly

Textron Inc. Chairman, CEO and president

$13,948,917 $14,825,330

$1,229,077 NA $115,986

$6,900,386 $3,068,171

$2,223,000 $412,297

-6%

$1,222,000,000 298%

Derica W. Rice CVS Health Corp. Executive vice president, president of CVS Caremark

$12,806,073 NA

$791,477 $950,000 $285,436

$8,124,848 $1,705,312

$949,000 NA

($596,000,000) -109%

$10,983,856 $4,512,554

$825,000 NA $77,430

$6,749,933 $1,249,993

$2,081,500 NA

143%

($596,000,000) -109%

10%

$1,721,000,000 4%

-28%

$220,434,000 -44%

Salary 2018 Total comp. Bonus 2017 Total comp. Other comp.

Company

Larry J. Merlo

PHYSICIAN GROUP PRACTICES (ranked (ranked by number of local physicians) PHYSICIAN GROUP PRACTICES by number of local physicians)

Stock awards Option awards

$21,939,098 $12,252,864

Jonathan C. Roberts

Executive Title

1 2018: 3

CEO and president

CVS Health Corp.

Thomas M. Moriarty

CVS Health Corp. Executive vice president, chief policy and external affairs officer, general counsel

167 Point St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 444-3500

507 74

Cardiology, dermatology, neurosciences, pediatric and primary care, psychiatry and behavioral health, women'a health

45 Willard St. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 681-2818

455 44

Cardiology, emergency medicine, geriatrics, internal medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, primary care, surgical services, women's health

Dr. Steven Lampert, president

Care New England Medical

Group southcoast.org Dr. Elizabeth Smith, president

Southcoast Physicians

450 William S. Canning Blvd. Fall River, Mass. 02721 (844) 744-5544

287 62

Cancer care, cardiology, dermatology, family medicine, OB-GYN, orthopedics, pain medicine, urgent care

Brown Medicine brownmed.org Ann M. Kashmanian, CEO; Dr. Louis B. Rice, president

110 Elm St., 2nd Floor Providence, R.I. 02903 (877) 771-7401

249 9

Allergy and clinical immunology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatric and palliative medicine, hematology/oncology, inpatient hospital medicine

Coastal Medical Inc.

10 Davol Square, Suite 400 Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 421-4000

90 20

Primary health care practice

Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. rimirad.com

125 Metro Center Blvd., Suite 2000 Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 432-2400

81 13

CT, dexa scan, mammography, MRI, ultrasound, Xray

Thundermist Health Center

450 Clinton St. Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 767-4100

73 3

Medical, dental and behavioral health care for patients of all ages

coastalmedical.com Dr. G. Alan Kurose

NA NA

NA $89,357

$6,972,421 NA

$630,303 NA $78,090

2019 Company Website $4,799,831 $1,164,200 rank President/CEO NA $299,997 NA

Hasbro Inc. President and chief operating officer

$6,810,662 $4,451,928

$997,693 NA $174,738

22 $220,434,000 700 Jefferson $3,876,022 enterprise.com $350,000 LarryBlvd. J. Merlo, C Warwick, R.I. 02886 300 Gardner, vice53% president and general -44% $1,398,115 Bill$14,094 CVS Health Corp. Varies (401) 946-0470 manager, Rhode Island and 2018: 1 Salary: $1,630,000 southeastern Massachusetts

Martha N. Sullivan

$5,751,560 $7,179,249

$938,751 NA $38,231

$5,564,551 $4,377,953

$781,818 NA $782,805

$5,213,434 $5,466,824

$1,000,000 NA $82,531

2,081 John Frascotti

Sensata Technologies

CEO and president Re-ranked number David M. Denton CVS Health Corp. 11by Executive vice president, chief financial officer of locations: 2018: 12 2018: 7

Frank T. Connor Textron Inc. 121 Executive vice president, chief financial officer Lifespan Physician 2018: 9

Group Inc. No. of locations: 74 Steven L. Spinner

United Natural Foods Inc. Chairman, CEO and president

2 Southcoast

2018: 2

David Maher Acushnet Holdings Corp. 14Physicians CEO andGroup president

2018: NL

Dr. John A. Pezzullo, president

No. of locations: 62

Donald H. McCree III 153 Inc. 2018: 17

thundermisthealth.org Jeanne LaChance

Providence Community Health Centers providencechc.org

375 Allens Ave. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 444-0400

64 10

Provides adult medicine, asthma-allergy care, behavioral health, dental care, family medicine, health education, podiatry and urgent care

50 Maude St. Providence, R.I. 02908 (401) 456-2636

60 26

Endocrinology, family practice, gastroenterology, infectious disease, neurology, pulmonary and sleep medicine, rheumatology

University Surgical Associates Inc. usasurg.org

2 Dudley St. Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 272-1800

54 13

Breast surgery, general, pediatric, surgical oncology, thoracic, transplant, vascular surgical and critical care

University Orthopedics

1 Kettle Point Ave. East Providence, R.I. 02914 (401) 457-1500

46 9

Hand therapy, orthopedics and physical therapy

Merrill R. Thomas, CEO

CharterCARE Medical Associates chartercare.org

Michal Frejka, vice president of practice operations

Dr. William Cioffi, president

Citizens Financial Group

Vice chairman, head of commercial banking

Care New England Medical Group

John F. Woods44 Citizens Financial Group Inc. 16No. ofVice locations: chairman, chief financial officer 2018: 5

17 2018: 19

Deborah M. Thomas

Hasbro Inc. Executive vice president, chief financial officer

2018: 21 NEED A COPY?

12 2018: 12

2018: 13

14 2018: 11

15 2018: 14

16 2018: 15

17 2018: 16

18 2018: 17

19 2018: 17

20 2018: 19

University Gastroenterology

universitygi.com Dr. Eric P. Berthiaume, president

Medical Associates of Rhode Island Inc. medassociatesofri.com Colleen Noseworthy, director of operations

Orthopedics Rhode Island

Anchor Medical Associates anchormedical.org Dr. Nathan B. Beraha, medical director, CEO

The Rhode Island Eye Institute rieyeinstitute.com

Dr. R. Jeffrey Hofmann, managing partner

Barrington Pediatric Associates

Inc. barringtonpediatrics.com Ronni Peltz, managing partner Rhode Island Ear, Nose & Throat Physicians Inc. rient.net Barry Rafonelli, administrator

$4,812,122 $1,439,336

$750,000 NA $42,114

secretary for more information. 2018: 24

WANT TO JOIN? Stephen Davis Hasbro Inc. 20For more information Executive vice president, chief content officer

24 4

1180 Hope St. Bristol, R.I. 02809 (401) 253-8900

23 2

Dermatology, internal medicine, pediatrics, podiatry

200 Crossings Blvd., Suite 310 Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 777-7000

22 9

Hand, wrist and upper extremity, joint preservation and replacement, orthopedics, outpatient therapy and advanced imaging, podiatry, robotics surgery

Gastroenterology

15 3

Primary care services for family medicine: bone densitometry, echocardiography, pediatric cardiology, rheumatology, spirometry

150 East Manning St. Providence, R.I. 02906 (401) 272-2020

12 4

Corneal diseases and transplants, diabetic retinopathy, Lasik procedures, pediatric ophthalmology, reconstructive surgery

8 1

Pediatrics

6 3

Allergies, hearing aids, ear, nose and throat

825 North Main St. Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 521-9700

4 1

Radiation oncology

$1,019,000 $230,970

-5%

$1,222,000,000 298%

2018: 3

$3,000,000 NA

2018: 4 $2,222,468 NA

$700,000 $900,000 $64,859

$1,889,986 NA

2018: 5

$3,406,214 $3,103,819

$800,000 NA $149,925

$1,536,542 $554,212

$3,132,385 $2,953,833

$700,000 $735,000 $69,929

$1,627,456 NA

$754,231 NA $94,161

$887,659 $394,262

2018: NL

Keary Riggie, regional -63%manager 27% $49,025

(401) 736-7500 Salary:

$1,487,000Varies

$103,072,000 $789,750 234% 7% $230,258 D 700 Jefferson Blvd. 4 Budget Rent A Car USA LIST RESEARCHED BY Warwick,James R.I. 02886 NA budget.com Bessette (401) 739-8986 Varies Keary Riggie, regional manager $1,721,000,000 NA 5% NEED A COPY? 4% NA To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/lists.html $1,721,000,000 NA for more information. -61% 2 Commerce Drive 3 4% AllNA Occasion Transportation Warwick, R.I. 02886 105 alloccasionlimo.com WANT TO JOIN? (401) 312-0945 63 John S. Olinger, CEO For more information $220,434,000 $350,000 about participating in 10% -44% $15,535 PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4838 or write toAve. Research@PBN.com. $1,721,000,000 NA Arrow-Prestige Limousine and 2095 Elmwood 2 6% 4% NA Warwick, R.I. 02888 47 Coach arrowprestigelimo.com NL = Not listed last year. 38 (401) 383-5600 Patrick Damian, vice president $683,000 NA

2329 Post Road Car Rental thrifty.com $220,434,000 Warwick, R.I. 02886 $1,103,559 Thrifty $232,000 -10% E. Clancy, area manager -44% $398,029 John $14,011 (401) 732-2000

Paul S. Vasington Sensata Technologies 22FOOTNOTES Executive vice president, chief financial officer

$2,471,117 $2,392,966

$495,388 NA $32,421

$2,390,038 $2,914,254

$581,887 NA $23,810

 Also known as Ortho Rhode Island.  Previously listed as Radiation Oncology Associates.

International

Personal and business car rental, accident replacement

International

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette

Car rental and insurance replacement

International

Personal and business car rental services

International

Specializing in airport, executive and group transportation, and special occasions

International

Airport services, casino trips, city trips, corporate travel, proms, weddings

New England, New Jersey, New York

Airport valet parking, car and van rentals, vehicle service

International

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

2018: 6

-5%

1305 Hartford Ave. A Star Limousine $598,995,000 Johnston, R.I. 02919 $1,340,095 astarlimoofri.com $250,120 (401) 232-1523 Anthony Andrade,3% owner and47% manager 2018: 7 $353,093 NA $598,995,000 $1,050,128 $292,729 -18% 47%Car $441,484 NA Rent A Car/National Alamo B 700 Jefferson Blvd. Rental alamo.com Warwick, R.I. 02886 Bill Gardner, vice president and general (401) 737-4800 manager, Rhode Island and 2018: 7 southeastern Massachusetts

8 8 8

2018: 7

8 2018: 7

NL = Not listed last year. FOOTNOTES j Enterprise Holdings Inc. encompasses Alamo Rent-ACar, National Car Rental and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.  Employee count encompasses all locations for three brands under Enterprise Holdings Inc.

2 40 Varies

 Avis Budget Group encompasses Avis Rent A Car System Inc. and Budget Rent A Car USA.

$220,434,000 -44%

www.pbn.com | BOOK OF LISTS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | JANUARY 2020

2018: 7

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.

$1,222,000,000 298%

$1,086,481 $391,881

$200,000 NA

Total number of local offices:

Areas served

Business and personal rental services

3 Bruce Van Saun,

$790,000 NA $134,600

2018: 22 Hasbro Children’s Hospital

CLOSER LOOK Services provided

$765,463 NA $160,667

Hospital, Newport Hospital, Jeffrey J. Cote Sensata Technologies 23Rhode Island Hospital/ President and chief operating officer

No. of local offices No. of local employees No. of vehicles

Citizens 700 Jefferson Blvd. Financial 5 Avis Rent A Car System Inc. 3 avis.com Inc. Warwick,Group R.I. 02886 NA $165,670,000 $2,998,780 $1,013,300

$700,000 $997,500 $12,602

$2,813,313 $2,715,402

Re-ranked by salary:

2 Brian Goldner,

$598,995,000 47%

$2,672,199 $2,970,540

and The Miriam Hospital.

148 West River St., Suite 2A Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 728-0140

$1,991,619 $889,314

$3,554,845 $9,101,799

Emma Pendleton Bradley

1 Commerce St. Lincoln, R.I. 02865 (401) 793-8484

-20%

hertz.com 40 Senator St. Extension 21 Kathryn V. Marinello, CEO and Warwick,Hasbro R.I. 02888Inc. 205 ($596,000,000) $2,999,935 NA president; John E.27% Clancy, area Salary: $1,550,000Varies (401) 274-4043 -109% $999,993 NA 2018: 2 manager

$2,604,492 $2,743,251

2018: 25 j Lifespan Corp. includes

334D County Road Barrington, R.I. 02806 (401) 247-2288

$590,625 $7,992

Hertz Corp.

Address ($596,000,000) Phone -109% B

additions or corrections, Wiebe Tinga or Hasbro Inc. call (401) 680-4838 21write Executive vice president, chief commercial officer to Research@PBN.com. NL = Not listed last year.

33 Staniford St. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 421-8800

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

$2,940,057 $1,235,904

$3,932,570 $3,749,888

PBN’s Top Lists, or to make

orthopedicsri.com Dr. Michael P. Bradley, CEO and president; Mary Ellen Ashe, executive director

$942,385 NA $114,932

To purchase a copy of this

E. (401) Robert Lupone list, call 273-2201 or Textron Inc. 19visit Executive vice president, general counsel and PBN.com/lists.html

2018: 23

$5,118,422 $13,996,747

LIST RESEARCHED BY

Bessette Brad L. Conner Citizens Financial Group Inc. 18JamesVice chairman, head of consumer banking

about participating in 2018: 20

universityorthopedics.com Dr. Edward Akelman, president

Steven Beringhause, Sensata Technologies Total compensation: $2,111,269

$5,259,033 NA

$3,026,520 $3,400,816

local physicians:

2018: 11

Malcolm Griggs, Citizens Financial Group Inc. Total compensation: $2,179,751

3 (ranked offices) PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES (rankedbybynumber numberof local of local offices)

$1,487,000 $2,463,900 $196,000

CLOSER LOOK

Twin River Holdings Corp. Total compensation: $2,319,358

$1,550,000 NA $432,930

Citizens Financial Group Inc.

Hasbro Inc. Chairman and CEO

2018: NL

Group carenewengland.org Michael J. Ryan Jr., president and chief operating officer

1 George T. Papanier,

$9,405,933 $8,549,989

Chairman and CEO

C. Boratto CVS Health Corp. 8TotalEva number of chief financial officer Executive vice president,

Address Phone

Lifespan Physician Group B Inc. lifespan.org

Just missed the list:

$8,499,623 $11,854,389

Bruce Van Saun

Brian Goldner

2018: 4

Company Website President/CEO

CLOSER LOOK

1 14 11

Airport transportation services, nights out, proms, weddings

New England

1 C 300 Varies

Business and personal rental services

International

| 87

Corporate Transportation

417 Smithfield Ave. Providence, R.I. 02860 (401) 231-2228

1 20 12

24-hour taxi and corporate car service

Escort Limousine Inc.

365 Waterman Ave. East Providence, R.I. 02914 (401) 435-5466

1 1 2

Airport service, bachelor and bachelorette parties, special events, transportation to New York, weddings

New England

29 Bald Hill Road Cranston, R.I. 02920 (401) 831-8940

1 20 8

Airport services, corporate travel, major concert venues, proms, sightseeing, tours and weddings

New England, New Jersey, New York

11 Clemenceau St. East Providence, R.I. 02914 (401) 434-2700

1 25 14

Airport and corporate transportation, shuttle service, weddings

International

corporatetransportationofri.com Michael Tartaglione, owner

escortlimori.com Doug Cox, president

Five Star Limousine

fivestarlimo.com Sharon Rizzo, owner; George Rizzo, manager

New England

NorthMainD Radiation

Oncology usoncology.com/ patients/practices/northmainradiation-oncology Dr. Nicklas Oldenburg, medical director Cardiology Consultants LLC Dr. Ara Sadaniantz

100 | JANUARY 2020

8 2018: 7

1 Randall Square, Suite 305 Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 223-0223

1 1

Sentinel Limousine & Coach Inc. sentinellimo.com

Daniel McCrystal, founder and owner

Cardiology

| PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n BOOK OF LISTS | www.pbn.com

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FOR STARTERS | WHAT’S HAPPENING Essential data science methods

DATA ETHICS: Joan Peckham and Douglas Friedman will host a Tech Collective event discussing data ethics related to the COVID-19 pandemic on June 11.

THINKFUL PROVIDENCE is hosting a webinar workshop to educate and provide information to participants about the relationship between computers and human language for the purpose of processing data for business analysis needs and projects. In this workshop, the host will introduce essential data science methods, and participants will build a sentiment analysis model based on hotel reviews. The workshop’s participants will gain a better understanding of how to use modern data science tools and resources to analyze natural language data. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 9-11 P.M. Free

COURTESY TECH COLLECTIVE

Online webinar.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3bNGsI0

Tech Collective webinar focuses on data ethics related to COVID-19 TECH COLLECTIVE is hosting a webinar featuring Joan Peckham and Douglas Friedman, who will provide information regarding data ethics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Peckham is a professor of computer science and campus-wide coordinator of big data and data science initiatives at the University of Rhode Island, while Friedman is the data science manager at Johnson & Johnson’s Healthcare Technology Center in Providence. The event will be hosted on the Microsoft Teams platform. THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 11 A.M. TO NOON Free Online webinar.

THE GREATER NEWPORT Chamber of Commerce will be holding its first virtual Emerging Leaders of Newport event to provide insight about adapting to, and working during, the COVID-19 pandemic. The group will meet via the Zoom platform for a discussion about the challenges, and share ideas and information about

Online webinar. INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2LMzwAg

Building your data strategy TECH COLLECTIVE is holding a webinar about adopting a strategic approach to data hosted by Rob Ulmschneider, the director of business intelligence solutions at Trilix, a consulting firm that helps clients create a culture of growth by focusing on data, strategy and execution. Ulmschneider will discuss how you can begin building a strategy to help your business better leverage data. Participants will learn the five core dimensions every data strategy should address; factors Interested in having your business-related event included in What’s Happening? Contact PBN Researcher Cassius Shuman at (401) 680-4884 or Shuman@PBN.com.

