Latest news with #UMassChan
Boston Globe
24-06-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
UMass Chan Medical School chancellor to step down after nearly 20 years
The turmoil around federal funding did not influence his decision to leave, Collins said. Advertisement 'It's been obvious to me that my 70th birthday was coming,' Collins said. 'I feel a responsibility to the institution that, if you're good at the job you do, you should also be good when you decide you're going to go.' Collins will stay as chancellor through 2025-2026 school year to give the UMass Chan time to select his successor. He alerted UMass President Marty Meehan of his intentions a few months ago. 'The medical school has far exceeded expectations when it first opened with a small number of students,' Meehan said. 'No one could have imagined how the medical school has grown or the impact it's had, and Michael Collins' fingerprints are on so many of its achievements.' Advertisement As much as the 2024-2025 academic year was marked by low lows for the state's only public medical school, it has also been defined by the highest highs. UMass Chan researcher Victor Ambros UMass Chan Medical School researcher Victor Ambros, PhD, (right) was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Media, He was joined by colleague and fellow Nobel Prize winner Craig Mello. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Then, in February, UMass announced a Collins is also responsible for the largest-ever gift at UMass: graduate schools were renamed after the parents of billionaire investor Gerald Chan. Under Collins, enrollment at the school has grown nearly 50 percent to about 1,500 in 2024 from about 1,000 in 2007. The incoming medical school class has more than doubled from 100 to 233 students, producing more doctors to combat a national physician workforce shortage. Collin's also added 55 new endowed chairs, prestigious, permanent professorships funded by donors. They're part of his strategy to recruit and retain top-notch faculty. The team he's built, he said, is the legacy he's proudest to leave behind. Kate Fitzgerald, now vice provost for basic science research at the school, recalled that in 2015 she was being recruited to other medical centers in her home country of Ireland. Collins found out and summoned Fitzgerald to his office and laid out his vision of a leading medical research center that would make an impact locally, nationally and globally. Advertisement 'He said, 'We're not done yet here. There's still a lot more to do and this is a place where you can have an impact,'' Fitzgerald said. 'He saw it in me, that leadership potential and really helped me realize it.' The uncertain times as Collins prepares to exit mirror those at the beginning of his tenure. Collins saw the institution through the uncertainty of the Great Recession after he was tapped to serve as interim chancellor of the medical school in June 2007 and appointed to the position in September 2008 -- the same month the global financial system plunged into crisis. Before arriving at UMass Chan, Collins served as CEO of Caritas Christi Health Care for 10 years, followed by a two-year stint as chancellor of UMass Boston. He is a tenured professor of population and quantitative health sciences and medicine and serves as senior vice president for health sciences for the UMass system. Collins, an internal medicine physician by training, emphasized that he's 'not really leaving' when his chancellorship ends. He plans to teach, mentor and continue to raise money for the school. 'He's been a trusted advisor,' said Gov. Maura Healey 'I'm glad that he's not going far.' The Education and Research Building at the UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester. Faith Ninivaggi In this final year, Collins is advocating for federal grants and finding alternative funding. He said he believes the school will eventually receive the funding already allocated by the National Institutes of Health. The funding has sat in limbo as the NIH navigates new priorities and staffing changes under President Trump. Advertisement That sense of hope is a hallmark of Collins' leadership, said UMass Chan Provost Dr. Terry Flotte, who has worked with Collins for 18 years. 'I value the approach that he's taught really all of us, which is to be prepared for difficulties' Flotte said, 'but at the same time be planning for success.' Marin Wolf can be reached at
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
QurAlis Announces Exclusive License on Novel Mechanism for Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) to Enable Development of First Potential Disease-Modifying Therapy
Collaboration with UMass Chan Medical School confirmed FMR1-217 as well as an RNA-targeted mechanism to restore functional FMRP protein to develop potential treatments for FXS QurAlis' preliminary data suggest feasibility of biomarker to detect mis-splicing of FMR1 in FXS; company advancing FMR1-217 as precision medicine target in up to 80 percent of FXS patients Company applying its FlexASO® platform and expertise of splicing targets toward having a candidate nominated for IND-enabling studies in the near future CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 15, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--QurAlis Corporation ("QurAlis"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company driving scientific breakthroughs into powerful precision medicines that have the potential to alter the trajectory of neurodegenerative and neurological diseases, today announced it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with UMass Chan Medical School ("UMass Chan") on a novel