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ROLE REVERSAL: Coral Rose Aiello assumed the captaincy of the Sara Star Fishing Charter’s Coral Rose boat from her father, Joseph Aiello, in 2023, effectively making him first mate. Under her leadership, the Newport-based business continues to thrive. 
PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

Family fishing charter sailing strong for 3 decades

Now in its 30th year, Newport-based Sara Star Fishing Charters is a study in small-business succession planning. The business was founded in 1995 by Capt....
DEEP THERAPY: Float Rhode Island co-owners Lindy Fregeolle and Scott Mitchell with one of their float therapy pods, in which a person floats in a heated mixture of water and Epsom salts, which reduces or eliminates the senses so the mind and body can slow down and relax. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Warwick wellness studio specializes in float therapy

After just 15 minutes into his first session of float therapy, Scott Mitchell fell into a deep meditation. Mitchell, who was looking for a way...
CONNECTING CO-WORKERS: In the post-pandemic world of remote and hybrid work, CEO Matthew Kaplan, left, and Chief Resource Officer Jeffrey Sparr founded Scribl in Pawtucket last year to bring back the feeling of connection in the workplace through doodles, creativity and team building. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Connecting co-workers through creativity

The corporate world is a different place now than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. With more people working in hybrid and remote positions,...
ROLLING ALONG: Cheyne Cousens moved back from California in 2023 to run his father’s Elemental Surf and Skate shop in Middletown, which he rebranded Omen after an idea that began as a hobby in 2014 with printed-up T-shirts with logos and artwork he personally designed. 
PBN PHOTO/KATE WHITNEY LUCEY

Omen is making waves in Aquidneck Island surf and skateboard scene

A mainstay in Newport and Middletown’s surf and skateboarding scene for years, Cheyne Cousens was ready to take the reins. After his father, Symon Cousens,...
CERAMIC DUO: Myrth Ceramics co-owners Abigail and Eric Smallwood previously worked as product designers but were introduced to ceramics when they joined a pottery studio in Boston in 2008. Wanting to learn more about how to create different pieces, they eventually opened Myrth in East Providence, which specializes in handmade dinnerware.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Former product designers turn their attention to creating ceramic dinnerware

At first, creating ceramic pieces was a way for ­Abigail and Eric Smallwood to unwind from their demanding jobs in product design. That changed in...
SURPRISING JOURNEY: Tri-Force MMA owner Peter Jeffrey went to school to study music and never imagined owning a mixed martial arts gym, but he started training in MMA because he “needed something physical to do” and eventually started a gym so he could train in various disciplines to be a professional fighter all in one place, then at the request of friends and fellow fighters he began holding classes and now owns the largest MMA gym in Rhode Island.
PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELY

Jeffrey turns passion for mixed martial arts into successful business

When Peter Jeffrey started the Tri-Force MMA gym in Pawtucket in 2009, the financial security of mixed martial arts was not something to rest...
REGIONAL FOCUS: Elizabeth Hulting, left, founder and president of hospitality apparel company KAPTVA Apparel LLC in West Greenwich, and her daughter, Alysha Hulting, designer and artistic director, have been providing uniforms for big-name clients across the casino and fine dining industries in Las Vegas and New York since 2019, but now the company is turning its attention to growing its New England client base.
PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

KAPTVA ready to dress up Rhode Island hospitality

There is a hospitality uniform and apparel company in West Greenwich that you’ve probably never heard of. That’s because KAPTVA ­Apparel LLC has been providing...
GATHERING PLACE: Scott McCullough loved books growing up and thought he would go into publishing after graduating college, but while working at a bookstore he became passionate about its role in the community and decided to open Symposium Books Inc. in Providence in 2004 with his wife, Anne Marie Keohane. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Bookstore plays vital role in downtown Providence community

When thinking of a name for his bookstore, Scott McCullough recalled his days learning about Plato’s Symposium as a philosophy student in college. Plato’s Symposium...
STILL GOING STRONG: Michael Gagnon, who founded Mike’s Estate Services in West Warwick in 1998, says much of his business these days comes from people looking to downsize their holdings or children of retired parents looking to unload inherited valuables. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

West Warwick consignment shop does the heavy lifting

Within a historic mill building in West Warwick, a treasure trove awaits. Founded in 1998, Mike’s Estate Services for more than 20 years has...
CHECKING UP: Michael Cahill, left, who owns BCX Energy Inc. and leads its air quality business unit, looks at the regenerative thermal oxidizer control panel installed at uniform service company Clean Uniforms and More! in New Bedford, one of BCX Energy’s clients. At right is Nino Valez, production supervisor at Clean Uniforms.
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

BCX Energy bringing companies sustainability solutions

As sustainability has come to the forefront of customers’ and business owners’ minds, many need help ensuring they are meeting their environmental goals. That’s what...
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