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/36ifkjk

Adapting to new normal

solutions to issues associated with the current work environment. The panel will be led by Adam Thayer, chair of Emerging Leaders of Newport; Ella Gonzalez, director of sales and marketing, Newport Harbor Hotel; and Britt Riley, a co-founder of the Coggeshall Club. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 6-7 P.M. Free

Thank you

for all the nominations and applications. presenting sponsor

10 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HAPPENING | FOR STARTERS to consider from both a business and technological perspective; and how to lay the foundation for a data ecosystem that is proactive rather than reactive. This presentation is aimed toward business executives, data and technology leaders, and data practitioners who are looking to adopt a more strategic approach to their work. THURSDAY, JUNE 4, NOON TO 12:30 P.M. Free Online webinar. INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/3e2k4w8

Learn economic and tech trends THE CAREER SHAMAN is hosting a webinar to provide participants with information about economic and technological trends, as part of its monthly interactive workshop series. This is an ongoing workshop that is held on the third Thursday of every month and designed to provide career advice and educational information. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 7-8 P.M. Free Online webinar.

Getting your biz restarted

INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2AJM2ON

SCORE WILL BE hosting a webinar providing information and resources for business owners to help them get restarted after being shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic. This web-based interactive workshop will focus on how to adapt your business model to the challenges caused by the COVID-19 economic crisis, from cash flow to new regulations. It will also feature several experienced business professionals answering participantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; questions live. THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1-2 P.M. Free Online webinar. INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2yjX6Bx

Education Economic Development and Administrative Network Inc.; and Norberg is CEO of Vertikal6, which is a full-service information technology consulting firm. They will discuss managing, deploying and securing a model for remote access for responding to challenging times and will provide answers about what works and what does not work when deploying remote solutions for workers. TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 1-2 P.M. Free Online webinar. INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2ANTDMr

Social media campaigns

Remote operation TECH COLLECTIVE is hosting a live virtual online workshop presented by Matt White, David Marble and Rick Norberg, who will provide information for addressing business continuity needs with a focus on designing a remote technology operation or teleworker solution for managing business operations during unplanned events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. White is a consulting systems engineer in the Cloud Networking Business Unit at Cisco; Marble is CEO and president of Ocean State Higher

JENNA SHAFFER, a digital marketing professional, is hosting a webinar to provide information and advice for running a successful social media campaign to grow and expand business. Participants will learn which platforms are best for their business to communicate through; the 15-minute social media plan to strategically execute their strategy; and getting started in the pay-to-play world of social media. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1-2 P.M. Free Online webinar. INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2ZoFlMm

Start, expand your business THE CENTER FOR WOMEN & Enterprise is hosting a webinar to provide information and resources from the U.S. Small Business Administration to entrepreneurs and business owners to inform decisions about starting or expanding a business operation. Topics that will be discussed during the workshop include information about the following programs: Technical Assistance Program, SBA Loan Guarantee Program, 8(a) Business Development Program, and the Historically Underutilized Business Zones Program. Information will also be provided about government contracting opportunities. Upon registration, a link to access the webinar will be sent to participants via email. FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 8:30-9:30 A.M. Free Online webinar. INFO AND REGISTRATION: bit.ly/2Tm0ClV UPCOMING PBN EVENT: The Getting Back to Business: Employee Centric Strategies virtual summit will be held on June 4 at 9 a.m. To register, visit PBN.com. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com.

Winners announced early June Virtual Awards Event | July 16 | 4pm

#PBN40Uforty For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact 680.4800 or Advertising@PBN.COM

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | 11

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS STARTUPS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Having fine-tuned the prototype, they were preparing for their first study for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Then COVID-19 hit, and the late-March trial was postponed indefinitely. The timeline they had crafted for testing, securing investment and bringing a product to market crumbled. While businesses big and small have been hit hard by the unprecedented economic crash caused by COVID-19, startups can be particularly vulnerable due to short runways and lack of established reputations in the community. In some cases, long-envisioned target markets have vanished, and investors – often deciders of which early-stage ventures live another day – have twisted shut the spigots of deal flow. But at the same time, the on-the-fly thinking and innovative mindset embedded in startup culture is often an asset for many local entrepreneurs. Just as Fine and Kohler tackled the problem of how to improve CPR, they set out to overcome the obstacles the new coronavirus presented to their business plans. Within days, they put the emergency-use app on the backburner and shifted focus to reusing the technology for virtual CPR certifications. In some ways, Fine said, the shift was beneficial. Fewer regulations for this version of the app – it’s being used in training rather than medical emergencies – will allow them to bring something to market much faster. And with the revenue they anticipate from selling the certification device to companies and individuals, they may be less reliant on investors than if they had stuck with the original plan. Still, the pandemic presents new challenges. Perhaps the biggest was the change to their collaboration. Rather than puzzling out problems over a shared desk and whiteboard in Brown’s Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship, they talked by web-based video from their homes in Providence and Rehoboth. “Our best ideas have come out during snack time when we’re not working but just chatting,” Fine said of their work process before the pandemic. “That component of our workday is kind of removed.”

LET’S EXPERIMENT Traditionally, in-person brainstorming has been integral to many startups and entrepreneurs, agreed Tuni Schartner, executive director of Venture Cafe Providence, which offers collaborative space, special events and regularly scheduled programming for businesses out of the Wexford Innovation Center, also known as Point225, in Providence. “Our magic and our secret sauce are those inperson connections,” Schartner said. Since going entirely virtual in March, the organization has labored to mimic those in-person experiences. Like the entrepreneurs it serves, the process has been honed through trial and error, or as Schartner put it, “Try, trash, pivot.”

NEW DESIGN: The staff at Loft LLC, an industrial design company, has recently pivoted its work to designing and building contactless COVID-19 testing trailers for use by the National Guard. From left, Scott Noh, product design; Jeanette Numbers, co-founder; Nari Shin, designer/textile specialist. In the background is David Baker, director of engineering. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Experimentation is also the watchword for Providence-based Social Enterprise Greenhouse, which shifted its training programs, networking events and resources to the virtual world. The nonprofit recently launched its first entirely virtual incubator for aspiring entrepreneurs, with about a dozen participants, and plans to debut a second incubator focused on COVID-19-related innovations in June. “The thinking is, there may be people who have been laid off, who’ve always kind of thought about starting a business and now have the time to focus on it,” said Kelly Ramirez, SEG’s CEO. “We’ll see if that hypothesis is correct.” Kilah Walters-Clinton said it was the perfect time for her to start her own business, even though she still works as a juvenile probation officer for the R.I. Department of Children, Youth and Families and is pursuing a doctorate in education and leadership at Johnson & Wales University. In between virtual work and classes and supervising distance learning for her young children, Walters-Clinton has been participating in SEG’s virtual incubator. It’s helping her learn the business skills and make connections necessary to launch her business. Its focus is to offer culturalsensitivity training for mental health providers and a directory of mental health providers with expertise in racial, ethnic and cultural experiences.

‘To do it over Zoom ... I think sales will be an interesting challenge.’ GREG FINE, ResusciTech co-founder

12 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

But starting a business now won’t be easy, she acknowledged. Networking opportunities she would typically use to spread the word have largely evaporated. Even more concerning was how she would secure the money for a launch.

NO LONGER ‘FROTHY’ Global venture-capital investments contracted nearly 30% during the dot-com boom and the 2008 financial crisis, according to a recent report by Startup Genome. Already, China’s startup community has seen a precipitous drop in funding that, if replicated on a global scale, would mean a $28 billion loss in startup investments in 2020, the report stated. Particularly vulnerable are women and minority entrepreneurs, who have long faced additional barriers to funding. Melissa Withers, managing partner and co-founder of RevUp Capital in Providence, a revenue-based investment company, was not worried that funding would dry up, but rather that women and minority entrepreneurs would be further excluded. “Those founders will be disproportionately impacted as networks become more insular, and they are the ones we should strive to protect and support,” Withers said in an email. “It’s the work of a generation, and we can’t let it be undone.” Also at risk are those in the midst of fundraising when the pandemic hit, according to Thorne Sparkman, managing director of Providencebased Slater Technology Fund. The seed-stage venture investment company is still on track to meet its anticipated 25% yearover-year investment increase despite COVID-19, Sparkman said. But smaller fund companies and angel investors who participated in the seed rounds Slater leads were contributing fewer dollars, as their own resources plummeted. CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

Rhode Island, we’re committed to helping you through this At Bank of America, we recognize this health and humanitarian crisis has impacted everyone in different ways. Across our company, we’re focused on supporting the wellbeing of our teammates, providing the essential financial services our clients need, and helping communities across the country move forward. We know small businesses have been especially impacted. We feel a deep sense of responsibility for helping them navigate the current environment, and to secure vital funding to stay operational and be able to pay their employees. This includes our around-the-clock efforts to support clients through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Our teammates are also focused on helping customers access additional resources. Through our Client Assistance Program, we’ve provided more than 1.6 million deferrals of mortgage, credit card and auto loan payments. I am inspired and proud of the way all of us in Rhode Island have come together during this difficult time. Please stay safe.

Over 300,000 of our small business clients have received PPP funding for more than $25 billion in relief. Of the funded PPP loans to date, • 98% are for companies with fewer than 100 employees. • 81% are for companies with 10 or fewer employees. • 23% are from low- to moderateincome neighborhoods. In Rhode Island, this includes funding for 1,461 of our small business clients totaling $164 million.

Bill Hatfield Rhode Island Market President

For more information, please visit bankofamerica.com/community.

Data as of May 15, 2020 Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | 13

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

That’s quite a change from what Sparkman characterized as a “frothy” environment before COVID-19, in which a strong stock market made investors particularly bullish and willing to take risks. “It wasn’t business as usual, it was business as ‘Yee-haw!’ before COVID,” he said. Cloud Agronomics, a startup founded by Brown University students that uses aerial imaging and scalable analytics to detect crop disease and monitor soil and plant health, has seen several investors pull out during its current fundraising round, according to Jack Roswell, co-founder and chief operating officer. It was initially crushing, Roswell said. “As founders, we’ve poured three years into this, made so many sacrifices,” he said. “There was definitely a moment where we weren’t sure what to do.” But Roswell and his co-founders rallied, coordinating all-hours brainstorming sessions at their offices in Providence and Boulder, Colo. That the company is small made it easier, Roswell said. “You’re also used to working your [butt] off,” he said. “There’s no 9 to 5, there’s 8 to 10, seven days a week. I think that’s a big contributor – a lot of conversations that need to happen mean you need to work harder or sacrifice.” The company made a series of quick decisions, extending its runway by taking across-the-board salary cuts and scaling back new research and development in favor of fine-tuning the product already on the market. The company secured a commitment from a major investor prior to the onset of the pandemic. “If we were just starting to fundraise now, I would be very worried about viability,” Roswell said.

CANCELED PLANS Having closed a $485,000 financing round in 2019, money was not an immediate problem for GoPeer LLC. But figuring out how to serve higher demand for its tutoring services was, said Ethan Binder, co-founder and CEO. With college campuses closed, the company has seen a surge of interest from college students looking to use their free time to make money by tutoring elementary and secondary school-aged children. At the same time, parents desperate for assistance meant an influx of new clients. Demand was more than the 12-person team could handle, complicated further by scheduling problems as existing tutors abruptly canceled sessions. Binder, a Providence native who graduated from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania last year, empathized with the college students whose academic lives were upended. But from a business perspective, it was difficult to manage. Complaints poured in from frustrated parents whose children’s sessions had been canceled at the last minute, and the tutors

ON TRACK: Thorne Sparkman, managing director of Slater Technology Fund, says the seed-stage investment company is still on track to meet its anticipated 25% year-over-year investment increase despite COVID-19. PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

“We definitely panicked,” Numbers said of her initial reaction. But panic gave way to inspiration as her team traded late-night texts and Slack messages, deciding to use the new space for health care needs presented by COVID-19. Specifically, Loft partnered with R.I. Commerce Corp. and R.I. National Guard to design and build trailers designed for contactless COVID-19 testing that can be hauled to communities underserved by existing test sites. While states across the country have seen newbusiness filings decrease, Rhode Island fared better than most, according to a recent analysis by SmartAsset. The 480 new-business filings through mid-April was 14% less than the average number of new filings through the same period over the prior five years, compared with a 24% drop in New York. Patrice Milos, executive director of Cherrystone Angel Group LLC in Providence and co-founder of med-tech startup Medley Genomics Inc., pointed were largely unresponsive as they packed up their to the state’s vast network of startup-specific prodorm rooms and traveled home. grams and organizations as an asset. While the immediate crisis has subsided, GoPThe pandemic has spurred on the Providenceeer still lacks the manpower to fully accomplish based New England Medical Innovation Center, the needed scale-up in curriculum writing, softwhich aims to grow the state’s med-tech industry ware engineering and marketing. Binder plans through education, professional services and to hire seven more people – a daunting prospect funding. to add to his brimming NEMIC co-founder workload. Lydia Shin Schroter Despite the economic said COVID-19 has highuncertainty, Binder lighted the importance was confident in his of innovation in health ability to adapt. care and made the “The founders and group’s work more relteams that stay discievant. The organization plined and determined recently launched a proare the ones who are gogram with Commerce ing to light up the stage RI called Activate, right now,” he said. which offers recipients thousands of dollars in LOFTY AMBITIONS professional services to Jeannette Numfine-tune business plans bers, principal and ETHAN BINDER, and prepare for raising co-founder at Loft LLC GoPeer LLC co-founder and CEO money. The future of of Providence, agreed. that program, as well as While hardly a startup education through Real – the industrial design Jobs Rhode Island, is contingent upon state fundservice company launched eight years ago – dising, she noted. comfort, and the innovation it inspires, is at the Fine and Kohler, who participated in Brown’s heart of her business strategy. Breakthrough Lab accelerator, hoped to continue “Those sort of messy decision points where capitalizing on the state’s robust startup programnot everything is spelled out – that’s our favorite ming. Having recently won the med-tech track of place to be,” Numbers said. the 2020 Rhode Island Business Competition, the And messy decisions confronted her in droves pair hoped the recognition would bring funding as the pandemic hit. Loft had bought a new space and mentorship. on Bassett Street in Providence the year before, Up first on their immediate to-do list: pitching intending to host community events and even the training app to businesses and health care an incubator – all plans no longer possible under institutions, virtually. crowd limitations imposed. While immediate “It’s already hard to convince a stranger to buy revenue from clients held steady, several of its your product,” said Fine. “To do it over Zoom ... I larger clients contemplated holding back on new think sales will be an interesting challenge.” n projects.

‘The founders and teams that stay disciplined and determined are the ones who are going to light up the stage right now.’

‘Our magic and our secret sauce are those in-person connections.’ TUNI SCHARTNER, Venture Cafe Providence executive director PBN FILE PHOTO/DAVE HANSEN

14 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

PANDEMIC DIARY | CORONAVIRUS CRISIS R&D altered in time of crisis BY DANIEL DWIGHT

(Editor’s note: This is the seventh installment in a weekly series on how Cooley Group is managing the COVID-19 pandemic, from the perspective of its CEO.) THE NATURE OF RESEARCH and development work in manufacturing is not conducive to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. At least it wasn’t at first. With the outbreak of the pandemic, in an effort to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading through Cooley Group’s Innovation Center, Cooley split R&D into two teams. Each team comes into the office every other day, working from home the alternate day. From a health and safety perspective, fewer workers in the office mitigates the risk of contagion and allows us to quarantine groups of staff rather than the entire R&D team if an outbreak were to occur. From a productivity standpoint, however, splitting teams in half poses unique challenges. For continuity, laboratory trials for both new and existing business are typically conducted by a single technician over multiple days. Because the technician now works from home every other day, changes in the process had to be made. Since COVID-19, the project’s senior technical manager now picks up the technician’s project on the technician’s off-days. By participating in the experiment rather than just read-

ing through data in the technician’s reports, the manager gains additional insight into the project. Prior to the pandemic, Cooley’s R&D training program included cross-training all R&D personnel on all laboratory equipment. Historically, certain lab technicians were specialists on a specific piece of equipment. During the pandemic, R&D accelerated this equipment crosstraining. Cross-training allows employees to hand off projects to their colleagues as they alternate working from home. However, the training of all personnel on all equipment takes time. Initial data collection is slower as employees adapt to equipment they use less frequently. However, over the long term, this approach pays off not only by increasing the technicians’ skills, but also by broadening the scope of employees who can support each project. The key to managing the process changes is increasing team communication. R&D conducts daily “huddles” via video conference not only to check on how everybody is doing and discuss any COVID-19-related news and updates but also to review active projects. The team is also connected

CROSS-TRAINED: Cooley research and development team members Peter Charpentier, left, and Art Menezes perform experiments on a new Cooley geomembrane technology. COURTESY COOLEY GROUP

via the company’s virtual private network, which allows them to work on reports at home while accessing laboratory data in a cybersecure environment. Coupled with virtual communication tools, process changes have led to increased unity within the R&D team. It has also highlighted the importance of having effective ties to others within the organization. The use of small and agile cross-functional teams has

From a productivity standpoint … splitting teams in half poses unique challenges.

empowered each team to make decisions and move projects forward with an increased sense of urgency. This past week, we received encouraging news reinforcing the effectiveness of our COVID-19 process changes. While Cooley witnessed continued expansion, a competitor announced a significant decline in revenue and net income. These are unprecedented times, but focusing on expanding employees’ skill sets, collaborating on work assignments and improving communication creates a sense of solidarity that motivates employees. n Daniel Dwight is CEO and president of Pawtucket-based Cooley Group.

