Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 10, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 13 BY KATHERINE HAMILTON WBJ Staff Writer YPWA Worcester provides members with a sense of community W hat are workers looking for? It's a question em- ployers asked all 2021, as the workforce saw a mass exodus now dubbed the Great Resignation. One organization which seems to have its finger on the pulse of workers' new and evolving needs is Worcester's Young Professional Wom- en's Association. YPWA President Alexis Griswold said burnout and isolation from the coronavirus pandemic has le most young professionals looking for a sense of community. "Working from home can get really lonely," said Griswold. "People are turning to other places to start build- ing the community that work possibly helped them form before." Founded more than 10 years ago, community is the framework for pretty much everything YPWA does. ough the group doesn't have a physical head- quarters, members congregate around the city of Worcester to share support. While professional development is key to its mission, Griswold said the group has other priorities as well. "We're trying to find a balance be- tween promoting a community where people can be social and be themselves and maybe make some professional connections, but hopefully make some good friends," she said. While YPWA has been able to gather back in restaurants this summer and fall, its members were mainly online for the earlier part of the year, adding greater challenges to their communi- ty-building efforts. "At the beginning of the year, we had to be really creative about how our community was going to pivot to be able to support the world that we were all living in," Griswold said. Online programming has included panelists, career development events, and more socially-oriented virtual get-togethers. YPWA ended up hosting 15 events, including its first-ever Headshot Happy Hour during which 30 individuals received complimentary professional headshots. YPWA's focus on offering social sup- port for young professionals seems to be working. e organization's membership grew 40% from May to December, said Griswold, who has served as president for almost five years. In its group events, the association aims to engage the Worcester commu- nity and support local businesses. "As we're looking ahead into the new year, we're definitely trying to prioritize identifying the new busi- nesses in our community to partner with them to bring our community to them," said Griswold. Coming up, YPWA has a virtual cookie-decorating event, trivia night, and Galentine's Day planned. YPWA board (top, from left) Tasmina Hydery, Kaylah Wicks, Alexis Griswold, Julia McGuinn, (bottom, from left) Catrina Gardner, Gillian Murphy, Veronica Adams, Renee Perdicaro, and Kim Driscoll BEST YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK YPWA Worcester (Young Professional Women's Association Worcester, Inc.) Worcester www.ypwaworcester.com Top executive: President Alexis Griswold Founded: 2011 Employees: 0, as it is a nonprofit with nine volunteer board members Notable runners-up: HYPE9 of the Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce, Worcester Young Businessmen's Association BEST HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDER Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts* Boston www.bluecrossma.org Additional offices: Worcester, Quincy, Hingham Top executive: President & CEO Andrew Dreyfus Founded: 1937 Employees: 3,726 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is the state's largest health plan, striving E M P L O Y E E S E R V I C E S B E S T O F B U S I N E S S W for quality, equitable, and affordable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. In 2021, as part of the company's plan to be a leader in addressing health inequities and racial justice, Blue Cross became the first plan in market to collect comprehensive member race and ethnicity data and announced it would be the first plan to incorporate equity measures into its payment models. Notable runners-up: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Fallon Health n BEST PROFESSIONAL TRAINING COMPANY MindsetGo* Westborough MindsetGo.com Top executive: Mark Altman, speaker, trainer & coach Founded: 2014 Employees: 3 MindsetGo differentiates itself by helping participants convert knowledge to action, focusing on habit change, attitude, and mindset. In 2021, the firm helped companies with their two core problems: remote leadership and change management. MindsetGo shifted its emphasis to supporting C-suite executives in their ability to communicate effectively and transparently, have difficult but critical conversations, and use emotional intelligence to stay resilient during the COVID crisis. n BEST COLLEGE FOR BUSINESS EDUCATION Nichols College* Dudley www.nichols.edu Top executive: President Glenn Sulmasy Founded: 1815 Employees: 317 Nichols sets graduates up for success with distinctive professional development, experiential learning opportunities, an engaged alumni network, and a supportive campus community. In 2021, the college installed its eighth president in Glenn Sulmasy, launched a new tech partnership, added six degree concentrations, and completed a record $66-million fundraising campaign. Notable runners-up: Assumption University, Worcester State University n BEST FINANCIAL PLANNING/INVESTMENT SERVICES FIRM Provo Wealth Management Group* Blue Cross' YouthWorks participants at Polar Park Continued on next page

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