EDVESTORS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Assistant General Counsel at Tufts University
Abra Francois currently serves as an Assistant General Counsel at Tufts University, where she specializes in labor and employment as well as litigation, civil rights, athletics, and malpractice matters.
Previously as a Supervisory Civil Rights Attorney at the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Abra enforced civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age. In this role, Abra investigated complaints of discrimination against colleges, universities, and K-12 school districts. Prior to this position, Abra worked in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she practiced in the areas of employment and civil rights law. Abra started her career as an Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department, where she represented city agencies in labor and employment litigation before federal and state courts.
Abra has also taught Disability Law at Boston University School of Law and next year, she will start teaching Exclusionary Education: Law & Policy at Tufts University. Abra is a graduate of Simmons College and Boston College Law School.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator, Development & Events
- the Development and Events Coordinator
Alexia joined EdVestors in March 2023 as the Development and Events Coordinator. Her work involves event planning, donor database management, gift processing and grant writing. Alexia came to EdVestors from the Community Music Center of Boston, where she was the Operations Coordinator for the Community Music School and managed the instrument inventory, faculty resources, and event operations. Prior to CMCB, Alexia worked as a teaching artist and freelance violist. She has always had a passion for community music, working with children and providing music education access to all. Alexia holds a B.M. in Music Performance from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and in 2021, began pursuing her M.M in Music Education.
Job Titles:
- Director, Equitable Improvement
Alia Verner joined Edvestors in August 2018 and currently serves as the Director of Equitable Improvement overseeing Edvestors' Racial Equity Seed Fund grantmaking. Alia began her career in education as a STEM special education teacher for Teach for America at TechBoston Academy, where she spent three years teaching science and six years teaching mathematics. Prior to EdVestors, Alia worked as a Math Director, Instructional Coach, Curriculum Developer, Special Education Liaison, as well as an education researcher and consultant. Her research and consultant experience focused on change management, challenges in education reform, and equity-centered system design. She also co-founded and served as a Regional Strategy Team Leader for the Boston Education Action Network, an organization committed to providing equitable educational opportunities for all students in Boston through community organizing, political advocacy, and collective action. Alia believes deeply that all students should have equitable education opportunities and is passionate about centering students and families in the development of systems, structures, and policies that support districts and school communities toward reaching this goal. Alia graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Political Science and received a Masters in Teaching from Boston University and a Masters at Harvard in Education Policy and Management.
Anjali Deshpande, Ph.D. is the Director of Mathematics at EdVestors. Prior to joining EdVestors, Anjali served as a professor of Mathematics Education at High Meadows Graduate School of Teaching and Learning located in Cambridge, MA in affiliation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Anjali got her start in education as a public middle school teacher in the South Bronx for six years and went on to serve as a secondary mathematics coach for nine years. Anjali has also worked with high school students from a variety of backgrounds as a faculty member and program designer for three NYU college preparation programs, in Abu Dhabi and New York City. Her work is focused on supporting educators in the mathematics classroom and designing teaching strategies, programs, and policies that foster the development of positive mathematics identity for all learners. Anjali holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from New York University, a master's degree in Teaching from Pace University, and a Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning from New York University Steinhardt School of Education, Culture, and Human Development.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Strategic Communications
Anna Cayco joined Edvestors in February 2022 as Manager of Strategic Communications. She leads and implements EdVestors' overall communication strategy across the organization and programs. She began her career in education as a multimedia technology assistant for an elementary school in Glendale, CA. While she pursued her master's degree in Media Science at Boston University, she continued to teach as a writing fellow at the writing center. Her most recent position was a Communications Assistant at the Wheelock Educational Policy Center. Anna graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Communications in 2018. She has been published in CNN LIFE, The Manila Times, and Preen.ph.
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Job Titles:
- Leader
- Member of the Board
- Principal at the Urban Assembly Bronx Academy of Letters
Brandon Cardet-Hernandez has devoted his career to creating the conditions that allow young people to achieve their greatness. A life-long educator, Cardet-Hernandez has worked as a community organizer, college and career counselor, and special education teacher. He is currently the Executive Director of The Ivy Street School. Through residential and day programming, Ivy Street centers learning through a therapeutic approach. In addition, through the Skills for Life division, Ivy Street works with families and school districts to help neurodiverse students strengthen the healing and skill development needed to transition into adulthood.
