The Charles River Regional Chamber hosted a big crowd at the annual Fall Business Breakfast last week, and will be in Watertown next week for a morning of coffee and networking at a local fitness studio.
On Friday, Nov. 15, the Chamber will be at Fly Together Fitness from 8:30-9:30 a.m. The fitness studio is located at 100 Parker St. The event is free and open to members and future members.
The Chamber provided the following details:
Enjoy morning conversations over coffee while networking with local professionals at the brand-new Fly Together Fitness studio in the heart of Watertown.
Coffee Connects typically attract over 70 attendees and are open to members and those interested in learning more about membership. It’s a fantastic way to make new connections, learn about the chamber, and engage with our community. The event is free, and pre registration is requested.
Fall Business Breakfast
With the Charles River Regional Chamber’s Fall Business Breakfast scheduled for on Nov. 1, just days before the 2024 Presidential Election, organizers wanted to provide some inspiring words to some an audience that may be tense and anxious.
“We knew we couldn’t ignore it. We knew many attendees would feel stressed. But we also knew this wasn’t the moment for an overtly political event either. Ultimately we were fortunate enough to line up the exact right presenter, Steve Gross from the Life is Good Playmaker Project,” the Chamber wrote in its newsletter. “Let’s just say Gross had a unique way of framing how leaders, how we all, should respond during this anxious moment in our history.”
To loosen up the 450 attendees at the Boston Marriott Newton, Gross organized a giant rock-paper-scissors tournament, where players started with five seconds of “warm, loving eye contact,” and then bow to each other, before playing their match. The losers then became the “biggest cheerleader” for the opponent.
Gross also shared the philosophy behind Life is Good Playmaker Project. He ended by saying that being selfish can be a good thing, depending on what your focus is. This philosophy, he said, can be good guidance during difficult times.
“No body’s joy is more important than your own, because if you don’t find it then how are you going to spark it in others?” said Gross. “No one’s sense of community, even your kids, is more important than your own because if you don’t feel connected and loved how are you going to help other people feel connected and loved?”
Gross left the audience with some questions to reflect on as they look to life post the 2024 election.
“When we leave here today we should think to ourselves, what are we going to do as a community, as businesses to bring joy into our community, to our customers, to our people, to our lives? Who are we going to connect with and play with? Who’s going to inspire us? What are we going to do to stay inspired, and what are we going to do to make sure we feel strong and balanced, even through the difficult times?” he said. “Whoever wins (the election) what are we going to do to keep being the community the people that we always aspire to be?”
Also during the breakfast, Chamber President and CEO Greg Reibman presented the R.L. Tennant Award to Darryl Settles, a restauranteur turned real estate developer from Newton. The award is the Chamber’s highest honor is presented to someone who has gone above and beyond for our communities.
“Settles’ career spans the hospitality, business development and real estate sectors. His work as a civic activist, mentor, community organizer, civic activist and genuinely good guy, inspires us. We’re delighted to be honoring him,” the Chamber said in its even preview.
Settles served on advisory board for multiple governors as well as mayors in Boston and Newton.
He also created a fund to raise money to expanding access to automated external defibrillators, or AEDs. In 2022, Settle’s 15-year-old son Preston went into cardiac arrest during a high school basketball game and later died. There was no AED insight when Preston collapsed.
The fund has raised over $1 million for this cause, and has a goal of raising another $1 million in the coming year.
The Chamber Breakfast also featured Kathleen Marchi, the CEO and President of Samaritans, Inc., the largest suicide prevention organization in New England. She spoke about how business leaders can support employees and themselves in stressful times.
Samaritans’ mission is to prevent suicide and offer hope and support to those affected. Their core programs include a 24/7 Helpline, Hey Sam – a youth peer-to-peer textline than can be reached by texting 439-726, Suicide Grief Support Services, and Community Education & Outreach.
She said that anyone seeking help can dial 988 to speak to someone at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL).
The Fall Business Breakfast was taped by NewTV, Newton’s Community Media Center. View Friday’s full recording here, the Steve Gross talk here, the presentation of the R.L. Tennant Award to Darryl Settles, and hear Kathleen Marchi talking about supporting our employees and ourselves in stressful times.