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Date: 5/31/2022
HADLEY – Andrea Bordenca hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 19 for the Venture Way Collaborative (VWC) building, a building regularly housing three separate entities but also encouraging collaboration with any local business. The ceremony was hosted by Innovara and Diversified Equipment Services and Consulting Organization (DESCO).
Bordenca, the CEO and chairperson of DESCO, introduced herself and her vision in the building’s lobby before moving out under the overcast sky for a ribbon cutting. In addition to a workshop with medical repair equipment for DESCO, VWC also provides a space for Shraddha Yoga and Dr. Leslie A. Saulsberry, CEO of Safia LLC.
“We want this building to be seen as an invitation for all voices to be heard and it really comes down to the dignity of each of us and that we have a seat at the table, and we have our own lens and experience no matter how old we are, no matter what our gender is, no matter what our race is,” Bordenca said. “We can be heard and seen by others and that’s so we can hear and see other people, too. That’s what this building’s vision is.”
Bordenca is also the CEO of the Institute for Generative Leadership, founder of Lead Yourself Youth and co-founder of the Women’s Collaborative. She thanked various members of her team that have helped establish and open the building.
“It’s great because this is a space that is open to collaborating with other local businesses that share the same values of healthy workplace culture, collaboration, and bringing people together,” said DESCO’s Director of Culture and Engagement Jordan Tedoldi.
Bordenca echoed Tedoldi’s sentiment, saying the VWC holds a commitment to bringing people together and supporting healthy workplace cultures.
“Most of us need to work to live,” she said. “We spend most of our time and energy inside and outside of work, thinking about work. Where and how we work affects our quality of joy, quality of life, our aliveness, and our presence with loved ones. Inclusivity and belonging equals engagement. If we, as a community are in conversation together, learning and understanding the efforts being made, we will see new possible ways to collaborate to achieve a healthy community here in Western Mass.”
She also emphasizes serving youth and mentioned the importance of sharing her knowledge with new populations in a male-dominated field. The DESCO workshop features two large steam sterilizers, EKGs, and other equipment.
“We service primarily in the healthcare sector so if something breaks, we repair it,” Bordenca explained. “We’re going to offer training here and we want to bring this to local schools to show all genders, backgrounds and races that this is available to you and we want to have a place where people can go and learn about it. This industry started in 1969 so we want to bring the next generation up to let them know that this industry exists and it’s not going anywhere.”