SCYPN Off the Clock

The SouthCoast Young Professionals Network (SCYPN) will host the next edition of their "Off the Clock" event series on Thursday, October 1st from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Buttonwood Park Zoo located at 425 Hawthorn St., New Bedford.

"Off the Clock" is not your typical networking event. Off the Clock blends educational opportunities with peer to peer networking among young professionals in the SouthCoast.

The event will feature four panelists who are local business leaders; Christian Farland, president of Thompson Farland; Lara Harrington, co-owner of Boutique Fitness; Doug Glassman, owner of ServPro and Karen Lamy, DeSousa co-owner of Advance Air & Heat. Panelists will be asked a variety of questions relating to their experiences running their businesses and time will be allotted for audience questions.

Karen Lamy DeSousa is the second generation co-owner of Advance Air & Heat, a full-service family-owned HVAC, Refrigeration and Building Automation contractor serving Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod & RI since 1986. Advance Air specializes in finding environmentally friendly, economical and tailored solutions to meet their customers individual business needs. Karen enjoys writing a weekly blog about HVAC, life as a woman in a man's field, and other humorous tales and musings. She is also active in several non-profit organizations focused on the economic empowerment of women and girls, community development and supporting women in business, including serving as a member of the New Bedford Chamber's Annual Women's Forum planning committee.

 

Douglas Glassman obtained his undergraduate degree in business management from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, followed by 10 years of working for a Fortune 500 company in the Boston area while focusing on business operations and logistics.  During this time, he also obtained an M.B.A in Business Management from Nichols College. The next chapter of his life brought him back to the SouthCoast area that he was originally from to follow his passion and fulfill a life-long dream of being a business owner.  To accomplish this, Glassman purchased two SERVPRO licenses that cover the SouthCoast. This life-changing move and investment in purchasing the business was a bold one, but he truly believed in what the company stood for as well as the SouthCoast community.
Now approaching 3 years into owning the local SERVPRO franchises, Glassman has been successful in more than doubling its business.  ?It?s exciting for me to be a part of and make my own contribution to aiding the continued development of the New Bedford area. Along with growing and developing his company, he makes it a point to take part to improve the community as well and is actively involved with many non-profits.

Lara Harrington is Co-Owner of Boutique Fitness, Inc. along with Angela Corrieri-Johnson. Lara decided to open up her own fitness studio in New Bedford after managing one in Barrington, RI for 6 years. The decision was prompted by the birth of her daughter and her connection to the people and the businesses in the city. Starting a business in New Bedford not only allowed her to be closer to her family, it also gave her an opportunity to be a part of the change. Boutique Fitness opened its doors in 2012. Since then, they have doubled in space, hired 7 new people, service up to 250 clients, and are opening a second location in Mattapoisett in Oct, 2015.

Prior to and following the panel discussion, there will also be plenty of time for networking. Young professionals aged 21-39 who live, work or play in the SouthCoast are invited to attend. The cost to attend which includes hors' d'oeuvres and a cash bar is $15 per person. Advance reservations are required online at www.newbedfordchamber.com or by calling 508-999-5231. The event is sponsored by BankFive and Bristol County Savings Bank. If you would like to receive more information about the SouthCoast Young Professionals Network, please contact Rebecca Laliberte at
508-999-5231 or email rlaliberte@newbedfordchamber.com.