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If you stay up to date on business news, you might have heard of a new job in town: the chief growth officer. Companies like Hershey’s and Kellog’s are integrating this role into their corporate teams, and Coca-Cola even replaced its chief marketing officer with a CGO. 

If the existence of systemic racism was not evident to you before 2020, the killing of George Floyd by the police and the staggering disproportionate number of people of color dying from COVID-19 should leave no question. Acknowledge it. 

Growing up, my favorite basketball player was Allen Iverson. He was a rough and tough point guard whose skills and grit I idolized.

It’s been a worrying few months financially since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March – and that’s for those who’ve kept their job or their business in operation.

In the month following the police killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, national civil rights, social justice and Black advocacy organizations like Black Lives Matter and protestor bail funds saw surges in donations, reaching a cumulative nine figures.

For the average Central Massachusetts consumer, it may not be immediately obvious the artisanally decorated cannabis retailer in their quiet mill town is owned by a multi-million dollar, multi-state company whose CEO lives on the other side of the country.

The DCU Center, the Hanover Theatre, Worcester Fitness, and the Compass Tavern and nightclub in Worcester all have one commonality: adapting to difficult restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Companies with new hires and promotions include ERA Key Realty Services, bankHometown, Clinton Savings Bank, The Junior League of Worcester, AdCare Hospital in Worcester and more.

Michael Agbortoko, Jr. founded Soxcessful in Worcester’s Midtown Mall last year, both as a space for creatives and a business linking clients up with manufacturers all over the world.

In times of crisis, both the economy and people’s way of thinking can undergo a paradigm shift. For nimble business owners, it is important to recognize these shifts, change with the times, and even stay ahead of the curve in order to ensure your company’s long-term survival.