It was last summer when the Association for Women in Communications Springfield chapter came up with its Feb. 4 panel discussion topic: “Successful DEI Strategies and Initiatives in the Workplace.” The months between conception and delivery have brought myriad changes in the diversity, equity and inclusion space, as its two participants described ways to incorporate diversity strategies in the current environment.

Newsmakers are compiled in the areas of education, government, law, manufacturing and marketing.

The effort is scheduled to start in March and wrap up by this summer.

Local agreement with Super Bowl champs moves into third year.

Owners of nPrint Graphix aim to nearly double space through purchase.

Latest TikTok challenge is its right to operate in the U.S.

Nathan Adams seeks damages after being forced out of firm.

Local stores continue to invest in options for consumers.

LeDoux’s Furniture and Whatnots opened on Commercial Street; Soapbox Studios LLC launched; and Day One Fitness LLC opened its first location.

The KBQ Korean BBQ Bowls LLC moved to Springfield; College Station Theaters opened; and the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau rebranded as Visit Springfield, Missouri.

Reflecting on 2024, the SBJ newsroom ranked the Top 10 stories that impacted regional business.

Guest columnist Chris Jarratt: "The real value of a brand rollout lies in translating that new identity into a narrative and a mission that connects with both internal and external audiences on a meaningful level."

SBJ interviews the CEO of That GenZ Agency Inc.

Search engine optimization, a major tool in today’s marketing and advertising industry, has been around since the late 1990s, according to Forbes. But the landscape is changing for how businesses market themselves online since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.

Caleb Scott and Michael Wilson launch Soapbox Studios.

An Old Time Christmas is picked over Christmas Celebration at SeaWorld, among others.

A half-dozen businesspeople provide insight at 60 Ideas in Sixty Minutes.

Thai Garden LLC launched; Norman, Oklahoma-based Traffic Engineering Consultants Inc. opened a Springfield office; and mobile app Ozarks Connect got its start.

Kyle Brown is taking over for the retiring Jann Holland in the area of marketing and communications.