January 23, 2017Edition

Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Michelle Jones-Johnson shares her knowledge on the importance of diversity in business.

Attorneys Lisa M. Neely and Annette M. Hines were honored by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

These businesses incorporated with the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office from Nov. 16-30.

Owners of the Sole Propietor decided not to move the popular Highland Street restaurant after about a year of considering a new Mercantile Center location.

Two decades ago, Kevin O'Sullivan worked with a small biotech company named Valeritas in his Worcester incubator Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives on what felt like groundbreaking technology at a time – a wearable insulin-dispensing device for Type 2 diabetes.

Charisma is that special something, that confidence and personality that light up any networking venue and make people around you feel respected and heard.

Worcester's industrial building are 40-percent empty, as landlords can't reconcile costly upgrades with the impact on their tax bill, especially for small manufacturers.

There are many blocks needed to build a successful business. These blocks are dynamic and contain specific infrastructures and characteristics, but fit together in a cohesive manner.

Needing a way to get financing for Greater Worcester's startups and non-traditional borrowers, Timothy Murray at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce dialed up one of his old contacts from when he was lieutenant governor, who just happened to be a little north of him in the county.

Worcester's restaurants – both the old and the new – have created a palpable buzz, with foodies and chefs from Boston and New York City taking notice. This food renaissance represents not only a big leap forward in branding for city, but it's also helping to spur further economic development with outside investments and an inevitable growth in visitors to the city.

Veteran bartender and beverage consultant Ryan Goodspeed has advised cruise ships, Fortune 500 companies, restaurants and others on their drink programs. Now, the Central Massachusetts native is back at home and has been tasked with amplifying the bar program at Sweet Kitchen & Bar on Shrewsbury Street.

As a further sign in the growing demand for Central Mass. real estate, more MetroWest and Boston companies are reaching out to local cultural institutions to provide employees with area benefits.

In December, Worcester law firm Bowditch & Dewey sold its building at 311 Main St. for $2.8 million to Cliff Rucker, who owns the Worcester Railers Hockey Club and is redeveloping properties around the city, including a hockey rink in the Canal District. The firm then signed an eight-year initial lease, with Rucker agreeing to make renovations.

At a 2016 energy forum hosted by The New England Council, Gordon van Welie, CEO of ISO New England – our region's power grid operator – described New England's electric reliability this coming winter as precarious.