As president and CEO of Meet Boston, Martha Sheridan’s job is to position Boston “as one of the premier destinations in the world.” On this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Sheridan details how she and her 501(c)(6) organization – that markets the Boston area as a destination for meetings, conventions and leisure visits – accomplishes that goal.“if we don't invite them, they're not going to come back, so our work is incredibly valuable,” Sheridan says.Meet Boston’s efforts are bolstered by its commitments to boosting workforce development in the hospitality sector and showcasing nontraditional visitor destinations, like Dorchester, East Boston and Roxbury. Listen to the episode to hear more from Sheridan on: Her former job as a tour director on motor coaches. (3:23) Engaging and retaining Meet Boston’s team through hybrid work. (10:34)Avoiding the mistake of “burning a bridge.” (20:59)The most overlooked spot in Boston. (23:50)Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Perhaps there’s no one better to lead the academic institution ranked No. 1 in entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report than a serial entrepreneur who developed a small Utah business into a national franchise brand.On this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Stephen Spinelli, Ph.D., details “the intersection between business” and Babson College, where he is president. Spinelli’s entrepreneurial journey began right out of college when he and several partners crafted a plan to buy a quick-service oil change business they eventually rebranded as Jiffy Lube International. After a slow start, Spinelli thought, “Boy, I’m either not good enough or I’m not educated enough. And so I made the decision. If I wasn’t educated enough, I could try to get some (entrepreneurial) education.” That led him to Babson, where he earned an MBA and, later, a doctorate in economics from the University of London.Spinelli was named Babson’s 14th president in 2019. “I think the education system, and in particular, the colleges and universities (in Massachusetts) are an exceptional network of intellectual, human, sociological, spiritual capital that is rare in the history of the world,” Spinelli says.Listen to the episode to hear more from Spinelli on:His first job as a health care administrator. (2:08)“Hard lessons” learned about failure. (13:42)One thing people don’t know about him. (22:00)His wish for Boston. (24:32)Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

For Sarah Iselin, president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts, being raised by parents who led “lives of service” has had a huge impact on her career choices – including her current executive role with a mission-driven, not-for-profit health care plan.“Our new mission is to show up for everyone like they're the only one,” says Iselin on this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast. “And our core values are (to) be the example, do what's right, not what's easy, be kind, act with humility and heart, be courageous, ask questions, seek diverse perspectives, bring bold ideas and make them happen and be community focused, always.”Listen to the episode to hear more from Iselin about: De-stigmatizing mental health. (9:44)How the company uses AI to provide care. (13:25) Her advice for career novices. (19:09) What’s driving her company’s commitment to DEI. (23:08) Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

The arts’ contribution to the state’s GDP is significant, says Michael Bobbitt, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The sector in Massachusetts is a $27.2 billion industry, Bobbitt says on this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast. That’s based on a 2021 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report. “We know that arts are great for supporting people's health needs and their education needs, but also great for business,” says Bobbitt. “The more we can build those relationships with our sector and those sectors, the more everyone will benefit from having this deep infusion of arts and culture.”The council’s statewide initiatives range from providing grants for individuals, organizations and groups statewide to building relationships with industries and sectors to help support its activities. Listen to the episode to hear more from Bobbitt about:His entry into the arts. [3:07]Past and current musicals he’s written. [4:47]The council’s Culture Rx arts “prescription.” [8:31]Why public support for the arts is important. [14:04]Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Glynn Lloyd has a passion for advancing entrepreneurship and community.Lloyd is executive director of Mill Cities Community Investments (MCCI), a community development finance institution that helps to provide capital “where traditional capital usually doesn’t get to,” historically redlined communities of “folks of color,” he says on this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast. And he founded City Fresh Foods, a mission-driven business feeding many people, including Boston public school students and Meals on Wheels recipients.In this episode, Lloyd – who grew up in the suburb of Sharon – commends the contributions of the city’s “hidden heroes,” who, he says, have done “incredible work, built platforms and still to this day are impacting a lot of folks positively.”Listen to the episode to hear more from Lloyd about:Pivotal entrepreneurial lessons from childhood through college.MCCI’s “high-touch advisory approach” for Black and Latinx businesses. What makes him laugh.His favorite spot in the commonwealth. Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

