In this episode of 87:60, BJ Kito sits down with Lisa Jacobi, Senior Vice President and Chief HR Officer at COCC (Connecticut Online Computer Center), to discuss the company’s rebrand, common recruitment challenges, and its focus on internal talent pipelines. COCC is a long-standing technology service provider for community banks and credit unions. Jacobi touches on the company’s impressive achievements: being recognized as a “Top Workplace” by the Hartford Courant for 16 consecutive years, as well as receiving the Great Place to Work® certification The conversation explores the shift toward skill-based hiring, the importance of fostering employee engagement, and the Connecticut talent gap.

In this episode of 87:60, BJ Kito sits down with Andy Pforzheimer, founder and former CEO of bartaco and Barcelona Wine Bar, to talk about his journey from working in a restaurant to building two businesses from the ground up. Andy discusses his experience with successfully scaling restaurants, what he thinks makes a “decent human being,” and the business fallacy that is quantity over quality. His original plan didn’t include expansion and happened naturally as the restaurant refined their model by focusing on a specific, well-executed concept. The conversation explores the value of fostering a viable work environment, recognizing your business demographic, and the issue with transactionalizing hospitality.

In this episode of 87:60, BJ Kito sits down with Kyle DeVivo, Chief Operating Officer of DATTCO, alongside his father, Don DeVivo, President of DATTCO, to talk about what it really takes to modernize a business without losing a people-first philosophy. Kyle highlights his family’s humble beginnings running a dairy farm—crediting this experience as the foundation for DATTCO’s direct, family-first approach. From implementing fully online booking capabilities to AI-driven safety systems, Kyle details how their business is using emerging technologies to assist employees, not replace them. Together, the conversation explores the value of fostering a family-like atmosphere, building scalable strategies, and leveraging tools like AI while keeping people at the center of the business.

In this episode of 87:60, BJ Kito talks with Joe Wilson Jr., Director of Providence’s Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, about what it actually takes to build a city people want to stay in, not just visit. From permitting and producing major public events like PVDFest to stewarding public art, nightlife strategy, and World Cup fan activations, Joe breaks down why “visitor experience” only works when it protects the real capital: the people. The conversation unpacks activation of public space, lighting as a character in cities, cultural heritage tourism, and why New England’s strength isn’t in competing state by state, but in telling a shared regional story that turns proximity into momentum.

In this episode of 87:60, BJ Kito sits down with Becky Lewis, founder of Invictus Records, to explore a different kind of record label — one built to protect artists instead of exploiting them. Becky breaks down why most musicians still can’t make a living in a streaming-first world, how traditional contracts create massive power and information imbalances, and what it looks like to build a more transparent, partnership-driven model where artists keep ownership and control. From masters and publishing to mental health, mobility, and the “label-plus” vision Invictus is building, this conversation is a grounded look at how the industry could work, and why it has to.

In this episode of 87:60, BJ Kito sits down with Vincent Errichetti, founder of Taste of Massachusetts and Taste of New England, to explore what travel and tourism content actually does when it’s done right: drive foot traffic, shape demand, and fuel local economies. From building a creator-owned brand after getting laid off, to realizing that storytelling consistently outperforms aesthetics and virality, Vincent breaks down why trust, consistency, and distribution matter more than hype. The conversation challenges how brands approach influencer marketing, calls out the cost of sounding like a commercial, and explains why real stories, not polished moments, are what convert attention into action.

What does real marketing risk look like in 2026 and why does trust matter more than ever?

In this episode of 87:60, host BJ Kito dives into a wide-ranging conversation on brand risk, cultural backlash, and the myth of breakthrough marketing. Using recent campaigns from brands like YETI and American Eagle as examples, the group debates whether today’s safest strategies are actually the riskiest ones.

The discussion spans generational shifts in trust, the rise of influencer credibility, the difference between controversy and connection, and why brands that try to speak to everyone often end up resonating with no one. It’s an honest look at how culture, timing, and audience perception shape what brands can — and can’t — get away with today.

Quantum technology and life sciences may seem like two different worlds — but in Connecticut, they’re rapidly converging. In this episode, Albert Green, CEO of QuantumCT, and Jodie Gillon, CEO of BioCT, explain how the state is becoming a national hub for quantum innovation, biotech advancement, and workforce development.