Diversity & Inclusion

Elizabeth Cruz is driven to share her secret to business success with other entrepreneurs like her.

Five cities -- Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Fall River and Lowell -- are home to more than 100,000 working-age individuals with disabilities, representing 20 percent of the state's disability population.

Criminal justice reform activists joined a handful of state lawmakers Wednesday to fight against Gov. Maura Healey's budget pitch to slash funding for some reentry programs, arguing the cuts would unravel the success of a landmark 2018 law.

"We for some reason had urgency in the pandemic that we've lost since the pandemic when, in fact, those same communities are dying, but it's not COVID," Curry told attendees at a Wednesday legislative briefing. "It's diabetes, it's heart disease. It's a whole list of things."

While generally supportive of the new rule, the lending industry is concerned about the onus the new requirements put on banks.

The state's environmental arm has a new strategy to bring equity into focus in the programs and policies under its purview.

In an effort to boost its diversity-related activities, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts have named Karen Wallace to the newly-created position of executive vice president of economic inclusion.

The situation in Central Massachusetts, where 15.6% of named executive officers are female, largely mirrors the Massachusetts rate of 16.1% determined in a statewide census.

For women workers especially, increased flexibility and remote work options have opened up new possibilities for balancing work and family responsibilities.

Halfway through her tenure as the university’s inaugural DEI fellow, Ilyasah Shabazz is helping Worcester State work to sustain an inclusive and welcoming environment