If you’re in need of advice on how to emerge from corporate devastation, Rob Hale, CEO and president of Granite Telecommunications, has plenty to share.In 2002, Hale’s thriving company, Network Plus, went bankrupt during the stock market crash. “That morning (Feb. 4) when we went bankrupt, that equity, which was $1.4 billion, officially finally became zero, never to return,” he recalls.In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Hale details how he – with the unwavering support of his family – went about building Granite Telecommunications, a company with $1.85 billion in sales as of 2024.Listen to the episode to hear more from Hale about:Mentors including his entrepreneurial father and titans Robert and John Kraft.His family’s history of philanthropy.DEI and creating “a platform where leaders excel” at Granite Telecommunications.The key ingredient to innovation.Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Dr. Kevin Tabb’s self-described “eclectic background” includes service in the Israeli military, completing medical school and a residency, and roles in health care IT on the east and west coasts in the U.S.  Over the years, he’s witnessed an evolution in patient care that he notes, “will always be needed in hospitals, but more and more care is provided outside of the four walls of the hospitals.” “We're rapidly moving towards a place where we will be providing more than 70% of the care that we provide outside of the confines of the academic medical centers,” said Tabb, president and CEO of Beth Israel Lahey Health. In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Tabb highlights an example of this shift in patient care – Hospital at Home – an initiative Beth Israel Lahey Health has launched. Listen to the episode to hear more from Tabb about: Beth Israel Lahey Health’s partnership with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.How the health care system is creating a more diverse workforce and fostering inclusivity.Tabb’s personal half-marathon “bucket list.”Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

JD Chesloff credits a diverse range of mentors, and experience, for his ability to transition from public service to the private sector. A former state and federal employee, Chesloff began developing key insights that continue to shape his approach to work.  “Showing up, getting out of your lane and bending toward collaboration are three lessons that I have lived by,” said Chesloff, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, which works with state public policy makers on various issues. Chesloff, CEO of the roundtable for 13 years, details his career journey in this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast.Listen to the episode to hear more from Chesloff about:Lessons learned during the height of the Covid pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder.How this self-described “son of hippies” morphed into a leader in the business community.His favorite spot in Boston.Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Paul Ayoub, chair and partner of the law firm, Nutter, grew up in West Roxbury (Ward 20) in a Syrian and Lebanese American family that instilled strong values in him. In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, he says his family never took anything for granted and his dad taught him, “The privilege of whatever you receive is to give back.” Ayoub’s dad is the reason he has invested more than 30 years serving on the board at St. Jude Research Hospital. “Service to others is the greatest of contributions that we can make. And it is the most important of legacies we can leave,” Ayoub said. “Younger people may not be thinking about their legacy, but they should be thinking about their present and their reputation, and how they're showing up in the world around them — whether in their family, community or work.”Listen to this episode to hear more about:Ayoub’s upbringing in Boston and how his dad helped write the bylaws for St. Jude Research Hospital alongside actor Danny Thomas.His role at Nutter, where he specializes in business and commercial real estate finance and development, and what makes it fulfilling. Forming the CRE-DEI Collaborative.Some of the hard lessons Ayoub has learned in life. Powered by PNC Bank. Download a transcript of the podcast.

Kendalle Burlin O’Connell relishes a challenge. That’s just what she got her first day leading the purchasing consortium in 2008 with the company now known as MassBio – when a vendor said she was “not the right person for this job” because she lacked experience in biotechnology.Burlin O’Connell, an attorney, ended up negotiating what’s now MassBio’s largest supplier agreement. “I think that because I wasn't from industry, I was more brave and more willing to take risks in making a really big change at the time,” said Burlin O’Connell, now CEO and president of MassBio, a premiere biotech trade organization. Burlin O’Connell details her experience with the company’s “amazing team” in this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast.Listen to the episode to hear more about:•The company’s rapid growth in the span of a few years.•MassBio’s commitment to DEI.•Burlin O’Connell’s “hobby and guilty pleasure.” Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 proved to be the catalyst for Cain Hayes’ pivot from the financial services sector to health care.“What I saw is that people would oftentimes do a great job of building financial health in retirement only to get to retirement and have a poor quality of life,” said Hayes, now president and CEO of Point32Health. Hayes details his experience in the industry, including how he stays focused and positive when encountering major obstacles, in this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast.Listen to the episode to hear more about:How Point32Health defines and addresses health equity.Why Hayes, a self-described optimist, subscribes to the late Colin Powell’s definition of optimism.His fondness for baseball – “the ultimate team sport.”Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