RNA-targeted mechanism confirmed to restore functional protein for Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Fragile X syndrome is the leading inherited form of intellectual disability and the most common single genetic cause of autism. It is a genetic condition caused by a mutation of a single gene – Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) – on the X chromosome. This mutation of FMR1 causes a range of developmental problems including learning disabilities, behavioral challenges, and cognitive impairment. QurAlis' exclusive license agreement is a result of its 2024 partnership and collaboration with UMass Chan to explore the biology of FXS to determine and confirm relevant targets that could enable antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated correction for FXS. QurAlis leveraged its deep understanding, knowledge and expertise in developing ASOs as part of the collaboration. QurAlis confirmed the findings from the original publication of the UMass Chan researchers and is advancing FMR1 as a precision medicine target in up to 80 percent of FXS patients. The mis-spliced form of FMR1, designated as FMR1-217, is widely expressed throughout cortical brain areas affected in FXS and can be measured in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Preliminary data suggest biomarker feasibility to detect mis-splicing of FMR1 in patients with FXS. "FXS is a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder with no effective disease-modifying therapies available. Our initial partnership with UMass Chan confirmed that FMR1-217 is a validated genetic target for FXS," said Kasper Roet, Ph.D., chief executive officer and co-founder of QurAlis. "This groundbreaking discovery of a novel RNA-targeted mechanism to restore functional protein for FXS and the feasibility of a biomarker to detect mis-splicing of FMR1 in FXS patients opens up a completely new type of therapeutic approach through splice correction. We look forward to applying QurAlis' FlexASO® platform and deep knowledge and expertise of ASO splicing targets toward having a candidate nominated for IND-enabling studies in the near future, so that we can bring a potential new precision medicine option to patients." Joel Richter, Ph.D., the Arthur F. Koskinas Chair in Neuroscience and professor of molecular medicine at UMass Chan, and colleagues Sneha Shah, Ph.D., and Jonathan K. Watts, Ph.D., together with Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, M.D., Ph.D., at Rush University Medical Center, have shown that aberrant alternative splicing, or mis-splicing, of messenger RNA (mRNA) plays a fundamental role in FXS. In a seminal publication by the group, it was revealed that in FXS patients, FMR1 mRNA is still being expressed, but is mis-spliced, comprising a short, truncated alternative mRNA variant called FMR1-217 which results in non-functional FMRP protein expression. Working with patient-derived cells, Dr. Richter's lab and Dr. Berry-Kravis initially demonstrated that ASOs can successfully inhibit the mis-splicing, reduce expression of FMR1-217, rescue proper FMR1 mRNA, and restore FMRP protein expression. "This is a meaningful step in the process of taking basic biological discoveries and turning them into practical therapies that can benefit patients in the clinic," said Dr. Richter. "QurAlis' platform and expertise in neurodegenerative disorders are industry leading and well positioned to address the mis-splicing of FMR1 RNA and restore functional FMRP protein expression. This partnership has not only validated our years-long research but also has resulted in the confirmation of a novel target for FXS, which we hope will lead to much-needed treatment options for FXS patients and their families." Dr. Berry-Kravis added, "I am very excited that we will be able to continue development of this potential genetically based disease-modifying FMRP-restoring therapy that is expected to have a major impact on the FXS field and the spectrum of treatment options available to improve function in people with FXS." An orphan disease, FXS affects approximately 87,000 individuals in the U.S. alone – one in 4,000 men and one in 6,000 women. Though FXS occurs in both genders, males are more frequently affected than females, and generally with greater severity. In addition to intellectual disability, FXS patients endure a wide range of disabling symptoms including severe anxiety, social aversion, hyperactivity and attention deficit, sensory hypersensitivity, aggression, developmental seizures, and others. There are no effective disease-modifying therapies currently available for FXS. ASOs are short, engineered single-stranded DNA/RNA molecules that can selectively bind RNA to regulate its expression in the cell. ASO technology has been leading in the field of protein regulation and has since allowed us to develop treatments for neurodegenerative disease by changing the expression of genes connected to the disease. QurAlis' FlexASO® platform was developed to generate splice-switching ASOs with improved potency, increased therapeutic index and improved bio-distribution. This bespoke platform has the potential to tackle the spectrum of neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. About QurAlis Corporation At QurAlis, we are neuro pioneers on a quest to cure, boldly seeking to translate scientific breakthroughs into powerful precision medicines. We work collaboratively with a relentless pursuit of knowledge, precise attention to craft, and compassion to discover and develop medicines that have the potential to transform the lives of people living with neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. QurAlis is the leader in development of precision therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition to ALS, QurAlis is advancing a robust precision medicine pipeline to bring effective disease-modifying therapeutics to patients suffering from severe diseases defined by genetics and clinical biomarkers. For more information, please visit or follow us on X @QurAlisCo or LinkedIn. View source version on Contacts Kathy 310-403-8951 Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