Previously, as a public school principal at The Urban Assembly Bronx Academy of Letters, Cardet-Hernandez led a turnaround team in a dynamic re-envisioning of school culture and instruction. Under his leadership, the school went on to hold the highest graduation rate for an unscreened school in the district and far exceeded the citywide graduation average. Additionally, he grew college readiness by double digits, bolstered teacher retention and satisfaction, and reimagined learning through a justice-focused lens. Empowered and supported, his students would also develop now-nationwide organizations advocating for school integration and sports equity.
Brandon is a leader in advancing justice through education. His work has been featured in Essence Magazine, EdWeek, The Atlantic, People en Espanol, Commonwealth Magazine, and the Netflix documentary, Teach Us All. Brandon resides in Boston with his husband, Ariel, and their son, Cielo.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator, Career Pathways
A Colorado native, Cathy Choi joined EdVestors in June 2022 as the Career Pathways Coordinator. Her work supports the Career Pathways and Bloomberg Arts Internship teams with internal communications, grantmaking processes, and various programmatic needs. Cathy's passion for educational equity stemmed from a childhood attending IEP meetings for her younger brother, and her experiences have driven her life's mission ever since. She is especially excited about creating equitable opportunities in art and special education and credits her previous work as an 826 Boston High School Specialist for expanding her love for Boston's students. Cathy graduated from Duke University in 2020 with a B.A. in English and in Public Policy. She hopes to continue learning and growing with EdVestors and help actualize meaningful systemic change.
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Christine W. Letts is enjoying helping nonprofits and philanthropists in the Boston area. She is retired from her position as the Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in the Practice of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), where she taught for 25 years. She has extensive experience in private, nonprofit, and public management. Christine joined the faculty of HKS in 1992 and was the founding Executive Director of the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations (now the Hauser Institute for Civil Society at the Center for Public Leadership). From 2005-2011 she was the Senior Associate Dean for Executive Education. After graduating from Connecticut College with a degree in history, she started her career working in New York City government. After receiving her MBA from Harvard Business School in 1976, she joined Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana and spent 10 years in labor relations and manufacturing management roles, the last of which was Vice President - Columbus Plant Operations. Christine's final job at Cummins was President of the Cummins Engine Foundation and Vice President of Corporate Responsibility. In 1988, she became the first Secretary of the Indiana Department of Transportation, and later led the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.
Christine lives in Boston with her husband David, and frequently helps take care of her new grandson.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer of the Board
- Founding Trustee of the Simon Brothers Family Foundation
David Simon is a founding trustee of the Simon Brothers Family Foundation which focuses on school-based initiatives in Boston and New York City, aimed at strengthening teaching and learning in urban schools and improving student academic achievement. He is a 25-year board member of Inspire Arts and Music, a Boston-based youth arts education organization serving thousands of students with a focus on music, dance and marching arts. Mr. Simon was previously Senior Vice President of Medical Information Systems before its merger with Summit Medical in 1995 and currently serves on the governing board of the Gardner Pilot Academy in Allston, Mass. He graduated from Brandeis University in 1979 and holds an MBA in Public and Nonprofit Management from Boston University.
María Luisa Parra-Velasco is on the faculty of the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University. She has a B.A. in Psychology and earned her Ph.D in Hispanics Linguistics from El Colegio de Mexico. For over twenty years, she has taught courses on the Spanish language and Latin American cultures at Boston University and at Harvard. She is part of a national initiative to develop new approaches for teaching Spanish to Latino youth and has pioneered two courses for Latino students at Harvard. Her courses are valued for their strong use of community engagement and visual arts. Along with Dr. Elvira Di Fabio in the Italian program at Harvard, Parra-Velasco designed the initiative "Language through the visual arts: An interdisciplinary partnership" that works closely with Harvard Museums to develop fuller learning experiences in the target languages. In 2019, Parra-Velasco's creative and cutting-edge work was recognized by Babson University with the 2019 Most Innovative Professors Award.
She also has broad experience working closely with immigrant families and children. She was coordinator of the Home-School Connection Program at the Elliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University where she looked at the various ways in which parents and teachers supported transitions, school adaptation and academic success. In 2008 she continued and expanded her work as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University School of Education working with Mexican and African American children attending East Palo Alto public schools. Based on an ecological theoretical model, Dr. Parra's work focuses on how parents and teachers impact bilingual development through daily interactions.
