It's GOAL time! The PVD FanZone officially opened yesterday, just ahead of the first game of the World Cup. Secretary @stefanpryor joined @PVDMayor and @GovDanMcKee alongside state and local leaders for celebration. Commerce is excited to support Rhode Island's Summer of Soccer and welcome fans from across the globe to experience all that the Ocean State has to offer as they cheer on their favorite teams.

A major step forward for our state — and for our nation. Earlier this week, @Raytheon broke ground on a significant expansion at its Portsmouth facility. This $100M expansion will add 150 jobs, enable critical testing of its LTAMDS threat-tracking and interception radar system, and increase production of Patriot® GEM-T missile subcomponents. Commerce Secretary @stefanpryor Pryor and Commerce Corp. President & CEO Jim Bennett joined @GovDanMcKee, Raytheon, U.S. Army Leadership, and RI’s federal delegation for the celebration. Commerce is proud to support Raytheon’s expansion, including through the consideration of Qualified Jobs tax credits and enrollment in the RI Ready site-readiness program. View Raytheon’s press release here: lnkd.in/emerwzvN

New speaker added! Dr. Shannon Gilkey joins Commerce Secretary @stefanpryor and @FaradayFuture Executive Chairman Jerry Wang to deliver opening remarks at @FountainHeadRI's "The AI Infrastructure Race: How States Compete, Build, and Win.” Join us this Thursday at the RI Convention Center for an evening of conversation and connection about the future of AI in Rhode Island. Learn more and get tickets: eventbrite.com/e/fountainhea…

We're a week away from "The AI Infrastructure Race: How States Compete, Build, and Win," hosted by @FountainHeadRI. Commerce Secretary @stefanpryor will deliver opening remarks to kick off an evening of conversation, collaboration, and insight with industry experts on the future of AI Infrastructure and how Rhode Island will meet the moment. There is still time to secure your tickets to this event. Learn more and register here: eventbrite.com/e/fountainhea…

Last Thursday, @GovDanMcKee, Commerce Secretary @stefanpryor, and RI Commerce Corp President & CEO Jim Bennett led a strategic Commerce Corp Board retreat. The presentations and conversations focused on current economic trends, AI-related implications and opportunities, and preparing RI’s workforce for the future. Thank you to OPC Commissioner Shannon Gilkey and RIDLT Director Matt Weldon for joining to share your insights, and to Baby Delight for hosting us. Together we are charting Rhode Island’s continued economic growth.

Congratulations to the @mfgri on its Annual Breakfast and Meeting held earlier this week! A tremendous crowd representing Rhode Island's manufacturing leaders and innovators gathered to celebrate our state's rich manufacturing history as well as its inspiring future. In the photo: Secretary @stefanpryor Pryor, RIMA President and CEO Melissa Travis, and SBA local and regional leadership.

Last Saturday, @GrowSmartRI held the fifth workshop with its inaugural RI Main Street Learning Cohort, focused on transformation strategies to revitalize and encourage economic activity in local commercial districts. Secretary @stefanpryor joined for part of the session, meeting Kathy LaPlante and Miriam Parson from the national @NatlMainStreet program, as well as having conversations with municipal staff and residents participating in the cohort. Thank you, Grow Smart RI, for this opportunity and your work!

Rhode Island Commerce Corporation Awards $800,000 in Innovation Network Matching Grants to 13 organizations. Read the press release here: shorturl.at/B3Bib

Rhode Island Commerce is soliciting input for the next round of Opportunity Zones. The federal Opportunity Zones program encourages investment within designated Rhode Island communities by providing capital gains tax incentives for private investors. Municipalities, community leaders, investors, developers, trade and building associations, labor representatives, and members of the public are invited to submit input via the Commerce website now through June 23, 2026. Learn more and submit recommendations here: commerceri.com/site-selectio… 📸: Seth Holme @195District

Celebrating General Dynamics Electric Boat “Signing Day” event at Cranston West High School last week. Rhode Island is preparing the next generation of our workforce, and these students are ready! Over 400 high school students from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Louisiana, and Virginia began their careers with General Dynamics – Electric Boat Quonset Point. @GovDanMcKee joined the event to welcome these new Electric Boat employees and their families. Congratulations to all the students who will begin their careers with the State of Rhode Island and General Dynamics Electric Boat/Quonset Point.

