wbjournal.com | October 6, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 3
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 2025. 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
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contact our circulation department at 845-267-3008.
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at 508-755-8004 ext. 227. Fax: 508-755-8860.
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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:
Editor, Brad Kane,
bkane@wbjournal.com
Managing Editor, Eric Casey,
ecasey@wbjournal.com (real estate,
manufacturing)
Staff Writer
Mica Kanner-Mascolo,
mkannermascolo@wbjournal.com
(health care, diversity & inclusion)
Editorial Interns
Jill McSorley, jmcsorley@wbjournal.
com; Charlotte Powers, cpowers@
wbjournal.com
Contributors
Sloane M. Perron, Giselle Rivera-
Flores, Emily Micucci, Livia Gershon
Photographers
Matt Wright, Edd Cote, Christine
Peterson
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
General Manager
Kris Prosser, kprosser@wbjournal.com
Senior Accounts Manager
Christine Juetten,
cjuetten@wbjournal.com
Accounts Manager
Timothy Doyle
tdoyle@wbjournal.com
Human Resources Manager,
Tracy Rodwill,
trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com
Director of Finance, Sara Ward,
sward@nebusinessmedia.com
Accounting Clerk, Rae Rogers,
rrogers@nebusinessmedia.com
Event Coordinator,
Patty Harris,
pattyh@wbjournal.com
Director of Audience Development
and Operations, Leah Allen,
lallen@nebusinessmedia.com
Business Office Assistant,
Nicole Dunn,
ndunn@nebusinessmedia.com
Publisher, CEO, Peter Stanton
pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com
Associate Publisher, Mark Murray
mmurray@wbjournal.com
President, Tom Curtin
tcurtin@hartfordbusinessjournal.com
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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
4 Central Mass. In Brief
10 Focus on Outstanding Women
in Business
26 List: Largest woman-owned
businesses
27 Advice
28 Movers & Shakers
29 Opinion
30 Shop Talk: The Cannery Music Hall
8 Accessing a vocation
As vocational-technical schools rise in
popularity, limited space raises concerns
over who gets to attend.
27 101: Breaking free from imposter
syndrome
101 advice columnist Sloane M. Perron
details three ways professionals can
overcome any feelings of self-doubt.
A
handful of times each year,
WBJ will dedicate the
majority of a print edition to
the people and companies
representing the best of us.
ese awards editions celebrate those
who go above and beyond to create the
best possible business community. Amid
all the industry trends, market intelli-
gence, investigations into wrongdoing,
and the regular hustle and bustle of the
economy, each of these editions is a wel-
come reprieve meant to honor the good in
everybody, specifically the award winners.
is edition marks the 17th time WBJ
has named the Outstanding Women in
Business, an important effort recognizing
key leaders from the half of the popu-
lation still struggling for equal footing,
despite decades of progress. ese awards,
starting on page 10, are wonderful because
they typically focus on women who spent
years toiling and excelling behind the
scenes, with perhaps only a handful of
people truly appreciating their greatness.
Now, through the awards, you all get a
chance to discover how these women have
influenced our lives for the better.
Outstanding Women in Business is
one of eight honors WBJ will hand out
this year. e first was Best of Business,
where readers vote in 50+ categories like
Best Law Firm and Best Restaurant. In
February, we had our Business Leader
of the Year awards for those with great
achievements in the past 12ish months,
along with the WBJ Hall of Fame induct-
ees, who have a lifetime of achievements.
April marked the Manufacturing Excel-
lence Awards, honoring companies from
our largest industry. In August, the always
energizing 40 Under Forty recognized
up-and-coming young professionals.
In December, WBJ will have the third
iteration of the Champion of Health
Care awards for those who have the most
heart-wrenching jobs in the region.
In mid-November, WBJ will unveil
the inaugural winners of our newest
award: Notable Veterans, designed to
highlight executives who first dedicated
their lives to our country through mil-
itary service. e nomination deadline
just passed, and I can tell you now Cen-
tral Massachusetts is very lucky to have
professionals of this caliber.
But certainly take the time now to read
all about our eight 2025 Outstanding
Celebrating our business community
I N T H I S I S S U E
Women in Business. e OWIB alumnae
community, with its 100+ members, is the
most engaged of all of WBJ's award winners,
and this year's honorees are taking that
excellence to new heights.
– Brad Kane, editor
CORRECTION: An article entitled "DEI's not dead" in the Sept. 22
edition incorrectly said Jessica Pepple was the chief diversity and
culture officer at RFK Community Alliance in Lancaster. In actuality, she
left the position in August.
W
