
Michèle is the Managing Director of Envisage Consulting and has over two decades of international human capital consulting experience. Her work includes leadership development, team building facilitation, executive coaching, change management, executive onboarding, organizational design, and talent assessment. She has worked with a wide range of organizations in size and industry in both the private and public sector as well as with academic and executive education institutions. She is currently a Senior Coach/Faculty Member for Stockholm School of Economics’ Executive MBA Leadership live Program, a program she co-created in 2014. She also works with global executives at MIT’s Sloan School of Management as a leadership coach for individuals and teams and serves as a mentor and judge for MIT’s $100K Entrepreneurship program. Michèle has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz. In her freetime, she enjoys spending time with her family, running marathons, cooking and visiting art museums.




As a Partner with PwC, Kristin is known as a “powerhouse in a small package”. Her executive presence, decisive leadership, and eye for detail feed her unique capacity to “see things others don’t see”. Kristin believes that every day is an opportunity for personal excellence, developing others and giving back. Despite her demanding work schedule, Kristin is an important role model for emerging women leaders. She has served on the Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Advisory Board, the 2020 Women on Boards initiative, and is currently a member of The Boston Club for women executives. Kristin was honored with the MSCPA’s Women’s Experienced Leader Award and selected for the Chamber’s Boston Future Leaders program. Living in Boston’s South End art district, she has been successful in pairing her love of art with her respect for the artist community.

Amanda Eckhoff is a member of Robinson & Cole’s Real Estate + Development Practice Group. She represents institutional and private lenders, as well as borrowers, in connection with a broad range of real estate financing transactions and related matters. Amanda is committed to doing pro bono work. She helps the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (PAIR) by providing free immigration legal services to asylum-seekers and immigrants unjustly detained in Massachusetts. Her community involvement prompted Robinson & Cole to recognize her with the firm’s Community Service Award. Amanda runs marathons in support of charitable organizations, such as the Boston Living Center, which provides food and care for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Amanda coordinates Robinson & Cole’s annual Gift-A-Vet holiday gift-giving program, which benefits veterans involved with the New England Center and Home for Veterans. She also launched a firm volunteer program, where she joins other firm employees in regularly serving lunch to veterans at the center.
Alexander C. Gavis is Senior Vice President & Deputy General Counsel in the Corporate Legal Department of FMR LLC, the parent company of Fidelity Investments, one of the largest brokerage and mutual fund companies in the United States and the leading provider of workplace retirement savings plans. He heads a team of attorneys and professionals and is responsible for providing legal services to the firm’s retail brokerage, stock plan and workplace retirement businesses. He also oversees and manages legal services for Fidelity’s businesses involved in electronic and mobile commerce, start-up innovation, and social media. Mr. Gavis also oversees legal advice on all of Fidelity’s national advertising and marketing initiatives. Mr. Gavis received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, and his bachelor’s degree, with High Honors and Phi Beta Kappa, from Swarthmore College. Mr. Gavis serves as chair of the FINRA Public Communications Committee and is an adjunct professor at Suffolk University Law School, teaching a class on law and design thinking, and he has taught and lectured at Stanford University Law and Design Schools and at Harvard Law School.
Kathleen Gondek, MS, PhD, is currently the Vice President of Global Health Economics Outcomes Research and Epidemiology at Takeda. Prior to Takeda, Kathleen spent 15 years at Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, where she held numerous positions including leading the US medical science liaison and medical affairs operations department. Gondek also worked for the Health Care Finance Administration, now CMS, in the Office of Research and Demonstrations. She has co-authored more than 45 peer-reviewed publications and over 100 presentations. Gondek holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a PhD in Pharmacy Practice and Administrative Science from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Kathleen was a lecturer at Yale University in the School of Public Health, a previous committee chair at PhARMA, and is currently a member of the Boston Club and ISPOR. Kathleen also served as a member of the Advisory Panel on Rare Disease from August 2016 to August 2019.

Aynel David Guerra is a Cuban-born, Boston-based independent curator, artist and the owner/founder of A R E A, a multi-format and interdisciplinary gallery in Boston that organizes exhibitions and experiences featuring the work of local and international artists and designers of diverse social and cultural backgrounds and the founder/director of AREA CODE Art Fair, the first art fair exclusively featuring contemporary artists with ties to New England. David’s passion for innovation in the arts has led him to collaborate on a variety of projects and exhibitions as a curator in Boston. Recently, he was the guest curator of the fifth edition of the Illuminous Festival, the juror for the Arts & Business Council’s Walter Feldman Fellowship for Emerging Artists, and the juror of the 84th Regional Exhibition of Art & Craft organized by the Fitchburg Art Museum. David has taught workshops on art pricing and art collecting, seminars on Exhibition Design at MassArt College, and Career Advice at RISD. He studied law at the University of Havana, Oxford and Harvard. He also holds a degree in International Relations from the Higher Institute of International Relations in Havana, Cuba, where he worked as a diplomat for four years.

