After exploring chocolate-making as a hobby for years, Monica & Tom Rogan left their careers in Los Angeles behind to found Goodnow Farms Chocolate at a 225-year-old farm in Sudbury. The couple joins the WBJ Podcast to discuss the night-and-day difference between their chocolate and typical grocery store candy bars; ethically sourcing their cacao beans; and what it takes to create award-winning chocolate.

When will you feel comfortable entering a post-pandemic life? An Instagram conversation makes its way to the airways. Jared Forman, executive chef and co-owner of the Worcester restaurant deadhorse hill, joins the WBJ Podcast to discuss with Brad & Hank how to expand on a conversation Brad & Jared had on Instagram, about when they will feel safe venturing back into the world, both personally and in business. This conversation seeks to figure out how to balance the need for economic recovery and a re-entering to pre-pandemic society, with the health risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic, even after people start receiving the vaccine.

UMass Medical School Chancellor Dr. Michael Collins and UMass system President Marty Meehan have proposed setting up a volunteer corp of nursing and medical students to vaccinate Massachusetts residents against COVID-19, after the initial rollout of the vaccine has been bumpy. Collins joins the Weekly Business Report to discuss this plan, how it will help fight the pandemic, and when it might move from Worcester pilot program to full-fledged reality.

Patrick Smith, the head of small business banking at Santander Bank, joins the Weekly Business Report to advise small businesses on the opportunities and pitfalls for financing in the coming year, especially as companies begin to emerge from the recession, which is now nearly a year old.

Much like the rest of the country and the world, 2020 was a tough year in Central Massachusetts business. Looking at WBJ's Economic Forecast special edition, WBJ Podcast hosts Brad Kane and Hank Stolz look at what is to come for the region's economy in the coming year, including a look at some specific, bold predictions for news events in 2021.

Warehouses and distribution centers have been popping up throughout Central Massachusetts over the last year. In the last few months, online retail giant Amazon has added several locations throughout the region and appears poised to take over the high-profile location for the soon-to-be-demolished Greendale Mall. WBJ News Editor Grant Welker joins the podcast to discuss Amazon's plans and why Central Massachusetts has become a destination for warehouses.

The North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce on Monday released a survey showing in-depth how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting the business communities in Leominster, Fitchburg and the rest of North Worcester County. Roy Nascimento, CEO and president of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, discusses the results of the survey and how the chamber is using the results to advocate for and help the region's businesses survive the pandemic.

In Central Mass., the restaurant industry is more developed in places like Worcester, Sturbridge and Marlborough, which have eschewed the state liquor license cap law in favor of having unlimited bars and eateries in their communities. WBJ News Editor Grant Welker and Paul Matthews, Worcester Regional Research Bureau executive director, discuss the joint WBJ-WRRB collaboration on the local implementation of the liquor license law in this episode of The Weekly Business Report.

Unlike many others in the hospitality industry impacted by the pandemic, the living history museum Old Sturbridge Village was put into a unique situation because of the highly skilled and specialized nature of its employees, which are hard to replace. As a result, the village prioritized not only keeping those employees employed and happy, but keeping them employed in the future, which included some creative solutions in helping them with their own pandemic lives.

For much of its history, Massachusetts has had ties to the institution of slavery, both before and after the commonwealth abolished the practice, including leading up to the Civil War when the Central Massachusetts textile industry benefitted from slave-grown cotton. Former WBJ Editorial Intern Devina Bhalla and News Editor Grant Welker discuss Bhalla's two-month deep-dive into slavery's history and legacy into the Central Massachusetts economy in this episode of the podcast.