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CBIA BizCast

CBIA BizCast

Written by: Connecticut Business & Industry Association
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 A podcast for the business-minded in Connecticut. Interviews consist of business and community leaders who are shaping the future of Connecticut’s economy. The CBIA BizCast provides new content every other week, introduces members of the business community, and tells stories about how businesses are innovating and growing in Connecticut! BizCast provides new content every other week, introduces members of CBIA staff, and tells stories about how businesses are innovating and growing in Connecticut!All rights reserved Economics
Episodes
  • Giving Back to Greater Hartford

    Giving Back to Greater Hartford
    Jan 22 2026
    2026 is an important year for the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation. After celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2025, the former Hartford Foundation for Public Giving kicked off the year with a major rebranding and plans for a new headquarters in Hartford’s North End. Foundation president and CEO Jay Williams joined the CBIA BizCast to highlight the nonprofit’s mission and new chapter. “We wanted a name that was actionable and modern,” he said. “‘Greater Hartford Gives Foundation’ speaks to the breadth of our reach and the fact that giving is bidirectional—the community and donors give to us, and we give back to the community.” The foundation partners with donors and nonprofits to support residents in 29 communities that make up Greater Hartford. Williams said their focus is to “dismantle structural racism and help build equitable opportunities” in areas including basic human needs, employment and education, thriving neighborhoods, civic and resident engagement, and the arts. “The mission is about putting philanthropy into action to create lasting solutions, to help add vibrancy to all the 29 towns that we serve.” Williams said their centennial year showcased those priorities in practice. The foundation recapitalized local funds in each of its 29 towns with $100,000 for volunteer-led grantmaking, launched the Greater Future Scholarship in partnership with Hartford Promise—providing up to $100,000 in financial assistance plus a decade of wraparound supports—and announced $6 million in investments for artists and arts organizations across the region. The nonprofit also partnered with the Connecticut Forum for an event with President Barack Obama in Hartford. “The entire year was about just trying to convey to the community how deeply appreciative we were, and continue to be of their generosity, and to also demonstrate that we are here for good—we are here for the next 100 years,” Williams said. The foundation closed the year by unveiling the new name and a plan to break ground on a community-centered headquarters in the city’s North End. The building will serve as a community hub, convening donors and nonprofits. It will also offer a no-cost space for neighborhood groups and community organizations. “We want to assist the small businesses in that Albany Avenue, Main Street corridor. We want the citizens and the neighborhood groups to have access,” he said. Williams’ path to the foundation began in Youngstown, Ohio, a city he said has a similar blue-collar grit and perseverance to Hartford. After starting his career in banking, he moved into public service as the city’s director of community development. He was elected mayor in 2005, becoming the youngest and first Black mayor in the city’s history. His focus on economic revival eventually led him to Washington, D.C., where he joined the Obama administration in 2005 with roles focused on community and economic development. Williams said he never sought out the position in the administration but felt humbled by the opportunity. "When your secretary calls and says, 'The White House is on the phone,' you've got to take that call," he said. Williams joined the foundation in 2017. “The board was looking for someone with some community economic development background,” he said. “To me, I was like, this is the perfect combination. If someone said, ‘write your next perfect job,’ this would have been it.” Reflecting on his career, Williams said each chapter has reinforced the same lesson: “It’s more important to be impactful than it is to be successful,” he said. “If you focus on relevance and impact, success will follow.” Related Links: Greater Hartford Gives Website: https://greaterhartfordgives.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greaterhartfordgives/ Jay Williams LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-williams47/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/
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    29 mins
  • Driving Connecticut Forward

    Driving Connecticut Forward
    Jan 8 2026
    Continuous improvement is a principle that’s shaped HABCO Industries president and CEO Brian Montanari’s career—one that spans driving forklifts to leading an aerospace company. Today, as CBIA’s recently elected board chair, he applies that principle to strengthen Connecticut’s business community. “I definitely have a lot of passion for Connecticut—for making Connecticut a better place for my employees, for their families,” Montanari tells the CBIA BizCast. Montanari joined HABCO in 2007 and became president and CEO in 2012. The company operates in the aerospace aftermarket, providing service and maintenance for commercial and defense partners. “It's really cool when you take a look at what we do,” Montanari said. “Very rarely can you look at any aircraft—commercial or military—that we don’t touch in some way,” he said. Montanari is proud to lead a company with a 55-year legacy. “When I look at some of the employees that have been there for longer than 40 years—at least half the business has been there longer than me, that means a lot,” he said. “And so now it’s my responsibility, and it’s my team’s responsibility, to make sure that those employees continue to feel valued, provide value and make HABCO a place that they want to retire.” Montanari’s passion for his team and Connecticut drove his involvement with growing the next generation of the workforce. That includes teaching classes at Eastern Connecticut State University and serving on the boards of organizations like CBIA and CONNSTEP. “If you're gonna open your mouth, if you're gonna say something, if you're gonna have an opinion, then if you finally have a forum to be able to do something about it, do it,” he said. It was that mentality that pushed Montanari to take a more active role on CBIA’s board. “If I'm going to dedicate my time to an organization, I want to give it my all, and I want to make a difference,” he notes. As board chair, Montanari said his priorities include workforce development and housing. Ultimately, he aims to make Connecticut more affordable for businesses. “It doesn't need to be legislation for companies versus employees, it doesn't need to be in us versus them," he said. "They can be one and the same.” Montanari said by the end of his term, he hopes to have helped move the state forward. “You can't win. It's nothing to win,” Montanari said. “It’s about continuous improvement. “If businesses grow, we create jobs. If we create jobs, then we help families flourish. "If families flourish, then the communities are going to flourish, the communities flourish, then the state becomes a better place.” The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support! If you have a story to tell, contact Amanda Marlow. Related Links: HABCO Industries Website: https://habco.biz/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/habco-industries-llc/ Brian Montanari LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-montanari-835562/ CBIA Website: https://www.cbia.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbia/
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    33 mins
  • Leadership Reflections

    Leadership Reflections
    Dec 22 2025
    Over the course of 2025, some of Connecticut’s remarkable business leaders joined the CBIA BizCast. These leaders have built successful teams, overcome challenges, and helped build a better Connecticut. They shared their stories of entrepreneurship and innovation, resilience and success. To close out 2025, we wanted to look back on some of their stories and words of wisdom. This episode features insights from: • Marietta Lee, President and CEO, The Lee Company • Dr. Albert Green, CEO, QuantumCT • Greg Barats, President and CEO, Hartford Steam Boiler • Siddartha Kalita, Principal, Mercer • Bryn Tindall and Sam Barrett, Rebellion Group • Lawrence Ward, President, University of Hartford • Dean Brenner, CEO, The Latimer Group • Nick Sentementes, Director of Development, Hall Neighborhood House • Chris Ulbrich, Board Chair, Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals • Grace Napolitano, Principal and Business Development Officer, The TAC Group • Paul Pescatello, CBIA • Rohan Freeman, President and CEO, Freeman Companies • Dustin Nord, Director, CBIA Foundation • Abul Islam and Tariq Islam, AI Engineers • Jacqueline Laramee and Melissa Sheffy, NDC Commercial Construction and Network Interiors Inc. • Nicholas Bokron, CEO, Omar Coffee Company • Elicia Pegues Spearman, CEO, Girl Scouts of Connecticut Thank you to all the leaders who joined us this past year. And a special thank you for listening to and watching the BizCast. We look forward to sharing more inspiring stories with you in 2026. The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Please rate, review, and subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts—we appreciate your support! If you have a story to tell, contact Amanda Marlow.
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    23 mins
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