Bright Horizons (NYSE:BFAM), the nation's largest provider of  employer-sponsored child care, announced that it will move its headquarters to N-Squared in late 2020. The company will be consolidating 400 of its employees into 130,000 square feet at 2 Wells Ave. in Newton. Today its corporate teams are spread among 5 different locations including 4 in the Arsenal in Watertown and 1 on Needham Street in Newton. 

"It's not been optimal to be spread across different buildings, " said Ilene Sherpa, VP of Marketing with Bright Horizons. "Our employee base has grown since the day we've been founded, so we've constantly had to change our office spaces. We wanted something that could accommodate us in one space with room to grow both in the short term and in the long term." 

The employee experience is the primary reason Bright Horizons chose N-Squared over the 50 other locations around the Greater Boston area that executives considered. Features that helped win the day for N-Squared included easy access to 128 via the new exit ramps on Kendrick Street, as well as nearby outdoor amenities like hiking and running trails along the Charles River. The dining and shopping options on Needham Street also played a key role. 

Employee needs will also take center stage during the design and building process as the architecture team at Gensler is already surveying the Bright Horizons team so they can design a space that fits their personality.  Of course, Sherpa pointed out, they will have an amazing onsite daycare program. 

Sherpa credited both Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and City Councilor Rick Lipof, with providing support in the move, as they both met with the team and rolled out the red carpet. 

The company joins a growing roster of student-oriented innovation companies in the area, including Empow, Examity, CoachUp and the Russian School of Math. 

In addition to child care, Bright Horizons also provides back-up child care and elder care, tuition program management, education advising, and student loan repayment programs.

Kennedy: It is clear that immigration reform is critical to our future growth and our global competition.  From technology to education to health care to manufacturing to agriculture to domestic workers, immigrants power businesses across our Commonwealth. Throughout our communities, immigrants create jobs as small business owners, entrepreneurs and corporate leaders in emerging and historic sectors that strengthen the Massachusetts economy.

N-Squared:  What impact do you think the immigration rhetoric from the Trump Administration has on the local business climate?

Kennedy: We cannot ignore the language that President Trump and many members of his staff bring forth every single day because of the pain it causes and the hate it stirs in our communities. No child, no citizen, no human being should be told to "go back where they came from" and find those words echoed by the highest echelons of our government.  But policy matters too, and this Administration has threatened the success and growth of nearly every industry in our Commonwealth.

N-Squared:  You've called immigration an "affirmation of our success" as Americans. Does the current anti-immigration climate pose a threat to our economic future? Do state and local actions, like sanctuary cities and the Safe Communities Act, help in this regard?

Kennedy: Without a doubt, the current climate threatens our economic growth and a welcoming business environment that we have built throughout generations in Massachusetts. In the absence of federal leadership on immigration reform, it is absolutely critical that state and local governments step forward to fill that void and bring clarity and stability to local economies.  With roughly 7.5 million unfulfilled jobs and only 6.5 million people looking for work in this country, immigration reform can help us address a labor shortage that is holding our economy back.

N-Squared:  What steps can businesses take to ensure they have the employees they need even to grow, even when those potential employees are overseas? Will they need to outsource to get access to new talent?

Kennedy: Businesses have a unique ability to influence public debate and force a reluctant government to act. In our current political environment, we need business leaders to do more than just implement immigrant friendly workplace structures, but to become activists in their local community and throughout our country and demand federal policy that will increase jobs that will help empower more families to succeed.

N-Squared:  Massachusetts is built on education both with the annual influx of students and with the innovation that research institutions bring to the region. What are you hearing from the education sector as to the role that immigration policy is playing in regards to student enrollment and long-term attraction and retention of research talent?  

Kennedy: Whether they are pursuing a PhD or starting kindergarten, students arriving on our shores should be welcomed here, their contributions celebrated, and we should be implementing policies that allow them to build careers, businesses and lives here. Education leaders are among the most powerful advocates for immigration reform that we have in our Commonwealth. It isn't fair to ask teachers, administrators or researchers to do more than they already do, but we need their voices in this debate. 

MedMinder, which is based on Wexford Street on the Needham side of the N-Squared Innovation District, closed a $6.5 million funding round, according to a filing with the SEC. 

MedMinder produces a series of automatic pill boxes that allow the elderly to remain independent. Earlier this year the company announced that it reached 50 employees. 

The Boston Globe declared Chef Mike's a winner, noting that owner Mike Fucci's uses only fresh ingredients. Fucci regularly notes that he does not have a freezer on-site and that he buys slabs of meat directly from purveyors. 

The Globe suggests ordering on the small side, since they couldn't finish the sandwiches as ordered. They particularly liked the Matorina, one of the most popular items on the menu. That's an Italian beef sandwich that takes about 36 hours to make fully, including slow-roasting the meet and making the giardiniera peppers in-house. 

Chef Mike's is at 78 Highland Ave in Needham, just a short walk from the end of the path along the river. 

If your commute takes you along Nahanton street this week between Dedham Street and the Needham line, you may experience some delays and detours. The City of Newton is resurfacing the road for the second straight week. 

You'll see some message boards in the area, but it's best to just expect delays. 

As part of Babson's Centennial celebration it will host several events during the week of September 18 to 22, including Babson Connect Worldwide, the 5th annual celebration of entrepreneurship, and the  ePitch Second Century Challenge , in which Babson-connected startups will compete for at least $100,000 in prize money.

Also look for the   Babson Entrepreneurship Forum on November 8 and the Babson Rocket Pitch competition on November 14. 

Massive changes are coming to Needham Street and Highland Ave, our main commercial district. Now is the time to understand what's happening. On Friday Sept. 27 at 8am , the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber will host a presentation by MassDOT to explain the project and timeline. Register in advance .