A self-described “social impact entrepreneur” with experience in multimedia arts, Jean Dolin said an early fascination with storytelling and American culture are key factors in his current role as a community advocate.Dolin, founder and creative director of “Portraits of Pride,” details his journey from being a young news junkie in Haiti to a prominent leader in Boston, in this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast.“Portraits of Pride,” his public-art photography exhibit, features LGBTQ leaders and advocates throughout Massachusetts of various ages, races, languages and backgrounds.“If you love people, you love ‘Portraits of Pride’ because it is a gift to anyone who recognized the humanity in each other because that's where we center it,” said Dolin, who is gay.Listen to the episode to hear more about:•Dolin’s roles in politics and the nonprofit sector.•His efforts to launch an LGBTQ museum.•What he’s most optimistic about. Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. According to Colette Phillips, president and CEO of marketing and public relations firm Colette Phillips Communications, the best way to make a difference is to get involved and form real relationships, she said in this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast.  “Young people tend to think if they’re on social media with a thousand followers, or if you hooked up with 500 people on LinkedIn, that you’re an influencer and you are connected. No, you are not. You don’t know half of those people, really,” Phillips said. “Until you have had a real-life, sit-down, face-to-face connection with another person, you haven’t made a connection.”  In this episode, Phillips, a 2021 Boston Business Journal Power 50 Movement Maker, talked with hosts Carolyn Jones, publisher of the Boston Business Journal, and Saskia Epstein, senior vice president, client and community relations, at PNC Bank, about how her love of bringing people together inspires her work. Listen to the episode to hear more about Get Konnected!; Phillips’ networking organization for people of color; what she believes makes a good leader; and how Phillips’ GK Fund aims to help young entrepreneurs of color succeed in business. Powered by PNC Bank. Download a transcript of the podcast.

Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Nicole Obi, president and CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA), never expected to be leading the organization a year or so after she began working with them as a consultant. “It’s the hardest thing, but the most satisfying job I’ve ever had,” she says. “It’s stretching me personally and professionally.” In this podcast episode of PNC C-Speak, Obi dives deep with hosts Carolyn Jones of the Boston Business Journal and Saskia Epstein, senior vice president, client and community relations, at PNC Bank. They discuss mistakes that turned to learning experiences, her advice for future leaders in the community and what she’s most optimistic about when it comes to building a more diverse workforce. Powered by PNC Bank. Download a transcript of the podcast.

Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.Aisha Francis’ childhood dream was to be a teacher – which is why she pursued the education field after graduating from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Now president of Franklin Cummings Tech (formerly known as Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology), Francis relishes “leading an institution that has so much connection to the future of this economy,” as she said in this episode of PNC C-Speak.Francis is also proud of the “minority-serving” institution’s legacy, rooted in the school’s dual mission to advance the trades of education and entrepreneurship.Amid the pandemic and recent social justice movements, Francis has witnessed the need for empathetic leadership as well as flexibility. She believes both are pillars that enable greater access to opportunity for people in the workforce.Listen to the episode to hear more about:The college’s move to a new campus in 2025. The two novels and a nonfiction book Francis is currently reading.Her wish for Boston and the college’s alumni. Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Tom O’Brien’s early-career stint as a campaign worker for presidential candidate and governor Michael Dukakis didn’t pay much – he remembers not being able to make car payments – but was nevertheless a rewarding, “transformative experience,” he said in this episode of PNC C-Speak. O’Brien, co-founder, managing partner and CEO of HYM Investment Group, believes others can benefit from work in the public sector. “I would encourage people to think about politics and government, particularly at an early stage of their career,” O’Brien said.Over the years, O’Brien has assembled a diverse team at HYM Investment Group consisting of people with varied life experiences and perspectives. “What we care mostly about is honesty” and kindness, he said. Whatever skills someone might need can be taught, “but we can’t teach you to be a good team member. You need to bring that to our organization.”Listen to the episode to hear more about: O’Brien’s wife of 30-plus years, Trisha, who’s taught him to be “present in the moment,” a better listener and more empathetic. His concerns about affordable housing and the need to “fix the Boston public school system.  What gives him the most joy.Powered by PNC Bank.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Experience as a classroom teacher in California set Jim Canales on the path toward his role as president of The Barr Foundation, Canales shares in the latest episode of PNC C-Speak. One of the foundation’s focus areas is education. In 2022, the foundation awarded nearly $140 million to grant recipients.“The foundation’s mission is to invest in potential,” says Canales, a Boston Business Journal Movement Maker, by awarding grants — in collaboration with businesses — for education and the areas of arts, creativity and climate. “These are challenges that require the engagement of a broad range of sectors to address them effectively. In philanthropy, even with our resources, we need partnership with the business community.” Listen to the episode to hear more about Canales’ views on diversity among leaders in Boston; the best advice he’s been given — and gives — to others; and his favorite spot in the city. Powered by PNC Bank.Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Flywire CEO Mike Massaro does not take credit for building the once-struggling tech startup into a global, publicly traded company. The credit goes to the company’s “flymates,” aka employees, Massaro shares in the latest episode of PNC C-Speak.  Massaro, who once considered himself unprepared for the job and thought he’d be “the shortest-tenured CEO in the history of tech CEOs,” was the recipient of the 2019 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in financial services. During Flywire’s early days, Massaro says, the company’s culture was unearthed but not defined. Now it’s part of the organization’s core values. So are diversity, equity and inclusion. Massaro credits Flywire’s Chief People Officer Gary Cunningham with making him realize “if you can solve for equity and inclusion, you will inherently become more diverse.” These days, Massaro considers Flywire to be a “uniquely diverse company.”Listen to the episode to hear more about how Massaro worked toward building a great culture at Flywire; the best advice he has been given; his outlook on Boston business; and what makes him laugh these days. Powered by PNC Bank.Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Salient Ventures CEO Diane Hessan has always wanted to “lead something big,” as she shares in the latest episode of PNC C-Speak. That desire was the impetus for leaving her role with a small startup and founding Communispace, now known as C Space, in Boston. These days, she leads angel investment firm Salient Ventures in its efforts to support early-stage companies that show a lot of promise.Hessan’s embrace of startups, and their inherent risks, stems from her happy, secure childhood. “I just asked myself (back then), what’s the worst thing that could happen? And my worst-case scenario is that I would be back in Norristown, Pennsylvania,” a prospect she didn’t mind, she says. Hessan has encouraged other startup entrepreneurs to consider their worst-case scenarios — and still pursue opportunities. A quintessential example of authentic leadership, Hessan fervently believes in leading people in ways that demonstrate you care about them, and the importance of seeking out mentors for guidance along the entrepreneurial journey. Powered by PNC Bank.Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher.Download a transcript of the podcast.

Massachusetts, says Locus Robotics CEO Rick Faulk in this episode of C-Speak, has “lots of robots looking for a problem as opposed to a problem looking for a robot.” That’s because numerous companies lose sight of two things: adhering to their core mission and catering to their clients’ specific needs, according to Faulk.Faulk points to targeted growth as an integral element in Locus Robotics’ evolution from a third-party logistics business to a two-time Boston Business Journal Fast 50 company mulling an IPO. Initiatives such as hiring “folks smarter than” senior management and carefully selecting workers who fit into the company’s culture of being “maniacally focused” on the success of the client are also integral to that evolution, says Faulk. Faulk speaks with C-Speak podcast hosts Jon Bernstein of PNC Bank and Carolyn Jones of the Boston Business Journal about providing tools for clients that turn them into “heroes,” his excitement about incorporating AI and analytics into operations at the company, and its investment in various community initiatives through the Locus Foundation. Powered by PNC Bank.Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Click here to listen on iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher.Download a transcript of the podcast.