A native Spanish speaker from Mexico City, and a mother of two bilingual and bicultural sons, Dr. Parra has always been fascinated by the complexities and joys of bilingual development. She enjoys working with parents and teachers in training who seek to understand and enhance the road to multilingualism.
Faith Parker holds a BA from Wellesley College and a Master's in Human Services Management from the Heller School at Brandeis University. She spent 14 years managing corporate pension and executive benefit plans at area companies including Avery Dennison and BankBoston. In 2000 she retired from corporate life and co-founded the Parker Family Foundation. Ms. Parker is a member of the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts & New Hampshire Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and serves as Clerk. She is an Overseer and former Trustee of the DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and was President of the Board there from 2010 - 2013. She served on the Board of The Actors' Shakespeare Project from 2005-2014, and as President from 2005 - 2009.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Finance and Operations
Francisco Marriott joined the Edvestors team in March 2021. As Vice President, Finance and Operations, he is responsible for EdVestors' finance functions, and oversees human resources and facilities activities. Francisco is a senior executive and entrepreneur with over fifteen years of experience in corporate finance, financial planning & analysis, and management consulting. Prior to joining EdVestors he was the interim CEO of infico, a start-up financial consulting firm specializing in cash recovery. Previously, Francisco was head of finance and operations and co-founder of PlaceMe, a co-living start-up based in Boston. Francisco's past corporate experience includes work in mergers & acquisitions at CVS Health, valuation of illiquid securities at Wellington Management, and intangible assets and business valuation at EY.
Throughout his career, Francisco has been involved in diversity and inclusion efforts within the corporations for which he has worked as well as at non-profit organizations in the Boston area. He was member of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) Boston Executive Board, and Vice President of Student Affairs of the ALPFA Boston Chapter, and he is a board member of Roxbury Prep Uncommon Schools, a Boston-based charter school. Francisco holds an MBA in Finance from Brandeis University, an MA in Economics from Boston University, and a BS in Economics and Business from ESPOL in his native Ecuador. Francisco lives in Needham with his wife and two kids, and their dogs Chewie and Leia.
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Job Titles:
- Vice President, Programs
- Vice President, Programs, Strategy & Impact
Heather Johnson joined Edvestors in April 2021 and currently serves as Vice President, Programs, Strategy & Impact. She oversees three program areas and provides strategic direction, leadership, and thought partnership related to Edvestors' influence and impact. Heather came to Edvestors from JFF, a national nonprofit that drives change in the American workforce and education systems to ensure access to economic advancement for all. While at JFF, she was focused on building, aligning, and executing organizational strategy and also worked on the Pathways to Prosperity team. Previously, Heather served as the director of the Teacher Education Program at the College of the Holy Cross and as a mathematics specialist at the Rhode Island Department of Education. Across roles and contexts, her work and perspective are significantly shaped by her experiences as a middle grades mathematics teacher in school communities that are deeply committed to student voice, community empowerment, and racial justice. Heather holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the College of the Holy Cross, a master's degree in Urban Education Policy from Brown University, and a doctorate in Education Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Assistant Counsel at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Jean-Phillip (JP) Brignol currently serves as Assistant Counsel at Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, where he assists the legal and business teams on a variety of legal, contractual, and operations matters. JP's pursuit into law stems from his experience as an educator. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Yale University, JP taught science at a public high school in Lawrence, Massachusetts and, while teaching, earned his Masters in Education at the Boston University School of Education. Many of his students were Dominican immigrants or children of Dominican immigrants that had to deal with legal issues ranging from immigration to education. As a child of immigrants, JP felt that he could further support English Language Learner students through a legal career. Since receiving his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, JP has served as a law clerk to the Honorable Chief Justice Rogers (Ret.) of the Connecticut Supreme Court and has spent much of his career as a litigation associate at Holland & Knight LLP law firm, before taking on his current role. His pro bono work at the firm focused on immigration and education. JP was selected to be in the Top 40 Under 40 Massachusetts list of the National Black Lawyers in 2019, and a Holland & Knight Pro Bono All Star from 2017-2019. JP is also a board member at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Vice Chair of the Board
