CBIA BizCast

What does Connecticut need to do to prepare high school students for the careers of today, and tomorrow?

That’s the mission of the newly formed Connecticut Career Pathways Commission.

In this episode of the CBIA BizCast, CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima joins host Amanda Marlow to break down the commission.

DiPentima is one of the 30 members of the commission selected by the Lamont Administration—which also includes representatives from the business, education, and public sectors.

Episode Highlights:

• Commission members and goals

• Miguel Cardona’s role and leadership

• Tight timeline

• Breaking down silos

• Creating pathways for students who don’t go to college

• Importance of collaboration with the business community

2026 Human Resources Conference

The episode also features a portion of a conversation into the state’s expanded paid sick leave and FMLA laws with Connecticut Department of Labor attorneys Jennifer Devine and Heidi Lane.

Headlines You May Have Missed

• Rising Unemployment, Shrinking Labor Force Cloud Job Gains

• Ari Santiago Appointed Interim CSCU Chair

• A New Era for Regulatory Reform?

The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate the podcast and leave us a review—we appreciate your support! And be sure to give us your feedback and share guests you’d like to hear at [email protected].

Connecticut’s 2026 General Assembly session ended with limited progress and key decisions that will drive costs even higher. In this episode of the CBIA BizCast, CBIA vice president of public policy Chris Davis joins host Amanda Marlow to discuss the business community's wins and losses from the session.

As Connecticut’s 2026 legislative session enters its final days, lawmakers are debating several major bills with far‑reaching implications for employers.

In this episode of the CBIA BizCast, CBIA senior policy director Paul Amarone joins host Amanda Marlow to break down HB 5003, a sweeping workforce bill.

The conversation explores what the massive, 120-page bill—which now awaits action in the Senate after winning House passage April 28—means for employers.

Many of HB 5003's mandates failed as standalone bills in previous sessions due to their economic impact, yet are now bundled together with positive workforce development sections, making the bill difficult for legislators to navigate.

Amarone highlights key areas of concern, provisions that support workforce development, and the negotiations that shaped the final product.

Episode Highlights—HB 5003

What the bill includes

Areas of concern for employers

Positive workforce development measures

How the bill was crafted

Headlines You May Have Missed

Sweeping AI Mandates: The state Senate approved far reaching legislation imposing new mandates on employers that use AI in hiring and employment decisions.

Strengthening Microtransit Services: Momentum is building around legislation aimed at improving commuter access and strengthening workforce participation across Connecticut.

February Jobs Report: Connecticut lost 4,200 jobs in February, erasing January’s gains and underscoring troubling trends in the state’s labor market.

Tariff Refunds Available: Connecticut businesses may now apply for refunds on federal tariffs that were ruled illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Workforce Summit

The episode also features inspiring voices from the next generation of Connecticut’s workforce.

During the 2026 Workforce Summit, ReadyCT executive director Shannon Marimón welcomed students and young professionals who have benefited from the state’s career pathway programs—sharing firsthand stories of opportunity and growth.

The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate the podcast and leave us a review—we appreciate your support! And be sure to give us your feedback and share guests you’d like to hear from by emailing [email protected].

Health care affordability, Connecticut’s economy, and workforce development are front and center on this episode of CBIA BizCast.

CBIA Policy Director Grace Brangwynne joins host Amanda Marlow to discuss the defeat of legislation allowing small businesses to form association health plans.

Association Health Plans allow small businesses to come together, pool their risk, and purchase affordable, high quality health insurance through a trade association or local chamber of commerce.

Marlow was also joined by CBIA Foundation director Dustin Nord to break down new economic data and highlight the foundation’s newly released Connecticut Workforce & Education Strategy Blueprint.

The episode also features a portion of a conversation between Nord, former U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Electric Boat’s Willie Barber, and Economic Leadership’s Kat Saunders highlighting the blueprint.

And the episode highlights a recent news conference on a push to expand the R&D tax credit to pass-through entities at Burke Aerospace. The event included Gov. Ned Lamont, Burke president and CEO Brittany Isherwood, DECD commissioner Dan O’Keefe, and CBIA president and CEO Chris DiPentima.

Episode Highlights

Small Business Healthcare

• What are Association Health Plans?

