CBIA BizCast Connecticut Business & Industry Association

For The Computer Company president Kevin Barros, a career in IT was something of an accident.
“I kind of started off individually on my own, just kind of doing a little bit of side work, make a few extra bucks on the weekends and nights,” he told the CBIA BizCast.
Barros said he always liked technology, but never thought he’d own a company.
“Slowly it kind of grew to one referral, to another referral.”
Barros launched the venture with name KBIT Group, before acquiring Shell Systems in 2018.
Through those early years, he was working by himself, while going to school.
“Iit was very difficult, a lot of hours, a lot of white hairs, but it was all worth it in the end.”
In 2020, Barros realized that he needed help to keep up with the demand and acquired The Computer Company.
The company offers IT services for small and medium businesses, education institutions, and government entities.
Those services include helpdesk support, networking, development and website design, and cybersecurity.
The company also has data centers in Cromwell, and Las Vegas to help ensure disaster recovery capabilities.
“Everyone has their own unique challenges,” Barros said. “But at the end of the day, the goal is the same.”
“People want to be up, they want IT to work, they want it to be productive, and of course, they want it to be secure.”
Barros said cybersecurity is becoming a bigger concern for companies, especially small businesses.
“Even large companies have breaches,” he said. “But those can weather the storm, they can weather that breach and they could weather the bad publicity for a little bit.”
“But the smaller guys don't have that luxury as much. They don't have the financial backing. So the impact is much greater for those smaller ones for sure.”
Since Barros acquired The Computer Company,the business has grown from 12-13 employees to nearly 40.
He credits that team for the company’s success and growth, adding that seeing his employees thrive is one of his favorite parts of his job.
“The team is everything to us,” he said. “The company is not just me, it’s them.”
“I love seeing when they kind of get really excited about tech and saying, ‘Hey, I figured this out.’”
Barros said that as a Connecticut native, he’s committed to growing the business here.
“This is my backyard,” he said. “I have this push to stay here even if there are some struggles.”
Barros said growing the business is all about taking risks, and knowing that you aren’t always going to get a return on it.
But he was encouraged by a family member to take the leap and grow the business.
“He was kind of like, ‘Listen, you can do this,’” Barros said. “‘Yeah, it's gonna be stressful. Yeah, you're gonna hate it some days. But you gotta just do it.’”
“And I really appreciated that.”
Barros said that as he grew the business, he realized that acquiring companies is about a lot more than money.
“You have to also think about that old business owner,” he said. “It’s kind of their baby.”
He said that they want to know that their clients and employees will be taken care of.
“It’s trying to show or build that trust with them to kind of say, ‘Hey, don't don't worry about it, I got it, we can take it to the next level.’”
As for what that next level is for Barros and The Computer Company?
He said they’re looking for additional acquisitions and bringing on more employees.
“40 is cool. Four hundred would be better,” he said.

Related Links:
The Computer Company: https://computercompany.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-computer-company-inc./
Kevin Barros on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-barros-a55a2ba9/
CBIA: https://www.cbia.com/

In a lifetime, one-in-four women and one-in-seven men will be affected by domestic or intimate partner violence.

And each year, the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence serves about 40,000 people.

“We are the state's leading voice for survivors and victims of domestic violence and their families,” CCADV president and CEO Meghan Scanlon told the CBIA BizCast.

The organization has 18 member agencies across the state providing services ranging from sheltering and counseling to children’s, family, and survivor services.

Their mission is to also reduce violence through outreach, education, training, technical assistance, and advocacy.

“We made a lot of progress in terms of talking about it more openly and publicly, and there being reduced stigma and shame around sharing stories, which has been great,” Scanlon said.

“But we still have a lot of work to do.”

Scanlon said that one of her goals is to change the mindset around domestic violence from a criminal justice issue, to more of a public health issue.

“The coalition is really focused on how do we get to people and provide them the education and training and awareness before they end up in the criminal justice system,” she said.

One of the ways they hope to raise that awareness is by working with employers.

“Statistically, one of the places that survivors feel the safest is in their workplace,” Scanlon said.

“So oftentimes, it's one of the only places that they go to during a day where they're getting away from the abuse.”

CCADV applied for a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to work with employers to provide basic awareness and education about how domestic violence impacts the workplace.

Scanlon said that includes understanding performance issues, or safety issues if a perpetrator calls or shows up at a workplace.

She said the education and awareness starts as small as having posters or magnets in the workplace.

