Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | December 12, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 3 N othing just happens for no reason. Every decision ever made compounds on each other, to create the situa- tion we're living in. And, once in a while, a key moment in history shapes much about the future. We all live in large communities and have a societal hierarchy because 10,000 years ago someone decided it would be easier to grow food than to hunt and gather. And certain people are wealthy while others are locked in cycles of poverty, just like some neighborhoods thrive while others limp along with lack of economic investment, because almost a century ago, a small slice of the ruling class decided who should get money and who shouldn't. Specifically, in Worcester, the 1936 assessment of the city's neighborhoods by the Home Owners' Loan Corp. deter- mined which neighborhoods were the best and the worst, largely based on the race and ethnicity of the people who lived there. Problems like unaffordable housing, uneducated people, pollution, and lack of neighborhood sustainability – each putting a drag on businesses and the economy – can be connected directly to HOLC's racist decisions 86 years ago. Starting on page 6 in this edition, you'll find the two-story report "Redlining: An Economic Legacy", the result of a six- month joint project between WBJ and the Worcester Regional Research Bureau to understand how rising rents are impact- ing Worcester's residents and businesses, including the historic examination of why those decisions were made in 1936 and how they carry forward to today. It's not every edition WBJ focuses on an 86-year-old document, but the best way to break self-perpetuating cycles of racism and discrimination is to start with understanding. If we understand much of the way we view people and neigh- borhoods is based on the assessment by seven flawed white men, the more likely we are to reshape our perceptions to be less burdened by bias. From there, we can move forward to correct these injustices through efforts like increasing invest- ments in lower-income neighborhoods and eliminating the discrimination still plaguing our institutions today. Editor, Brad Kane, bkane@wbjournal.com Staff Writers Timothy Doyle tdoyle@wbjournal.com (Real estate, higher education) Kevin Koczwara kkoczwara@wbjournal.com (Manufacturing, energy & environment)) Contributors Giselle Rivera-Flores, Laura Finaldi, Monica Benevides, Alan Earls, Susan Shalhoub, Livia Gershon Photgraphers Matt Wright, Edd Cote Research Director, Stephanie Meagher, smeagher@nebusinessmedia.com Research Assistant, Heide Martin, hmartin@nebusinessmedia.com Production Director, Kira Beaudoin, kbeaudoin@wbjournal.com Art Director, Mitchell Hayes, mhayes@wbjournal.com Senior Accounts Manager Christine Juetten, cjuetten@wbjournal.com Senior Special Accounts Manager Mary Lynn Bosiak, mlbosiak@wbjournal.com Senior Account Executive Yasmin Nasrullah, Ynasrullah@wbjournal.com Marketing & Events Manager Kris Prosser, kprosser@wbjournal.com Human Resources Manager, Tracy Rodwill, trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Accounting Manager, Sara Ward, sward@nebusinessmedia.com Accounting Assistant, Rae Rogers, rrogers@nebusinessmedia.com Account Receivable Specialist, Patty Harris, pharris@ nebusinessmedia.com Audience Development Manager, Leah Allen, lallen@nebusinessmedia.com Publisher, CEO, Peter Stanton pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Associate Publisher, Mark Murray mmurray@wbjournal.com President, Tom Curtin tcurtin@hartfordbusinessjournal.com Worcester Business Journal (ISSN#1063-6595) is published bi-weekly, 24x per year, including 4 special issues in May, September, October, and December by New England Business Media. 172 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA 01604. Periodicals postage paid at Worcester, MA. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Worcester Business Journal, PO Box 330, Congers, NY 10920-9894. Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions are available for $84.00. For more information, please email circulation@wbjournal.com or contact our circulation department at 845-267-3008. Advertising: For advertising information, please call Mark Murray at 508-755-8004 ext. 227. Fax: 508-755-8860. Worcester Business Journal accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or materials and in general does not return them to the sender. Worcester Business Journal 172 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA 01604 508-755-8004 tel. • 508-755-8860 fax www.wbjournal.com Worcester Business Journal WBJ A division of: Looking back, so we can move forward Call WBJ Custom Corporate Project Director Christine Juetten at 508-755-8004 ext. 270. Worcester Business Journal WBJ Custom Publishing Division A MAJOR ANNIVERSARY... A NEW BUILDING... A MAJOR COMPANY MILESTONE Can we create a CUSTOM magazine for you? Whether it's the celebration of a major anniversary or the opening of a new headquarters, Worcester Business Journal's Custom Publishing Division can help you create a custom magazine for your business. Our division's top flight team of writers and designers can help you tell your story – and make your business look great! Based on our unique publishing model, it's surprisingly affordable. Making a Difference for 150 Years An advertising supplement to the Worcester Business Journal An advertising supplement to the Worcester Business Journal 25 Years in Service to the Community www.notredamehealthcare.org I N T H I S I S S U E T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 4 Central Mass. In Brief 5 Worcester 300 trivia 16 Focus on Cybersecurity 21 The List: Top IT services providers 22 Column: The Hustle is Real 23 Know How 24 Movers & Shakers 25 Opinion 26 Shop Talk: Bay State Brewing Co. 16 Cyber threats growing Even small firms face dangers, as Central Massachusetts experts urge ways to avoid disaster, or even going out of business. 18 Making social media work for businesses The growth and change of social platforms can be baffling, but a good strategy can help. e past cannot be changed. e pres- ent remains locked in the moment. e future is what we make of it. — Brad Kane, editor W

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