Farouk Rajab - Page 2 of 4 - Providence Business News

IN DEMAND: Karl Wadensten, center, CEO and president of VIBCO Inc. and R.I. Commerce Corp. board member, talks about the need for skilled workers during the first panel discussion of Providence Business News’ 2026 Workforce Development Summit at the Providence Marriott Downtown on Feb. 19. With Wadensten on the panel are, from left, Matthew Weldon, director of the R.I. Department of Labor and Training; Farouk Rajab, CEO and president of both the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and the Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation; and Rosa Brito, manager of workforce development at Brown University Health. PBN Editor Michael Mello, standing, moderates. PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

DLT urges employers to use Real Jobs RI amid uncertain federal...

Government 02/27/2026

Rhode Island has built what Matthew Weldon, director of the R.I. Department of Labor and Training, calls one of the most replicated workforce systems...

KARL WADENSTEN, third from the left, CEO and president VIBCO Inc., speaks at the Providence Business News Workforce Development Summit on Thursday morning. Also on the first of two panels is, from left, Matthew Weldon, director of the R.I. Department of Labor and Training; Farouk Rajab, CEO and president of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and the Rhode Island Hospitality Education Foundation; and Rosa Brito, workforce development manager for Brown University Health. PBN Editor Michael Mello, standing, moderated. PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

PBN summit: Skills gaps, demographics challenges linger for R.I. workforce

Economy 02/19/2026

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s labor market is stable by the numbers, with unemployment below 5% for more than four years, yet for many employers,...

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS News’ 2026 Workforce Development Summit will be held on Feb. 19 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Providence Marriott.

PBN’s 2026 Workforce Development Summit slated for Feb. 19

Economic Activity 02/11/2026

PROVIDENCE – Emerging workforce trends, including the impact of technology and automation and innovative approaches to upskilling and reskilling employees, will be among the topics...

Plant City to close Providence eatery, citing Washington Bridge impact

Economic Activity 01/26/2026

PROVIDENCE – Plant City, the plant-based restaurant complex at 334 South Water St., announced Monday it will shutter on Feb. 8, citing a sustained...

SPECIAL DRINK: Katie Hamilton, bartender at Fleur Providence in the Omni Providence Hotel, serves a mango lemon spritz made with lemonade infused with THC. The restaurant is one of a limited number of the locations in Rhode Island licensed to sell beverages containing hemp-derived THC, and consumer demand is growing, Hamilton said.  PBN PHOTO/CHRISTOPHER ALLEN

R.I. hashing out rules for hemp-infused beverages

Focus 01/02/2026

Derek Gould, chief marketing officer of Monarch Emulsions LLC, says that while craft beer and spirit brands continue to roll out their own hemp-infused...

MAKING AN IMPRESSION: Jennifer Curtin, general manager of The Beatrice on Westminster Street in Providence, stands in the hotel lobby, which is unlike anything guests would see in a traditional chain hotel.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Boutique hotels showing more room for growth

Focus 01/02/2026

At Providence’s The Beatrice, travelers aren’t just booking a room. They’re booking a vibe. That’s according to Jennifer Curtin, the general manager of the...

READY FOR CHANGES: John Elkhay, co-owner of Chow Fun Inc., stands in the dining room of Ten Prime Seafood, a restaurant the company is preparing to open on Empire Street in Providence. Elkhay says he’s trying to provide clarity to his employees on new federal rules about tax on tips.  PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

New federal tax rules on tips spark confusion

Economy 11/07/2025

John Elkhay, co-owner of the restaurant company Chow Fun Inc., is no stranger to navigating regulatory curveballs. With his company managing more than 200 employees...

CHECKING IN:  Bella Andolino, background right, front desk agent at Hotel Maria in Westerly, with General Manager Patrick Bowe at her side, helps Skip and Pat Caloia of Yonkers, N.Y. PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

Yes, working in hotels ‘can be a fun career’

Digital Special Editions 10/10/2025

Hotel Maria General Manager Patrick Bowe took a Rhode Island Hospitality Association class for front-of-the-house staff on dealing with guests’ issues. Bowe started as...

Who will pay for World Cup tourism effort?

Hospitality & Tourism 09/26/2025

With seven FIFA World Cup matches coming to Gillette Stadium next summer in nearby Foxborough, Mass., Rhode Island is eyeing an estimated tourism windfall...