15-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
QurAlis Announces Exclusive License on Novel Mechanism for Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) to Enable Development of First Potential Disease-Modifying Therapy
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2025-- QurAlis Corporation ('QurAlis'), a clinical-stage biotechnology company driving scientific breakthroughs into powerful precision medicines that have the potential to alter the trajectory of neurodegenerative and neurological diseases, today announced it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with UMass Chan Medical School ('UMass Chan') on a novel RNA-targeted mechanism confirmed to restore functional protein for Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Fragile X syndrome is the leading inherited form of intellectual disability and the most common single genetic cause of autism. It is a genetic condition caused by a mutation of a single gene – Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) – on the X chromosome. This mutation of FMR1 causes a range of developmental problems including learning disabilities, behavioral challenges, and cognitive impairment. QurAlis' exclusive license agreement is a result of its 2024 partnership and collaboration with UMass Chan to explore the biology of FXS to determine and confirm relevant targets that could enable antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated correction for FXS. QurAlis leveraged its deep understanding, knowledge and expertise in developing ASOs as part of the collaboration. QurAlis confirmed the findings from the original publication of the UMass Chan researchers and is advancing FMR1 as a precision medicine target in up to 80 percent of FXS patients. The mis-spliced form of FMR1, designated as FMR1-217, is widely expressed throughout cortical brain areas affected in FXS and can be measured in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Preliminary data suggest biomarker feasibility to detect mis-splicing of FMR1 in patients with FXS. 'FXS is a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder with no effective disease-modifying therapies available. Our initial partnership with UMass Chan confirmed that FMR1-217 is a validated genetic target for FXS,' said Kasper Roet, Ph.D., chief executive officer and co-founder of QurAlis. 'This groundbreaking discovery of a novel RNA-targeted mechanism to restore functional protein for FXS and the feasibility of a biomarker to detect mis-splicing of FMR1 in FXS patients opens up a completely new type of therapeutic approach through splice correction. We look forward to applying QurAlis' FlexASO® platform and deep knowledge and expertise of ASO splicing targets toward having a candidate nominated for IND-enabling studies in the near future, so that we can bring a potential new precision medicine option to patients.' Joel Richter, Ph.D., the Arthur F. Koskinas Chair in Neuroscience and professor of molecular medicine at UMass Chan, and colleagues Sneha Shah, Ph.D., and Jonathan K. Watts, Ph.D., together with Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, M.D., Ph.D., at Rush University Medical Center, have shown that aberrant alternative splicing, or mis-splicing, of messenger RNA (mRNA) plays a fundamental role in FXS. In a seminal publication by the group, it was revealed that in FXS patients, FMR1 mRNA is still being expressed, but is mis-spliced, comprising a short, truncated alternative mRNA variant called FMR1-217 which results in non-functional FMRP protein expression. Working with patient-derived cells, Dr. Richter's lab and Dr. Berry-Kravis initially demonstrated that ASOs can successfully inhibit the mis-splicing, reduce expression of FMR1-217, rescue proper FMR1 mRNA, and restore FMRP protein expression. 'This is a meaningful step in the process of taking basic biological discoveries and turning them into practical therapies that can benefit patients in the clinic,' said Dr. Richter. 'QurAlis' platform and expertise in neurodegenerative disorders are industry leading and well positioned to address the mis-splicing of FMR1 RNA and restore functional FMRP protein expression. This partnership has not only validated our years-long research but also has resulted in the confirmation of a novel target for FXS, which we hope will lead to much-needed treatment options for FXS patients and their families.' Dr. Berry-Kravis added, 'I am very excited that we will be able to continue development of this potential genetically based disease-modifying FMRP-restoring therapy that is expected to have a major impact on the FXS field and the spectrum of treatment options available to improve function in people with FXS.' An orphan disease, FXS affects approximately 87,000 individuals in the U.S. alone – one in 4,000 men and one in 6,000 women. Though FXS occurs in both genders, males are more frequently affected than females, and generally with greater severity. In addition to intellectual disability, FXS patients endure a wide range of disabling symptoms including severe anxiety, social aversion, hyperactivity and attention deficit, sensory hypersensitivity, aggression, developmental seizures, and