Ruth DiGiovanni knows talking about her company, which develops and installs cloud-based phone systems, isn’t the most exciting conversation starter.
“ ‘Here I am with cloud telephones’ sounds so unsexy,” she said with a laugh. “But if you don’t have a working phone system, as a small business, that’s a problem.”
DiGiovanni and her husband, Zopito “Zo” DiGiovanni, who owns an information technology company, jumped on the opportunity and debuted RemiPBX Inc. in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They began fielding calls from small organizations her husband already had relationships with that hadn’t embraced cloud phones. Today, clients range from retail and security operations to a Providence law firm.
Running a tech company is a long way from DiGiovanni’s childhood in Taunton, where she grew up stargazing on astronomy nights, hanging out with other members of the varsity math team and presiding over the school Latin club. Her favorite TV show was the original Star Trek. “I was a nerd in school,” she admitted.
In 2000, she graduated with a political science degree from Syracuse University but opted not to go to law school, her original plan.
Instead, she worked as a political consultant for a Massachusetts state senator’s successful campaign, then eventually landed a job as a public affairs assistant at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Located in Cambridge, Mass., it’s one of the world’s largest astronomical institutes, where more than 850 scientists, researchers and other staff members probe big questions about the universe. For more than three years, DiGiovanni wrote news releases, coached scientists before press conferences and collaborated with institutions such as NASA to publicize joint results.
“I … learned about new discoveries on technology’s cutting edge and how to share them with the world, explaining these results for the scientists,” she said. “I speak geek.”
And that’s when she recognized her passion for doing media relations. She took a job at a public relations firm before launching a consulting business as a self-described hired hand for tech PR agencies in the Boston area. One of her clients, Roger Williams University, offered her a position as director of media relations and social media.
In 2023, telecommuting jobs are common. More than a decade ago, not so much, and at RWU, DiGiovanni worked a hybrid schedule.
After a two-plus-year stint, she got the itch to move on. “I missed tech so much and tech PR,” she said. She took a high-level position at Redpoint Global, a technology-focused marketing software company west of Boston until she had her son, who’s now almost 5.
After staying home for a year, she joined her husband, who’d launched Remi IT Solutions Inc. a few years before.
“We work well together and complement each other. I’m the tech guy and run the back end. She’s good at communicating and she can bring my solutions to market,” Zo DiGiovanni said.
Remi IT manages computer systems for small companies, making on-site trouble-shooting visits and helping businesses navigate the perils of cybersecurity and hacking. Most clients are in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.
“Zo does the development and IT work, and answers technical questions. As the head of marketing, I handle communications and product development. I also oversee operations and the business’s growth,” she said. “Because of our skill sets, it’s been an awesome experience. The two companies fuel each other.”
Remi IT and RemiPBX, both of which have offices in Providence and North Attleborough, work alongside and have a combined six full-time employees.
Ask DiGiovanni the most challenging part of her job and she doesn’t pull punches. “It’s helping our clients create a climate of security. They think they’ve hired a company to handle their IT, but they need to internalize the message that cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility,” she said.
Small businesses should spend 4% to 8% of their budgets on technology, including security, DiGiovanni says. “I ask them, if you’re hacked, what are you going to do? It’s a sticking point,” she said.
Most cyber breaches happen because of human error. “At one company we heard of, staff were getting continuous phony push alerts on their phones. Somebody clicked on a link without thinking and didn’t notice the mistake. That scam cost the company $100,000 in a month,” she said. “As a business, you’re only as strong as the weakest link.”
DiGiovanni says the business plan is to stay local. “When you’re here, you’ve got your finger on the pulse of what small business is faced with,” she said.
