Brown University President Christina H. Paxson offered her insights on making Rhode Island a more attractive place for college graudates and developing a healthy talent pipeline across industries at the Chamber's 156th Annual Meeting Monday night at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

More than 500 Chamber members gathered to also hear President Paxson discuss the $341 million in investement over the past two decades by the university in the former Jewelry District in downtown Providence.

 
Photo credit: Jimmy Salabert Media

View more select event photos here.

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From Brown University news: President Paxson details Brown’s progress, future in Providence’s Jewelry District

Paxson highlighted how Brown's role as an anchor tenant has sparked public-private partnerships, driving significant transformations in the district, including the revitalization of South Street Landing, a once-abandoned power station now a vibrant mixed-use facility, and the Innovation Center at 225 Dyer St., home to Brown academic spaces and research laboratories and (among other tenants) the Cambridge Innovation Center, which supports entrepreneurs in launching new ventures. 

Brown’s investments in cutting-edge research, she noted, are making discoveries that transform care for Rhode Islanders in real ways, including in the areas of cancer treatment, addiction and Alzheimer’s Disease. That momentum will continue with Brown’s latest investment in the Jewelry District — Danoff Laboratories, an under-construction life sciences research facility that will propel discoveries, improve patient outcomes and further the state’s position as a leader in the life sciences, she said. 

“It’s going to house biological scientists, biomedical engineers and experts in AI and brain health,” Paxson said. “Some of the first key research areas in this building will include Alzheimer’s disease, RNA research, cancer and several other critical fields.”

From Providence Business News: Paxson says state could do more to link business community with college grads

In a conversation with Chamber President Laurie White, Paxson said it was a critical time for Rhode Island’s economy and that competing for labor talent on the international market takes more than investing in education. 

One bright spot is the focus on sectors such as the life sciences, which, if successful, could make Rhode Island “an economic powerhouse,” she said. “The vision is taking shape in a really great way. … But it needs to be a shared vision.”

“What we need to do in Rhode Island is make sure it is an environment where people want to work and where it’s easy to start [a] business,” Paxson said. 
 
There are individual examples of private investment in workforce development at play.

Keith Kelly, president of Citizens Bank Rhode Island, the event’s presenting sponsor, pointed to the bank’s September announcement that it would donate $10 million over two years to support nonprofit workforce development programs, with $1 million earmarked for Rhode Island.

The money will go toward upskilling the Rhode Island workforce to increase access to career pathways, he said.

“Our focus is on creating long-term growth,” Kelly said.