others. There are no effective disease-modifying therapies currently available for FXS. ASOs are short, engineered single-stranded DNA/RNA molecules that can selectively bind RNA to regulate its expression in the cell. ASO technology has been leading in the field of protein regulation and has since allowed us to develop treatments for neurodegenerative disease by changing the expression of genes connected to the disease. QurAlis' FlexASO® platform was developed to generate splice-switching ASOs with improved potency, increased therapeutic index and improved bio-distribution. This bespoke platform has the potential to tackle the spectrum of neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. About QurAlis Corporation At QurAlis, we are neuro pioneers on a quest to cure, boldly seeking to translate scientific breakthroughs into powerful precision medicines. We work collaboratively with a relentless pursuit of knowledge, precise attention to craft, and compassion to discover and develop medicines that have the potential to transform the lives of people living with neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. QurAlis is the leader in development of precision therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition to ALS, QurAlis is advancing a robust precision medicine pipeline to bring effective disease-modifying therapeutics to patients suffering from severe diseases defined by genetics and clinical biomarkers. For more information, please visit or follow us on X @QurAlisCo or LinkedIn. View source version on CONTACT: Kathy Vincent [email protected] 310-403-8951 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA MASSACHUSETTS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: RESEARCH NEUROLOGY GENETICS BIOTECHNOLOGY HEALTH UNIVERSITY PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE EDUCATION SOURCE: QurAlis Corporation Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 05/15/2025 07:45 AM/DISC: 05/15/2025 07:44 AM
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
QurAlis Announces Exclusive License on Novel Mechanism for Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) to Enable Development of First Potential Disease-Modifying Therapy
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- QurAlis Corporation ('QurAlis'), a clinical-stage biotechnology company driving scientific breakthroughs into powerful precision medicines that have the potential to alter the trajectory of neurodegenerative and neurological diseases, today announced it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with UMass Chan Medical School ('UMass Chan') on a novel RNA-targeted mechanism confirmed to restore functional protein for Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Fragile X syndrome is the leading inherited form of intellectual disability and the most common single genetic cause of autism. It is a genetic condition caused by a mutation of a single gene – Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) – on the X chromosome. This mutation of FMR1 causes a range of developmental problems including learning disabilities, behavioral challenges, and cognitive impairment. QurAlis' exclusive license agreement is a result of its 2024 partnership and collaboration with UMass Chan to explore the biology of FXS to determine and confirm relevant targets that could enable antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated correction for FXS. QurAlis leveraged its deep understanding, knowledge and expertise in developing ASOs as part of the collaboration. QurAlis confirmed the findings from the original publication of the UMass Chan researchers and is advancing FMR1 as a precision medicine target in up to 80 percent of FXS patients. The mis-spliced form of FMR1, designated as FMR1-217, is widely expressed throughout cortical brain areas affected in FXS and can be measured in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Preliminary data suggest biomarker feasibility to detect mis-splicing of FMR1 in patients with FXS. 'FXS is a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder with no effective disease-modifying therapies available. Our initial partnership with UMass Chan confirmed that FMR1-217 is a validated genetic target for FXS,' said Kasper Roet, Ph.D., chief executive officer and co-founder of QurAlis. 'This groundbreaking discovery of a novel RNA-targeted mechanism to restore functional protein for FXS and the feasibility of a biomarker to detect mis-splicing of FMR1 in FXS patients opens up a completely new type of therapeutic approach through splice correction. We look forward to applying QurAlis' FlexASO® platform and deep knowledge and expertise of ASO splicing targets toward having a candidate nominated for IND-enabling studies in the near future, so that we can bring a potential new precision medicine option to patients.' Joel Richter, Ph.D., the Arthur F. Koskinas Chair in Neuroscience and professor of molecular medicine at UMass Chan, and colleagues Sneha Shah, Ph.D., and Jonathan K. Watts, Ph.D., together with Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, M.D., Ph.D., at Rush University Medical Center, have shown that aberrant alternative splicing, or mis-splicing, of messenger RNA (mRNA) plays a fundamental role in FXS. In a seminal publication by the group, it was revealed that in FXS patients, FMR1 mRNA is still being expressed, but is mis-spliced, comprising a short, truncated alternative mRNA variant called FMR1-217 which results in non-functional FMRP protein expression. Working with patient-derived cells, Dr. Richter's lab and Dr. Berry-Kravis initially demonstrated that ASOs can successfully inhibit the mis-splicing, reduce expression of FMR1-217, rescue proper FMR1 mRNA, and restore FMRP protein expression. 