Worcester Business Journal

16 Worcester Business Journal • December 7, 2015 www.wbjournal.com P O W E R P L AY E R S: F R E S H FAC E S << L aurie Leshin landed on the Worcester business and higher education scene in 2014 when she became the first female president in the 150-year history of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This geochemist and space scientist is a per- fect match for the school, which is increasingly gaining national grants and attention. Aside from her role at the school, Leshin also is a key influencer in the city as a result of the power she wields in directing WPI. The school has stepped up its efforts to reinvigorate the area surround- ing its Worcester campus in recent years, with new buildings like the Biomanufacturing Education & Training Center being placed outside its traditional campus. This has allowed the school to anchor the northern end of the Main Street corridor, creating a sense of place in Worcester and using its higher education culture to reinvigorate the city's atmosphere. – Sam Bonacci Title: President Company: Worcester Polytechnic Institute Location: Worcester Laurie Leshin A t first glance, anyone holding the title of director of the Fitchburg Art Museum wouldn't seem to have much influence out- side the cultural community. But Nick Capasso isn't just anyone. After taking over the museum in 2013, Capasso launched a $1-million renovation of the 90-year-old museum and its surrounding streetscape, which led to a 50-percent increase in attendance. More impor- tantly, the upgrade started talk of the revitalization of the surrounding Fitchburg downtown. Capasso has now teamed with the Twin Cities Community Development Corp. to help build an economy in Fitchburg and Leominster based off the creative industry, hoping to make arts and culture a priority of the two govern- ments. While lofty, Capasso's goal is to turn downtown into a cultural oasis where people want to live, outsiders want to visit and companies want to locate. Capasso's ideas and efforts have gotten attention in Worcester,which is seek- ing to redevelop older and unused properties into places where artists can live and work. - Brad Kane Title: Museum Director Company: Fitchburg Art Museum Location: Fitchburg Nick Capasso A my Lynn Chase is an entrepreneur, who has helped build up the Canal District as she builds her own businesses, but this relative newcomer is increasingly being leaned upon by the established Worcester business community for both her social media prowess and her fresh perspective. "She has a real instinct for what sells, what works and what attracts a crowd," said John Giangregorio, chairman of the Canal District Business Association. "You're starting to see her expertise being sought out by other institutions, and she has a lot to offer in terms of marketing and retail for the city." Although she has been operating her retail location, Crompton Collective, for just three years, Chase has Title: Owner Company: Crompton Collective Location: Worcester Amy Lynn Chase been in retail for more than16 years. Her first venture was a mobile clothing store she started in 2009, which she would drive to markets around New England. But since settling into her location in the Crompton building, and expanding with The White Room event space in the last year and the Canal District Farmers Market, Chase has become a guiding figure in the Canal District. "Amy has really been a visionary for retail in the Canal District," Giangregorio said, adding that other businesses have been able to build off her momen- tum. "Crompton Place has become a real destination for the city of Worcester." Chase's talents have not gone unnoticed by the business community of the city. In just the last year, she has joined the boards of Discover Central Massachusetts, the Canal District Alliance and the Leadership Worcester planning board. Social media has been a keystone of Chase's busi- nesses, with Crompton Collective having more than 11,000 Facebook likes, and is one of the key assets she brings to her involvement. Online marketing is something that resonates with Chase. "I love marketing but not in a traditional sense. I come from a blogging background, and you show people what you like to do and love. And then you attract like-minded people," she said. "Social media is like telling a story. It's your story or my story … I use social media to tell the story of the makers and all the small businesses in the area." Chase is increasingly being leaned upon to tell the story of Worcester. With positions like her role at the tourism organization Discover Central Massachusetts, she is primed for more influence moving forward as she tells the story of Worcester's business community. "People think Worcester is the underdog, but I don't see us like that. I am surrounded by creative people all the time and people interested in doing things," Chase said. "It is important to recognize that it is a lot of people working together … You're only as powerful as the people around you." - Sam Bonacci FRESH FACES: Newcomers to Central Massachusetts with refreshing perspectives and ideas P H O T O / M A T T V O L P I N I

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