• Why did the legislation fail?

• What’s next for small businesses and their employees?

Economic Update

• Connecticut added 5,300 jobs in January

• Connecticut’s economy expanded 2.4% in 2025—12th fastest in the country

Workforce Blueprint

• Release of CBIA Foundation’s Connecticut Workforce & Education Strategy Blueprint

• Panel discussion on strengthening high school-to-career pathways, aligning education and industry needs, and overcoming fragmentation in Connecticut’s workforce system

• Panelists include:

o Miguel Cardona, former U.S. Secretary of Education

o Willie Barber, Electric Boat

o Kat Saunders, Economic Leadership

R&D Tax Credit for Small Business

• News conference highlighted efforts to expands Connecticut’s R&D tax credit to pass-through entities

• 6% credit helps small firms invest in innovation and jobs

• Supports small business growth in Connecticut

The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate the podcast and leave us a review—we appreciate your support! And be sure to give us your feedback and share guests you’d like to hear from by emailing [email protected].

Connecticut lawmakers continue to grapple with affordability challenges facing small businesses—and energy costs are a major focus this legislative session.

In this episode of the CBIA BizCast, host Amanda Marlow highlights proposed legislation aimed at reducing energy costs, along with key business and policy developments from across the state.

Small business owners, lawmakers, and business organizations are calling attention to Senate Bill 2—a democrat priority bill that supports local tourism and cut the state sales tax on energy for many small businesses.

The bill passed out of the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee on a bipartisan vote.

The episode also features a portion of a conversation between some of Connecticut’s top women in healthcare from CBIA’s When Women Lead conference, which brought nearly 800 attendees to Hartford last month.

Episode Highlights—SB 2

- CBIA VP of public policy Chris Davis breaks down the sales tax exemption on energy

- CBIA senior policy director Pete Myers testimony before the Finance Committee

- Business leaders, lawmakers, business owners, and advocates speak at a news conference in support of SB 2’s tourism provision. Speakers include:

- Bruce Becker, Hotel Marcel

- First Selectman Carl Fortuna, Old Saybrook

- Aubrey LaMonica, Eli Cannon’s and Tate’s restaurants

- Sen. Cathy Osten, (D-Baltic)

- Scott Dolch, Connecticut Restaurant and Hospitality Association

- Rep. David Rutigliano, (R-Trumbull)

- Mayor Shari Cantor, (D-West Hartford)

- Joe Delong, Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

- Rep. Farley Santos (D-Danbury)

Headlines You May Have Missed

- Small Business Award: West Hartford-based Derek Ezovski, president of Outsourced Risk Management Solutions, has been named Connecticut’s 2026 Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

- Electric Boat Expansion: General Dynamics Electric Boat plans to hire 8,000 workers across Connecticut and Rhode Island as part of historic growth and investment.

- Trade Impacts: New federal data show exports grew just 1.9% in 2025, while imports surged ahead of newly imposed tariffs.

Episode Highlights—When Women Lead

- Resilience and navigating challenges

- Advocating for women in the healthcare industry

- Advice for women in leadership

The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate the podcast and leave us a review—we appreciate your support! And be sure to give us your feedback and share guests you’d like to hear from by emailing [email protected].

In this episode of the CBIA BizCast, we bring you a portion of the March 18 conversation between Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven), Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield), House Speaker Matt Ritter (D-Hartford), and House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford) at Connecticut Business Day 2026.

The legislative leaders talked with Crown Castle’s Meg Glander to discuss their legislative goals for the remainder of the session.

Also this episode, Amanda Marlow sits down with Hartford Business Journal editor Greg Bordonaro. Bordonaro breaks down some of the state’s key economic issues, the top storylines this legislative session, and the HBJ’s role in informing Connecticut’s business community

Episode Highlights and Topics

Legislative Panel

• Healthcare costs

• Energy and gas costs

• Workforce development

Hartford Business Journal

• Economic uncertainty

• Cost concerns

• HBJ’s role as a voice for businesses

Headlines You May Have Missed

• Association Health Plan legislation advances

• Lawmakers discuss expanding R&D tax credits for small businesses

• Release-based cleanup regulations officially take effect

• Proposals aim to align education system with workforce needs

The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate the podcast and leave us a review—we appreciate your support! And be sure to give us your feedback and share guests you’d like to hear from by emailing [email protected].