'This is a meaningful step in the process of taking basic biological discoveries and turning them into practical therapies that can benefit patients in the clinic,' said Dr. Richter. 'QurAlis' platform and expertise in neurodegenerative disorders are industry leading and well positioned to address the mis-splicing of FMR1 RNA and restore functional FMRP protein expression. This partnership has not only validated our years-long research but also has resulted in the confirmation of a novel target for FXS, which we hope will lead to much-needed treatment options for FXS patients and their families.' Dr. Berry-Kravis added, 'I am very excited that we will be able to continue development of this potential genetically based disease-modifying FMRP-restoring therapy that is expected to have a major impact on the FXS field and the spectrum of treatment options available to improve function in people with FXS.' An orphan disease, FXS affects approximately 87,000 individuals in the U.S. alone – one in 4,000 men and one in 6,000 women. Though FXS occurs in both genders, males are more frequently affected than females, and generally with greater severity. In addition to intellectual disability, FXS patients endure a wide range of disabling symptoms including severe anxiety, social aversion, hyperactivity and attention deficit, sensory hypersensitivity, aggression, developmental seizures, and others. There are no effective disease-modifying therapies currently available for FXS. ASOs are short, engineered single-stranded DNA/RNA molecules that can selectively bind RNA to regulate its expression in the cell. ASO technology has been leading in the field of protein regulation and has since allowed us to develop treatments for neurodegenerative disease by changing the expression of genes connected to the disease. QurAlis' FlexASO® platform was developed to generate splice-switching ASOs with improved potency, increased therapeutic index and improved bio-distribution. This bespoke platform has the potential to tackle the spectrum of neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. About QurAlis Corporation At QurAlis, we are neuro pioneers on a quest to cure, boldly seeking to translate scientific breakthroughs into powerful precision medicines. We work collaboratively with a relentless pursuit of knowledge, precise attention to craft, and compassion to discover and develop medicines that have the potential to transform the lives of people living with neurodegenerative and neurological diseases. QurAlis is the leader in development of precision therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition to ALS, QurAlis is advancing a robust precision medicine pipeline to bring effective disease-modifying therapeutics to patients suffering from severe diseases defined by genetics and clinical biomarkers. For more information, please visit or follow us on X @QurAlisCo or LinkedIn.
Forbes
10-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Worcester, Massachusetts, Is 2025's Top City For Small Business
Worcester, Massachusetts, is No. 1 among Best Small Business Cities in America in 2025, according to Biz2Credit's annual review of the financial performance of small businesses across the country. The study examined 75,000 credit inquiries and applications from small to mid-sized companies made on Biz2Credit's small business finance platform from all across the country for the full prior year (2024). The study examined financial indicators, including annual revenue, credit score, age of business, and the proprietary BizAnalyzer® scores of businesses that applied for funding via the online site. The analysis found that small businesses' average revenue increased while credit scores dipped slightly. Related: How To Improve Your Credit Score and Secure A Business Loan Located 45 miles west of Boston, Worcester had high average annual revenues, strong credit scores, and mature businesses. It is New England's second largest and fastest growing city with a population that grew by 14% between 2010 and 2020. According to the 2020 Census, Wooster's population (206,518) is at its highest point ever, and 51% of residents are under 35 years old. The city benefits from having an educated workforce, thanks to the numerous colleges and universities in the area, including Wooster Polytech (WPI), one of the top schools in the country for mechanical engineering and computer science. The area is also home to UMass Chan Medical School, which trains the full range of medical disciplines, with an emphasis on practice in the primary care specialties, as well as College of the Holy Cross, which is ranked No. 28 out of 211 National Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News. Graduates of these schools and others have helped to bolster Worcester's economy, which is fueled by advanced manufacturing, robotics, biotechnology, biomanufacturing, computer sciences, and other high-tech sectors. Further, over 2,700 new businesses were created in the past year in the county alone. Institutions of higher education supply talent and new ideas to the marketplace, according to the Worcester Chamber of Commerce. In fact, the professional, scientific and technical sector grew by a third, accounting for 3,498 new jobs in Worcester County between 2000 and 2010. The areas with the most growth are research and development and computer systems design, including video game design, which grew by 40% and 46%, respectively. An influx of private and public investment has helped businesses old and new. In addition to having a thriving technology sector, Worcester has