ANOTHER LOOK | PBN.COM Brown OKs $1.3 billion 2021 budget BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

(Editor’s note: A version of this story was first published on PBN.com on May 26.) PROVIDENCE – Brown University has approved a $1.3 billion consolidated base budget for the 2021 fiscal year, a budget that increases financial support for students, as well as tuition and fees. Brown noted that numbers will have to be adjusted to incorporate COVID-19-related effects to the Ivy League university’s financial position. Brown said the University Resource Committee, chaired by Provost Richard M. Locke, creates a budget based on a September-to-April timeline and the approved base budget focuses on finances “prior to the arrival of COVID-19.” The budget “does not incorporate” the full impact on Brown’s finances that the pandemic “will likely have,” the university said. Up to this point and with the current fiscal year ending June 30, COVID-19-related costs have “already exceeded” $25 million for Brown, the university said – in April, the school had lost $20 million at that point. The approved base budget, Brown said, includes the school instituting a hiring freeze, and senior administration – including Locke and Brown President Christina H. Paxson – taking salary re-

ductions between 15% and 20%. However, Brown said “some of the scenarios” being developed for the university’s 2020-21 academic year predict the university taking a significant financial hit due to the pandemic. The impact could

FINANCIAL PLANNING: Brown University approved a $1.3 billion consolidated base budget for the 2021 fiscal year, a budget that university officials said will have to be revised because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. COURTESY BROWN UNIVERSITY

range between $100 million and $200 million, possibly more, “depending on varying forecasts of revenue losses and increased expenses,” Brown said. Paxson said in a statement that Brown will use the base budget as the “core for developing detailed budgets for a range of scenarios that consider varying trajectories of the pandemic and reflect the significant impact of COVID-19 on Brown’s finances.” The budget also shows an $8.4 million deficit – which Brown calls “modest” – and the university is working on efforts to fill that hole. The base budget includes $347 million in total funding in financial support for both undergraduate and graduate students, a 9% increase from a year ago, and $169.6 million in endowment distributions, a 6% increase. However, the payout rate from endowments will drop slightly from 4.85% to 4.8% as part of Brown’s strategy to increase endowment value over the long term in lieu of relying on just tuition and fees. According to the base budget, tuition and most fees – room and board, health fees and student recreation – will increase between 3.1% and 3.8% for next year. Total undergraduate tuition, including all fees, will be $76,492 to attend the university next year, Brown said. n

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | 15

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS Online shopping therapy reaching new heights BY LEANNE ITALIE | The Associated Press

BETWEEN

technical glitches and food worries, retail therapy and sheer amnesia, something has happened to shopping during the pandemic that can be summed up thusly: rubber chickens. Melissa Jean Footlick bought some while sheltering at home in San Diego with her husband and three dogs. She’s a kidney transplant patient, so she’s been taking extra care. She’s among millions who have helped online retail sales surge as consumer spending fell off rapidly when businesses shut down. “I spent two hours trying to find a Funfetti cake mix and frosting. No reason, I just wanted it. I also got a game where you throw rubber chickens at a target. I misread the description and thought it was like badminton with rubber chickens,” she explained. For others, shopping madness has been about the essentials, only supersized: 10-pound bags of rice; 25-pound sacks of flour; 50 pounds worth of sugar; pickles and pancake mix for a crowd. For some, it’s impulse shoe purchases, with nowhere to go. And mistaken multiple pounds of blueberries when a single container was the goal. Remember the toilet paper scare? George Pav found some in an unlikely place in Berlin, Germany. “When the mayor of Berlin announced the lockdown, I knew that I wouldn’t have the chance to drink a cup of coffee from a cafe for quite some time. My first thought was to find a cafe and enjoy an espresso. Alas, most of them were already shut,” he recalled. He ventured into one, but a woman there said they were closed. “No coffee. Then I looked behind her. There was a pile of toilet paper. She said she was selling them for 50 cents per piece,’’ Pav said. He bought four squares. For Beth Wilson of New York, it was a bistro table and chairs to match the ones at a Paris cafe where she and her husband “ate every morning for breakfast on our honeymoon.” The chairs, she said, look great, “but the table came broken.” The panic buying, the over-buying,

the emotional buying aren’t unique to this extraordinary world-shaking event, but it’s the kind of worldshaking event that sent the world home with plenty of anxiety and few shopping options other than the online kind. In the U.S., retail sales tumbled by a record 16.4% from March to April as business shutdowns caused by the coronavirus kept shoppers away, threatened stores and weighed down a tanking economy. The U.S. Commerce Department reported that a long-standing migration toward online purchases accelerated, posting an 8.4% monthly gain. Measured year over year, online sales surged 21.6%. “It’s panic on lots of levels,” said Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL Strategic Retail, a global consulting firm specializing in retail strategy and shopper insights. “All of the traditional buying patterns are tossed up in the air.” She called it “shopping chaos” with no anchors. And the chaos has come with some unique calculus. One couple got to skip their last preschool payment due to lockdown and purchased the couch of their dreams. The refund on their son’s lunch program bought a matching ottoman. Christine Alonzo Carlisle, 45, was awash in refunds in Carmel, Indiana, where she’s sheltering with her husband and two teenage daughters. “My big family spring break trip, that I’d spent a year planning, was canceled and refunded. All of my kids’ summer camps were refunded. Concerts were refunded. Club sports were refunded. Random refunds were just popping up like crazy on my credit card account,” she said. “Then, I got an email that the super fancy European coffee machine I’d been dreaming of was on sale. Still ridiculous, but a pretty good sale. So I bought it. I had a moment of buyer’s regret, and then I had a perfectly brewed cappuccino, or 10, and instantly felt better,” Carlisle added. That “instant” feeling is key to much of the coronavirus shopping, said Jeff Galak, associate professor of marketing at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. “Shopping as therapy has been shown to reduce negative moods and boost overall happiness,” he said. “The big downside, however, is that such relief is very short-lived. That

IMPULSE BUY: Melissa Jean Footlick, 42, of San Diego, is among the millions of shoppers behind the surge in online retail sales, sometimes making spurof-the-moment purchases. For no reason, Footlick purchased a game in which players throw rubber chickens at targets. MELISSA JEAN FOOTLICK VIA AP

good feeling very quickly dissipates.” Galak said some research points to “shopping while bored” as a variation with less emotional payout. “Browsing for things that one doesn’t need fills the time and then clicking `buy now’ just naturally follows,” he said. “Consumers may find themselves on page 20 of a search result for a new pair of shoes, a place that when engaged and not bored, they would never reach.” Jennifer Salgado, 42, in Bloomfield, N.J., is a shopper with many heads these days.

‘All of the traditional buying patterns are tossed up in the air.’ WENDY LIEBMANN, WSL Strategic Retail CEO 16 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

“Resourceful me has purchased a pasta roller and drying rack, because now I’m Ina Garten, stuff to make hand sanitizer, because I’m now a chemist, and dog nail clippers that my 76-pound bulldog noped out of real fast and is now looking like Snookie from ‘The Jersey Shore,’ ” she said. There’s also “luxurious me,” Salgado said, snapping up 96 macarons from a bulk-buying store, along with the Salgado who needed 24 pounds of frozen peas. “Most of the time, I forget what’s coming,” she said, echoing others who accepted long delivery dates out of fear. “And most of the time, I realize I never really needed these things in the first place.” Kellie Flor-Robinson in Silver Spring, Md., just may be a combination of all of the above. “I ordered a case of Moet,” she said. “I’m not sure that it was an accident, though. This [pandemic] has me buggy.” n

S R E N N I W 0 2 0 2 NS CONGRATULATIO

These winners were honored at a virtual event on May 28. View the presentation at PBN.com.

AWARDS

CAREER ACHIEVER Matt Collins, MD, EVP & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island

LARGE PRIVATE COMPANY David Hemendinger, CIO, Brown Medicine

Presenting Sponsor

ENTERPRISE PRIVATE COMPANY

RISING STAR Jennifer Bose, Associate Director, Providence Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Museum

LARGE PRIVATE COMPANY Dana Alexander Nolfe, Chief Marketing Officer, Rhode Island Medical Imaging

Jason Cherry, CFO, Carousel Industries

NONPROFIT / SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES

Dr. Cooper Woodard, Chief Clinical Officer, The Groden Network

Pam Hyland, CEO, Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England

PUBLIC COMPANY Wendy Montgomery, Senior VP Global Brand, Marketing and Communications, IGT

Partner Sponsor

LEADERS

ACHIEVERS AWARDS

PBN is now accepting nominations 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. 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. *Nominees should be over 55.

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

Nomination deadline July 1st | Application deadline July 8th www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | 17

FOCUS | CAREERS/WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Health care students charging into action BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

DAVID

Mota puts his phone away to eliminate the temptation to touch it before he slips into a medical gown. Positioning his goggles just right so they don’t slip, he hooks his face mask around his ears and snaps on gloves before heading down the hall to see his next COVID-19 patient. Mota, 22, serves as an electrocardiogram technician three times a week at various local nursing homes, meticulously cleaning his equipment between patient visits. And at the end of the day, he obsessively sanitizes himself, wiping down his shoes before entering his mother’s house. The constant need for caution and decontamination in the age of the coronavirus might be disconcerting to some, but not to Mota. He has worked as a licensed certified nursing assistant since he was 17 and recently graduated with an associate degree in applied sciences with a major in radiography from the Community College of Rhode Island this month. “I’m very set on what I want to do,” said Mota.

He’s now interviewing for a position as a vascular intervention radiographer at Rhode Island Hospital. The coronavirus pandemic has both heightened the need for health care workers and fed the motivation of college graduates such as Mota, who are prepping to join a profession that many say is recession-proof. For years, nursing students have been told the need for medical workers would only grow as health professionals reached their retirement years and an aging population would need more care. But in the “new normal” created by the coronavirus, the interest in entering the industry could be ratcheted even higher. For Mota, the favorable job market was a deciding factor to get into the field, and he thinks the pandemic will influence future college applicants, too, particularly with the uncertainty in other sectors. “You’ll always have a job,” Mota said of health care. “Everywhere you go, there’s an opportunity.” Several local colleges say that it’s too early to tell if the coronavirus crisis will boost enrollment in health care programs in the future, or if it might leave them

DETERMINED: Community College of Rhode Island graduate David Mota is interviewing for a position as a vascular intervention radiographer at Rhode Island Hospital. PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

‘They have demonstrated incredible resilience ... to really dive into this.’ ARA MILLETTE, Lifespan Corp. recruitment manager 18 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

with fewer students because the pandemic has highlighted the potential dangers of the job. This much is clear: Health care students are eager to move into the workforce. New initiatives introduced by the R.I. Department of Health in response to the pandemic have been flooded with interest, such as issuing temporary emergency CNA licenses to undergraduate nursing students and granting permission for graduates to function as registered nurses, with supervision, before obtaining their nursing licenses. “There’s been a tremendous number of students applying for the emergency CNA license,” said Debra Servello, the interim dean of Rhode Island College’s School of Nursing. “And it’s been going on for the last month and a half.” Typically, five or six RIC students seek CNA licenses each semester, Servello said. This spring, that number skyrocketed to 55, in part because of an initiative that relaxed the requirements to obtain a temporary license and waived the fee. At the same time, Servello said, seven students applied for emergency nursing licenses that allowed graduating students to act temporarily as registered nurses, with supervision, before taking their licensing exams. “There has never been anything like this since 1918 with the influenza [pandemic],” she said. “There’s going to be an extreme need for nurses because this pandemic is not going to go away quickly.” Ara Millette, who manages recruitment of nurses for Lifespan Corp., said the recent nursing graduates who have earned themselves a temporary assignment have been exceptional – and crucial. “They have demonstrated incredible resilience and willingness to really dive into this wholeheartedly,” said Millette, outlining how Lifespan hires 125 newly graduated nurses each year, most of them Rhode Islanders. For now, Millette said, Lifespan has had to put recruitment efforts into overdrive because the feared surge of hospitalizations was tamped down. Rhode Island’s case count of more than 14,000 and COVID-19 death toll of more than 600 (as of May 27) have been dwarfed by hot spots such as Massachusetts – more than 91,600 cases and 6,300 deaths – and New York – more than 360,000 cases and 23,000 deaths. CCRI President Meghan Hughes said the school is doing its part to get more trained health care professionals to the front line, calling CNAs the “lifeblood” of the health system. She said that many of the students who are enrolled in their certificate program are already working in the health care sector, but she expects more emergency licensing to be approved in the coming weeks. Mota, whose long-term goal is to be an orthopedic surgeon, is already entering the workforce and says it’s rewarding to be working in the industry in these times when so much selflessness is needed. “You risk getting sick in order to treat someone else,” said Mota. n

CAREERS/WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT | FOCUS Training on core skills still crucial in crisis BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

WHILE MANY WORKFORCE-development initiatives in Rhode Island are aimed at training people in highly skilled labor, such as pipefitting and computer-assisted manufacturing, others seek to teach students more-basic knowledge. For people learning English, this includes how to answer a phone call at a bakery in a professional way, or how to answer a hotel customer’s question about where a conference is taking place. The Rhode Island Core Skills Partnership, which receives state funding, provides English and literacy instruction for adults learning English as a second language, or instruction needed to earn a General Education Development diploma for people who didn’t finish high school. The training courses are crucial, as in many cases participants can use them as a pathway to career advancement, according to those in workforce development. So when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and businesses shut down in March, the Core Skills Partnership and other adult-education agencies were scurrying to keep their pro-

grams running even though many participants had been laid off or furloughed and workplaces had been closed. After a delay of a few weeks, adulteducation programs and most of the participants were able to resume training courses in a distance-learning format with the help of businesses that were still shell-shocked about the shutdown and scrambling to survive. “It was a little bit of gentle persistence,” said Kathy Gray, the employer liaison for RI Core Skills Partnership. One group were employees of Providence-based Seven Stars Bakery LLC, which has wholesale operations and three retail locations. There are

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN

‘They’re so engaged in the class.’

also groups of Rhode Island hospitality workers taking classes organized by their union, Unite Here Local 26. The hospitality workers, including housekeepers and lobby attendants at several Providence hotels, are now continuing their classes online through video conferencing. Student Carlos Moscoso, whose first language is Spanish, said he was thankful to be able to continue his English instruction, even though he had been laid off in March at the Omni Providence Hotel and the R.I. Convention Center, where he has worked for almost 24 years. In his jobs, he often encountered guests who asked him questions, which he sometimes struggled to understand. “The customers ask many questions,” he said. The lessons, he said, will help him understand what they are saying, and help him be understood as well. “It helps with my pronunciation,” he said. Unite Here arranged with the Rhode Island Institute for Labor Studies and Research to provide the instruction about a year ago in collaboration with the Core Skills

STACEY SADLIER, Seven Stars Bakery LLC human resources director Partnership, said Jonah Zinn, a union spokesman. At Seven Stars Bakery, a small class of English learners reconvened when their English classes moved from in-person at the bakery headquarters after their shifts to online using smartphones. The bakery business, which has three locations, had to lay off most of its workers when the businesses were closed to the public in mid-March, said human resources director Stacey Sadlier.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 21

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| REGIONAL IT EMPLOYERS (ranked by number of local IT workers) FOCUS FOCUS | REGIONAL IT EMPLOYERS (ranked by number of local IT workers) CLOSER LOOK

Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

Local IT workers Local FTE employees 1

Primary business

CVS Health Corp. | cvshealth.com Larry J. Merlo

1 CVS Drive Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 765-1500

1,400 8,600

Retailer/pharmacy benefit manager/health insurer

2019: 4

Citizens Bank N.A. | citizensbank.com Bruce Van Saun, chairman and CEO; Keith Kelly, president, Rhode Island

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

1,000 5,100

Financial institution

3 2019: 2

Verizon Communications Inc. | verizon.com Donna Cupelo, regional president, New England

234 Washington St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (800) 837-4966

800 1,100

Telecommunications provider

Fidelity Investments Inc. | fidelity.com Abigail Johnson, chairman and CEO

900 Salem St. Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 292-5000

560 3,100

Financial services

2019: 6

Cox Communications | cox.com Jay Allbaugh, senior vice president and regional manager

9 J.P. Murphy Highway West Warwick, R.I. 02893 (401) 383-2000

350 818

Communications and entertainment services, internet service provider

6 2019: 7

Brown University | brown.edu Christina H. Paxson, president

1 Prospect St. Providence, R.I. 02912 (401) 863-1000

337 4,147

Higher education

Amica Mutual Insurance Co. | amica.com Robert DiMuccio, chairman, CEO and president

100 Amica Way Lincoln, R.I. 02865 (800) 242-6422

315 1,700

Mutual insurance company

Lifespan Corp. | lifespan.org Dr. Timothy J. Babinueau

167 Point St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 444-3500

313 13,165

Health care system

International Game Technology PLC | igt.com Marco Sala, CEO; Renato Ascoli, CEO, North America; Robert Vincent, chairman, IGT Global Solutions Corp.

10 Memorial Blvd. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 392-1000

292 1,007

Gaming technology and services provider

FM Global | fmglobal.com Thomas Lawson, chairman and CEO

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

263 1,281

Commercial property insurer of multinational organizations

Carousel Industries of North America Inc. | carouselindustries.com Jeff Gardner, CEO

659 South County Trail Exeter, R.I. 02822 (800) 401-0760

211 430

Communication and network technologies, IT and managed services

45 Willard St. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 681-2818

158 6,295

Health care system

Care New England Health System | carenewengland.org Dr. James E. Fanale

13 2019:

KVH Industries Inc. | kvh.com Martin Kits van Heyningen

50 Enterprise Center Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-3327

125 300

Guidance/navigation equipment; in-motion satellite TV and communication systems

14 2019:

Rite-Solutions Inc. | rite-solutions.com Dennis McLaughlin

1 Corporate Place, 2nd Floor Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 847-3399

120 165

Cybersecurity, IT services and support, learning and performance solutions, software development, systems engineering

Community College of Rhode Island | ccri.edu Meghan Hughes, president

400 East Ave. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 825-1000

76 768

Higher education

Gilbane Building Co. | gilbaneco.com Thomas Gilbane, chairman; Michael McKelvy, CEO and president

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

 Ronald K. Machtley will retire when incoming president Ross Gittell begins on July 1, 2020.

71 434

Construction and real estate development

 David M. Dooley will retire in June of 2021.

17 2019:

CAI Software LLC 2 | caisoft.com Brian Rigney, CEO

36 Thurber Blvd. Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 232-2600

61 61

Information technology services

18 2019:

General Dynamics Electric Boat | gdeb.com Kevin Graney, president

165 Dillabur Ave. North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 268-2300

60 4,595

Submarine construction, design and life cycle maintenance

Teknor Apex Co. | teknorapex.com Jonathan D. Fain, chairman and CEO; William J. Murray, president

505 Central Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02861 (401) 725-8000

56 536

Custom compounder of advanced polymer materials

Bryant University | bryant.edu Ronald K. Machtley, president; Ross Gittell, chancellor, incoming president 3

1150 Douglas Pike Smithfield, R.I. 02917 (401) 232-6000

54 743

Higher education

21 2019:

Rhode Island College | ric.edu Frank D. Sanchez, president

600 Mount Pleasant Ave. Providence, R.I. 02908 (401) 456-8000

51 852

Public higher education

22 2019:

University of Rhode Island | uri.edu David M. Dooley, president 4

35 Campus Ave. South Kingstown, R.I. 02881 (401) 874-1000

49 2,730

Higher education

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | umassd.edu Robert E. Johnson, chancellor

285 Old Westport Road Dartmouth, Mass. 02747 (508) 999-8000

41 1,093

Higher education

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island | bcbsri.com Kim A. Keck

500 Exchange St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 459-1000

39 778

Health insurance company

2020 rank

2019: 1

2019: 3

2019: 9

2019: 8

9 2019: 10

2019: 5

2019: 11

12 2019: 13

15 2019: 15

16 2019: 16

19 2019: 20

20 2019: 21

23 2019: 23

24 2019: 24

1 A portion of these companies or institution's employees might have been furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic. 2 Also known as Computer Associates. 3 Ronald K. Machtley will retire when incoming president, Dr. Ross Gittell, begins on July 1, 2020. 4 David M. Dooley will retire in June of 2021.