Jennifer Larson Joyce, CFA serves as Vice President and Investment Officer at Fiduciary Trust Company where she works with individuals, families and foundations on long-term investment strategies to meet their goals. Prior to Fiduciary Trust, she was a Principal, Client Advisor, and Associate Portfolio Manager at Brown Advisory where she helped foundations and endowments to develop investment policy and align investments with each organization's goals and mission. She previously held positions at Goldman Sachs, Geneva Global, Bernstein and BlackRock. Jen received a Bachelor's degree in economics from Cornell University and a General Course Diploma from the London School of Economics.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Internship and Program
Jeremy Gooden joined Edvestors in Spring of 2020 as Internship and Program Coordinator. Jeremy supports the worksite experiences of Boston's Bloomberg Arts Internship participants and implements all program elements including visits to cultural institutions, college visits, and other post-secondary readiness activities. Previously, Jeremy worked with Boston Center for Independent Living as their Pre-Employment Transition Services Coordinator, providing job skills training, post-secondary readiness workshops, and internship opportunities for young people with physical, neurological, intellectual, and mental disabilities. He also served as Boch Center's Associate Education Programs Manager and supported the organization's mission to deliver free arts, entertainment, cultural, and educational experiences to Boston youth. As a Boston born artist and former BPS student, Jeremy is thrilled to work with Edvestors in making arts and educational opportunities accessible to all Boston youth.
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Job Titles:
- Manager, Finance and Operations
Julia Herlein joined EdVestors in April 2022. As Manager, Finance and Operations, Julia supports EdVestors' financial management, office operations and IT infrastructure, and human resources administration. Prior to joining EdVestors, Julia held multiple positions at Art Resource Collaborative for Kids, where she led the organization's finance and operations, HR, grant-writing, and marketing initiatives. Julia earned an M.S. in Arts Administration and Graduate Certificate in Fundraising Management from Boston University and a Bachelor of Music Education from Central Michigan University.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- Vice President
Justine Beaton is Vice President, Chief of Staff and where she works closely with the CEO, manages special projects, board engagement, strategic planning and alignment, and internal and external communications. She joined the team in 2016 as Director of Grants and Development Operations, where she managed Edvestors' corporate and foundation fundraising efforts as well as the operations of the development team. Justine worked previously for the Youth Development Institute, a New York City based capacity-building organization where she held multiple positions. Justine graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. in Sociology and received a Master of Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. She lives in Roslindale.
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Job Titles:
- Director, Research, Data, and Evaluation
Kate Keller joined EdVestors in September 2021 as an Education Pioneers fellow. She transitioned to Manager of Research, Data, and Evaluation in February 2022, and then Director of Research, Data, and Evaluation in July 2023. She leads evaluation efforts, manages data across multiple initiatives, and develops structures to measure impact at an organizational level. She is an Eastern North Carolina Teach for America alum and taught math at Match High School in Boston. Kate earned her B.A. in Psychology from Bucknell University and an Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Director of the Charlotte Foundation
Katherine Gross is the Director of The Charlotte Foundation, a family foundation that provides high-performing nonprofits with strategic advice along with funding. She also works to improve the efficacy of Boston area philanthropy by serving on the Boards of the Social Innovation Forum and Edvestors. Ms. Gross began her career as a commercial banker working with small businesses in inner city communities. Subsequently she managed an investment fund focused on fostering business growth in low-income communities. Ms. Gross holds an MBA from Yale School of Management and a BA from Stanford University.