a diverse and lively bar and restaurant scene, featuring a wide array of international cuisines and lots of great local craft breweries. Over the past 10 years, the city has seen $4.5 billion in major development projects, according to the Worcester Chamber, which been in the forefront of the city's strategic effort to recruit new businesses, retain and develop a talented workforce, and foster entrepreneurial innovation in the region. The city benefits from offering a streamlined permitting process, a state-of-the-art fiber-optic infrastructure, and resources to assist with business development, site selection, and financing options. Meanwhile, the cost of doing business (e.g., real estate, workforce, and the cost of living) in Worcester is less expensive than nearby larger metropolitan areas, but with many of the perks and conveniences afforded by larger cities. Accessibility is another advantage. Worcester just an hour's drive from other major New England metro areas such as Boston, Providence, Manchester, and Hartford and is served by seven major highways. The city has daily commuter trains to downtown Boston, and is home to the Worcester Regional Airport with commercial flights on JetBlue, American Airlines, and Delta. According to Biz2Credit's analysis, the other cities in the top five are: Ventura, CA, Greater Bridgeport-Stamford, CT, Portland, OR, and San Jose, CA. The California city of Ventura at sunset. getty California continues to have a stronghold on our rankings, with two of the top five coming from the Golden State. The economy of No. 2 Ventura, California, is diverse with specific strengths in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and hospitality. Small businesses in Ventura County (Ventura and Oxnard) had high average annual revenues ($1,075,489), strong average credit score (679), and are mature businesses. The business environment in Ventura County offers a unique combination of infrastructure, skilled workforce, financial stability, market access, and the quality of life. The Ventura County Green Business Program is a free certification program that assists small- to medium-sized businesses by implementing sustainable and cost-saving measures. This year's top 5 continues to show the strength of our nation's coastal states as hubs for small and medium size businesses. The Greater Bridgeport-Stamford Area is an employment center with industry concentrations in manufacturing, healthcare, and retail/services. In fact, the region experienced a 5% net increase of jobs between 2010 and 2020 while the rest of Connecticut experienced little or no growth, according to the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG). The cost of living in the Greater Bridgeport Area is nearly 15% lower than in Boston and nearly 30% lower than New York City. The organization also reports that nearly 50% of the local workforce has at least a bachelor's degree and another 20% having some college training. The area's labor pool can satisfy practically any employer's requirements, from upper management, technical and office workers to skilled employees for the production line. Greater Portland boasts the perfect mix of legacy industries and emerging technologies. Greater Portland is a destination for small businesses, as well as global brands. Portland's prime West Coast enhances the ease of doing business there. With three ports and one of America's best airports, export businesses, in particular, benefit from the Portland's national and global connectivity. Additionally, Greater Portland is home to a steady influx of young, skilled talent. With workforce development programs at local institutions and public-private partnerships at universities advancing key industries, the region's talent is the driving force behind Portland's economic development strategy. San José fell from the top spot on Biz2Credit's 2024 Best Small Business Cities list. Located in the Silicon Valley, the local economy is fueled by tech companies and the businesses that serve them. The city is home to about 66,000 businesses that employ a total of 439,000 workers in sectors ranging from advanced manufacturing to healthcare to software. This city boasts an educated workforce; 50% of San José residents have a college degree or higher 1 in 3 San José residents have a bachelor's degree or higher. The city's downtown is Silicon Valley's only urban live-work environment, home to 250+ restaurants and cafes, 40+ cultural venues, thousands of new high-rise homes. It also boasts numerous shopping destinations including Downtown and Santana Row. Below is the full list of the Top 25 Cities for Small Business for this year (with 2024 ranking in parenthesis): Smaller cities fared well in the analysis; seven of them are new to the rankings this year: Worcester, MA (1), Buffalo, NY (11), Fresno, CA (15), Richmond, VA (17), Myrtle Beach, SC (23), New Haven, CT (24), and Indianapolis, IN (25). Likewise, during a year when rising costs impacted many businesses, the largest metropolitan centers, which are usually among the most expensive places to live and work, lost ground. New York fell out of the 2024 top ten (No. 8) to No. 18 in the ranking this year. Los Angeles, the country's second largest city, dropped two spots from 17 to 19. San Diego, the country's eighth most populous city, fell from No. 6 to No. 13. Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Dallas, and Jacksonville, FL, did not make the list. The 2025 Top Small Business Cities Study is based on actual verified cash flows of businesses on the Biz2Credit platform during 2024. Submitted cases with an annual revenue exceeding $5 million were excluded from the revenue analysis.