20 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Re-ranked by number of fulltime employees:

Lifespan Corp. No. of FTE employees: 13,165

CVS Health Corp. No. of FTE employees: 8,600

Care New England Health System No. of FTE employees: 6,295

LIST RESEARCHED BY Cassius Shuman NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/product-tag/ book-of-lists/ for more information. UPCOMING LISTS Rhode Island Property Tax Rates (June 5); Manufacturers (June 12) WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4884 or write to Shuman@PBN.com FOOTNOTES j A portion of these companies’ or institutions’ employees might have been furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic.  Also known as Computer Associates.

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CLASSES IN SESSION: Stacy Sadlier, human resources director at Seven Stars Bakery LLC, says when the bakery was forced to lay off many of its workers during the shutdown, some employees lost access to English-learning courses. They have now resumed in a distance-learning format. The bakery hopes to recall its workers by the end of June. PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

The English classes, which were taught by Yexcica Cappas Santiago, an English as a second language instructor from The Genesis Center, had to be scuttled as well. But within two weeks, the Core Skills Partnership had the program running online. Gray said she took a cue from what the elementary and secondary schools were doing. “All of the adulteducation agencies jumped on that,” she said. It has not been without flaws. Some of the students lack digital literacy or access to the internet or a smartphone. Nevertheless, seven of the 10 workers who had been enrolled in the classes at Seven Stars Bakery have logged on. They had missed seeing each other and their instructor, said Sadlier. Until the pandemic arrived, Seven Stars had been paying its workers to attend the first hour of the 90-minute lessons. The instructor was paid by the state grant through the Core Skills Partnership. That incentive, as well as a $100 bonus for completing the course, had helped to ensure attendance at the twice-weekly sessions. In their class, the bakery employees learned how to describe their jobs to other students, how to answer the phone professionally if a manager

was absent, how to receive a delivery at the backdoor without assistance. But after the layoffs, when the bakeries suddenly closed, the business didn’t have the money to pay the laidoff employees to take the classes. But most of them still wanted to learn. “They’re so engaged in the class,” Sadlier said. “I think it was a disappointment that that was something that [they thought] was going to go away.” The bakery started to reopen recently. About 10% of the Seven Stars workforce is back on the job. And the business owners hope to have the remainder in place by the end of June. Basic English instruction involves the vocabulary of the workplace. In this case, the words and phrases used in a kitchen. The program schedule was customized for Seven Stars as well. The employees, who speak a number of languages, including French, Portuguese and Spanish, are valued, Sadlier said. But with a mix of language fluency, the communication in the bakeries sometimes was a struggle. “We do our best,” Sadlier said. “We always did our best to translate. Trying to make English the common language in the workplace is really what we were working toward.” n

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www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | 21

FOCUS ||BIOTECHNOLOGY BIOTECHNOLOGYAND ANDLIFE LIFE SCIENCES COMPANIES COMPANIES (ranked by number of local employees) (ranked by number of local employees)

CLOSER LOOK

Company | Website CEO/President

Address Phone

No. of local employees 1

Type of business

Year founded

Amgen Inc. | amgen.com Robert Bradway, chairman and CEO; Thomas Seewoester, Rhode Island vice president site operations

40 Technology Way West Greenwich, R.I. 02817 (401) 392-1200

888

Biotechnology manufacturing

1980

2019: 2

Becton, Dickinson and Co. 2 | bd.com Tom Polen

100 Crossings Blvd. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (800) 556-6275

480

Medical-device manufacturer

1897

3 2019: 3

Dominion Diagnostics LLC | dominiondiagnostics.com Robert Garvey Jr.

211 Circuit Drive North Kingstown, R.I. 02852 (401) 667-0800

323

Provides outcome-based laboratory drug testing, clinical practice tools and trend data supporting addiction and behavioral health programs

1997

2019: 4

The Claflin Co. | claflin.com Anne-Marie Johnson, president and chief operating officer

455 Warwick Industrial Drive Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 739-4150

293

Distributor of medical supplies and equipment

1817

5 2019: 5

Ximedica | ximedica.com Robert Brown, CEO

55 Dupont Drive Providence, R.I. 02907 (401) 330-3163

145

Product-development firm focused on bringing medical technologies from first concept to market launch

1985

6 2019: 6

Contech Medical | contechmedical.com Raymond Byrnes, CEO; Christopher Byrnes, president

99 Hartford Ave. Providence, R.I. 02909 (401) 351-4890

110

Medical-device manufacturer

1987

2020 rank

2019: 1

7 2019: 7

Aidance Scientific Inc. | aidanceproducts.com Perry W. Antelman, CEO

184 Burnside Ave. Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 432-7750

8 2019: 8

EpiVax Inc. | epivax.com Dr. Anne De Groot, founder, CEO and chief science officer

188 Valley St. Providence, R.I. 02909 (401) 272-2123

Semma Therapeutics 3 | semma-tx.com

2019: 9

Manufacturer and distributor of nonprescription topical medications for skin infections, wound care and dermatology

2004

Immunology company

Bastiano Sanna, executive vice president, chief of cell and genetic therapies

225 Carolina Ave., Unit A Providence, R.I. 02905 (857) 529-6430

Develops therapies for patients who currently depend on insulin injections

2015

10 2019: 10

Abacus Health Products Inc. | abacushp.com Perry Antelman, CEO

184 Burnside Ave. Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (303) 223-0863

FDA-registration OTC topical medications formulated with active pharmaceutical ingredients, cannabidiol (CBD hemp oil) and natural emollients

2014

11 2019: 11

Neurotech Pharmaceuticals Inc. | neurotechusa.com Richard Small, CEO

900 Highland Corporate Drive Cumberland, R.I. 02864 (401) 333-3880

Develops therapies for chronic eye diseases

2001

IlluminOss Medical Inc. | illuminoss.com Jeff Bailey, CEO; Robert Rabiner, founder and chief technology officer

993 Waterman Ave. East Providence, R.I. 02914 (401) 714-0008

Brings minimally invasive solutions for the stabilization and treatment of bone fractures to market

2007

Pro-Change Behavior Systems Inc. | prochange.com Sara Johnson; Kerry Evers, co-CEOs and presidents

1174 Kingstown Road, No. 101 South Kingstown, R.I. 02879 (401) 360-2980

Research and development company building evidence-based health behavior change programs

1997

Nabsys 2.0 LLC | nabsys.com Dr. Barrett Bready, founder and CEO

60 Clifford St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 276-9100

Develops semiconductor-based tools for the field of genomics

2007

G & G Technologies Inc. | ggtechnologies.com Genko Genev, president

6 Grandview St. Coventry, R.I. 02816 (401) 295-4000

Solutions for bioprocessing systems, components and services

2001

2019: 16

Agcore Technologies LLC | soulfreshproteins.com Lawrence Dressler, president

12 Ross Simons Drive Cranston, R.I. 02920 (401) 965-3380

Food, nutrition business

2013

17 2019: 17

ProThera Biologics Inc. | protherabiologics.com Dr. Yow-Pin Lim, co-founder and CEO

349 Eddy St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 301-2046

Develops inter-alpha inhibitor proteins to treat severe inflammation associated with infection, trauma and disease

2001

18 2019: 18

Maternova Inc. | maternova.net Prakash Veenam, CEO; Meg Wirth, founder and president

10 Davol Square, Suite 100 Providence, R.I. 02903 (617) 763-4866

Women's health solutions company focused on obstetrics and reproductive health, including innovations to fight Zika

2009

CREmedical Corp. | cremedical.com Walter Besio, CEO and chief technology officer

20 Watch Hill Drive East Greenwich, R.I. 02818 (401) 782-7997

Develops monitoring and therapeutics for the brain

2011

2019: 12

2019: 13

2019: 14

2019: 15

2019: 19

1 A portion of these companies and institutions' employees might have been furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic. 2 Also known as BD. 3 Semma is now part of Vertex Cell and Gene Therapies (VCGT).

22 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

The Claflin Co. Year founded: 1817

Becton, Dickenson and Co. Year founded: 1897

Re-ranked by oldest companies:

1998

Amgen Inc. Year founded: 1980

LIST RESEARCHED BY Cassius Shuman NEED A COPY? To purchase a copy of this list, call (401) 273-2201 or visit PBN.com/product-tag/ book-of-lists/ for more information. UPCOMING LISTS Rhode Island Property Tax Rates (June 5); Manufacturers (June 12) WANT TO JOIN? For more information about participating in PBN’s Top Lists, or to make additions or corrections, call (401) 680-4884 or write to Shuman@PBN.com FOOTNOTES j A portion of these companies’ and institutions’ employees might have been furloughed during the coronavirus pandemic.  Also known as BD.  Semma is now part of Vertex Cell and Gene Therapies.

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IT’S PERSONAL Spero awarded for graphic design KERRI SPERO, a visual information specialist for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, in the U.S. Navy’s Graphics and Digital Imaging branch, in Newport, is the recipient of the Navy Civilian Graphic Designer of the Year Award. She also received an award in the Graphic Design-Animation category. Spero worked for four years at the U.S. Naval War College before serving the last four years at NUWC. She joined the U.S. Air Force as a visual information specialist in 2002, and attended her initial graphic arts training at the Defense Information School in Fort Meade, Md. She also studied visual arts at Roger Williams University and in the Rhode Island School of Design’s Continuing Education program. What does it mean to receive the Navy Civilian Graphic Designer of the Year Award and an award in the Graphic Design-Animation category? The panels of judges are peers of our profession, so it’s an honor to be recognized by this program. Our team took home a few other media awards, so it’s great to be part of an innovative, and now, award-winning team. What role do you play as a visual information specialist in the Navy? I provide a variety of graphics and imaging services for all levels of the command to include original visual treatments for printed publications, electronic display or exhibits, and the visual aspects of video productions. Additionally, I provide policy advice, guidance and recommendations on matters affecting the Graphics and Digital Imaging branch, which supports approximately 5,000 personnel in the division. Many of the projects we work on are highly technical concepts, so I love using visual means to make them recognizable and understandable. Are there any interesting projects that you are currently working on, and what do those involve? Last month, I worked on a series of quarterly calendar

Calling all non-profits in Rhode Island

designs in collaboration with NUWC’s Federal Women’s Program. I created four custom illustrative scenes, one for each quarter of the year, depicting women in Naval science, technology, engineering and mathematics, for a campaign called the “Rise of Professional Women at NUWC.” The style of the illustrations [was] inspired by the Work Projects Administration posters of the 1930s. That project has been one of my favorites so far. How has the coronavirus pandemic impacted you personally and professionally? We are no longer working in the office, so we can’t just stop by someone’s desk to share an idea quickly. Sometimes it’s just a fleeting moment, not important enough to write a whole email asking someone which font looks better, for example. … I miss bouncing ideas and inperson collaborations between our team. The pandemic, personally, has influenced how I relate to others and has forced me [to] reevaluate what I consider most valuable in life, and that’s my health, my family and friends. It’s also an opportunity to grow and develop by allowing a time of struggle to pave the way for new ways of life and to remember to slow down a little bit. n

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PBN

GIVING Guide 2019

Regional Philanthropic Opportunities

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

REGIONAL PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES

645 Elmwood Avenu e ❤ Providence, RI 02907 401.784.8600 ❤ www.diiri.org ❤ info@diiri.org

GOALS

Sponsored by

The annual PBN Giving Guide provides nonprofit organizations with the unique opportunity to have year-long exposure to the regions’ most influential leaders who are looking to support our most important community resources.

Kathleen Cloutier Executive Director

NUMBER OF CURRENT EMPLOY

EES: 95

Suite 202 2346 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02886 WWW.LLS.ORG 401.943.888

Carla Mulhern Area Director lls.org Carla.Mulhern@

TOP FUNDING SOURCES

profile reservation: materials due: September 30

October 9

publish date: October 30

Individual Special Events, & Memorials, Giving, Tributes tions Major Gifts, Founda ISHED: 1949

YEAR ESTABL ees: 18 LOCAL Employ Revenue: LOCAL Annual 5,952,396

RHODE ISLAND BOARD MEMBERS Richard Aceto Glaxo Smith Klein

Find out more on how to include your profile in the 2020 edition. Contact your account manager or Advertising@PBN.com. 401-680-4800

24 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

ANNUAL REVENU E: 7,145,365 YEAR ESTABLISHED:

MISSION STATEMENT

Ashley Erling WPRI Joseph Gildea Interactions

a Lindsay Iadeluc 10/Studio 10 NBC Channel Rick Lindholm Mobile Beacon Thomas Lynch eld, LLP Lynch & Greenfi , RN Helene Macedo Hospital Rhode Island M.D. John Reagan, Institute Lifespan Cancer of Medicine ity Brown Univers William Turrell Aldi

to cure Our mission is ma, leukemia, lympho and Hodgkin’s disease improve myeloma, and life of the quality of their families. patients and

1921

BOARD MEMBERS

Mary Morse Presiden t William Prichett Immediate Past Presiden t Michael Gillerlane Vice President teams, and gain TS build sail, EVEN walk, Susan Ragano Treasurer . Our local ers can run, hike, FUNDRAISING to end blood cancers events, our volunte Diego Rodriguez re fundraising forward our mission With seven signatu Light The Night. funds to drive Assistant Treasure t of the Year and skills while raising r t Series, Studen lifelong learning Studen , April Chase-Lubitz Team In Training Secretary events include W. Robert Kemp : 21 (Grand Finale) Upcoming Events Assistant Secretar 3 (Kickoff) March y Year: February 16 (Grand Finale) Students of the 9 (Kickoff) May rt Judge Frank Darrigan the Year: March Yacht Club, Newpo Man Woman of 5 & 6, New York Daniel Doucette Regatta: June Leukemia Cup Robert English ITIES GIVING OPPORTUN Deborah Gonzale z Esq. Apurv Gupta, MD, There are many MPH t LLS: ways to suppor Robert Huseby —donating Individual Giving Eileen Kwesiga online, in a gift via mail, Father Raymond Malm person or by phone. our Anne in Maxwell Livingsto ipate n Events —partic a team Margaret Meany events by creating y, family, Sister Irene Nerney with your compan You can friends or school. Patricia Placencia rship also provide sponso mission. Ralph Posner gn. of yours and our or a retail campai ber a loved one. to support a passion gift remem 0+ and r, Mark Ross donate a $10,00 ers, honor a survivo Major Gifts — ns directly from n to thank caregiv financial donatio Philomena Teixeira ials — a donatio program to make Tributes & Memor companies giving — through your usually Robin Torbron Warde Employee Giving at a future date, and allocated William Twaddell their paycheck. d in the present that — a contribution Planned Gifts or trust. through a will

is arrange

OPPORTUNITIES

Give a Gift Every investment helps change lives! Your for a refugee family generous gift could upon their arrival pay for the first warm to their new home GED, or cover a family-b meal here in RI, help an ased green card applicati adult learner receive on. a Volunteer Dedicate your time to helping individuals from diverse, TOP FUNDING SOUR multicultural backgrounds; building CES the diversity and strength individuals takes a of 17% community! Foundation Be an Ambassador and Private Help spread the word Grants and about our mission to help Donations immigrants, refugees , nonnative English speakers , and low-income families and community membe rs as they journey 30% toward attaining their America Tuition n Dream. and Earned 53% Clothing Collabo Income rative Donating new Grants and or gently used professional Contracts clothing to our donation center enables low-income clients to access work-ap propriate attire when Hire Our Clients seeking employm We work one-onent. one with individua providing in-depth ls seeking employment opportu training and guidance nities by to help them secure jobs.

FUNDRAISING EVEN

OUR IMPACT

forefront Society is at the & Lymphoma nonprofit The Leukemia are the largest . cure cancer. We blood cancers of the fight to a world without dedicated to creating $1.3 billion in invested nearly Since 1949, we’ve ring many of today’s g research, pionee e 45 groundbreakin helped advanc LLS ches. approa approved by most innovative treatment options cancer blood 51 of the 2017. the FDA since

2019 | OCTOBER ESS NEWS DENCE BUSIN 2019 ■ PROVI

| 15

Every year, we celebrat e newcomers, Immigrant Heritage Month, and World Refugee Day at our Welcoming Rhode Island Festival (WRIF). This festival includes live performances and a Maker’s Market of local artists who create and sell culturally diverse jewelry, clothing, and artwork. In 2019 WRIF was a part of PVDFest , and we held an official Naturalization Ceremo ny in Burnside Park. For information on Corporate Giving or Event Sponsorship, please email diiridevelopment @ diiri.org or call 401-784 -8600.

14 | OCTOBER 2019 | PROVID ENCE BUSINESS NEWS n GIVING Guide 2019 | www.pb n.com

talent to achieve RTUNITIES their time and day of essly dedicating ers varying from impact while selfl er. With volunte make a significant is home for any to be a volunte Our volunteers roles there truly allow anyone , our on leadership opportunities ways to engage our mission. Our support, and taking these countless help, direct patient landscape of volunteer. With event, in office us change the helping are volunteers is in our blood r beating cancer cancer. Togethe

VOLUNTEER OPPO

| GIVING Guide www.pbn.com

We provide services and resources to individuals working to overcome socioeconomic, systemic , and language barriers so that they can build sustainable lives and feel secure and supported in our communities. The core goals of our programming are pervasive througho ut our agency: to help Rhode Islanders and newcomers feel welcom e, gain access to opportunities, and to support and uplift some of the most vulnerable members of our commun ities.

