Amy 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 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 momentum. “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 businesses, 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.”
Read about other Central Massachusetts Power Players
Change Agents: Executives bringing their organizations to new heights
- Eric Dickson, President & CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester
- Barbara Doyle, President & CEO of MetroWest Medical Center, Framingham
- Susan Hertzberg, President & CEO of Boston Heart Diagnostics, Framingham
- Douglas Petersen, President & CEO of Workers’ Credit Union, Fitchburg
Visionaries: Forward thinkers pushing to realize the promises of the future
- Robert E. Johnson, President of Becker College, Worcester
- Charles Faris, President & CEO of Spectrum Health Systems, Worcester
- Barbara Finer, CEO of TechSandBox, Hopkinton & Kevin O’Sullivan, President & CEO of Massachusetts Biomedical Initiative, Worcester
- Edward Moore, President & CEO of Harrington HealthCare, Southbridge
- David Jordan, President & CEO of Seven Hills Foundation, Worcester
- Ralph Crowley Jr., President & CEO of Polar Beverages, Worcester
Politicos: Public officials leveraging their positions to further business development
- Dean J. Mazzarella, Mayor of Leominster
- Economic Development Coordinating Council, Worcester
- Michael F. Collins, Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
- Arthur Vigeant, Mayor of Marlborough & Susanne Morreale Leeber, President & CEO of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce
Fresh Faces: Newcomers to Central Massachusetts with refreshing perspectives and ideas
- Nick Capasso, Museum Director at the Fitchburg Art Museum
- Laurie Leshin, President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Charles “Chip” Norton, President of Franklin Realty Advisors, Worcester
- Venkat Kolluri, CEO of Cidewalk and Chitika, Southborough/Westborough
Inner Circle: Long-time players who continue to have a significant role in new developments
- Christina Andreoli, Vice President of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
- Kevin Meehan, Owner of Imperial Cars, Mendon
- Michael P. Angelini, Chairman of Bowditch & Dewey, Worcester
- Brian W. Thompson, President & CEO of Commerce Bank, Worcester
- Susan Mailman, President of Coghlin Electrical Contractors & Coghlin Network Services, Worcester
- Dr. Charles and Janet Birbara, Owners of the Beechwood Hotel, Worcester
- Frederick H. Eppinger, President, CEO & Director of Hanover Insurance, Worcester
