Join us for the BIMA's thought leadership panel around AI in the advertising industry and gain insights from Noor Naseer.
09/26/2023
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Hill Holliday
Corean Reynold was recently appointed the Director of Nightlife Economy for the City of Boston, where she brings a wealth of experience and a passion for fostering an equitable and thriving nightlife ecosystem.
10/04/2023
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Roundhead Brewing Company
Don’t miss our upcoming Government Affairs Forum with Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. Register now!
10/11/2023
9:45am - 11:00am
Bank of America
Designed for mid-level managers and supervisors, this new certificate program addresses workplace well-being through unique, innovative, and actionable methods.
Join our Transformational DEI Certificate! Our comprehensive learning & development offerings are designed to connect and grow strong leaders who lead both inside and out of the office.
Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.
Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.
Our Economic Inclusion Committee provides strategic support around research, policies, and programs that are focused on building equal opportunity.
We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).
The Fierce Urgency of Now Festival brings Boston’s diverse young professionals together with business leaders, organizations and their peers to build connection, advance careers and ignite positive change.
09/12/2023 -
09/16/2023
Greater Boston
City Awake empowers young professionals in a variety of ways that encourages these rising leaders to stay invested in the region’s future success.
BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.
For nearly 30 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.
The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.
We support small business through public policy initiatives, events designed to connect small businesses in Greater Boston to their peers and established business leaders, professional development offerings, and free small business advising.
Explore our mission and values to better understand how we are leading the business community forward.
Our member directory is your resource to discover, connect, and engage with Boston’s businesses from every industry and sector.
Last week, TJ Parker, founder and CEO of PillPack, joined us at the Chamber as a featured guest for one of City Awake’s Lunches on Leadership, where he spoke about his journey and gave advice for young professionals who are trying to create a path for themselves in the Greater Boston business community. PillPack is a tech-based pharmaceutical company that makes the management of multiple prescriptions easy.
TJ Parker is no stranger to success – you can tell that much just by meeting him. He has established himself as an innovator within the healthcare industry. He was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” in Healthcare in 2015 and one of Inc’s Most Dynamic Young CEOs in America in 2016 – and is one of the Chamber’s 2017 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders award recipients.
But Parker was not always an award-winning CEO of a company with multimillion dollar investments. He started out like anyone else, with a dream and desire to enact change.
Here are a few lessons to learn from TJ Parker’s origin story:
Don’t risk it all
While Parker certainly took risks when creating and in running PillPack, he never made a decision that could have been detrimental to either his business or personal life. By not having all his assets – and resolve – tied in to one project, he was better able to keep a levelheaded mindset and make logical decisions, a factor that can make or break you in the business world.
Observe, then act
Much of Parker’s story dealt with how he reacted to certain situations, as opposed to how he tried to control them from the beginning. By taking the time to take note of his surroundings – both in terms of business and opportunities – Parker received all the information he needed to make strong decisions, which contributed to the overall success of his business.
Confidence is key
Despite his many accolades and media appearances, Parker did not always have the same level of confidence he has now. As a college student at MIT, Parker found himself as more of a wallflower than vocal and outspoken, but once he saw the positive responses to his business plan and ideas, he gained the momentum he needed to turn them into realities. Although Parker said that ambition is the economic model he follows, he equally credits confidence to his success.
Seize your opportunities
As an MIT alum, Parker utilized his network to build PillPack from the ground up. He secured much of PillPack’s initial funding through these connections and made sure to maintain relationships with those that could help him with his business. As they say, your network is your net worth – something Parker knew and took advantage of.
See a problem? Fix it
TJ Parker is nothing if not driven. As a sensible observer, he noticed a problem within the health care industry and created a company that strived to solve it. When Parker was in college, he noticed that realtor fees were unfairly high, so he obtained his realtor license to remedy this gap. Parker saw problems that were not specifically his and made it his business – pun intended – to remedy them. This tactic allowed Parker to remain engaged in issues and industries he was passionate about, a fact that drives him to work hard each and every day.
Remember, with the right mindset, anyone can be a TJ Parker.
Learn more about City Awake programs and events here.
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