MISSION STATEMENT

We empower individu als and families, especially immigra nts, refugees, and underserved, to the become self-suffi cient and fully participating members of our diverse community through innovative program s and advocacy that promote educati on, training, and cultural understanding.

IT’S PERSONAL MACKAY’S MORAL | HARVEY MACKAY

Dial up your phone skills I’VE ALWAYS FELT that the phone is one of the most awesome tools we have available, especially to salespeople. We’ve all had years of experience using a phone, so why are so many people bad at using it? Here are a few tips I’d like to pass on to you with the help of Art Sobczak, president of Business By Phone. Sobczak has helped sales professionals prospect and sell effectively by phone for more than 35 years. The first objective of every sales call is to have a plan of what you want to accomplish. Prepare your questions and decide how you want to persuade a prospect into taking action. Sobczak also advises you to have a “secondary objective for each sales call ... something you’ll strive to accomplish at minimum, every time.” Always treat the gatekeeper with respect. Ask for their name and use it. Gather as much information as you can about the gatekeeper, as well as the decision-maker. Knowledge does not become power until it is used. Once you reach a decision-maker, it’s important to first ask if this is a good time to talk. Start the conversation with good news and have a positive close. Focus on the prospect and listen to what they have to say.

Sobczak says, “You must answer, ‘What’s in it for me?’ for the listener, or they will immediately begin the getting-rid-of-you process.” If people have questions, be prepared. Have the information handy or know where you can get it fast. Ask only one question at a time and avoid questions such as, “Is everything going OK? What are your needs? Are you having any problems now? How is your service?” Then quantify the problem whenever possible. “How does that happen? How much do you think that is costing you? How much time does that take?” Sobczak says: “Resist the tendency to present. Some reps get so excited when they hear the slightest hint of an opportunity that they turn on the spigot of benefits.” When it’s finally time to get a commitment, think big and ask large. Buyers will often move down from a large recommendation, but they rarely move up from a small one. Remember to never ask for more than what is in the best interest of the customer. The important thing is to ask for a decision. “Maybe” is the worst answer a salesperson can get because a maybe can last forever.

There will always be objections, so be prepared for them and resist the tendency to be defensive. If you have an indecisive prospect, Sobczak advises that you get their mind off the buying decision and on the problem or pain. For example, “Jan, let’s look at this another way. What would happen if you did nothing about the situation?” Chances are you will be sending some information out to the prospective customer. Tell them what to look for and make it meaningful. Always summarize the agreed-to actions by both parties to avoid disagreements. Keep your attitude up despite dealing with rejection. Rejection is a part of life. But you can’t let the fear of rejection paralyze you from the start, or you’ll never get any sales. Sobczak says: “Imagine every day is the end-of-quota-period day,” noting that sales reps tend to pick up their pace when they reach this time

and try to get a few more sales. Take pride in how to properly use the phone because few people in the world do it well. It’s difficult to persuade someone to take action and make a decision based almost solely on the words and ideas that come from your mouth. Continuously work at improving your phone skills and watch your business improve. It may never replace face-to-face interaction, but a friendly voice makes for a great connection. Mackay’s Moral: You can ring up more business when you dial up your phone skills. n Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com.

A friendly voice makes for a great connection. | SPONSORED CONTENT |

NONPROFIT Theresa Moore has been named to the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Foundation. As the state’s largest funder of nonprofit organizations, the Foundation awarded a record $56 million in grants to more than 2,000 nonprofits in 2019. Moore is President of T-Time Productions. Founded in 2006, T-Time produces diverse and inclusive programming and content for various media platforms including television, film, digital and educational distribution. In addition, she is a professor at Providence College, teaching in the MBA, Masters of Urban Education, Global Studies and School of Continuing Education programs as well as implementing and supporting diversity, equity and inclusion pedagogical practices and curricula with the school’s faculty.

For additional information or to submit a Standard listing, go to PBN.com/pbnconnect.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Announce new hires, promotions and special accomplishments to the Rhode Island business community. The STANDARD listing includes 1 photo, 90-100 words of text, clickable links to your website, social media sharing and keywords to optimize search, and is: • published on PBN.com within 24 hours and archived on our site. • printed in PBN. • featured on a PBN Daily Edition newsletter.

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NONPROFIT Tony Mendez has been named to the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Foundation. As the state’s largest funder of nonprofit organizations, the Foundation awarded a record $56 million in grants to more than 2,000 nonprofits in 2019. Mendez is General Manager of Video Mundo Broadcasting, which operates WPMZ on 102.1-FM and 1110-AM. The station serves the Latino community in greater Providence. The West Warwick resident is a member of the R.I. Broadcasters Association and serves on the board of directors of the R.I. Convention Center and on the Community Advisory Board of United Way of Rhode Island.

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

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | 25

IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | NINA PANDE

Hiring during COVID-19 AS RHODE ISLAND BEGINS kickstarting recovery efforts, employers need to start thinking about their hiring plans. More than 230,000 Rhode Islanders have filed for unemployment claims since March 9, and the state’s unemployment rate hit 17% in April. Thousands of new job seekers are entering the market every day, but the landscape for hiring looks a lot different than it did six months ago. We’re entering uncharted territory, and the risk of COVID-19 has given rise to new barriers and concerns for people as they think about returning to work or starting their job hunt. Employers looking to hire and retain employees should rethink their approach and consider incentives that address the growing concerns head-on. Here are some of the biggest chal-

lenges for job seekers that employers need to consider, and solutions that can help. n As schools remain closed through the summer, child care is a challenge for working parents. Over the past 10 years, child care costs have emerged as one of the biggest barriers to employment, and COVID-19 has brought it to a head. According to a recent analysis, “average child care spending amounts to nearly 10% of the average family income, or 40% higher than the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ definition of affordability.” If parents are going to return to work, they need a stable, affordable solution. Employers need to consider incentivizing child care, whether it’s through on-site services, subsidies to make child care more affordable, or co-op models that offer financial incentives

Employers looking to hire and retain employees should rethink their approach.

for child care near the worksite. n Those who take public transportation to work need affordable alternatives. With ridership at over 16 million last year, countless people depend on R.I. Public Transit Authority’s buses every day to get around. But the spread of COVID-19 has many avoiding public transportation altogether. Uber and Lyft incentives can provide a safer solution for those who have no other way of getting to work. n People are concerned about workplace safety. Providing personal protective equipment is critical to getting people back to work. In addition to providing PPE for everyone, employers should be prepared to share the precautions that are being taken to keep people safe at work. n Many are looking to pivot their careers, and training is critical. Training and certification programs will become more important as thousands reenter the workforce. Employers need to look at how they can take these programs online and minimize the risk that comes with group trainings. Providing resources and training on how team members can successfully work from home, interview virtually and collaborate with teams remotely is key.

n We’re living in a time of fear and anxiety. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, nearly half of Americans say the coronavirus crisis is negatively impacting their mental health. Ensuring people have support – whether it’s through health benefits, on-site counseling, support groups or self-care activities – will lead to a healthier and more productive workforce. n Unemployment benefits are keeping people at home. Stimulus checks have been incredibly helpful in supporting those who have been laid off, furloughed or no longer have access to certain resources. But this is a shortterm solution. Stimulus money will run out, and recovery will take time. Offering competitive benefits that incentivize people to get back to work now will help offset the expected surge in job seekers. We’re facing a massive unemployment crisis. We need to work together to address these concerns and help Rhode Islanders get back to work. n Nina Pande is executive director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, a nonprofit matching businesses with qualified, unemployed and underemployed job seekers.

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IT’S PERSONAL GUEST COLUMN | SEAN DONAHUE

We need to preserve this memory JUST BELOW THE Japanese village of Aneyoshi, there’s a stone carved with a warning: “Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes below this point.” Placed there after a tsunami devastated the area in 1933, it helped those who listened to it remain safe from a similar disaster in 2011, almost 80 years later. When the last wave of the coronavirus recedes, what kind of guide stone will exist for future generations? An unprecedented effort is underway to fill vast digital archives with information related to the pandemic. Researchers at the University of Arizona, for example, have started a project called A Journal of the Plague Year: An Archive of COVID-19 that invites the public to contribute everything from personal videos to Instagram posts and internet memes about life during the coronavirus. But simply storing information in a repository isn’t enough; people will neither be able to access nor interpret it without the proper social and technological infrastructure. For a reminder to be truly effective, huge swaths of the population

must recognize the risk and be able to adequately prepare. Motivating people to achieve this latter aim is the biggest challenge. We are biased in many ways toward our personal experience, and we tend to underestimate or dismiss risks unless we encounter them firsthand. Challenges from this bias grow over time. All events eventually disappear from living memory – a process that takes about 90 years. Once this happens, later generations have fewer opportunities to have compelling conversations with eyewitnesses. These interactions are important motivators for taking the threat of recurrence seriously. The disappearance of vivid personal memories of polio, whooping cough and measles has plausibly contributed to the rise of anti-vaccination sentiment, in spite of the welldocumented danger of these diseases. Perhaps bias can be overcome to some extent through technology. Watching videos of life in quarantine or interviews of those impacted by the coronavirus is the closest that future generations can get to experiencing the pandemic firsthand or having conversations with those who did. Counterintuitively, technology can

interfere with this effort. Digital media makes spreading misinformation easier. And the emergence of deep fakes suggests that there will be unforeseeable ways that people in the future might doubt convincing evidence about the coronavirus. There remains a more basic problem. By enabling us to better preserve and spread information, technology has overloaded us with it. Can we assume that the reminders left behind will automatically get the attention they deserve from people living in an information-saturated world? In the long run, actively remembering the coronavirus cannot be everyone’s job; perhaps it’s best to depend on a relatively small number of people. Existing institutions don’t look like they’re up to this task. Universi-

ties focus on creating new information and preparing students for the job market, not spreading old warnings. Libraries are great at storing information but not at interpreting and communicating it to the public. Agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have the power to capture the public’s attention. Yet even they can become manipulated for other purposes. Future generations deserve to be in the best position possible to deal with the next pandemic. This preparation includes reminders about what happened in 2020. n Sean Donahue is a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at the University of Southern California. Distributed by The Associated Press.

We tend to underestimate or dismiss risks unless we encounter them firsthand.

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OPINION EDITORIALS

State’s contact-tracing app not a serious threat to privacy rights

PRIVACY THREAT? The state’s Crush COVID RI phone app includes GPS tracking that can be disabled.

Gov. Gina M. Raimondo says she’s been thrilled with the early response to the state’s Crush COVID RI phone app, despite the specter of Big Brother it raises for some. More than 35,000 people have downloaded the app, which is designed to help the state with contact tracing during the pandemic. The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island has raised a valid concern about what protections workers would have if an employer tried to force them to utilize the app. But some other concerns raised by the ACLU and others about the app changing into something potentially more troubling than the current iteration are unnecessarily alarmist. To be sure, government infection-mapping in other countries has raised significant privacy concerns – not to mention potentially damaging consequences for businesses. The Washington Post in March reported on the South Korean government’s publishing of the movements of people before they were diagnosed with the virus, by using GPS phone tracking, credit card records and other means that would raise serious concerns in this country. But that is a far cry from what the state’s app can do, which is track where a user has been. This seems like a more efficient method of beginning contact-tracing efforts than the logs or notebooks Gov. Raimondo previously asked residents to keep. And anyone concerned about privacy violations can disable the GPS function or choose not to share it with the state. As long as those options exist, the biggest concern about the new app may be whether enough people will consistently use it for it to be effective on a broad scale. n

Embrace pandemic challenges

We’ve all heard the proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” In business rarely does it ring truer than in a financial crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced permanent business shutdowns and will cause many more. Yet there will also be countless examples of businesses rising from the ashes, including many to new heights, by embracing the challenges. Startups are among the most vulnerable in a sudden recession. Yet, as this week’s cover story shows, the entrepreneurs who run them can also be quicker than others to pivot and find new business opportunities. The same can be said for the state’s network of support services for those entrepreneurs. Rather than spend valuable time lamenting what has been lost, they’ve shifted to virtual services and events. Providence-based Social Enterprise Greenhouse has already held one virtual incubator for aspiring entrepreneurs and plans another focused on COVID-19-related innovations in June. The pandemic has caused traumatic suffering but also created business opportunities, for those willing to adjust to what the community needs. n

POLL CENTRAL EXECUTIVE POLL

PBN.COM POLL

Is your company feeling challenged by the process of reopening?

What is your company doing to address challenges? (Select any that apply)

Should Rhode Island colleges be allowed to make their own decisions about whether students can return to campus in the fall? MAY 15-21

Yes: 60%

We are controlling spending: 60%

No: 20%

We are sourcing consultants to devise a strategy to reopen: 20%

The challenges of reopening

We have been operating throughout the pandemic: 20%

We are suspending noncritical hiring: 20%

What challenges is your company facing? (Select any that apply)

We are not doing anything unusual to reopen: 20%

We are not facing any challenges: 40%

We are temporarily freezing capital investments: 0%

We are strapped financially, impacting our operation: 20%

Will the way you conduct business permanently change?

We are challenged by supply-chain issues: 20%

Yes: 60%

We are facing staffing/administrative issues: 20%

We do not know: 40%

We are struggling to devise a plan for reopening: 0%

No: 0%

We are unsure if the pandemic has changed demand for our product/service: 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.

28 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Yes, they know best how prepared they can be to manage the health risks

60%

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34%

I don’t know 6%

Has freelance work, or the freelancers you regularly use, disappeared due to the COVID-19 pandemic? THIS WEEK’S POLL:

•Y es, the work has disappeared due to business closings or contraction • Yes, the workers are no longer interested because they can collect unemployment • No, I am still finding work • No, we can still find the freelancers we need To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

OPINION OPINION

‘Marshall Plan’ needed for small business

JEFFREY DECKMAN GUEST COLUMN

The COVID-19 pandemic will go down as one of the most important events in our history. Its impact is already causing exponential disruption, which will only grow more intense over the coming weeks and months as we experience its unpredictable aftershocks. While many aspects of our society have been affected, I will focus on one segment that has been devastated and to whose future we are inextricably attached: our small-business community. Without doubt, the rebuilding of the smallbusiness community will be the single most important factor to our very long, arduous economic recovery. And the Atlases who will carry the weight of the recovery on their shoulders will be those women and men who are the only ones who know how to rebuild what has been destroyed. They are the women and men of Rhode Island who built our economy in the first place. They are the owners and builders of our small businesses; many of whom now find themselves standing knee deep in wreckage where their businesses once stood before COVID-19 struck. They are the chosen ones because they are the rare breed of people who actually know enough and are tough enough to build businesses from nothing. They have the knowl-

edge, the determination, the fortitude and the deep desire to do so. Besides, it is those who know how to build companies from nothing who are the best ones who can rebuild companies from almost nothing. In fact, they are the only ones who can do it. The political leaders can’t because they don’t know how to build businesses; they tax businesses. Our captains of industry can’t because, while they excel at steering their massive ocean liners, they know little to nothing about how to captain the gutsy tugboats that do the down-and-dirty work necessary to steer the state’s economy into a safe harbor. And make no mistake, virtually every aspect of Rhode Island’s economy is heavily dependent upon small business. Our entire state is a small-business state. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2019 Small Business Profile report, 98.9% of all businesses in the state are considered small businesses, and 52.8% of all workers earn their paychecks from small businesses. In raw numbers this equates to 101,156 small businesses that employ 230,000 people. At the end of April, the state unemployment rate was a staggering 17%. I think it’s reasonable to assume the May unemployment figures will be even higher. To make matters worse, Forbes magazine

Rhode Island’s economy is heavily dependent upon small business.

reported that as many as 42% of all of the jobs lost in this economic pandemic will never return. This may be even worse for us because so much of our economy is dependent on the tourism, hospitality and service industries. They also report the hardest demographic to be hit by job losses will be older workers in their 50s and 60s, especially women. This poses another serious threat to our economy because Rhode Island is tied for the second-highest percentage of population between the ages of 55 to 64, according to Kaiser Family Foundation research. So, what does all of this mean? It means that unless Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello and Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio convene and empower the best minds in the small-business community to develop and implement a “Marshall Plan” devoted strictly to rebuilding and reinventing the small businesses in our state, we will suffer the despair and human suffering that always accompanies long-term, deeply rooted economic oppression and poverty. Without such a plan, we will be caught in the death spiral of economic cannibalism that occurs when starving state and local governments demand higher and higher taxes from an emaciated host who is already on life support. It doesn’t take a Rhodes scholar to see the truth in these statistics and to take innovative, collaborative actions. Hopefully the one who is our governor will. n Jeffrey Deckman is a leadership consultant and president of Capability Accelerators Inc. in West Greenwich.

Why are corporations voluntarily pitching in? ELHAM MAFI-KREFT AND STEVEN KREFT GUEST COLUMN

Severe shortages of critical medical supplies have prompted governments to compel private companies to fill the gap. In the U.S., President Donald Trump invoked rarely used powers to force General Motors to make ventilators, while the leaders of France, the U.K. and Japan have put pressure on companies to make more medical supplies. But, judging by how many non-medical companies have voluntarily stepped up to shift their manufacturing might to produce health care supplies – including GM rival Ford – it seems hardly necessary. Fashion brands such as LVMH, Chanel and L’Oreal are transforming their factories to mass produce face masks. Spirit and beer makers Anheuser-Busch, Diageo, Molson Coors and Bacardi are shifting some of their production and distribution toward hand sanitizer. And automakers Toyota, Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler are leveraging their 3D-printing capabilities to produce face shields and are partnering with other companies to make ventilators. In all, hundreds of companies across the globe have committed money, supplies and know-how to help with the COVID-19 response, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s corporate aid tracker. Why are companies being so generous? Altruism certainly plays a role for many of them, but it’s not the only motivator.