Awilda has over twenty years of experience in banking. Her areas of expertise include all phases of small business operations, including business planning, financing, and market research. Awilda is fluent in both English and Spanish, and is familiar with the Hispanic market from soup to nuts. As a business advisor, Awilda helps business owners build sales and marketing operations. With her unique combination of skills in strategic planning, marketing, sales, financing, business development and performance management, she has helped business owners launch successful businesses. Awilda holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Salem State University in Geography and a master’s degree from Lesley College in International Relations.

Boston native Bithyah Israel is a community organizer, cellist, composer, vocalist and video editor whose work centers on social justice and equal access for communities of color. A woman of Dominican and European descent and child of the inner city, Bithyah’s lived experience has rendered a dedication to and belief in the power of community spirit. She is founder of City Strings United, a creative youth development organization providing free cello lessons and performance opportunities to youth in Roxbury since 2012 and is the current Social Justice Fellow for the Arts and Humanities at the UU Urban Ministry in Roxbury where she shepherds events featuring the arts through a social justice lens. She holds a BA in health administration, is a former Spanish medical interpreter, and holds a certificate in Nonprofit Practice from Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life. She is a recipient of the “Women of Courage and Conviction” award from the National Council of Negro Women Greater Boston Section for her work through City Strings United. Bithyah is a member of the Massachusetts Production Coalition, Celebrity Series Community Engagement Committee, and Array Crew. She enjoys producing original music and singing.

Joanne began her career creating branding and motion graphics for broadcast & cable television. She has worked with the Discovery Channel, PBS, TLC, ESPN, History Channel, HGTV as well as many television stations around the US. Joanne has won a shelf full of awards which includes 2 Emmys and many Broadcast Designer Awards. Currently her work focus is on design for local businesses and non-profit clients. Joanne freelances as an art director for a small advertising agency and recently worked on some documentary films as a graphic designer and animator. She often combines her art-making skills with her graphic design work. One of her largest achievements was designing an illuminated metal panel art installation at the Channel Center Garage located in South Boston. It is the largest piece of public art in Boston.

Ayana Mack is a Senior Graphic Designer and Visual Artist based in Boston, MA. For ten years, Ayana has worked with early-stage and established businesses/organizations. With a focus on brand development, social media strategy, user experience design, print marketing, merchandise & more. Some of the clients Ayana has worked with include Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, The Boston Arts & Music Soul Festival, Boston While Black, Boston Public Schools, HubSpot, and more. Over the last seven years, Ayana has been the Senior Graphic designer at the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. Where she manages marketing for six divisions within various sectors of real estate. When Ayana is not designing you can find her teaching, displaying artwork, and advocating for arts in communities of color.




Sean Newth is the Corporate Controller of MassMutual, a leading mutual life insurance company that provides financial products such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long-term care insurance, retirement plan services, and annuities. Sean currently leads MassMutual’s Controllers Organization, which is accountable for the financial reporting of the company, including accounting, tax, treasury, investment operations, management and regulatory reporting as well as financial controls and governance. Prior to joining MassMutual in 2017, Sean was the Chief Accounting Officer and Corporate Controller at State Street Corporation, where he spent over 12 years. He began his career at KPMG serving in various transaction services and assurance roles over 8 years. Sean holds a MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management and a BS in Accountancy from Providence College.

Lisa Nickerson is the founder and CEO of Nickerson, a full service marketing and communications agency with offices in Boston and Miami. Lisa and the Nickerson team were recently the 2019 PR Daily ‘Winner’ and 2020 PR Week ‘Finalist’ for Crisis Communications/Reputation Management. Lisa was also recognized by Bisnow in 2018 as one of Boston’s “Most Powerful Women in Real Estate”, was featured on Chronicle in June 2018 as Greater Boston’s Real Estate Expert and was also the recipient of the 2016 PRISM Award for Marketing Professional of the Year. Lisa is a multiple-industry award winner, a well-respected, sought-after speaker and moderator, and a devotee of professional and community service. Lisa is an active member of Urban Land Institute (ULI), ULI | New England’s Advisory Board, ULI Women’s Leadership Initiative Council Co-Chair and Communications Chair, Board Member & VP of Sponsorship of Boston Women in Media & Entertainment, and former Board Member & Communications Chair of SIOR New England. She is also a Board Member and Development Chair of Housing Families Inc. and a Board Member of the Joshua Frase Foundation. Lisa received her BS in Marketing & Finance from Boston College and received her Real Estate Certificate from Boston University. She maintains her Massachusetts Real Estate License and is currently completing her Master of Business Administration at Babson College.