In this episode of the CBIA BizCast, Amanda Marlow sits down with CBIA Foundation director Dustin Nord to break down major recent developments surrounding the Trump Administration’s sweeping global tariffs.

In late February, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unconstitutional.

While the ruling was welcomed by many businesses, it also created new economic uncertainty.

The episode also features highlights from a conversation from CBIA’s 2026 Technology Summit between Sen. James Maroney (D-Milford), Yale Venture’s Josh Geballe, Future of Privacy Forum’s Tatiana Rice and Amazon’s Wyatt Bosworth on the state of AI for businesses, and the balancing act for policymakers.

Episode Highlights, Topics

Tariff Impact

• Recent developments on where tariff policy stands right now

• How tariff volatility is complicating business decisions including investment, reshoring, and supply chain planning

• Steps the state can take to stay competitive despite federal uncertainty

Highlights from AI Panel

• How Connecticut’s AI policy is shifting from broad frameworks to industry-specific rules and harm-focused regulations

• Why it’s important to ensure that AI policy balances regulation with supporting innovation

• How Connecticut is working to become the most AI-literate state in the country

Headlines You May Have Missed

• Sweeping “emergency” bill includes new warehouse mandates

• Bills target reforms to strengthen accountability and modernize regulatory review

• Transportation Committee looking into legislation to expand access to transit services

The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate the podcast and leave us a review—we appreciate your support! And be sure to give us your feedback and share guests you’d like to hear from by emailing [email protected].

In this episode of the CBIA BizCast, Amanda Marlow sits down with CBIA policy chief Chris Davis to break down the start of the 2026 General Assembly Session, Gov. Ned Lamont’s State of the State address, key legislative proposals, and what business leaders—especially small businesses—should be watching closely in the weeks ahead.

The episode also features highlights from a conversation between Davis and a bipartisan panel of lawmakers that included Sen. Christine Cohen (D-Guilford),  Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven), Rep. Jack Fazzino (D-Berlin), and Rep. Tami Zawistowski (R-East Granby) at CBIA’s Jan. 29 Economic Summit + Outlook.

Episode Highlights, Topics

What’s New in the 2026 Legislative Session

Overview of early session priorities and the Lamont’s budget proposals

Why a proposal to extend R&D tax credits to pass-through entities could boost investment, job growth, and business retention in Connecticut

Concerns about Lamont’s proposal to pay for a one-time rebate for families making under $400,000

Legislative proposal eliminates the sales tax on energy costs for small businesses

Support for proposals to lower healthcare costs including a renewed pus for Association Health Plans and support for tax credits tied to ICHRA health benefit accounts

Efforts to expand workforce readiness and career pipeline programs

Highlights from Legislative Panel

Lawmakers’ views on affordability: healthcare, childcare, housing, and higher education

Workforce transportation including first-mile/last-mile and microtransit solutions

The importance of trades, manufacturing careers, and early exposure for students

Headlines You May Have Missed

Environmental permitting reform proposals

Labor committee bills resurfacing from past sessions

New data on Connecticut’s labor force and population trends

The CBIA BizCast is made possible through the generous support of Google. Subscribe to the BizCast wherever you get your podcasts. Please rate the podcast and leave us a review—we appreciate your support! And be sure to give us your feedback and share guests you’d like to hear from by emailing [email protected].

The CBIA BizCast is entering its next chapter—bringing Connecticut’s business community closer to the conversations that matter most.

The relaunched BizCast continues its tradition of sitting down with business and community leaders from across the state.

At the same time, the podcast will expanding its focus to go deeper into the issues, opportunities, and challenges businesses face every day.

The new format blends insightful interviews with policy experts, behind‑the‑scenes conversations from CBIA events, and clear breakdowns of reports and economic indicators shaping Connecticut’s economy.

Episodes will also tackle practical and timely topics—from HR questions to energy costs—impacting employers and employees every day.

This evolution of the BizCast is driven by the business community itself.

We invite listeners to share the issues, concerns, and questions they want covered.

Email us at [email protected] with ideas and feedback.

New episodes return in two weeks.

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/