Research on company behavior points to two others: bolstering reputation and avoiding regulation. In normal times, companies often undertake socially responsible initiatives to enhance their brand and build a stronger relationship with consumers, investors and employees. What’s a socially responsible initiative? There are many definitions, but the way scholars like us think of it is it means taking voluntary action that is not prescribed by law or regulations. Reputation Institute, a management consultancy, found that people’s willingness to buy, recommend, work for or invest in a company is significantly influenced by their perceptions of its corporate social responsibility practices. So doing something that benefits people in their community can lead to higher sales, increase the company’s valuation and keep good employees around longer. But these are anything but normal times. The global crisis has created a need for an all-hands-on-deck response from everyone, including corporate America. People expect companies to do their part – and not appearing to do so could damage a brand’s reputation. A 2013 survey of citizens of 10 countries that included the U.S., France, Brazil and China found that 9 in 10 people said they would boycott a company they

believed behaved irresponsibly. And this is especially true of industries that are more directly connected to the crisis. For example, there’s been a shortage of hand sanitizer, which fashion companies that make perfume can easily produce. And manufacturers are, as we’ve seen, capable of repurposing their assembly lines to build ventilators. Not doing its part could result in a longterm hit to a company’s reputation. The other motivator is preempting government regulation, which becomes a greater risk during and after a crisis. We saw more financial regulation after Wall Street’s behavior sparked the Great Recession, and lawmakers from districts that suffer from hurricanes tend to support bills promoting more environmental regulation. So companies will often take proactive measures during a crisis in hopes of forestalling a more onerous government reaction. At the moment, companies may be stepping up to avoid a more draconian response, such as when Trump invoked the Defense Production Act against GM. n Elham Mafi-Kreft is a clincial associate professor of business economics at Indiana University. Steven Kreft is a clinical professor of business economics and public policy at Indiana University. Distributed by The Associated Press.

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | 29

ONE LAST THING The power of patience

PATIENCE

is a virtue but it has never been one of mine. I walk fast, talk fast and am prone to saying things like “bottom line it for me.” I am teased a lot about my inability to wait in a line or sit in a traffic jam without visibly squirming.

Kristen Adamo Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO and president Kristen Adamo joined the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau in 2005. She served as vice president of marketing and communications before being named CEO and president in 2019.

This pandemic has been brutal in so many ways, but it has taught me one truly good thing – the power of patience. When the enormity of the situation I was in hit me, I did what I always do – I got to work. I did budget forecasts, developed strategies and started restructuring my organizational chart. I thought I could outwork and outsmart the virus. I was wrong. We aren’t dealing with a specific incident or a specific problem. We are up against an organic, living thing that doesn’t care about my timetable or my spreadsheet. It will do what it wants to do and we will have to adapt. I have learned that it is OK to not have all the answers right now. Rather, I make measured decisions based on the information I have at the moment. I have stopped trying to develop a recovery timeline. Instead, I am working on a recovery plan that can be implemented when the time is right. Mostly, I have learned to wait. While the tourism industry has suffered so much, we have a solid base of meetings and sports business for 2021 through 2024. There will be more WaterFires and more Newport Folk Festivals. We will host March Madness next spring. Our future is bright. We just have to get there. I will have patience.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

30 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Career Achievement

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LISA MATTIELLO Owner & CEO Pranzi Inc.

HEATHER SINGLETON Chief Operating Officer RI Hospitality Association

STACIE COLLIER Professional Personnel Partner Nixon Peabody LLC

TARA DEMOURA VP, Employer Business Segment Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI

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FREE VIRTUAL SUMMIT | Thursday, June 4 | 9am The next in PBN’s series of COVID-19 Virtual Summits will provide expert advice in the following areas: Behavioral Health – Maintaining employee well-being and a positive work environment. Human Resources – Internal policies for workplace common areas, staggering shifts/scheduling, social distancing, etc. Workplace Safety – What’s needed to protect your employees

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Dr. Mathew Collins, EVP and Chief Medical Officer, BCBSRI Sarah Fleury, LICSW, CPHQ, Manager of Behavioral Health, BCBSRI Todd Knapp, CEO, Envision Technology Advisors, LLC Karyn H. Rhodes, VP/Director, Complete HR Solutions in collaboration with

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32 | MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

AWARDS

CAREER ACHIEVER

DR. MATT COLLINS

Ensuring health care reaches its full potential

PG. 4

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PARTNER SPONSOR

Inspire. Influence. Impact. Leaders do it all. At KPMG, we never underestimate the power of passionate individuals who are committed to success. We are proud to congratulate the Providence Business News’ C-Suite Awards recipients for their inspired leadership. kpmg.com

© 2020 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. NDP096306-1A

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ABOUT THE AWARDS

Leading in times of crisis

WHEN A COMPANY gets hit with a crisis, it leans heavily on the commitment and expertise of its top leaders to meet the challenges.

SPONSOR MESSAGES PRESENTING SPONSOR KPMG LLP is proud to present the PBN C-Suite Awards! The impact of extraordinary leaders is often known by few, but felt by many. Through your work and your guidance, each of you represents a constant reminder that together we can achieve more than we ever imagined. As truly influential leaders in the Rhode Island business community, your contributions and unwavering support of our local economy deserve recognition. That’s why KPMG is honored to have the opportunity to recognize all of the distinguished Providence Business News’ C-Suite Award recipients for continually leading by example and inspiring all of us to reach beyond our limits.

PARTNER SPONSOR Hilb Group of New England congratulates the winners of the 2020 C-Suite Awards. Innovation and growth are hallmarks of great companies and the Hilb Group of New England recognizes the commitment, foresight, and hard work exemplified to attain these goals. Congratulations on your remarkable achievements!

TABLE OF CONTENTS DR. MATT COLLINS DANA ALEXANDER NOLFE DAVID HEMENDINGER PAM HYLAND

4 5 6 8

COOPER WOODARD WENDY MONTGOMERY JASON CHERRY JENNIFER BOSE

10 11 12 14

So, when COVID-19 shook the world, it should be no surprise that C-Suite leaders across the state sprung into action to calm colleagues and clients and help their employers chart a course through the chaos. For many, including Dr. Matt Collins, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island’s executive vice president and chief medical officer, a lifetime of problem-solving and innovation helped them approach the new coronavirus as one more workplace challenge to conquer. PBN’s 2020 Career Achiever, Collins acknowledges “there is no playbook” for dealing with a pandemic, but the insurer aggressively moved to boost access to telemedicine, waive fees and expedite payments. And the key for successful companies and achievers such as Collins, “We … are constantly seeking ways in which we can do more.” Stepping up to challenges, of course, is nothing new for all of this year’s C-Suite honorees. Rising Star Jennifer Bose, Providence Children’s Museum associate director, faced a host of them when she joined the museum in a different position in 2017. She quickly boosted information technology, got the building rewired and upgraded security and human resources functions. “I’m at a time and place where all my experience can make a difference,” she said. Experience, and a relentless energy, also drives David Hemendinger, Brown Medicine’s chief information officer. It’s why Brown Medicine was prepared for the increased demand for telemedicine created by the pandemic. When COVID-19 struck, he recalled the words of Brown Medicine President Dr. Louis P. Rice: “Dave, your career has been built for this.” Returning for the fifth year as presenting sponsor of the C-Suite Awards program is KPMG LLP. And returning as partner sponsor is the Hilb Group of New England. We thank them both. Michael Mello Editor

www.pbn.com | C-SUITE AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 2020

| 3

DR. MATT COLLINS | BLUE CROSS & BLUE SHIELD OF RHODE ISLAND

Providing quality care is Collins’ calling BY JOHN A. LAHTINEN

CAREER

ACHIEVER

CARING FOR OTHERS: While in college, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island Chief Medical Officer Dr. Matt Collins became interested in serving underserved communities and hopes to improve health care in those areas. COURTESY DR. MATT COLLINS

Contributing Writer

DR. MATT COLLINS wanted to be a doctor for as long as he can remember with dreams of one day opening his own practice in a small town such as Cohasset, Mass., where he grew up. “I was impressed by the physicians in my community,” Collins said. “We lived across the street from a surgeon who worked long hours and had his own practice in his home. The pediatrician I went to was straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. I just felt drawn to the profession.” Years later, Collins would find that his medical training at Howard University in Washington, D.C., would take him on a slightly different path. He said he became more interested in serving in underserved communities, and working in the poorer parts of the nation’s capital steered him in that direction. “I sought out residency training programs that focused on training physicians to serve culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged communities,” said Collins, now executive vice president and chief medical officer at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. “In the hopes of improving ‘the system,’ I became interested in physician leadership and sought training to develop necessary knowledge and skills.” Collins was asked to lead the clinical program within the Federally Qualified Health Center, where he had completed his residency training and assumed the vice president of medical service role at Family Health Center of Worcester in Worcester, Mass., for five years. The firsthand primary care experience lit a fire in Collins. He dove into learning as much as possible about quality improvement methods and advanced primary care designs, feeling that primary care could do a better job at meeting patients’ needs and delivering positive results. Desiring a role where he could have more of a direct influence, particularly from a payment perspective, Collins accepted a medical director role with Neighborhood Health Plan of Massachusetts. He held that role for more than three years before taking a senior medical director job with Fallon Community Health Plan.

Collins was drawn by Blue Cross’ commitment to improving primary care when he joined the insurer five years ago. Currently, Collins said assuring that Blue Cross supports its members and customers, as well as the community and provider groups, in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic is the top priority. “As people have said over and over, there is no playbook for responding to a pandemic of this scale,” Collins said. “We have done a great deal so far and are constantly seeking ways in which we can do more. Empowering providers and members with the ability to do and access telemedicine, waiving cost sharing for diagnosis or treatment, and advancing payments to providers hurt by the precipitous drop in clinical revenue are some of the important things we’ve already enacted.” Beyond the pandemic, Collins is focusing much of his work toward identifying and

reducing low-value care – care that does not contribute to improved health in most cases and therefore represents unnecessary cost and time wasted. Blue Cross CEO and President Kim A. Keck said Collins is passionate about improving Rhode Island’s primary care system experience and that his background as a family physician and a medical director gives him a unique perspective on how a health insurer can meet the needs of the community it serves. “He leads by building consensus with stakeholders, inspiring their trust through direct, understandable communication, and following through on his commitments,” Keck said. “Matt is a master of productive collaboration, never shying away from challenging tasks. He has shown tremendous leadership during the time of the pandemic.” Collins remains steadfast in his dedication to doing everything in his power to see that the people of Rhode Island have the best primary care system possible, he said. “I’m passionate about a lot of things but believe health care is my calling,” Collins said. “I feel that as my chosen profession, I need to ensure health care reaches its fullest potential for both the people who work within the system and [those] who are served by it.” n

‘I need to ensure health care reaches its fullest potential for both the people who work within the system and [those] who are served by it.’ DR. MATT COLLINS, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island executive vice president and chief medical officer

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RHODE ISLAND MEDICAL IMAGING INC. | SOCIAL IMPACT: Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. Chief Marketing Officer Dana Alexander Nolfe has exponentially increased the health care practice’s presence on social media since she started with RIMI in April 2018. COURTESY RHODE ISLAND MEDICAL IMAGING INC.

Building a brand, brightening the image BY KIMBERLEY EDGAR

Contributing Writer

IF NUMBERS INFORM AN IMAGE, Dana Alexander Nolfe has painted a clear picture in her time with Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. Its robust social media stats from November 2018 through December 2019 show a 120% increase in followers with a 98% retention rate of those who have liked social media accounts for the outpatient diagnostic imaging network, also called RIMI. Impressions tracking frequency with which ads or promoted posts are fetched from servers and displayed on social networks – also grew by 119%. RIMI’s engagement rates on four major platforms tower above industry standards. Facebook engagement swelled to a 6.9% rate when 1% is average. On Instagram, RIMI engagement grew to 16.6%, far surpassing the 4% strength threshold. On platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn, where 0.5% to 0.8% is healthy, RIMI’s engagement on Twitter is at 1.9%, while RIMI’s engagement on LinkedIn is about 12 to 18 times the norm at 9.3%. The Radiology Business Management Association sought RIMI’s advice, inviting it to share secrets to its social media success with other radiology marketers last November in Louisville, Ky. “Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others existed in the most basic fashion. We decided this was a real growth opportunity,” said Alexander Nolfe, who became RIMI’s chief marketing officer in April 2018. “Now, we see double- and triple-digit growth in a way that is unusual for

any industry – never mind health care.” And this says nothing about her other successes, including 21 media placements made in her first year and tripled to 63 last year. “Dana is a total overachiever,” said Giselle Mahoney, senior account executive and partner with integrated marketing and communications firm RDW Group, hired by Alexander Nolfe in November 2018. “What makes Dana the perfect recipient of this award is she’s able to see and execute a vision.” In a network of 500 employees well-versed in the life-and-death importance of clear, precise imaging, Alexander Nolfe is the standard-bearer shaping and networking RIMI’s brand image. In addition to revamping the social media strategy, she has stretched RIMI’s reputation as an American College of Radiology Center of Excellence beyond RIMI’s traditional businessto-business physician-provider partnerships. Alexander Nolfe also has balanced marketing through more business-to-consumer relationships with RIMI’s multifaceted clientele; tapped her broadcasting background with ABC News to develop two 15-second TikTok videos, and RIMI’s newest “Seeing the Unseen” video cam-

DANA ALEXANDER NOLFE

paign representing more than 80 radiologists’ work with patients; and championed RIMI’s corporate social responsibility and event planning and presence through American Cancer Society initiatives, including a StyleWeek Northeast fashion sponsorship and RIMI’s Stand Up to Cancer campaign with Providence College Friars basketball. “The execution was flawless,” said Greg Leonetti, Providence Friars Sports Properties general manager, of RIMI’s Stand Up to Cancer campaign. “The Rhode Island Medical Imaging brand was able to own the night.” Also, on April 16, Alexander Nolfe and her five-member team launched RIMI’s new cleaner-looking, customer-catering website. “She has been able to quickly understand the spirit of who RIMI is as an organization – what its brand is – and drive that forward,” Mahoney said. While metrics are essential to marketing, they paint only part of the picture. As RIMI’s radiologists see patients from the inside out to promote better health, Alexander Nolfe X-rays the 13-site network and its seven hospital partnerships to find stories showcasing RIMI and its culture. The words “care,” “caring,” “warm,” “welcoming” and “nurturing” come up often in conversation. She shares RIMI’s subtle, sensitive yet substantive side found in soft pink robes adorning women awaiting oft-dreaded mammograms. Instead of sitting in sterile surroundings garbed in drab hospital gowns, these women sip hot and cold beverages while listening to a nearby waterfall’s peaceful trickle mingling with soothing, musical strains in spa-like settings at RIMI’s two newest breast-imaging centers, in East Greenwich and Johnston. She even offers to help someone overdue for a mammogram book an appointment for after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mammogram or MRI, ultrasound or uterinefibroid intervention, lung-cancer screening or liver-cancer intervention, patients are getting the message RIMI is laser-focused on providing the highest level of care possible. “[Alexander Nolfe] has been instrumental in leading RIMI to be seen as the true health care company and leader that we are,” said JoAnn Barbato, executive director of RIMI patient financial services. n

‘Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others existed in the most basic fashion. We decided this was a real growth opportunity.’ DANA ALEXANDER NOLFE, Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. chief marketing officer

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER LARGE PRIVATE COMPANY

www.pbn.com | C-SUITE AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 2020

| 5

DAVID HEMENDINGER | BROWN MEDICINE

Remaining steadfast within fast-paced health care BY ALEXANDER CASTRO

SMOOTH OPERATOR: Brown Medicine Chief Information Officer David Hemendinger implemented IT strategies in order to help improve workflow at the physician group practice. PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Contributing Writer

INSOMNIACS TEND TO be studious thinkers. They’re up all night, dissecting tomorrow before it even arrives. For David Hemendinger, sleeplessness is precious fuel in the 24/7 realm that is the health care industry. “Not needing a lot of sleep, I found that sort of fit with the paradigm of health care today,” he said. Driven by a quest to understand how things work, Hemendinger obtained his master’s degree in health care from Bryant University. His enthusiasm for data is apparent in his current role as chief information officer at East Providence-based Brown Medicine. Hemendinger oversees the day-to-day and strategic information technology operations for a medical group of more than 200 physicians teaching, researching and practicing in numerous specialties. Brown Medicine CEO Ann M. Kashmanian has noticed Hemendinger’s relentless energy. “David works tirelessly in the pursuit of creating technological changes that enhance the workflow and workday of our physicians,” she said. A smooth workflow requires a deft understanding of the technics needed to make it happen and, for Hemendinger, these changes begin in the IT department. When he arrived at Brown Medicine in July 2019, the physician group lacked a formal IT strategy. So he implemented a robust three-year plan, prioritizing physicians in the first year. Hemendinger notes that today’s doctors deal with a multitude of both patients and data in a health care system that’s as complex as ever. He introduced improvements such as a virtual scribe program that allows for digital dictation of patient visits, and federated sign-in so doctors working at different offices can log in across scattered systems. “[Physicians] are folks that we as technologists need to find creative ways to de-stress,” Hemendinger said. “Even prior to COVID-19, from an IT perspective, we were focusing on

physician burnout.” The idea isn’t to make physicians’ jobs easier but more manageable. Another initiative saw collaboration with the R.I. Department of Health on a Healthcare Training Consolidation Act, in the hopes of streamlining facility- and state-mandated compliance and credentialing. Hemendinger said centralized training can consolidate once-redundant sessions from 20 hours annually to about 10 hours. “If [doctors] practice at multiple locations, the training is quite extensive,” Hemendinger said. Hemendinger’s career, which includes 17 years at Lifespan Corp. and five years at HopeHealth, helps break down some of the parochialism that exists at a technology and workflow perspective. Additional experience as a licensed EMT-B, as well as a former chief operating officer at Woonsocket-based Summer Infant Inc. (doing business as SUMR Brands) familiarized Hemendinger with nuances of health care delivery, from product design to chaotic emergency rooms to everyday follow-up visits. Questions of preparedness have become ultra-relevant in a health care system strained by COVID-19, but one might consider Hemendinger a sophisticated prepper. He remembered Brown Medicine President Dr. Louis P. Rice’s words: “Dave, your career has been built for this.” While doctors’ offices nationwide were scrambling to institute telemedicine, Brown Medicine was ready. Hemendinger had instituted “Televisits” within his first month on the job. Televisits are only one part of the datadriven changes Hemendinger plans to roll out. He’s most excited for an artificial intelligencepowered project that will generate predictions

6 | MAY 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n C-SUITE AWARDS | www.pbn.com

that physicians can use as part of their thought process, he said. That’s in addition to moreordinary measures, such as fortifying support for Brown Medicine’s teaching and research functions, or expanding services available to patients. Hemendinger sees IT forming a roadmap of the infrastructure that’s needed. For him, the notion that a patient’s care might be enhanced by a computer’s foresight is idealistically bright. “It all rolls back to my philosophy of the physician: [Gathering] all the information … at the right time, in the right way, [doctors] can consume it with the patient. Then everyone can make the next best step,” he said. “I love the ability to get us to that utopia.” n