Mark your Calendars for June 11th. We are excited to support @FountainHeadRI as they present The AI Infrastructure Race: How States Compete, Build, and Win. Join leaders from across AI, infrastructure, energy, finance, technology, and economic development for an exciting series of conversations and networking opportunities. Learn more and get tickets: eventbrite.com/e/fountainhea…

The fiber of our community! Commerce Secretary @stefanpryor visited @RISD’s Sustainability Lab thesis show, “Fiber Matters: Making with the Remainder.” Tatum Elaine Dodd used paper fiber to recreate elements of Providence’s Wedding Cake House. Congratulations to this year’s artists & faculty members.

Congratulations to the @RIHispanicChamb on celebrating 10 years! Commerce Secretary @stefanpryor joined state and local leaders yesterday at the State House to recognize the Chamber's milestone year and decade of impact. Under the leadership of Oscar Mejias and the Chamber's board and staff, the organization has supported business growth, driven economic impact, and built stronger communities across Rhode Island. Congratulations, and here's to much more to come!

⚽️Kicking off a Summer of Soccer 🏘️Expanding access to homeownership 🔬Opening Ocean State Labs 📚Completing the East Smithfield Community Learning Center All that and more in the latest #RIReplay.

Yesterday, Secretary @stefanpryor joined @ProvidenceRI at their annual Ambassadors Luncheon, which recognizes individuals who have recommended Rhode Island as a place to host a meeting or event. Yesterday's 33 honorees not only helped to showcase our state's beauty and culture, but they also drove measurable economic impact - collectively bringing 25 events to the Ocean State along with nearly 20,000 attendees and generating nearly $9 million for our economy. Congratulations to each honoree, and thank you for championing Rhode Island!

🚨 Calling all Rhode Island Small Businesses 🚨 The SBA is searching for the BEST in American innovation. If you are interested in the Patriot Pitch competition and a potential prize of $1million, learn more at the link below! Link: lnkd.in/ghgXqPNG

Earlier today, Secretary @stefanpryor joined the RI Life Science Hub along with state and local leaders to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Ocean State Labs, Rhode Island's first dedicated life sciences incubator. Rhode Island's investment in the life sciences sector is paying off - establishing infrastructure, attracting innovators, and growing jobs. It's energizing to see the state's growing momentum. Congratulations Ocean State Labs!

Monday, Commerce celebrated the opening of a satellite office on Aquidneck Island at Innovate Newport. Newport Mayor Charles Holder; Jim Bennett, RI Commerce Corporation President & CEO; and Erin Donovan-Boyle, Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce President & CEO offered remarks. Rich Rainer, Portsmouth Town Administrator and Melody Weeks, Commerce Executive Vice President, joined in the official ribbon-cutting, welcoming additional business support services to one of Rhode Island’s economic hubs. We are excited to expand our resources on the island. The satellite office is located at Innovate Newport (2nd floor of 513 Broadway).

On Saturday, the Commerce team had a great time staffing a table at the RI STEAM Expo hosted by @GovDanMcKee and the @RIDeptEd. We highlighted Commerce programs, including the Wavemaker Fellowship, as well as our work in Ocean Tech. Nishita Roy-Pope from Courage Builder and students from TIMES Squared Academy Charter School joined us, showcasing the school's new ocean engineering lab and their class project focused on removing PFAS and other harmful materials from the Bay. Secretary @stefanpryor joined the Commerce team alongside Daniela Fairchild, Barry O'Connor, Silvana Mercado Barrios, and Giselle Mahoney.

Last week, the U.S. Access Board came to Rhode Island to learn more about how we are advancing accessibility across our state. They also attended the first annual Rhode Island Accessibility Summit and hosted a Town Hall meeting to hear directly from Rhode Islanders about their experiences, challenges, and opportunities. On Thursday, Secretary @stefanpryor participated in a panel discussion where he shared about some of Rhode Island's accessibility initiatives related to economic development and business. The week's events were spearheaded by Rhode Island accessibility champion, Tina Guenette, vice-chair to the U.S. Access Board and its acting chair, as well as the founder and CEO of R.A.M.P. Thank you to the Board's federal and public members for learning more about Rhode Island and supporting our continued efforts to ensure our state's beauty and opportunities are accessible to everyone. Thank you also to our U.S. Department of Commerce counterpart Junish Arora on the Board. Learn more about the U.S. Access Board - access-board.gov/