When someone with the standing in the community of Alan G. Hassenfeld sits down to talk about his home state, it makes sense to listen.
The last founding family member to run Hasbro Inc. sat down with PBN as part of its Dec. 28 Interview Issue effort. But his comments were too interesting – and broad – to limit to that issue's format. Hence, he became this week's cover story.
In his remarks Mr. Hassenfeld calls out Rhode Island's congressional delegation, its state elected officials, well-to-do and working-class Rhode Islanders.
The heart of his remarks, however, are about his own relationship to the Ocean State, whether through his and his family's philanthropic efforts, starting with Hasbro Children's Hospital, but continuing on with his recent $12.5 million gift to Brown University to study childhood health issues, or with an idea of his to create a private, $100 million local startup investment fund.
Who knows, if that fund comes to be, maybe one of its beneficiaries could be the next Hasbro. •