‘David works tirelessly in the pursuit of creating technological changes that enhance the workflow and workday of our physicians.’ ANN M. KASHMANIAN, Brown Medicine CEO

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER LARGE PRIVATE COMPANY

Dr. Matt Collins Chief Medical Officer & Executive Vice President Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island

A VISION FOR INNOVATION Dr. Matt Collins’ entire career—from EMT to nursing assistant to family practice physician and teacher—is inspired by his vision of an effective healthcare system that delivers for patients. His passion for innovation is fed by seeing to the needs of his patients and soliciting ideas from providers across Rhode Island. Congratulations to Dr. Collins, Career Achiever honoree, and all the other C-Suite Award winners! Thank you for all your efforts toward a healthier Rhode Island. It’s what we live for.™

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

EC-429753 PBN C-Suite Vitual Awards Ad Dr Matt Collins-FA.indd 1

EC-429753 5/20

5/8/20 2:38 PM

www.pbn.com | C-SUITE AWARDS n PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | MAY 2020

| 7

PAM HYLAND | GIRL SCOUTS OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND

Bleeding green and embracing challenges BY NANCY KIRSCH

SCOUT’S HONOR: Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England CEO Pam Hyland had to face various challenges, such as moving programming to virtual means due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to keep the organization moving forward. PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Contributing Writer

IN THESE EXTRAORDINARY times, Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England CEO Pam Hyland finds new environments invigorating. She and other executives for Girl Scouts of the USA must keep the organization viable and meaningful, even as they face challenges, such as the Boy Scouts of America’s 2018 decision to welcome girls into its organization and, more immediately, the social-distancing protocols that were implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “If girls leave for the Boy Scouts or some other girl-centric program … they are ours to lose,” Hyland said. “We teach girls to make decisions that are right for them.” As for social distancing, Hyland is doubling down on creativity. Microsoft Teams and virtual website programming keep GSSNE staff and Girl Scouts, respectively, involved and engaged. Eager to ensure that the organization remains meaningful to Girl Scouts and their families, Hyland said that the Girl Scouts “haven’t gone away.” “[We] just look different,” Hyland said. “The girls are selling cookies virtually and adults are delivering them safely to hospital workers.” GSSNE serves 5,800 girls ages 5-17 who are part of 519 troops within Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts. With an annual budget of slightly more than $3.8 million, Hyland manages 32 full-time and 70 seasonal employees. Deb Ricci, a GSSNE board member since 2019, said that Hyland “stays calm under pressure [and] uses educated resources to make her decisions.” Those decisions included promptly suspending all troop activities, including in-person cookie sales, closing the office to visitors and allowing employees to work remotely, even before Gov. Gina M. Raimondo ordered nonessential workplaces to close due to the pandemic. When Hyland arrived to lead GSSNE in December 2015, she recognized the need to establish some much-needed infrastructure. Hyland implemented policies and procedures related

to board governance and development, by-laws, fundraising, risk management and human resources. Gallup Certified Strengths Coach Facilitator Cindy Scibetta-Butts and Tim Hebert, a long-time entrepreneur, public speaker, author and leadership activator, were particularly helpful in the human resources arena. “The further along you are on the leadership path, the more you realize what you don’t know. You need [your] team to move you forward,” said Hyland, who lauded Scibetta-Butts, Hebert and GSSNE board Chair George Shuster for their support and guidance. Running a nonprofit organization requires diverse skills. While CEOs must keep a close eye on the business’s bottom line, they must give equal attention to creatively furthering the organization’s mission. To that end, Hyland is focusing on evaluating the GSSNE’s properties, which include four campsites. “We’re looking at right-sizing … to make the camps we keep stronger, better and more financially sustainable,” Hyland said. Hyland, who gained an appreciation for environment and nature as a young Girl Scout, endorses an Iroquois belief she learned during an earlier GSUSA leadership post: “The decisions you make today must be solid and good for seven generations out.” So often, Hyland said, people make decisions that make them look good in the short-term. Hyland “bleeds [GSUSA] green,” Ricci said, meaning Hyland’s “entire thought process

8 | MAY 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n C-SUITE AWARDS | www.pbn.com

[focuses] on what will this do for the betterment of the girls and the volunteers, as well. It’s not always looking at profitability.” At Hyland’s initiative, a board committee is also working to identify GSSNE alumnae so that they can be recognized and, perhaps, recruited to participate in event planning, committee or board work, Ricci said. The committee is eager to explore volunteer partnerships with local companies. Girl Scouts do far more than sell cookies. Asserting that every girl can be a go-getter, innovator, risk-taker and leader, the GSUSA reported in 2018 that three of the nation’s four female governors and 73% of the female U.S. senators were Girl Scout alumnae. Earning badges in coding and cybersecurity, today’s GSSNE girls have initiated anti-bullying initiatives and welcomed three transgender boys transitioning to girls. Those situations were handled on a case-specific basis, said Hyland, who embraces her myriad challenges. “I want to get [them] right. I like innovation and I don’t like to stand still,” Hyland said. n

‘I like innovation and I don’t like to stand still.’ PAM HYLAND, Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England CEO

CEO NONPROFIT/SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES

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Congratulations to David Hemendinger and all of the winners of the 2020 PBN C-Suite Awards

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David Hemendinger Chief Information Officer Brown Medicine, Inc. is a nonprofit primary care, specialty outpatient and subspecialty medical group practice with over 200 physicians and multiple patient care locations across Rhode Island. Brown Medicine is part of Brown Physicians, Inc., a clinical, research and teaching affiliate of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

with name and address

877-771-7401 • BrownPhysicians.org PBN C-Suite David.indd 1

RHODE ISLAND ISLAND CREDIT CREDIT UNIONS UNIONS (ranked (rankedbybyassets) assets) RHODE 2019 rank

1 2018: 1

2 2018: 2

3 2018: 3

4 2018: 4

5 2018: 5

6 2018: 7

7 2018: 6

8 2018: 8

9 2018: 9

Company Website President/CEO

Address Phone

Pawtucket Credit Union

George J. Charette III

Navigant Credit Union

Gary E. Furtado

Net income (loss) B

$2.1 bil. $8.1 mil.

$12 mil.

navigantcu.org

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

$$2.3 bil. $1.9 bil.

98,249

$2 bil. $9 mil.

$17.8 mil.

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

$$572.3 mil. $503.5 mil.

72,854

$480.5 mil. $1.4 mil.

$2.7 mil.

858 West Main Road Middletown, R.I. 02842 (401) 846-8930

$$534.7 mil. $434.4 mil.

44,866

$437.7 mil. $3 mil.

$3.4 mil.

122 Granite St. Westerly, R.I. 02891 (401) 596-7000

$$317.8 mil. $280.7 mil.

19,275

$276.9 mil. $1.2 mil.

$1.7 mil.

2006 Nooseneck Hill Road Coventry, R.I. 02816 (401) 397-1900

$$283.6 mil. $235.1 mil.

22,348

$222.2 mil. $222,511

$1.3 mil.

160 Francis St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 751-7440

$$281.9 mil. $249.6 mil.

26,774

$229.2 mil. $1.1 mil.

$846,096

greenwoodcu.org

peoplescu.com

Westerly Community Credit Union

Ocean State Credit Union

oceanstatecu.org

David L. Root

David B. Suvall

ricreditunion.org

480 Greenwich Ave. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 781-1020

$$116.3 mil. $101.3 mil.

7,210

$60.4 mil. $361,606

Cranston Municipal Employees Credit Union cranstonmecu.org

1615 Pontiac Ave. Cranston, R.I. 02920 (401) 463-3010

$$58.1 mil. $44.3 mil.

2,925

$11.8 mil. $45,173

$822,582

Blackstone River Federal Credit Union

10 Monument Square Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 767-1990

$$55.0 mil. $49.5 mil.

4,768

$23 mil. $160,667

$325,841

179 West River St. Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 421-2436

$$42.2 mil. $36.9 mil.

Wave Federal Credit Union

Paul Archambault

wavefcu.org

Scott R. Kaplan

2018: 10

blackstoneriverfcu.org James W. Wood, CEO

Postal Government Employees Federal Credit Union pgecu.org

CLOSER LOOK

Total assets:

120,552

westerlyccu.com Stephen J. White

Rhode Island Credit Union

Total loans and leases Loan and lease loss allowance

$$2.4 bil. $1.9 bil.

Greenwood Credit Union

People's Credit Union

No. of members

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

Frederick W. Reinhardt

Sean Daly, CEO

Total assets Total shares and deposits

pcu.org

$7.1 billion Re-ranked by net income:

1 Navigant Credit Union Net income: $17.8 million

2 Pawtucket

Credit Union Net income: $12 million

3 People’s Credit Union Net income: $3.4 million

$518,509 LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette

2,758

$24.7 mil. $168,071

$202,853

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

2018: 11

Kenneth F. Poyton

Alliance Blackstone Valley Federal Credit D Union abvfcu.com

594 Central Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02861 (401) 722-8236

$$29.5 mil. $27.2 mil.

2,736

$12.8 mil. $133,862

($59,379)

FOOTNOTES j Reflects year-to-date net income or loss as of Sept. 30, 2019.

Community & Teachers Federal Credit Union teacherscu.org

1169 South Broadway East Providence, R.I. 02914 (401) 438-7788

$$27.8 mil. $25.4 mil.

2,243

$15.8 mil. $32,872

$65,995

 Navigant Credit Union and the Kent County Memorial Hospital Federal Credit Union announced Sept. 11, 2019, that the two institutions will be merging in early 2020.

Kent County C Memorial Hospital Federal Credit Union kenthospitalcu.org

455 Tollgate Road Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 737-7000

$$13.2 mil. $11.6 mil.

2,092

$7.6 mil. $15,386

$66,167

2018: 12

John Rabaioli, interim CEO

13 2018: 13

Kenneth C. Saunders, CEO

14 2018: 14

Eugene V. Leco, president

Woodlawn Federal Credit Union

744 Main St. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 728-8300

$$11.9 mil. $11 mil.

2,428

$6.8 mil. $47,536

$17,514

2018: 15

woodlawnfcu.org Rufus R. Bailey Jr., CEO

Cumberland Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union cumberlandcu.org

2352 Mendon Road Cumberland, R.I. 02864 (401) 658-0010

$$6.5 mil. $5 mil.

996

$2.7 mil. $10,423

$45,562

Postal Employees Regional Federal Credit Union

40 Montgomery St. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 726-3895

$$5.9 mil. $3.2 mil.

712

$2.8 mil. $20,552

$28,891

2018: 16

Holly L. Ayick, manager

17 2018: 17

18 2018: 18

19 2018: 19

20 2018: 20

Charlene M. LaPlante, CEO

 Rhode Island Credit Union and Alliance Blackstone Valley Federal Credit Union reached an agreement Jan. 25, 2019, to merge as a single entity. The merger is expected to be completed within the first quarter of 2020.

PHYSICIAN GROUP PRACTICES (ranked (ranked by number of local physicians) PHYSICIAN GROUP PRACTICES by number of local physicians) 2019 rank

1 2018: 1

2 2018: 2

3 2018: 4

4 2018: 3

5 2018: 5

6 2018: 6

7 2018: NL

8 2018: NL

9 2018: 9

10 2018: 7

11 2018: 8

12 2018: 12

13 2018: 13

14 2018: 11

15 2018: 14

16 2018: 15

17 2018: 16

Pawtucket Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union

137 Roosevelt Ave. Pawtucket, R.I. 02860 (401) 728-0500

$$4.9 mil. $4.3 mil.

1,103

$3.2 mil. $42,514

($23,128)

Coventry Teachers Federal Credit Union

9 Foster Drive Coventry, R.I. 02816 (401) 826-1682

$$2.7 mil. $2.1 mil.

673

$2 mil. $6,869

($8,225)

NATCO Employees Credit Union

155 Brookside Ave. West Warwick, R.I. 02893 (401) 828-0300

$184,779 $148,328

$43,676 $919

$871

Lisa Paiva, manager

coventryteachersfcu.com Kenneth B. Wilkins, manager and CEO

Roseanne Ruzzo, chairperson

40 | JANUARY 2020

| PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n BOOK OF LISTS | www.pbn.com

2018: 17

20 2018: 19

Company Website President/CEO

Address Phone

Lifespan Physician Group B

No. of local physicians No. of locations Specialties

167 Point St. Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 444-3500

507 74

Cardiology, dermatology, neurosciences, pediatric and primary care, psychiatry and behavioral health, women'a health

Group carenewengland.org Michael J. Ryan Jr., president and chief operating officer

45 Willard St. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 681-2818

455 44

Cardiology, emergency medicine, geriatrics, internal medicine, orthopedics, pediatrics, primary care, surgical services, women's health

Southcoast Physicians Group southcoast.org

Dr. Elizabeth Smith, president

450 William S. Canning Blvd. Fall River, Mass. 02721 (844) 744-5544

287 62

Cancer care, cardiology, dermatology, family medicine, OB-GYN, orthopedics, pain medicine, urgent care

Brown Medicine brownmed.org Ann M. Kashmanian, CEO; Dr. Louis B. Rice, president

110 Elm St., 2nd Floor Providence, R.I. 02903 (877) 771-7401

249 9

Allergy and clinical immunology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, geriatric and palliative medicine, hematology/oncology, inpatient hospital medicine

Coastal Medical Inc.

10 Davol Square, Suite 400 Providence, R.I. 02903 (401) 421-4000

90 20

Primary health care practice

Rhode Island Medical Imaging Inc. rimirad.com

125 Metro Center Blvd., Suite 2000 Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 432-2400

81 13

CT, dexa scan, mammography, MRI, ultrasound, Xray

Thundermist Health Center

450 Clinton St. Woonsocket, R.I. 02895 (401) 767-4100

73 3

Medical, dental and behavioral health care for patients of all ages

375 Allens Ave. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 444-0400

Inc. lifespan.org Dr. Steven Lampert, president Care New England Medical

coastalmedical.com Dr. G. Alan Kurose

Dr. John A. Pezzullo, president

thundermisthealth.org Jeanne LaChance

offices) (rankedbybynumber numberof local of local offices) PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES (ranked Address Phone

No. of local offices No. of local employees No. of vehicles

Services provided

Areas served

700 Jefferson Blvd. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 946-0470

22 C 300 Varies

Business and personal rental services

International

40 Senator St. Extension Warwick, R.I. 02888 (401) 274-4043

21 205 Varies

Personal and business car rental, accident replacement

International

LIST RESEARCHED BY James Bessette

700 Jefferson Blvd. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 736-7500

5 NA Varies

Car rental and insurance replacement

International

700 Jefferson Blvd. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 739-8986

4 NA Varies

Personal and business car rental services

International

All Occasion Transportation

2 Commerce Drive Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 312-0945

3 105 63

Specializing in airport, executive and group transportation, and special occasions

International

2018: NL

Arrow-Prestige Limousine and Coach arrowprestigelimo.com

Patrick Damian, vice president

2095 Elmwood Ave. Warwick, R.I. 02888 (401) 383-5600

2 47 38

Airport services, casino trips, city trips, corporate travel, proms, weddings

New England, New Jersey, New York

Thrifty Car Rental

2329 Post Road Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 732-2000

2 40 Varies

Airport valet parking, car and van rentals, vehicle service

International

CLOSER LOOK

Total number of local physicians:

2,081 Re-ranked by number of locations:

1 Lifespan Physician

Group Inc. No. of locations: 74

2 Southcoast

Physicians Group No. of locations: 62

3 Care New England

Medical Group No. of locations: 44

2019 rank

1 2018: 1

2 2018: 2

3 2018: 3

4 2018: 4

5 2018: 5

Providence Community Health Centers providencechc.org Merrill R. Thomas, CEO

CharterCARE Medical Associates chartercare.org

Michal Frejka, vice president of practice operations

University Surgical Associates

Inc. usasurg.org Dr. William Cioffi, president University Orthopedics

universityorthopedics.com Dr. Edward Akelman, president

University Gastroenterology

universitygi.com Dr. Eric P. Berthiaume, president

Medical Associates of Rhode Island Inc. medassociatesofri.com Colleen Noseworthy, director of operations

Orthopedics Rhode Island

64 10

Provides adult medicine, asthma-allergy care, behavioral health, dental care, family medicine, health education, podiatry and urgent care

50 Maude St. Providence, R.I. 02908 (401) 456-2636

60 26

Endocrinology, family practice, gastroenterology, infectious disease, neurology, pulmonary and sleep medicine, rheumatology

2 Dudley St. Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 272-1800

54 13

Breast surgery, general, pediatric, surgical oncology, thoracic, transplant, vascular surgical and critical care

1 Kettle Point Ave. East Providence, R.I. 02914 (401) 457-1500

46 9

Hand therapy, orthopedics and physical therapy

33 Staniford St. Providence, R.I. 02905 (401) 421-8800

24 4

Gastroenterology

1180 Hope St. Bristol, R.I. 02809 (401) 253-8900

23 2

Dermatology, internal medicine, pediatrics, podiatry

200 Crossings Blvd., Suite 310 Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 777-7000

22 9

Hand, wrist and upper extremity, joint preservation and replacement, orthopedics, outpatient therapy and advanced imaging, podiatry, robotics surgery

Anchor Medical Associates anchormedical.org Dr. Nathan B. Beraha, medical director, CEO

The Rhode Island Eye Institute rieyeinstitute.com

Dr. R. Jeffrey Hofmann, managing partner

Barrington Pediatric Associates

Inc. barringtonpediatrics.com Ronni Peltz, managing partner Rhode Island Ear, Nose & Throat Physicians Inc. rient.net Barry Rafonelli, administrator

1 Commerce St. Lincoln, R.I. 02865 (401) 793-8484

15 3

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

orthopedicsri.com Dr. Michael P. Bradley, CEO and president; Mary Ellen Ashe, executive director

Primary care services for family medicine: bone densitometry, echocardiography, pediatric cardiology, rheumatology, spirometry

150 East Manning St. Providence, R.I. 02906 (401) 272-2020

12 4

Corneal diseases and transplants, diabetic retinopathy, Lasik procedures, pediatric ophthalmology, reconstructive surgery

334D County Road Barrington, R.I. 02806 (401) 247-2288

8 1

Pediatrics

2018: 6

FOOTNOTES j Lifespan Corp. includes Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Newport Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital/ Hasbro Children’s Hospital and The Miriam Hospital.

