You cannot go anywhere today without hearing (often heated) discussions about jobs. Whether it’s a discussion about what Rhode Island should do to create more jobs (or just keep the jobs we have) or debates about which presidential candidate will do more to expand the economy and create jobs, 2012 is the year of Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!
As if on cue, this year’s class of Providence Business News’ 40 Under Forty is riding to the rescue. Fully one-quarter of our honorees are entrepreneurs, running enterprises they started. You don’t get a better job creator than someone who starts a business.
From a baker to a builder to marketers, strategy and IT consultants or event advisers, from a doctor concerned with everyone’s wellness to a renewable energy and sustainable development guru, this year’s 40 Under Forty winner/entrepreneurs show off the creativity and insight of Rhode Islanders to great effect.
In fact, if all it took to bring the state out of its doldrums were a fresh crop of talent, then the more than 400 honorees in the eight-year history of the program long ago would have had Rhode Island on the top of the heap.
Creating a robust economy, however, is a collective enterprise, one that takes not only talent but the support of public and private-sector leaders who have the good sense to know when to be active and when to just get out of the way, a difficult challenge in the best of times. And one that won’t be solved today.
Instead, let’s just celebrate the 2012 class of PBN’s 40 Under Forty program, and promise to fix the big problems later.
The presenting sponsor of this year’s program is once again BankNewport. Partner sponsors are Bryant University, Cox Business and the University of Rhode Island. Host sponsor is the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the media sponsor is AM790.
Mark S. Murphy
Editor
