BusinessTalk BusinessWest

Tara Brewster has come a long way from her years in the world of men’s clothing. Over the past several years as vice president of Business Development and director of Philanthropy at Greenfield Savings Bank — a role in which no two days are the same, she says — Brewster has only grown her heart for the business community (which she also expresses as host of the Western Mass Business Show on WHMP) while continuing to find impactful ways to serve local nonprofits and community organizations. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, she talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about all of this and more — and how she manages to find balance in a very busy and meaningful life. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

In 1979, the Iron Horse Music Hall opened inside a nondescript storefront on Center Street in Northampton — and launched four decades of music and memories. After it was shuttered a few years ago, the nonprofit Parlor Room Collective decided to not only reopen it, but fix what needed fixing while keeping its intimate model intact. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, Parlor Room Collective Executive Director Chris Freeman talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about the challenge of this project, an ongoing campaign to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete it, and why live music — and the Iron Horse — are so critical to the cultural life of this city and region. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest.

When BusinessWest celebrates its Difference Makers class of 2024 on April 10, one of the honorees will be Delcie Bean, who has been a fixture in the region’s IT space for the past two decades — and has begun to grow the footprint and reach of his company, Paragus Strategic I.T., well outside it. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor
Joe Bednar talks with Bean about that growth plan, how to build and retain an IT workforce, why he transitioned Paragus to a 100% employee-owned model, and the excititing changes ahead in the high-tech world, from VR and automation to AI, and how that will impact businesses
of all kinds. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a
podcast presented by BusinessWest.

Tourism is critical to the economic energy of Western Mass. — it’s often the first experience people have with the region, and can be a strong factor in whether they want to move or work here. And the annual economic impact of visitors — at tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels, conventions, and events — soars into the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. On the next episode of BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar talks with Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater
Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, about what goes into energizing, promoting, and sustaining this critical sector — as well as the many events and attractions that promise to make 2024 a year to remember. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest and sponsored by PeoplesBank.

Today’s zoos — the best ones, anyway — have come a long way from what they used to be, and the Zoo in Forest Park and Education Center is a prime example, honing over the years its focus on education, conservation, and rehabilitation, and bringing much of that education into the community through its programs. On the next episode of
BusinessTalk, BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar talks with Sarah Tsitso, executive director of the Forest Park Zoo, about her passion for animal welfare, the challenges of funding a year-round operation that’s open to the public for only five months, and how the organization is helping to cultivate the next generation of animal-care professionals —
not to mention the next generation of families making new memories together. It’s must listening, so tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest and sponsored by PeoplesBank.

Hannah Rechtschaffen has long been passionate about the intersection
between the arts, economic growth, and community building, and she’s
found a place for all that and much more as director of the Greenfield
Business Assoc., which promotes the city and region and works to elevate
the local business community. On the next episode of BusinessTalk,
Hannah talks with BusinessWest Editor Joe Bednar about the
previous career stops that have shaped her work, the challenges of doing
business in Massachusetts’ most rural county, but also about the
opportunity this region — pocketed by cultural treasures, stunning
outdoor recreation, and a vibrant, resilient business community — poses
for employers, residents, and visitors alike. It’s must listening, so
tune in to BusinessTalk, a podcast presented by BusinessWest and sponsored by PeoplesBank.