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On this episode of PNC C-Speak, Lila Snyder, CEO of Bose Corp., discusses her vision for the company’s future, leveraging AI to enhance user experience and Massachusetts’ role as a hub for talent and business.

Snyder also touches on the company’s culture of innovation and how her team pushes the envelope in audio technology.

“Most great innovation comes from understanding where your customer has pain points, so we spend a lot of time being customers ourselves, talking to customers, learning about what our customers really care about,” Snyder said.

Listen to the podcast to learn more about:

• The importance of leadership and connection during the Covid-19 pandemic (3:15)
• Snyder’s personal career path from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Bose (8:19)[JL2]
• Advice Snyder would share with her younger self (13:49)
• The future of innovation at Bose and how AI fits in (21:11)

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Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Nearly 75% of employees in the U.S. have caregiving responsibilities outside of work, and more than two-thirds of children age 6 and under have two parents who work, which underscores the importance of supporting parents in the labor force.

“We took this data and thought, ‘What if there’s an opportunity to really focus in on the internal policies that these businesses have,’” said Sadie Funk, national director and co-founder, The Best Place for Working Parents. “Could we build a multi-pronged solution that really allows these businesses and supports these businesses to attract and retain their top talent?”

In this episode of PNC C-Speak: The Language of Executives, Funk joins Brooke Thomson, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), to talk about the innovative ways businesses are supporting their working caregivers. The two organizations partnered to bring the Best Place for Working Parents designation to Massachusetts in 2022.

This episode is the latest segment in a C-Speak miniseries exploring the relationship between early childhood and the economy. Tune in to learn more about:

• How Massachusetts is leading the way in implementing family-friendly policies (9:40)
• Where businesses stand on flexible work arrangements and remote work (14:49)
• Low- to no-cost solutions for working caregivers, including accessing the Best Place for Working Parents Toolkit (20:49)
• Why Massachusetts was named the No. 1 state for women by Wallethub (26:42)
• How Thomson has handled parenting challenges (39:10)

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Early childhood educators are making a big impact on the Boston community. Their work affects not only the local economy, but even more importantly, the course of a child’s future.

“If we invest and pour into our children — not as the proverbial babysitters, but as educators at the earliest of ages — that will absolutely change the trajectory of a child's life,” said Sandra McCroom, president and CEO of Children's Services of Roxbury (CSR), one of the largest Black-led nonprofits in Massachusetts.
In this episode of PNC C-Speak: The Language of Executives, McCroom and Ben Hires, CEO of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, discuss early education, the importance of trauma-informed care and their visions for the future of their communities.

This episode is the latest segment in a C-Speak miniseries exploring the relationship between early childhood and the economy. Tune in to learn more about:

• The importance of investing in early childhood education (11:40)
• Opportunities for growth within the early childhood education sector (14:21)
• What business leaders need to know about early education (24:34)
• Trauma-informed care, and why it’s critical in early education (21:05)
• How McCroom and Hires stay energized while managing a demand career (29:08)

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“If you don’t innovate,” says John Lee, “you can't invent the products people use.”

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Lee, president and CEO of MKS Instruments Inc., shares the origin story and trajectory of the nearly 60-year-old tech enterprise. Based in Massachusetts, the company supports the advanced electronics industry.

Innovation is only half of the secret sauce for MKS Instruments. The other prime ingredient, according to Lee, is inclusion.
“I’ve spent a lot of time making sure everyone in the company – no matter where you are, which country you're in, what your political beliefs are or any other beliefs you have within the walls of MKS – will be included. We will respect each other and you will be welcomed.”

Tune in to this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast to learn more about:

• Crisis lessons Lee learned during the Covid-19 pandemic (3:40)
• The components of team dynamics (8:29)
• Which major sporting event is on his bucket list (19:33)

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Sara Fraim got her start with the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council in 2011 in a role that focused on education and signature programing for members. Eleven years later, she was promoted to CEO of the association that plays a critical role in helping to grow an inclusive technology ecosystem in the state.

MTLC has 300 member companies, representing tens of thousands of tech workers.

"Our vision is that Massachusetts is the best place for business leaders and tech leaders to work, to live, and to grow their companies, especially right now,” she says.

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Fraim talks about her career journey and what MassTLC is focused on right now.

Tune in to learn more about:

• How significant the tech economy has become in Massachusetts (4:11)
• How she’s growing as a CEO (7:35)
• Her process for making tough decisions (10:51)
• How MassTLC is focusing on keeping hypergrowth companies in Massachusetts (12:27)

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Christina Gordon’s pivotal “aha moment” surfaced during a college class on at-risk children.

“We discovered research had shown that the strongest variable for success for a high-risk child was maternal education,” Gordon recalls. If women were educated, their “children would have better lives.”

In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Gordon, CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit Women’s Foundation of Boston, explains how the organization helps under-resourced women and girls statewide.

Gordon says the foundation is “the only large, multiyear funder to women and girls serving nonprofits in our state by pooling dollars from different donors including individuals, corporations and foundations.”

“I love being in the women and girls space, particularly in the economic empowering part of it,” she says.
Tune in to this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast to learn more about:

• The foundation’s approach to funding for grants (7:54)
• Gordon’s “secret sauce” as a leader (22:09)
• Gordon’s wish for Massachusetts (38:49)

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A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and assistant district attorney, Marty Meehan defines his background and path to higher education as “nontraditional.”

Today, Meehan is nearly a decade into his presidency of the University of Massachusetts, following eight years as chancellor of UMass Lowell, his alma mater.

“From my vantage point, UMass is one of the most important institutions in Massachusetts,” Meehan says. “We literally educate the workforce.”

The five-campus UMass system has nearly 74,000 students, is the state’s third-largest employer and spends $830 million annually on research.

Another point of pride for Meehan is UMass’ diverse leadership.

“When we conduct searches that are inclusive, we look for the best people that we can get, in all kinds of places, from all kinds of backgrounds,” Meehan says.

Tune in to this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast to learn more about:

• One of Meehan’s greatest thrills while serving in Congress (6:43)
• Why Massachusetts is a great place to live and work (17:23)
• What the MASSGrant program entails (20:10)

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As CEO and president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, James Rooney has witnessed significant shifts in Boston’s business community, and the chamber, over the past decade.

Biotech is now a leading industry. AI is becoming the default technology application for many organizations. And the chamber’s board and staff are more diverse.

The Chamber’s board decided that “Before we talk about others in their corporate boards diversifying, we have to look at ourselves. So in 2016, we set goals,” Rooney said. The board has met its goal for gender diversity and is close to reaching the benchmark for racial diversity. “When we look at the staff, it’s 73% women and 40% people of color, and I think we’re doing a great job.”

Tune in to this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast to learn more about:

• A top challenge many Chamber members are confronting (13:00)
• The three levels of leadership, defined by Rooney (19:14)
• What’s on his bucket list (21:07)
• A Boston organization to watch (25:03)

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Download a transcript of the podcast.