Worcester Business Journal

6 Worcester Business Journal | May 27, 2019 | wbjournal.com P O W E R 5 0 C U L T U R E Ché Anderson & Jessica Walsh CO-FOUNDERS POW! WOW! WORCESTER Residences: Worcester Colleges: Anderson: College of the Holy Cross; Walsh: Northeastern University e most visible representation of Worcester's cultural turnaround from its downtrodden old-manufacturing town reputation are the 115 public mural spray painted on buildings throughout the city since 2016. ose murals are the brainchildren of Walsh and Anderson, who brought the international POW! WOW! Festival to Worcester three years ago and every year seek to outdo themselves with even grander artistic endeavors. In their day jobs, too, they each have a large impact on Central Massachusetts. In the Office of the City Manager, Anderson is a project manager specializing in special events, monuments, memorials and cultural initiatives. Walsh founded and runs the retail store Worcester Wares – the epicenter for those wishing to show off their Worcester pride – and she is expected to open her second location in the coming months. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? Anderson: We're trending upward, and those of us on this list have to provide opportunities and support for others to do impactful, positive things. Walsh: More ideas have more support and opportunity than ever before, which will cause rapid growth and new business, festivals, restaurants, events, etc. Walsh's stART: My whole life was changed by an "I <3 Worcester" pinback button I bought at stART on the Street. It was the inspiration and start of my store Worcester Wares. Ché says "Today": I secretly cheered for the Night King. Amy Lynn Chase FOUNDER CROMPTON COLLECTIVE, THE HABERDASH, THE WHITE ROOM; WORCESTER & HUDSON Grace Elton CEO TOWER HILL BOTANIC GARDEN, BOYLSTON Larry Lucchino PRINCIPAL OWNER & CHAIRMAN PAWTUCKET RED SOX Residence: Worcester College: Quinsigamond Community College Chase's ability to create cultural destinations reached another level this year when she opened her second Haberdash clothing store, this time in Worcester's Canal District – the site of her original placemaking success aer she opened the Crompton Collective antique and handmade items boutique in 2012. e Haberdash Worcester follows the Haberdash Hudson store in 2017, elevating that town's already rising destination status. Chase's businesses have created jobs for more than 100 people, including antique dealers and the stores' staff. e White Room, Chase's event space in the basement of Crompton Place, hosts a variety of events and donates space to the Canal District Farmers Market, helping generate income for 28 farmers and small-batch food producers. Where is Central Mass. headed? e community is so appreciative of the buy-local, eat-local movement, more small businesses will open and thrive. If we can survive all the construction … wink wink. Early start: When I was too young to get a real job, the owner of a pet shop let me help him aer school. I hoped to one day be Hamster Manager. Residence: Worcester Colleges: University of Delaware, University of Florida Elton joined Tower Hill just over two years ago and wasted little time in bringing new ideas to one of the biggest visitor draws in Central Mass. Tower Hill has added a Night Lights exhibit, attracting 45,000 visitors during winter, and Free Aer ree ursdays, which brings 10,000 visitors during summer. Tower Hill had record attendance last year with more than 151,000. Tower Hill has added 30 acres for trails and a garden for which it will break ground next March, as part of a broader expansion to include a larger parking lot and an entrance garden. Elton serves on the boards of the American Public Gardens Association and the Worcester Cultural Coalition, and the garden helps plant trees through its Worcester Tree Initiative. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? With the creation of a city cultural plan in Worcester, public art programs such as POW! WOW! Worcester and more emphasis on creating green spaces in the city, I can't wait to see more areas transformed into vibrant places serving residents and attracting more tourism. B-A-N-A-N-A-S: I have a love for tropical plants and have banana plants that overwinter in my living room. Residence: Chestnut Hill Colleges: Princeton University; Yale Law School Lucchino, the former president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, was all but given the keys to the city when the club's Triple-A affiliate Pawtucket Red Sox and Worcester jointly announced last August the team would move to the Canal District in 2021 as part of a $240-million redevelopment. e city offered to borrow $101 million for the project, of which the team will pay back $36 million in lease and upfront payments. While dozens of people were involved in the process on whether to move the team, the decision to leave the team's longtime home of McCoy Stadium was ultimately Lucchino's alone. In Polar Park, team and city officials see the stadium as a crown jewel in the region's remade reputation, attracting new developments, companies and visitors. More than 20 businesses have signed on as WooSox sponsors. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? It's only going to continue to grow and develop. Worcester has a demonstrable pride and charm to it, especially with a burgeoning food culture and 11 colleges in the area. Our hope is the ballpark will act as a method of showcasing Worcester for patrons who may not have visited in last few years, or even decades. Peter Fonda would be proud: I ride motorcycles.

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