Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1527921
wbjournal.com | October 28, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 23 35th Anniversary WBJ History, Hotel and Happenings Welcome to the Wellsworth Hotel Gracefully blending historic touches with a contemporary feel and resort-style amenities, the Wellsworth Hotel near Sturbridge, MA, is the ideal setting for work and leisure. 14 Mechanic Street, Southbridge, MA 01550 508-765-8000 | wellsworthhotel.com a country-wide diversity deficit. ough 65 percent of realtors are women, according to the National Association of Realtors, the U.S. still has a long way to go in diversifying racial representation. As previously report- ed by WBJ, a March 2023 study conducted by Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a nonprofit based in Roxbury, and Grove Im- pact, a consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., found Black developers account for 0.4 percent of the real estate development sector while Hispanic developers represented only 0.16 percent. Funding, funding, funding Within neighborhood businesses, Murray said the region has seen a dramatic increase in diversity, especially those in the retail, food, and hospitality industries, though there is still clear room for growth. "Demographics is destiny, and Worcester historically has been an arrival place, and it's hopefully, more oen than not, a welcoming place for new arrivals [and] new immigrants from all over the globe," said Murray, the former Worcester mayor and state lieutenant governor. When it comes to boosting diversity among Central Mass. business owners, Mur- ray said the Worcester Business Resource Alliance has proved particularly beneficial. e alliance, formed in 2008, provides resources, tools, and services to the area's entrepreneurs. In 2022, the chamber partnered with Worcester-based Latin American Business Organization, designating LABO as an affiliate partner and affording its members access to the chamber's programs, activities and services, an initiative Murray said has also helped boost business owner diversity. Having programs and initiatives specifi- cally for underserved populations including consultations, workshops, and networking opportunities, are integral to promoting the success of minority business owners, said LABO President Elizabeth Cruz. And these programs must have leaders who are subject-matter experts and culturally competent, especially when translation is needed. Cruz said she's witnessed an increase in entrepreneurs from South and Central America, especially those from El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. In fact, Unic Pro Inc., a Shrewsbury-based commercial cleaning company which was led by Brazil-born Lilian Radke from 2010 to 2023, has been one of the top minority- and woman-owned companies when ranked by Women to appear in WBJ's highest-paid CEOs list, 2003-2024 Highest total Ranking for Total times on Name Company compensation + salary Year that year highest-paid CEO list Carol Meyrowitz The TJX Cos. Inc., Framingham Total compensation: $28,692,391 Salary: $1,575,000 2016 #1 11 Laura Sen BJ's Wholesale Club Inc., Natick Total compensation: $4,913,627 Salary: $900,000 2010 #7 3 Susan Vogt Seracare Life Sciences Inc., Milford Total Compensation: $950,779 Salary: $383,779 2011 #11 1 Anna Chagnon Bitstream, Marlborough Total compensation: $504,905 Salary: $300,000 2011 #19 1 Shira Goodman Staples Inc., Framingham Total compensation: $3,773,894 Salary: $942,028 2017 #9 1 Source: WBJ Book of Lists; individual companies, SEC filings Continued on next page Of 435 total entries from 2003-2024, women made the list 17 times.