Latest news with #GrantWelker
Business Journals
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Five things you need to know in Boston business news, and food as medicine
Good morning, Boston. It's National Vanilla Pudding day, and here are the five things you need to know in local business news to start your busy Thursday. 1. Boston population nears pre-pandemic levels Grant Welker reports that Boston is still behind its pre-pandemic population but has nearly returned to 2020 levels, according to new census data. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events 2. South Shore bank to be acquired for $44M William Hall reports that the parent company of North Shore Bank and two others in Massachusetts plans to acquire South Shore-based Colonial Federal Savings Bank and its holding company for $44 million. 3. Boston Scientific CEO buys Palm Beach County mansion (Photos) A trust controlled by Boston Scientific CEO Michael Mahoney paid $17.25 million for a mansion along the Lake Worth Lagoon near North Palm Beach, Florida, Brian Bandell of the South Florida Business Journal reports. On the calendar Join the Boston Business Journal for our 9th annual Business of Pride event, featuring our 2025 LGBT Corporate Ally Award and LGBT Trailblazer Award honorees. 4. Northeastern expands to New York City this summer Northeastern University is scheduled to complete its merger with Marymount Manhattan College in New York this summer, bringing over 1,700 students into the university's fold effective June 30, Maya Shavit reports. 5. TJX isn't worried about empty shelves Shavit also reports that TJX Companies Inc. plans to stay flexible and "take advantage" of tariff-driven volatility, executives said, adding that the retailer's discount model will do well in the current economy by undercutting traditional retailers. What else you need to know By the numbers $264,000 —record-high number of scholarships awarded ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston to 28 senior students enrolled in its free after-school program designed to encourage Boston-area high school students to pursue careers in the architecture, construction and engineering fields ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston $7 million — July 2024 sale price for a condo in the Lost Tree Club , a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course in Palm Beach County, Florida, paid by the same trust owned by Boston Scientific's CEO that paid $17.25 million for a mansion (mentioned above) a condo in the Lost Tree Club $21.4 million — total compensation reported in 2024 by Boston Scientific CEO Michael Mahoney Today in history On this day in 1856, Preston Brooks, a congressman from South Carolina, viciously attacked Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the U.S. Senate with a cane. (It would take three-and-a-half years before Sumner would be well enough to return to the Senate.) (Read more at What's good on WERS-FM Sign '☮︎' the Times, by Prince What I'm watching Welcome to Wrexham, Season 4, on Hulu A food-as-medicine project worth emulating Whenever I see Ed Gaskin, the executive director of Greater Grove Hall Main Streets, the conversation always ends up being about food. Often, it's about 'food as medicine.' The idea of food as medicine is that proper nutrition can be a powerful way to prevent and manage — even treat — certain health conditions. Often, particularly in urban settings and food deserts, where there's a lack of grocery stores or limited options for healthy food, the concept of food as medicine is particularly vital. So when Gaskin told me yesterday that his community development organization was honored with the Collaboration of the Year Award at the annual Food as Medicine Network conference in Chicago, I had to find out more. He shared with me that his award-winning Healthy Food Program focused on patients at Dorchester's Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center who have Type 2 diabetes and who are enrolled in MassHealth. It provided $100 monthly to patients to purchase medically appropriate, healthy food at Stop & Shop stores using a digital card powered by IQPay technology, which not only simplified transactions but also preserved patient dignity by avoiding stigma that can sometimes come with food subsidies. Additionally, patients received an extra $50 monthly incentive if they consulted with a registered dietitian participating with the program. Gaskin said the project started with a $25,000 seed grant from John Hynes IV at Boston Global Investors to "Reimagine the Food Pantry." Harvard Street's involvement ensured the program would be HIPAA compliant, he said, and its registered dietitian, Sophie Walton, was the point of contact. Stop & Shop, as the local grocery store, offered its in-store dietitian, Christine Sinclair. And the pilot's remaining funding came from the Boston Public Health Commission's CHEE (Community Health Equity Empowerment) grants program, with the help of Melissa Hector, the BPHC's director of equitable and strategic initiatives, he said. As someone only recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes myself, I had no idea how much diet and healthy food plays a role in keeping my blood sugar regulated. For people and communities where access to the right foods is nearly impossible, managing their diabetes is equally challenging. Gaskin, who designed the program and led the collaboration, said he's now considering a focus on maternal health for the next phase of the program. If he does, I have no doubt he'll pull together another amazing group of collaborators and drive more positive change in his community. PARTING SHOT While scrolling the internet yesterday reading about the death of actor George Wendt, I stumbled upon this compilation of every time Norm entered Cheers. I couldn't get through all of it (it's 18 minutes), but what I did see, I loved: Subscribe to the Morning Edition or Afternoon Edition for the business news you need to know, all free. Top 10 Most Active Venture Capital Investors in Mass. Total number of VC deals in 2024 Rank Prior Rank Firm/prior rank (*unranked in 2024)/ 1 1 General Catalyst 2 8 SBXi 3 2 F-Prime Capital View this list