Allison O’Neil is Co-Chair of the Firm’s White Collar and Internal Investigations practice group. Her practice includes white collar investigations, internal investigations, employment matters, and complex business litigation. Allison has experience representing independent schools seeking to address allegations of wrongdoing, in the litigation of employment issues, business torts, contract disputes, and fiduciary duty claims arising in closely-held companies and partnerships, as well as trial experience in a variety of white collar matters. She was a former Middlesex County Assistant District Attorney.
Allison was named as a Rising Star (2005-2012) and as a Super Lawyer (2014-2019) in the Super Lawyers Edition of Law & Politics and Boston Magazine and was listed as a “Top 50 Woman” in the 2016 New England Super Lawyers process. Allison serves on the Board of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and is actively involved with fundraising for the Museum School at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She is also a member of the Board of Directors at Locke Lord.

Glenn represents individuals and companies in the publishing/entertainment, digital media, software, Internet, content and biotechnology fields, as well as numerous colleges and universities. He has extensive experience in the area of copyright, trademark and privacy and focuses on content licensing, distribution, supply, and commercial agreements, as well as Web site terms and privacy policies. Prior to becoming an attorney, Glenn worked for eight years as a book editor for several publishing houses in New York City. He is the Immediate Past President of the Copyright Society of the USA.

Stacy Reed was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland, class of 1990. In 1994, she moved to the DC area and was a founding member of NDC Group, subsequently Xpedior. At NDC Group, she was the MCI client lead in the Telecommunications practice and Advanced Billing Support was her personal area of expertise. In January 1999, Stacy co-founded Acumen Solutions, a leading Management and Technology Consulting that continues to thrive today. Her management and consulting experience was essential in the success of Acumen Solutions operations. Currently, Stacy is a full time mom to two boys, and is also a Board Member and Treasurer at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC.

Dayla Arabella Santurri, CMP is a full-service event architect and media strategist providing both for-profit and nonprofit organizations a proven solution to meet their event management and media relations needs. An award-winning certified meeting professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in event planning, concert production, media relations and marketing strategy, Dayla understands the need for competent, reliable and proven resources when producing special events and marketing campaigns. A fearless and capable competitor, Dayla won the National Biz Bash Award for Best Trade Show and is a BELL (Bringing Excellence to the Local Level) award winner for best local programming from the Alliance for Women in Media.

Saira Taneja is the head of Customer Solutions Strategy at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She has held leadership roles across Strategy, Research, Finance, Sales and Marketing in the healthcare arena. Recognized for business model development via consumer-centric innovation, Saira was selected as an Ideo Corporate Fellow. She holds both a BA and an MBA from Bentley University. Saira is passionate about health, real estate, travel, art (both admiring and attempting) and languages.

Ruxandra is a Partner in McKinsey’s Boston office and a leader in McKinsey’s North American Private Equity and Financial Services practices. She has over 10 years of experience in financial services, with core expertise in data and information services, digital, multichannel marketing and distribution. She has led numerous due diligence efforts for private equity companies across financial services areas and geographies. She has also worked closely with PE portfolio companies to create 100-day plans, implement major cost transformations, design strategies, improve pricing, and sales force effectiveness. Ruxandra has an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan and a B.S. in economics from Louisiana State University.

Cheryl is a Partner at Spalding Tougias Architects. A strong problem solver and effective communicator, Cheryl provides design leadership and project management for a variety of the firm’s projects. She is a member of the AIA, BSA, Urban Land Institute and New England Women in Real Estate and has been involved in diverse charitable activities. Cheryl has developed excellent relationships with government, historic, and design review boards and other public interest groups. She believes that the success of a project depends on close attention to client and user needs balanced with contextual requirements. Cheryl holds a Master of Science in Architecture from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arizona.


Boston Art Review Reports on Artist Live-Work Space in Boston
The spring/summer 2022 edition of the Boston Art Review is out, and it includes a fantastic feature by Anita Morson-Matra, “Real Talk," that focuses on the state of live-work spaces for artists in Boston. Anita…
Preserving 350 Artist Spaces in Lowell
The Arts & Business Council is delighted to announce the preservation of Western Avenue | Studio & Lofts, a vibrant artist community in Lowell, Massachusetts, through purchase of the property as the next phase of…
Available Grants from Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation
Our partners at Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation have two new grant programs available to help small businesses continue to recover from the pandemic. While not all of the artists and arts organizations we work with…
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