Job Titles:
- Clerk
- Member of the Board
- Executive Director of the Cabot Family Charitable Trust
Katherine McHugh is Executive Director of the Cabot Family Charitable Trust, a post she has held since 2008. Previously, she served as the Director of Program Development for MassINC, a statewide nonprofit research and policy organization focusing on the welfare of the state's middle class. In addition, she brings many years of philanthropic experience from her position as Program Director and education specialist for the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust, a New England-wide family philanthropy, in which she served for 12 years. Ms. McHugh is trained as a lawyer and practiced for many years before turning to philanthropy in 1992. She is a trustee and vice chair of the Board of Northeastern University and received an honorary degree from the university in May of 2008. She is also a former chair of the Associated Grant Makers board, the Boston Education Funders group, and the Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative. She participated in the founding of Edvestors in 2001 and has been a board member since its inception, chairing the board for three years from 2010 to 2013.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Career Pathways
LaVonia Montouté is the Senior Director, Career Pathways where she fosters career connected learning experiences through partnerships with Boston Public Schools and New Skills Boston, a cross-sector effort focused on improving systems and eliminating structural barriers to make quality career pathways accessible to more young people in Boston. LaVonia is passionate about career development and learning through work. She also leads EdVestors staff development learning agenda and facilitates cross-program learning forums. LaVonia previously worked at the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, where she supported schools in Gateway cities to design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based postsecondary interventions. She earned a B.S. in Psychology from Davidson College and Masters of Education in Human Development from Boston University. She is also a proud alumna of a local culinary arts training program.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Advancement
- Vice President, Advancement and External Relations
Lorena Lopera is the Vice President for Advancement and External Relations where she leads all aspects of the organization's resource development and philanthropic approach. Lorena has dedicated her career to leveraging relationships to resource quality educational opportunities for youth and families. She most recently served as Executive Director at Latinos for Education, New England and is a veteran of local organizations focused on expanding educational access for Latinx youth and students of color, including Roxbury-based Sociedad Latina, Epiphany School, and La Vida, Inc. Lorena has also served in roles at national organizations including Building Excellent Schools, City Year, and the Posse Foundation. She is an outgoing member of the Boston School Committee as well as EdVestors' Governing Board. Lorena is a proud BPS parent and first generation immigrant from Colombia who resides in Jamaica Plain.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Director of Finance at Wayfair
Matthew Lesniak is a Director of Finance at Wayfair. In that role he serves as the finance partner for multiple functions across supply chain, engineering, service, and sales. Throughout his career he has operated in roles at the intersection of finance, strategy, and operations. He previously held positions at Sensata Technologies, Bain Capital, and the Boston Consulting Group. Matt received a BA from Yale University and a MBA from Harvard University.
Matt is a Boston Public Schools parent and serves on the School Site Council of the Curley K-8 school. He lives in Boston with his spouse and three children.
Myran Parker-Brass is a professional musician, music educator, and arts administrator, and has been working for more than 30 years providing access to quality arts education for students, teachers, families and the broader community. Myran joined the Boston Public Schools as Executive Director for the Arts in 2011 after 20 years as the Director of Education for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She serves on the Arts Education Advisory Council for the MA Dept of Education.
Job Titles:
- BPS Arts Expansion Director
- Director, BPS Arts Expansion
As BPS Arts Expansion Director, Nicole (Nikki) Olusanya oversees the BPS Arts Expansion grantmaking process and supports schools and external arts partners in providing sustainable and meaningful arts education opportunities to young people across the city. She works closely with the Bloomberg Arts Internship program team, providing school year and summer paid arts employment internships at local arts organizations.
Nikki was the Education Programs Manager at Company One Theatre where she developed theatre education programming and curriculum for young people, artists, and educators, and supported a team of local teaching artists providing yearlong residencies in Boston Public Schools. Prior to Company One, Nikki was the Special Initiatives Manager at ArtsEmerson where she reactivated, I Dream: Boston, a youth leadership initiative that used the tools of arts and trauma recovery to support young people, and she managed several community engagement programs including Community Curators and Citizen Read. She was an arts administrator in Boston Public Schools for 7 years at Dorchester Academy, BPS Visual and Performing Arts Department, and Boston Arts Academy. She is a proud alum of Boston Arts Academy's first graduating class, an actor, and a co-founder of TC Squared Theatre Company. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Studies from Emerson College, and a M.Ed in Arts, Community, and Education from Lesley University. Nikki is a current cohort member of the Perrone-Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership. Her essay, co-written with Joshua Streeter, "From Vision to Implementation: Re-examining Essential Practices for Applied Theatre with Youth" was published in the book Applied Theatre with Youth: Education, Engagement, Activism.
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Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Executive Director and Banker With J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Our mission is to advance equitable, meaningful education that prepares every Boston student to activate their power and shape their future.
Robert Zaccardi is an Executive Director and Banker with J.P. Morgan Private Bank in Boston, Massachusetts. In this role, Rob advises regional nonprofits, schools, foundations and endowments and select ultra-high net worth families across their lending, banking, investment and philanthropic giving needs.