Business Journals
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Five things: Southie power plant, Fast 50 event, Harvard cuts and what caused Tatum's injury
Good morning, Boston. We had a blast at the Fast 50 event last night at Big Night Live — here are the winners, and stay tuned for photos later today. Now, here are the five things you need to know in local business news to start your busy Wednesday. 1. Southie project plans shift as market slows Grant Welker reports that the old Edison power plant in South Boston and its developers face a very different real estate market from when planning started in 2016. Now, the developer is considering changing the order in which it plans to build the six-building, 1.7-million-square-foot project. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events 2. Trump slashes another $450M in Harvard grants Welker also reports that the Trump administration yesterday said it is terminating roughly $450 million in grants to Harvard, on top of the $2.2 billion in funding already cut. 3. Mass. biotech leaders say drug pricing order 'not the solution' The executive order that President Donald Trump signed Monday — which he says will reduce prescription drug prices — was met with opposition from Massachusetts' life sciences trade group, Hannah Green reports. On the calendar: Join the Boston Business Journal for our 9th annual Business of Pride event, featuring our 2025 LGBT Corporate Ally Award and LGBT Trailblazer Award honorees. 4. Fastest-growing companies feted The No. 1 fastest-growing company in Massachusetts over the three-year period from 2021-2024 is mental health and wellness company Uwill of Natick. Uwill was among several awardees recognized last night at the BBJ's annual Fast 50 event, including an architecture firm that grew revenue 136% and a 30-year-old facilities-services business that grew 73% in just the past three years. 5. Cambridge cancer biotech halves workforce Green also reports that cash-strapped Leap Therapeutics is making significant job cuts as it navigates a 'difficult market environment.' What else you need to know By the numbers 600 — housing units that could start as soon as next year at the former Edison power plant in Southie (see above), instead of the 860,000 — square feet of office and R&D that had been planned initially could start as soon as next year 1,000 (approximately) — Aramark union workers at Fenway Park and MGM Music Hall who are planning a strike vote in June to advocate for higher wages. planning a strike vote 52 — employees at Leap Therapeutics, half of which are expected to be laid off What's going on? The Charles River Regional Chamber's annual Spring Business Breakfast: 2025 Economic Outlook is this morning at the Needham Sheraton Hotel, featuring Ashley Stolba, the interim state Secretary of Economic Development, and Mary Burke, a principal economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. See you there? En español The number of people in Massachusetts identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is growing — and a new study shows significant differences across age groups. This article is also available in Spanish in partnership with El Planeta Media. Este informe está disponible en español, traducido por El Planeta Media. Today in history On this day in 1984, lawyer Jan Schlichtmann filed the first motion in the Woburn case made famous by the book and film "A Civil Action." (Read more at What's good on WERS-FM Most Wanted Man, by Lucy Dacus What I'm listening to Carrigan & Co. podcast What I'm watching Celtics City, on HBO/Max Who's at fault for Tatum's injury? The news Monday night about Celtics star Jayson Tatum's ruptured his achilles tendon came as a shock to everyone. As a 'non-contact' injury, every Celtics fan is looking around helplessly and wondering, 'how did this happen?' I have the answer. I discovered that a member of the Business Journal newsroom who hails from Los Angeles and is an avowed Lakers fan — along with four friends — cursed the Celtics at the start of the playoff series against the Knicks. It wasn't an ordinary curse. No run-of-the-mill hex. They pooled their money and purchased a bad luck spell from a witch who sells such curses on Etsy. This is not a joke. They really did this. I have no proof that their purchased curse — which could also be to blame for the Celtics choking so badly in Games 1 and 2 — was powerful enough to do the damage done to Tatum. I'm told they spent $3 each. But it was a bad-luck spell they purchased, and there's no worse luck than what happened to Tatum on the court Monday night. I'm not revealing the name of this particular employee, to protect him from any ill-intentioned Celtics fans who may read this. But I have suggested he start wearing an Italian horn necklace and carrying a Mexican milagro or a rabbit's foot if he knows what's good for him. PARTING SHOT Speaking of basketball, how many times have you passed by public courts in rough shape, full of cracks, weeds and divots? This New York artist resurfaces public courts and turns them into pieces of art: Subscribe to the Morning Edition or Afternoon Edition for the business news you need to know, all free.
