The qualities that help a team succeed on the field often determine how well a business performs off it. Leadership, culture, talent development, and the ability to adapt matter in both environments, making sports a valuable source of ideas for Connecticut’s business community.

That connection is the focus of the November 12 Forum@535 at Rebellion Group in Cheshire, previewed during a recent FOX61 segment with Jim Altman, Seth Allen of Arrowhead Consulting Group, and Freddie Vargas Jr. of Tater Baseball.

Allen sees an especially strong connection between athletics and business when it comes to developing and retaining talent.

“How they coach their employees, how they mentor their employees, and how they help them become their best selves,” Allen said, describing the leadership practices he looks forward to hearing about at the event.

Those lessons are increasingly relevant as Connecticut businesses compete for skilled employees and work to create cultures that encourage people to stay and grow.

Vargas offers another perspective through the continued expansion of Tater Baseball, a Cheshire company developing new products and investing in technology to help athletes improve their performance. Its planned bat lab, featuring high-speed cameras and swing analysis, reflects how innovation is creating new opportunities within the state’s sports industry.

Both leaders also see value in connecting people from different industries to exchange ideas and experiences.

As Vargas put it, “It’s always nice to kind of meet like-minded individuals that will share some perspectives and experiences that could help one another.”

For Connecticut, those connections matter. Bringing business and athletic leaders together creates opportunities to share successful practices, strengthen organizations, and encourage the kind of collaboration that can help the state’s businesses continue to grow.