Rob began his career at the investment firm of and Scudder, Stevens and Clark in 1992. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, Rob served as a Vice President for Strategy and Business Development with Eaton Vance Investment Counsel in Boston where he was responsible for developing the firm's relationships with area charitable organizations, including nonprofits, endowments and foundations. He is also the founder of Building Capacity, a boutique consulting firm offering a suite of services to successful social entrepreneurs, nonprofits, executives and boards.
He earned dual macro practice MSW and Nonprofit Management MBA from Boston University, and a BA in History from Framingham State University. Civically active in the local Boston community, Rob is currently Treasurer of the Board of Philanthropy Massachusetts and is also a Trustee and Investment Committee member at Framingham State University Foundation. Rob has held a number of development positions in his entrepreneurial career, including Vice President at Edvestors.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Programs
- Vice President, Programs and Equity
Ruth C. Mercado-Zizzo (she/her) is the Vice President of Programs and Equity. In this role, she facilitates ensuring overall internal and organizational programmatic efforts incorporate an explicit and specific focus on advancing racial equity, including building an inclusive and equitable organizational culture and community. She is also responsible for overseeing the Racial Equity Seed Fund, the Bloomberg Arts Internship program, and all aspects of BPS Arts Expansion. She previously worked at the Boch Center, where, as Director of Education, she oversaw the long-term planning and evaluation of all education programs and managed partnerships with cultural institutions and community organizations across the city. Ruth also worked for People's Light and Theatre in both education and administration. She received her Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from Arizona State University, where she was honored with the Herberger College of Fine Arts Research and Creative Activity Award, and is a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She has served as Treasurer and board member of TYA/USA and as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. She is an alum of the National Guild's Community Arts Education Leadership Institute and National Arts Strategies/University of Pennsylvania's Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy. Ruth was the Operations Director for Createquity, an online think tank that synthesized research pertaining to the arts.
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Job Titles:
- Development Director
- Director, Development
Our mission is to advance equitable, meaningful education that prepares every Boston student to activate their power and shape their future.
Sarah Vickery joined Edvestors in 2021. As Development Director her role is focused on grantwriting and managing the operations of the Development department. A lifelong Massachusetts resident, Sarah previously served as Development Manager for The Theater Offensive and has deep roots in activist and artistic communities in Boston and the North Shore. She graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in English and History.
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Job Titles:
- Manager of School - Based Investments
As Manager of School-Based Investments, Shay McIntosh coordinates Edvestors' grantmaking to fund promising projects in Boston schools. A Chicago native, Shay moved to Massachusetts to study English literature at Mount Holyoke College. She served a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Roxbury literacy nonprofit 826 Boston before joining the Edvestors team in 2019 as Coordinator, Program & Operations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Chief Executive Officer of Schawbel Companies
William (Bill) Schawbel, Chief Executive Officer of Schawbel Companies, was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Schawbel Corporation, a business formed in 1981 through the acquisition of two divisions from The Gillette Company. Bill sold The Schawbel Corporation in 2014, along with its successful ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellant business, and retained ThermaCELL Heated Products under Schawbel Technologies LLC.
Prior to founding The Schawbel Corporation, Bill held senior management positions with The Gillette Company, including President of Gillette - Japan and President of Braun North America. His marketing and management experience includes significant contributions to many of Gillette's divisions within the United States and internationally, with particular success in the areas of acquisitions and new business development.
Over the past thirty-five years, Bill created and sold over thirty companies covering a wide array of consumer products in personal care, housewares, hardware, food and drug, and pest control. He has built relationships with quality offshore manufacturers and, through his University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) connections, a broad and deep network of industry experts.
Bill's in-depth knowledge and relationships in the consumer products market allow for real-time assessment of opportunities with optimal results. His experience and knowledge base is a critical competitive factor in the success of the Schawbel consulting practice.
Bill is an alumnus of the Boston Latin School, where he has served as President of the School's Foundation and chaired its Capital Campaign Committee. His passions related to public education, diversity, and entrepreneurship have kept him involved in Junior Achievement for over fifty years, both at the local chapter level as past chair of Junior Achievement of Northern New England and internationally as a board member of Junior Achievement International. Bill was a founding member of the Center for Women & Enterprise, an organization that builds successful businesses through education and training. He was also a founding member of Edvestors, a school improvement organization that combines strategic philanthropy, education expertise, and implementation support to help schools create the conditions for school change.