Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | March 21, 2022 | wbjournal.com BY SARAH CONNELL SANDERS Special to WBJ G reater Worcester artists crowded around the executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Michael Bobbitt, on a Friday evening in March, posing pointed questions about nepotism. "People do business with people they know," Bobbitt responded without hesi- tation. "It's not about nepotism; it's about building credibility." e roundtable discussion aimed to give local creatives a chance to share their challenges and aspirations with Bobbitt, but as the session wore on, the former quickly outweighed the latter. Bobbitt's advice echoed a favorite adage repeated around Worcester City Hall and by City Manager Edward Augustus: "e world is run by those who show up." "You've taken the first step, just by coming here tonight," Bobbitt told the room full of artists, encouraging them to shake hands with eager representatives from the City's Office of Cultural Devel- opment and the Worcester Arts Council. "Let them know you are here. Tell them who you are." A few frustrated attendees let out audible sighs through their masks. In a Zoom-ridden age of socially distant civic engagement, it's easy to see how the value of person-to-person conversations might be lost on those who feel they are on the outside looking in. Nevertheless, in many ways, authentic relationship building has never been more important. Informal meetings take place across Worcester everyday with the express goal of upliing a Gateway City on the brink of larger economic and cultural signifi- cance. If this comes as a surprise to you, your invitation probably didn't get lost in the mail. According to many of Worces- ter's key authorities, there's a place at the table for you if you want to be included. You just have to keep showing up. Tackling exclusivity "It's not like there's a secret handshake or anything," said Michael Angelini, senior partner at Worcester law firm Bowditch & Dewey and co-founder of the First Wednesday Club. "But, we try to fly under the radar." Angelini began organizing regular gatherings as far back as the 1980s with the help of a former media executive Infiltrating Worcester's inner circle from the Telegram & Gazette who has since moved on. "Clearly we had no sense of imagina- tion when we came up with the name," joked Angelini. "We simply met on the first Wednesday of every month." From the very beginning, the founders used their monthly get-togethers at e Worcester Club to fill a communication void amongst business leaders, profes- sionals, and academics. "We all shared a desire to advance the interests of the community," Angelini said. "is allowed us to explore more non-traditional channels." Angelini and Worcester State Univer- sity President Barry Maloney serve as the current co-chairs of the group, over- seeing roughly two dozen participants. Angelini said members float in and out and are invited to attend based on their honest interests in Worcester. Angelini acknowledges the exclusionary roadblocks, which have hindered the diversity of Worcester's (Clockwise, from middle top): Michael Angelini, Bowditch & Dewey senior partner; City Manager Edward Augustus; Craig Blais, president & CEO of the Worcester Business Development Corp.; Barry Maloney, Worcester State University president; Brendan Melican, co-owner of WooBerry; comedian Bryan O'Donnell; Tim Garvin, president & CEO of United Way of Central Mass.; Gina Plata-Nino, attorney for Community Legal Aid; Jon Weaver, president & CEO of Mass. Biomedical Initiatives; Karen Duffy, former CEO of Worcester Credit Union; Sue Mailman, owner of Coughlin Electrical Contractors; Congressman Jim McGovern; Michael Bobbitt, executive director of Mass. Cultural Council; Kimberly Salmon, assistant vice president of community relations at Hanover Insurance Group; Worcester City Councilor Sarai Rivera; writer Bill Shaner; comedian Shaun Connolly; Timothy Murray, president & CEO of Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce; and Travis Duda, owner of Hunchback Graphics

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