Business Journals
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Five things: MIT's big bond, Seaport's Summer Market, and the busiest subway stations
Good morning, Boston. Here are the five things you need to know in local business news to start your busy Monday. 1. Is Boston ready for housing with no parking? Board says no. A proposed 70-unit development in South Boston without dedicated parking spaces for residents could have been a model for transit-oriented housing in the city, but Grant Welker reports that the city of Boston had other ideas. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events 2. MIT borrows $750M as it faces potential research funding cuts MIT issued a $750 million bond on Friday that it said was for 'general corporate purposes,' echoing a similar step a month ago taken by Harvard University to help with costs when federal grants and contracts are at risk. 3. Seaport Summer Market to return Isabel Hart reports that the Seaport Summer Market makes its return on May 10, plus Seaport x Black Owned Bos. Market returns for its sixth year — and more retail news. Do you like Five Things? Make sure to subscribe — free — to our Morning Edition emails so you have it in your inbox each day. 4. Editorial: Time to step on the gas, ramp up T funding The Business Journal's latest editorial calls on lawmakers to maintain support — and even increase it — for the T, which has seen success under the leadership of Phillip Eng. 5. Pay raises for 2025 are falling Pay raises are so far this year slightly lower than originally projected by employers, the latest evidence of a slowing job market and a turbulent economy. What else you need to know By the numbers $445.5 million — venture capital funding raised by local startups last month, as reported by BostInno raised by local startups 220 — speed restrictions in effect on the MBTA's subway over the previous two decades, all of which have been removed all of which have been removed 33 years — tenure that Stephen Costello spent as president and CEO of the Bank of Canton; a successor has been chosen to replace him Weekend box office The Marvel movie "Thunderbolts" led the box office this weekend with $76 million in its domestic debut. Where's the money? Small-business grants you can apply for in May — and where to find them. New England Business Report Did you hear Don Seiffert on the New England Business Report with Joe Shortsleeve and Kim Carrigan on WRKO yesterday? If you missed it, you can listen here. Today in history On this day in 1643, John Winthrop Jr. paid for the passage of skilled ironworkers from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where they began the first successful iron works in the American colonies in Saugus in the following years. (Read more at What's good on WERS-FM Shaking the Tree, by Peter Gabriel What I'm reading Make Russia Great Again, by Christopher Buckley What I'm watching American Idol, on ABC/Hulu You think your T station busy? The Business Journal for the second year has analyzed transit data from the MBTA in order to rank ridership trends across the city and determine the subway system's busiest train station. Last year's data showed that more passengers passed through the Red Line gates at South Station than any of the 71 gated stations where passengers have to swipe a transit card or use tap-to-pay on their phone. This past year, the MBTA's busiest station is where the Green and Orange lines meet: North Station. The ranking by Jess Aloe and Sean McFadden can be seen here, while Grant Welker's reporting shows that the development on and around Causeway Street helped boost transit swipes at the North Station in 2024. Despite the growth in ridership at North Station, the number of riders entering nearly every T station in the MBTA network decreased compared with pre-pandemic 2019. In fact, 2024 passenger counts remain down 46% from 2019 — meaning nearly 67 million fewer passenger entries at all stations last year compared to five years ago. For more charts, graphs and interesting facts about your favorite T station — as well as six projects coming down the track at the MBTA, check out the cover story in the latest Weekly Edition. PARTING SHOT Yesterday was Star Wars Day — May the Fourth (be with you). Below, Carl Sagan takes the fun out of "Star Wars: A New Hope," speaking with Johnny Carson in 1978 about the reality of physics in science fiction. But Sagan's not wrong about the anti-Wookiee discrimination. Subscribe to the Morning Edition or Afternoon Edition for the business news you need to know, all free. Busiest MBTA Train Stations Estimated gated entries for calendar-year 2024 Rank Prior Rank Station 1 4 North Station 2 1 South Station 3 2 Downtown Crossing View this list
Business Journals
23-04-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Five things: Cold Brook Preserve restoration, Harvard finances, W.E.B. DuBois
