Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 27, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 7 E X P E R T I S E M A K E S A L L T H E D I F F E R E N C E When you arrive at a certain size, your banking needs become more complex. With Country Bank's commercial banking team, you get customized problem-solving, higher lending limits, industry expertise, and highly responsive service. president of George's Coney Island, said in a Jan. 10 press release announcing the renovation. "It's been a difficult time for so many family-owned restaurants, and we're overjoyed to be able to make this investment in our historic sign with the help of the City of Worcester. We're grateful to the people of Worcester for supporting us now for 107 years." e renovations will be undertaken by Dave Waller of Neon Williams in Somerville, a firm which has helped restore Boston's CITGO sign near Fenway Park, as well as the facade of the Paramount eatre in Boston. Neon Williams will be assisted by North Graon's Sunshine Sign and Worcester's Benoit Design Group. While ownership considered using cheaper and more modern LED light- ing, keeping the sign's original neon glow was too important to compromise on, said Solon Kelleher, Tsandikos' son and the chief operating officer at the restaurant. "ere was a recent article in the New York Times about the famous NBC Studios and Rainbow Room sign as well as the Apollo eater marquis switching over from neon to LEDs," Kelleher said. "We want to keep that neon glow in Worcester, and we're grateful to the city for their assistance and investment in our restaurant," e project is being boosted by funding from the Façade Program administered by the City of Worcester's Executive Office of Economic Devel- opment, where businesses can receive $25,000-$75,000 for improvements. George's Coney Island didn't disclose how much it received. "Coney Island is an iconic part of our city's past, present, and future," Worces- ter Mayor Joesph Petty said in the press release. "I am looking forward to seeing a newly restored sign, helping people find this fine establishment for years to come." Community Legal Aid names second-ever COO Following the appointment of its first chief operating officer in 2022, Commu- nity Legal Aid has promoted attorney Kristen Williams to be the second person to ever hold the C-suite position at the Worcester-based nonprofit. In her new executive capacity, Wil- liams will manage the organization's day-to-day administrative and opera- tional functions, which serve more than 8,000 low-income and elderly residents annually, according to a Jan. 13 press release from Community Legal Aid. She will also work to develop opera- tions and systems best practices while overseeing and offering resources to the organization's legal managers through- out the nonprofit's six offices in Central and Western Massachusetts. "We are excited to welcome Kristen as chief operating officer. Kristen is a dynamic leader and supervisor who is passionate about our mission and com- mitted to ensuring that our operations are aligned with the goal of providing the best services possible to our clients," Jon- athan Mannina, Community Legal Aid executive director, said in the release. Williams succeeds Leticia Medi- na-Richman, who stepped down from the inaugural role to join Florida Rural Legal Services as its executive director in October, ac- cording to a press release from the Florida nonprofit. Williams originally came to Community Legal Aid in 2014, serving as an AmeriCorps member support- ing tenants in eviction cases. She later moved on to representing in public benefits cases as a staff attorney. She co- chairs the nonprofit's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and serves on its technology team. Akoya Biosciences to be acquired by Billerica research firm, create $220M business To further its efforts in advancing spatial biology imaging, Marlbor- ough-based biotech firm Akoya Bio- sciences has agreed to be acquired by Quanterix, a Billerica research firm. e deal will enable Akoya and Quanterix to develop what the firms are referring to as the first fully integrated technology ecosystem for identifying and measuring biomarkers in tissue and blood. Once the acquisition is complete, Quanterix stockholders will possess 70% of the company with Akoya stockholders owning the remaining 30%, according to Akoya's Jan. 9 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. e acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter and create a com- bined entity with $220 million in annual revenue, according to SEC filings. "Joining forces with Quanterix marks a pivotal step in our journey to revolu- tionize the way we understand and treat disease. We are thrilled to be part of an established leader in the life science tools and diagnostics market that not only strengthens our presence in critical markets but also accelerates our ability to scale, innovate and ultimately bring to market products that impact human health," Akoya CEO Brian McKelligon said in the press release. Both Masoud Toloue, CEO of Quan- terix, and Vandana Sriram, CFO Quan- terix, will continue in their executive roles of the merged entity. Kristen Williams, COO at Community Legal Aid W

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