Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com February 1, 2016 • Worcester Business Journal 11 Agency: Davis Advertising Client: SpencerBANK W.S.# SPB10869 File Name: SPB10869_WBJ_Feb Program: indd Media: WBJ (CL ad) Size: 4.3" x 6" Color: 4C Date: Monday 2/1/16 Spencer • LeiceSter • rutLand Warren • WOrceSter 800-547-2885 spencerbankonline.com Each depositor is insured by the FDIC to at least $250,000. All deposits above the FDIC insurance amount are insured by the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). MeMber FDIC equal HousIng lenDer Imagine… a bank that works for your business. SpencerBANK's Commercial Lending Team (l to r): Tom Moschos, VP/Commercial Lending; Kyle Bourque, VP/Commercial Lending; Steve Quink, VP/Commercial Lending; Randy Webber, EVP/Chief Lending Officer; Mike Quink, SVP/Commercial Division Manager; and Tim Gardell, Commercial Lending Officer. At SpencerBANK, we know the importance of supporting businesses in the community. It's why we have the money to lend and a team of experienced and dedicated professionals - right here in your community - to help your business succeed. Call us today at 800-547-2885 to speak with a local decision maker who can help your business grow, no matter your financial needs. At Bay State Savings Bank, we're focused on your financial needs! Your source for: Local Mortgage Lending & Servicing Small Business Services & Commercial Lending Expertise Flexible Checking & Savings Options Home Equity Products, including 100% Financing Options Expansive Electronic Services, including: Online Account Opening • Online Loan Applications Mobile Deposit • Text Alerts • E-statements and so much more! 28 Franklin Street • Worcester, MA 01608 | 508-890-9000 | www.baystatesavingsbank.com and Puerto Rican communities and find means of working with that population to provide ... job(s)," Jordan said. Worcester residents of European ori- gin had the highest educational attain- ment at 44 percent, compared to 38 percent citywide. Foreign-born Africans had the highest labor force participation at 88 percent; Asians had 65 percent, Europeans had 61 percent and the city- wide rate is 64 percent. Technical solutions Libis Bueno moved to Worcester from the Dominican Republic in 1987, when he was 16. A self-proclaimed lifelong geek, Bueno spent years in corporate IT before he founded Domitek, a Worcester IT services provider, in 2005. Today, the company employs seven people and focuses on providing secure, reliable information-technology support to small and medium-sized businesses. Bueno first hoped part of his busi- ness could focus on Latin American- run companies, but it wasn't a good fit at the time. As more Latin Americans open healthcare companies and accounting firms, Bueno said he hopes he can pro- vide their IT infrastructure. It was hard moving here from a third- world country as a teenager, but as an adult, Bueno said he embraces chal- lenges that may come his way. "Have I been overlooked [because of my ethnicity]? Maybe. What I look at is, this is an opportunity for me to show them I am who I am," he said. "When you get mature, you have to step up, become an adult and become responsible." n personal life did not suffer, hard work and long hours laid the foundation for her success at Bowditch & Dewey, Nguyen said. This is one of the widest disconnects between the younger genera- tion that can do work anywhere but val- ues a rich personal life and an older gen- eration that values time at the office. Just because you're not at your desk doesn't mean you're not working, she said. Millennial spokeswoman Because of her young success, com- munity involvement and outspoken nature, Nguyen has quickly become an adviser for how the Central Massachusetts business community can engage young professionals like her and get them to stay and thrive in the area. "The idea is you hire people who could be your partner some day," Nguyen said. "If everyone did that with their employees, their young employees would feel loyalty to that business, company and mentor. That's the stron- gest tool in helping businesses survive and retaining talent." While a great amount of the focus has been on how to retain college stu- dents, Nguyen feels the area is ripe to attract young millennial families, pull- ing them away from Boston and MetroWest with the natural strengths of the region. Want to avoid a horrid commute? Worcester. Want to be able to afford more than a broom closet as your first home? Worcester. Want to be able to really get to know other professionals and feel you can have an impact on the greater community? Worcester. Worcester has everything it needs to attract young workers – it just needs to highlight those strengths, she said. Diversity advocacy Moving forward as a business isn't just about recognizing and harnessing the power of young professionals, Nguyen said, it is also about embracing diversity. As an Asian woman, Nguyen said she stands out a bit from the stereotypical Worcester business crowd. This is part of the reason she joined the city's Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee. In that role, she felt she could lend a business perspective to the decisions being driven by the city. Businesses simply cannot afford to be different than the communities they serve, she said. Having diverse backgrounds and a diverse team can help ensure that some- one will be able to connect with and understand the concerns of these differ- ent types of clients. "We have plenty of clients who are diverse business owners … it's a real question that we are asked by clients, 'What is the female-to male ratio here?' 'What is your ethnic diversity?'" Nguyen said. "I like clients like that because they push us to change because we want their business." A graduate from Holy Name Central Catholic High School before heading to college, Nguyen advocates for her home- town, feeling it is imperative for busi- nesses to shift with the times in order to continue to be successful. "AiVi is a rising star in the Worcester region, committed to giving back in numerous ways to the community where she grew up," Hanrahan said. n "We were able to prove without a doubt that immigrants in Worcester and else- where bring significant economic value." David A Jordan, president, Seven Hills

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