Already have an account? Sign in Welcome! Register now to read your first few articles at no cost. Good morning, Boston. Here are the five things you need to know in local business news to start your busy Wednesday, plus Harvard finances, W.E.B. DuBois and Cold Brook Preserve restoration on Cape Cod. Good morning, Boston. Here are the five things you need to know in local business news to start your busy Wednesday. 1. Here's where Harvard's finances stand as it faces off with Trump As Harvard faces off against the Trump administration with its lawsuit filed Monday, the university's finances beyond its eye-popping $53 billion endowment is worth closer attention. Grant Welker has more details to know about the university's finances. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events 2. Harvard, MIT, BU sign call against federal overreach Welker also reports that a total of 16 Massachusetts colleges have signed on to an industrywide statement yesterday 'against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference." Start each day with the 5 Things You Need to Know. Sign up for the Morning Edition. 3. Mass. health center conducts layoffs Isabel Hart reports that Brockton Neighborhood Health Center has laid off 65 workers. 4. L.A. fires prompt local homebuilding startup to head west An Andover-based modular-construction startup founded by three former Amazon Robotics employees is building its first homes in Greater Boston — and also entering the Los Angeles market, where the devastating wildfires destroyed thousands of homes in January, Greg Ryan reports. 5. Roche's $50B U.S. investment includes Mass. R&D center Roche's plans to invest $50 billion in the United States over the next five years includes a plan to invest here in Massachusetts — to open the Roche Genentech Innovation Center Boston at Harvard's Enterprise Research Campus in Allston, Hannah Green reports. What else you need to know By the numbers $262 million — oversubscribed second fund amount for a venture capital firm founded in 2023 known as Venture Guides, Eli Chavez reports. oversubscribed second fund amount 2 — companies remaining in the final round of the Inno Madness bracket challenge . Vote for your favorite here. final round of the Inno Madness bracket challenge $65,000 — settlement paid by the giant insurer Mutual of Omaha to Massachusetts regulators in response to allegations of deceptive advertising by one of its affiliates Today in history On this day in 1904, W.E.B. DuBois gave a lecture on "the race question" at Harvard, where nine years before he had been the first black person to receive a Ph.D. (Read more at What's good on WERS-FM Planet Earth, by Duran Duran What I'm reading Erasure, by Percival Everett What I'm watching The Americas, on NBC An engineering marvel, a nice nature walk — why not both? In the town of Harwich on Cape Cod, there's a former cranberry bog that was known locally for years as Bank Street Bogs. For years now, some 66 acres of what once were cranberry bogs has been under construction, but recently those acres have been opened to the public as the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve at 203 Bank St. I was in Harwich visiting my parents a few weeks ago and walked the paths at the preserve. We walked around three separate ponds and along a newly created water channel, where dozens of saplings and shrubs had been newly planted. Wooden benches and bird boxes aid walkers and birders in navigating the space. It's an amazing achievement, and such groups as the Harwich Conservation Trust, the town of Harwich, the state Division of Ecological Restoration and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service should be proud for having achieved it. And it's not just a matter of beautifying a former bog. Cape Cod faces a serious nitrogen pollution problem from having grown in population faster than its septic systems can handle. And this project's 'nitrogen-attenuating wetlands' achieves goals in wastewater treatment and coastal climate resilience that earned it top honors in this month's American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards. In terms of regional sustainability and engineering innovation, the Cold Brook Preserve is a major feat: It may appear untouched by human intervention, but it is the product of years of advanced engineering, 'potentially saving millions in future wastewater treatment costs,' according to the ACEC/MA. And for those of you who aren't impressed by all that engineering, guess what? It's also a peaceful and beautiful place to take a nice walk in nature in the middle of Cape Cod. PARTING SHOT Lower Cape TV just aired this short piece on the Cold Brook Preserve restoration project. You can learn more here: Subscribe to the Morning Edition or Afternoon Edition for the business news you need to know, all free. Largest Women-Owned Businesses in Massachusetts Total 2024 revenue Rank Prior Rank Firm/Prior ranked (*unranked in 2024)/ 1 1 Continental Resources Inc. 2 3 Atlas Travel & Technology Group 3 2 Granite City Electric Supply Co. Inc. View this list