2018: 7

 Also known as Ortho Rhode Island.

2018: 7

 Previously listed as Radiation Oncology Associates.

8 8 2018: 7

8 2018: 7

148 West River St., Suite 2A Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 728-0140

6 3

Allergies, hearing aids, ear, nose and throat

825 North Main St. Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 521-9700

4 1

Radiation oncology

1 Randall Square, Suite 305 Providence, R.I. 02904 (401) 223-0223

1 1

Cardiology

8 2018: 7

Company Website President/CEO

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

CLOSER LOOK

enterprise.com Bill Gardner, vice president and general manager, Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts

Hertz Corp. hertz.com Kathryn V. Marinello, CEO and president; John E. Clancy, area manager

Avis Rent A Car System Inc.

avis.com Keary Riggie, regional manager

Budget Rent A Car USA

budget.com Keary Riggie, regional manager

alloccasionlimo.com John S. Olinger, CEO

thrifty.com John E. Clancy, area manager

A Star Limousine

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

1305 Hartford Ave. Johnston, R.I. 02919 (401) 232-1523

1 14 11

Airport transportation services, nights out, proms, weddings

New England

700 Jefferson Blvd. Warwick, R.I. 02886 (401) 737-4800

1 C 300 Varies

Business and personal rental services

International

Corporate Transportation

417 Smithfield Ave. Providence, R.I. 02860 (401) 231-2228

1 20 12

24-hour taxi and corporate car service

New England

Escort Limousine Inc.

365 Waterman Ave. East Providence, R.I. 02914 (401) 435-5466

1 1 2

Airport service, bachelor and bachelorette parties, special events, transportation to New York, weddings

New England

29 Bald Hill Road Cranston, R.I. 02920 (401) 831-8940

1 20 8

Airport services, corporate travel, major concert venues, proms, sightseeing, tours and weddings

New England, New Jersey, New York

11 Clemenceau St. East Providence, R.I. 02914 (401) 434-2700

1 25 14

Airport and corporate transportation, shuttle service, weddings

International

Alamo BRent A Car/National Car

corporatetransportationofri.com Michael Tartaglione, owner

escortlimori.com Doug Cox, president

Five Star Limousine

fivestarlimo.com Sharon Rizzo, owner; George Rizzo, manager

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.

Rental alamo.com Bill Gardner, vice president and general manager, Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts

astarlimoofri.com Anthony Andrade, owner and manager

Total number of local offices:

FOOTNOTES j Enterprise Holdings Inc. encompasses Alamo Rent-ACar, National Car Rental and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.  Employee count encompasses all locations for three brands under Enterprise Holdings Inc.  Avis Budget Group encompasses Avis Rent A Car System Inc. and Budget Rent A Car USA.

NorthMainD Radiation

Oncology usoncology.com/ patients/practices/northmainradiation-oncology Dr. Nicklas Oldenburg, medical director Cardiology Consultants LLC Dr. Ara Sadaniantz

100 | JANUARY 2020

4/24/20 10:11 AM

8 2018: 7

Sentinel Limousine & Coach

Inc. sentinellimo.com Daniel McCrystal, founder and owner

| PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n BOOK OF LISTS | www.pbn.com

Access the lists today! Order online at PBN.com/lists

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| 147

innovator · trailblazer · role model · leader

Dana, you are all of these and more. Everyone at RIMI applauds and congratulates you on your PBN C-Suite Award. We appreciate all you do for us and we are thrilled that you’re part of our team.

For assistance, call 401-680-4840

rimirad.com RIMI-37613-479x634_F.indd 1

5/11/20 7:32 PM

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| 9

COOPER WOODARD | THE GRODEN NETWORK

Woodard continues Groden’s mission to help others BY JOHN A. LAHTINEN

THE ‘RITE’ STEP: Among the programs Cooper Woodard, The Groden Network’s chief clinical officer, has helped lead in continuing the organization’s mission is the residential intensive treatment and evaluation program, a community-based, staff-secured setting where clients receive behavioral and psychiatric assessment support and stabilization. PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Contributing Writer

AS A MEDICAL STUDENT at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, Cooper Woodard quickly learned that medicine was not the right path for him. “I did not do well in chemistry,” Woodard said. “But then I took abnormal psychology as an elective and it was absolutely fascinating to me. For the first time, I could not put the textbook down.” Woodard recalled that he went to the college’s psychology department to find out more about this area and was “amazed by all the information and topics.” He knew right away that he wanted to be a psychologist, he said. “I have enjoyed it ever since,” Woodard said. “I feel very fortunate to have known what I wanted to do so early in life.” Fortunate indeed for both Woodard and the many children, teens and adults with learning and behavioral disabilities he helped through his work as The Groden Network’s chief clinical officer since 2002. The network includes The Groden Center, founded in 1976 by Drs. June and Gerald Groden in response to the absence of effective services for youths with autism and other developmental challenges. The Providence-based organization currently offers day and residential programs providing functional skill and social development for youths ages 3-21 via The Cove Center in Providence and The Halcyon Center in Attleboro. Woodard has been part of many programs that have forwarded the network’s mission. One he is particularly proud of is the residential intensive treatment and evaluation program, a community-based, staff-secured setting where clients receive behavioral and psychiatric assessment support and stabilization. Woodard and his team found that some of the children and adolescents supported by the center may be in crisis but did not need hospitalization or were in need of “step-down” services from a hospital setting. The 1-to-1 RITE

program, which also offers parent training and case management, has effectively served many individuals with autism and developmental disabilities without them having to go to, or be maintained in, an inpatient setting. A story from Woodard’s childhood encapsulates who he is and the passion that he brings to his work. At the age of 11, Woodard was allowed to pick out a new kitten from a litter. He picked out one of the kittens, but then noticed another kitten that didn’t look quite right. “I asked the neighbor about that kitten and she said, ‘You don’t want that one. It’s the runt. No one wants the runt,’ ” Woodard recalled. “I couldn’t believe that she would say such a thing and I put my kitten down and took that one. I worked with him and he became one of the most beautiful cats.” Woodard said he always felt badly for people who are different or vulnerable and it’s “physically painful” for him to see someone in pain. People with autism and other disabilities are in that situation, Woodard said. “They are vulnerable and need support, and I am so glad to be able to do anything to help,” he said. “It is a gift to me to be able to be of service in that way.” Groden replaced its clinical supervisor model with board-certified behavior analysts, worked to reduce medication use and restrictive interventions by enhancing behavioral interventions, and maintained Dr. June Groden’s contributions of progressive relaxation and cognitive picture rehearsal techniques for all children. It also increased the use of positive

10 | MAY 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n C-SUITE AWARDS | www.pbn.com

psychology interventions for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, and expanded vocational and employment supports. Catherine Nassa, Groden’s director of marketing and development, has seen firsthand how much Woodard’s work impacts people’s lives. “At its core, Cooper’s work helps our students and clients develop coping skills so that they can better interact with their families and their community,” Nassa said. “This allows them to live more productive and meaningful lives. Cooper is willing to listen to all sides of an issue before making a decision. He is also willing to jump in wherever necessary.” n

‘[People with autism and developmental disabilities] are vulnerable and need support, and I am so glad to be able to do anything to help.’ COOPER WOODARD, The Groden Network’s chief clinical officer

CHIEF CLINICAL OFFICER NONPROFIT/SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES

INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY PLC |

Different leadership style creates unity at IGT BY JENNIFER L. GRYBOWSKI

WENDY MONTGOMERY

PASSIONATE AND AUTHENTIC: Wendy Montgomery, senior vice president, global brand and marketing communications for International Game Technology PLC, feels that having a people-centered focus is a key component of leadership. PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Contributing Writer

WENDY MONTGOMERY has had a career full of marketing and general management roles around the globe. The senior vice president, global brand and marketing communications, for International Game Technology PLC landed in Providence two years ago, and said returning to her passion of marketing and having another global role were what drew her most to the company. “Marketing is a wonderful mixture of art and science,” she said. “There is an analytical piece in terms of the discipline focusing on objectives and how to get to them, and then you look at how to tap into motivations and create awareness and desire for a change in behavior.” Kim Barker Lee, IGT vice president of diversity and inclusion, said while Montgomery’s marketing expertise and global viewpoint were attractive for IGT, she came into the organization from the unique vantage point of being a customer through her work at Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp. “I think it gives her a view on how we can do things from [a] customer and player perspective, and that’s an innovative approach for us,” she said. “She has provided us with insight that has helped our global position from [a] marketing and branding perspective.” Montgomery rose through the ranks at IGT quickly, moving to the C-Suite within a year of joining the company. She was the only woman in the C-suite at the company at the time. “I brought a different perspective that was valued and a leadership style that was different,” she said. “At the time, the organization was looking for more diversity, and my style enabled me to be accepted in a way that I could add value from a diverse perspective.” Montgomery said respecting and valuing people is her main strength as a leader. She believes that a people-centered focus is a key component of leadership and appreciates hard work and what people bring to work every day.

“I’m a passionate person and I’m authentic; I show up the way I am,” Montgomery said. “I think that as a leader, providing frequent communication and providing context in a frequent and relatable way with passion and enthusiasm is the mark of my leadership style.” In fact, when IGT launched its global Women’s Inclusion Network diversity and inclusion group in 2018, Montgomery volunteered to be the co-executive sponsor despite still being new to the organization. The WIN group really attracted Montgomery to IGT because she had been involved with it in her previous position. “I had seen the power of bringing women together, not just for women’s sake but to the value of the organization, as a way to break down silos between levels and from a bringing the organization together perspective,” Montgomery said. “It was another way I thought I could contribute from a leadership perspective that was not just about business but a culture change and helping to support women.” Montgomery said she always believed it’s important to help and support women in their personal and professional lives, and that women have more to prove in the professional world. “I think it’s really important to support each other and for us to continue to strive for the

equality we deserve in the world, which we don’t have,” Montgomery said. Montgomery said moving to a new country wouldn’t have been possible without the support of her husband and 13-year-old son, and they have found Rhode Island to be a welcoming community. “This was an opportunity for us as a family to expand our horizons,” Montgomery said. “It takes a village and the people of Rhode Island have been very welcoming and friendly to us and have helped make the transition easier for us. We’ve found Rhode Island a great place to call home.” “[Montgomery] is really at home here in Rhode Island,” Barker Lee said. “She is a role model to our organization and in the gaming industry. We should be really proud she is here in Rhode Island and I’m really proud to see a newly minted Rhode Islander recognized in this way.” n

‘I brought a different perspective that was valued and a leadership style that was different.’ WENDY MONTGOMERY, International Game Technology PLC senior vice president, global brand and marketing communications

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT PUBLIC COMPANY

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| 11

JASON CHERRY | CAROUSEL INDUSTRIES OF NORTH AMERICA INC.

Passion to succeed drives Cherry BY JOHN A. LAHTINEN

CAPITAL GAINS: Carousel Industries of North America Inc. Chief Financial Officer Jason Cherry has helped improve capital efficiency at the Exeter-based IT consulting company, such as reducing past-due balances by more than 50%. PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Contributing Writer

GROWING UP THE SON of a U.S. Marine, Jason Cherry’s leadership training began at a very young age. He and his brothers were held to high standards while learning the importance of honesty, integrity and accountability. The lessons Cherry learned as a child have molded him into the business leader he has become. “Leadership to me means being willing to fight for what is right, advocate for your team, be willing to make the hard decision even when it isn’t popular, and ultimately be an effective communicator so everyone is clear on both the ‘what’ and the ‘why,’ ” said Cherry, chief financial officer at information technology consulting, management and cloud services provider Carousel Industries of North America Inc. in Exeter. Heading Carousel’s financial operations and security since 2018, Cherry puts his professional experience and commitment to excellence to use every day to guide the company in an often-challenging economic environment. After 20 years working between General Electric Co. and Nielsen Holdings PLC, Cherry saw opportunity in joining Carousel. “It is smaller, privately held, and in an industry that I didn’t have any direct experience,” Cherry said. “But what I did have was a strong financial management, accounting, process improvement and business process improvement background. I was able to put that to work immediately at Carousel.” In the past year, Cherry led the company through several critical projects, all aimed at growing and strengthening Carousel financially. First, Cherry said, was improving capital efficiency, in which he identified several opportunities to address, including the management of credit lines and accounts receivable, as well as looking at how and when suppliers were paid. “We’ve had tremendous success here and I am really impressed with the team that respond-

ed to the challenge,” Cherry said. “In our first year, we reduced our past-due balances by over 50%, increased our cash flow from operating activities by $28 million and increased liquidity by three times, allowing us to de-lever the balance sheet.” Cherry has also worked diligently on Carousel’s business operations and systems. He said that although Carousel already implemented best-in-class systems to manage customer relationship management and services, the area of enterprise resource planning stalled. “My team was unanimous that our current path was not going to deliver the [return on investment] we expected, so I killed it,” Cherry said. “We went on a long pause, worked process improvements within our current environment, better aligned teams, introduced lean principles.” In the fourth quarter of 2019, Carousel launched its new enterprise resource-planning efforts to drive control, consistency, productivity and speed into the business. The efforts will deliver new efficiencies and capabilities to more effectively run the company’s business. “Jason has so many strengths, ranging from his passion to succeed, a boundless energy, a high degree of intellectual curiosity that goes far beyond the finance function, and an innate ability to focus on business drivers that support and dovetail with our value proposition,” Carousel co-founder and CEO Jeff Gardner said. “He is a quick study, a strong and active listener, and one who has great empathy for all he works with. “After speaking with many of Jason’s direct

12 | MAY 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n C-SUITE AWARDS | www.pbn.com

[colleagues], they all share similar thoughts on how he has helped them to better achieve success in their roles.” The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact Carousel’s business from how and where the company’s employees work to customer buying decisions being deferred, in-process project work being delayed and customers looking to conserve cash. Cherry said Carousel understands the situation everyone is facing and is actively working with customers to help arrange financing or to reschedule work. “Our ability to help them quickly deploy remote work solutions has seen an increase, as we responded quickly to help our customers embrace remote work models at the same speed as changing coronavirus guidelines,” Cherry said. “Internally, we are ensuring that our cash lines are sufficient, and our working capital generation is strong so we can continue to maintain business continuity for our customers.” n

‘Leadership to me means being willing to fight for what is right, advocate for your team.’ JASON CHERRY, Carousel Industries of North America Inc. chief financial officer

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

ENTERPRISE PRIVATE COMPANY

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| 13

JENNIFER BOSE | PROVIDENCE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

RISING

STAR

FIXER-UPPER: Upon arriving at Providence Children’s Museum in 2017, Associate Director Jennifer Bose quickly took action to help upgrade several operating systems in order to get the museum up to date. PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Creativity, leadership on full display BY ALEXANDER CASTRO

Contributing Writer

JENNIFER BOSE had never visited a museum when she chose to major in art history at Boston University. Consider it an impulse decision: “I say I had my midlife crisis at 18,” she said. Around the same time, Bose began working at the student activities office on campus, a job that would prove just as formative. Two years after completing her bachelor’s degree, Bose obtained a master’s in not-for-profit administration, with a concentration in arts administration. That education led her through several careers’ worth of executive positions, such as being Museum of Fine Arts Boston exhibitions director and a director of business planning at the Bank of New York Mellon. Bose, now Providence Children’s Museum’s associate director, blends her managerial and creative talents seamlessly. Her ability to balance the two has been warmly noted by her colleagues. “So much of the children’s museum is about empowering kids to find joy through play. We want people who are mirroring that themselves,” Providence Children’s Museum Executive Director Caroline Payson said. “[Bose] comes at things with a playful spirit. … She embodies that sense of fun and play despite having super-serious administrative jobs.” For Payson, Bose’s “super-serious” duties have meant “steadfastly” chipping away at changes needed to modernize the museum. Numerous amenities were missing at the museum when Bose arrived in 2017 as director of finance, operations and facilities. There was no point-of-sale or customer relationship management system; an old cash register filled those roles. Payroll wasn’t automated and there were no standard security or human resources practices. The museum’s computer network server, Bose said, was a Mac mini – a model that had been discontinued in 2014. Bose quickly reached out to tech consultants to bolster the museum’s information technol-

ogy, and electricians when upgrades called for the building to be rewired. Once the tech was in place, different departments such as development and membership could finally and effectively communicate. Standardized human resources soon followed, as did the museum’s first security manual – not to mention staff training, including active shooter drills. The administrative offices, meanwhile, were littered with “an odd collection of stained, splintered office equipment,” Payson said. Bose then facilitated furniture donations from Fidelity Investments Inc. “It sounds trivial, like the furniture behind the scenes,” Bose said. But there’s a “morale boost when you get something that works,” she said, whether it’s newer desks or a faster server. Having strengthened back-of-house operations, Bose in 2019 became associate director. Her duties now involve the museum’s overall operations. She’s been active in the museum’s Creativity Initiative, which invites local artists to conceive and install interactive exhibits.

Bose spent the last year fine-tuning the systems needed for useful visitor analytics, so the museum can now pore over useful data. “Do our members use their benefits? Are there ZIP codes we’ve saturated or not saturated [with memberships]?” Bose said. These new levels of insight allow the museum to be more strategic about their audience, such as tailoring email content based on visitors’ interest in past exhibits. “The basics of project management or exhibit management are understanding the goals and where you want to go. [That’s] the thread of the majority of what I’ve done,” Bose said. She’s worked in institutions both mature and fledgling, so she understands what accelerates growth or stalls change. “You want to put your dollars toward what seems the most mission-driven, but you get to a sort of threshold where you’re getting bigger and more complex, and you’re relying on BandAids and bubblegum,” Bose said. At that point, institutions must invest in themselves to grow any further. At Providence Children’s Museum, Bose’s efforts and investments feel tangible. “I feel like I’m at a time and a place where all my experience can make a difference. I feel invigorated every day,” Bose said. That sense of empowerment has uplifted her co-workers as well. “We joke that she’s a superhero,” Payson said. “But she is one.” n

‘I feel like I’m at a time and a place where all my experience can make a difference.’ JENNIFER BOSE, Providence Children’s Museum associate director

14 | MAY 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS n C-SUITE AWARDS | www.pbn.com

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