It can also include training for employers and employees and specialized training for those who raise their hand and say they want to be a go-to person in the office.

The overall goal is to let employers and coworkers know what to look out for and what to do when somebody discloses they are in an abusive situation.

That can be as simple as sharing information about ctsafeconnect.org or the statewide domestic violence hotline. That number is 888-774-2900.

"If you can connect them to the resources that we have across the state, chances are we can we can work with them on a safety plan, we can make sure that they're being thoughtful around that strategy," Scanlon said.

Scanlon said the resources aren’t just for a crisis situation, but can provide support or information to family members, coworkers or bystanders.

“When somebody gets to a place where they disclose something that vulnerable to you, you have this moment to build trust with them and connect them to something,” Scanlon said.

“It's very much a culture shift for employees and employers to recognize that this is something that happens in the workplace, and we should know what to do if and when it does happen.”

If you or someone you know needs help, or more resources, visit https://www.ctsafeconnect.org/ or call or text 888-774-2900. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7. And for more information about the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, visit https://www.ctcadv.org/

Jeremy Bronen didn’t set out to be known as “the toilet entrepreneur.” 

But four years after founding SedMed, that’s exactly what transpired. 

“Essentially, we make toilet lifts to help older adults, people with disabilities get on and off the toilet,” Bronen told the CBIA BizCast.

The concept behind the SedMed toilet lift is simple. 

It mounts to any toilet and helps slowly lowers users down and locks for safety. When they are ready to get up, it lifts 80% of their body weight.

“The problem was so big and I knew that a solution could solve this problem.”

“I said, ‘I can make a great company and help people.’ And you know, what better career is there than doing those two things?” he said.

SedMed website: https://www.sed-med.com/

Like many people Adam Goldberg started to bake during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Goldberg specifically baked bagels, selling them to friends out the back window of his kitchen in Westport.

That hobby turned into an idea that became PopUp Bagels.

“Fast forward two or three years, he opened a store in Westport, opened another store in Greenwich, and then in the city, and it's really just exploded,” PopUp Bagels CFO Jamie Lissette told the CBIA BizCast.

PopUp has achieved success quickly, thanks in part to social media.

“It's just really organic, because people love the product. So it makes it really super easy.”

Lissette discussed the company's Connecticut roots and plans for growth.

“We only have five stores,” he said. “In the next six months, we’ll add almost seven stores.”

“We love Connecticut,” Lissette said, adding "We've got this great runway to really become nationwide with the concept.”

PopUp Bagels website: https://www.popupbagels.com/

KeyBank market retail leader Elona Shape credits her mother for giving her a passion for helping women in business.

“She's one of those women that continues to inspire me today, but really instilled the value of what women in business or women in leadership bring to the table,” Shape told the CBIA BizCast.

Shape is co-chair of KeyBank’s Key4Women for Connecticut and Massachusetts.

“It’s a program that really helps our women entrepreneurs motivate, empower and advocate around the things that can help their businesses thrive,” she said.

She said it’s important that women in business get the support and guidance they need.

“As women probably more than our male counterparts, you don’t typically go into a bank and say, ‘Hey, I need some advice, I’m starting this new business, this is my vision, this is my business plan, I really need your help,’” Shape said.

KeyBank and Key4Women sponsored When Women Lead, CBIA’s annual women’s leadership summit March 20.

“I love the work that we’ve done,” Shape said. “I think it’s really critical to keep building that up—to help elevate women-owned businesses is going to be critical.”

More information:
KeyBank's Key4Women: https://www.key.com/small-business/services/key4women/overview.html

This episode of the CBIA BizCast is the second of a two-part discussion on a key issue in Connecticut and across the country—whole genome sequencing. In this episode Paul Pescatello, CBIA senior counsel and executive director of the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council speaks with Dr. Adam Matson and Dr. Louisa Kalsner from Connecticut Children’s.

Dr. Matson is a neonatologist and lead researcher for Genomic Sequencing in the neonatal and pediatric population at the hospital. And Dr. Kalsner is the division head for Genetics.

Doctors Mtson and Kalsner highlight the importance of whole genome sequencing in both research and clinical settings.

They also discuss the technology’s future and its value to patients, caregivers, and families.

Please click here for part one of our discussion on whole genome sequencing with Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Dr. Tom Defay: https://www.cbia.com/news/issues-policies/cbia-bizcast-whole-genome-sequencing