Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1504917
HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 7, 2023 21 back to them." Of course, there were some stumbling blocks during Denious' tenure, including two announced high-profile business relocations out of Connecticut. In January, Danish toymaker LEGO Group said it planned to relocate its North American headquarters and about 740 jobs from Enfield to Boston by 2026. Denious, at the time, said he and other state officials were caught off-guard by that announcement. In that same month, Campbell Soup Co. announced it was relo- cating the Norwalk headquarters of its Pepperidge Farm subsidiary to New Jersey. Something to crow about Bourdeaux, who has a background in fundraising, will take over for Denious in late September. Prior to joining AdvanceCT in 2021, Bourdeaux served as vice president of advancement for the Connecticut Science Center. He was also formerly director of development at Hartford Stage, and served in the development offices of the University of Chicago, The Hotchkiss School (a boarding school in Lakeville, Conn.), and Yale University, where he was responsible for securing philanthropic funding. Bourdeaux said he's not planning any major changes at AdvanceCT because the organization has adapted well to its new role. He will try to find efficiencies that allow for greater impacts. He also believes AdvanceCT, and Connecticut in general, must do a better job trumpeting the state's successes and qualities. The lack of promotion could be tied to traditional Yankee reserve, he said. It's a charming bit of modesty, but perhaps not the best economic development policy. Having grown up in Atlanta, Bourdeaux said he doesn't have that problem. "The way the Southeast built economic development is they worked very hard and marketed what they hoped would happen as a fait accompli," Bourdeaux said. "In Connecticut, we don't brag about what we have been doing for (over) 200 years." Connecticut has more reliable water reserves and infrastructure than many other parts of the country. It has top-notch education, workforce training pipelines and quality-of-life amenities. And it has long been an innovator in manufacturing and other fields, Bourdeaux said. Those are the talking points he will continue to emphasize as he promotes the state to companies inside and outside Connecticut. "I'm much more likely to brag about what's going on in Connecticut," Bourdeaux said. "I don't know if it's because I grew up in the Southeast and was trained to be a braggart. I think it is because we have some- thing to brag about." Alexandra Daum is the commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, which contracts with AdvanceCT to handle business recruitment and retention. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER THE BUSINESS OF CANNABIS C O N N E C T I C U T C O N F E R E N C E CONFERENCE AGENDA CONTINUED PLATINUM SPONSOR SPECIALTY SPONSORS EVENT PARTNER 1:30 — 2:15 PM M&A: BUYING, SELLING OR TRANSFERRING OWNERSHIP IN A CANNABIS BUSINESS 2:15 — 2:45 PM AFTERNOON BREAK 2:45 — 3:30 PM OPPORTUNITIES IN "NON-PLANT'" TOUCHING BUSINESSES: WHAT DOES THE MARKET LOOK LIKE FOR RETAIL AND WHOLESALE SUPPLIERS? 3:30— 4:00 PM CLOSING REMARKS Moderator SARAH WESTBY Partner Shipman & Goodwin LLP Speaker CONNIE DEBOEVER Partner Merida Capital Holdings Moderator PATRIK JONSSON CEO The Higher Collective Speaker JACK COCHRAN Owner/Operator Green Coach Delivery Topics • Social Equity Restriction • Opportunity for Investors THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS