Hartford Business Journal

19 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | FEBRUARY 14, 2022 CEO forum, particularly a discussion on working with local suppliers to overcome global supply chain issues. The group's membership model is also being refined. Currently, annual fees are scaled by company employee count and range from $500 for companies with less than 20 employees up to $7,500 for those with 500 or more workers. Membership provides free or discounted rates for a variety of events, including virtual and in-person offerings. Companies can also buy sponsorships for events, such as the annual Women in Innovation awards ceremony. Besides networking, an ongoing goal is fostering government, industry and other nonprofit partnerships to unlock opportunities for collaborations and relationship- building. For example, there's an alphabet soup of organizations working on initiatives to develop skilled workers, a top priority for the Lamont administration. Just recently, the state's first regional sector partnership — the Capital Area Tech Partnership — was announced. The initiative includes over 50 technology companies working together to match workforce needs with training providers. Tomasi is on the initiative's leadership team representing the CTC and the role it can play in matching skills- based training at trade schools and community colleges to tech job opportunities. Lichter is also meeting with business, educational and government leaders from across the state and said he's enthusiastic about the tech sector's growth potential. "There's a lot of energy and optimism in the state's tech community," Lichter said. "Everyone has the same attitude, it's not about I and me, but how we can make Connecticut more attractive for companies." Purchase a group subscription for your team or entire organization. Get access to HBJ for your entire team! EMAIL>> CIRCULATION@HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION Lending businesses money is one thing. Lending customized support is our thing. chelseagroton.com/growthatbusiness or call 860-448-4295 NMLS #402928 said. While tech companies stretch throughout the state, there are growing concentrated regional subsectors — a life science hub in New Haven, insurance and fintech in Hartford, defense in New London, among others. "Being a small state, we have really diverse types of technologies, and that's an advantage," said Giovanni Tomasi, CEO of East Hartford-based fiber optic lighting manufacturer RSL Fiber Systems LLC, who chairs CTC's board of directors. Virtual connections For about two years, CTC's top leadership spot was vacant following the October 2019 departure of former CEO Derek Slap, a state senator who left after less than 10 months on the job to work for social services nonprofit The Village for Families and Children. Before that the group was led by Bruce Carlson and Matthew Nemerson, one of the founders of Yale's Science Park, who later became the city of New Haven's top economic development official. Tomasi said the organization was impressed with Lichter's entrepreneurial spirit. A West Hartford native, Lichter, 32, earned his undergraduate degree in advertising and marketing and has an MBA from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. He eventually launched a marketing agency in Boston, and then moved back to Connecticut, disappointed to find how difficult it can be to meet other young adults. Based on his prior experience, he founded Urban Dor, a virtual platform that facilitates networking and cultural events targeted mostly at young Jewish adults in Hartford, where he now lives. The business involved partnering with various community groups. Now Lichter's bringing that background to try to reverse the tech council's fortunes. To determine how CTC can best deliver services, he's been in dialogue with past and present members to gain an understanding of the organization's institutional history, he said. "I don't want to forget what CTC has done and I want to use that to make informed decisions moving forward," he said. Since the pandemic still poses a threat to in-person ribbon-cuttings and business mixers, CTC is working to repurpose events virtually into webinars, speakers' series and other forms of idea exchanges. The tech council is rolling out several new virtual offerings, including "tech talks" and monthly peer-to-peer roundtables for member chief executives and eventually other specialized groups, such as HR professionals. Tomasi said he's already seen benefits from participating in a Giovanni Tomasi is the CEO of East Hartford-based fiber optic lighting manufacturer RSL Fiber Systems LLC and Tech Council board chair.

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