I’ve been of coaching people since 2007 in support of their learning, growth and change goals with a parallel commitment to promoting equity and justice in our communities. In 2020, I completed training for certification by the International Coaching Federation in leadership and performance coaching.
I am (currently) an Adjunct Lecturer at the Watson Institute and I was the founding Director of the Social Innovation Initiative at Brown’s Swearer Center (through 2017). Under my leadership, Brown was a pioneer in supporting student entrepreneurs with curriculum, technical skills, funding and mentorship through all stages of their startup journey with a focus on ventures designed to address social problems. These ventures are currently impacting 10’s of thousands of people in communities across the globe and collectively they have raised more than $100 million to support the development and growth of their work.
Before coming to Brown, I worked at Amos House in Providence to launch and develop More Than a Meal, a workforce development social enterprise that provides skills and resources for people in my community to pursue greater opportunity in their lives. My work in social enterprise was informed by 25 years as a consultant with (the predecessor company to) Accenture and a turnaround investor and manager supporting small and midsized companies in the Rhode Island community.
I have been engaged in my community as a leader and board member of organizations that are “moving the dial” with educational equity and social enterprise development.
I’ve been the Board Chair of Eye to Eye since 2018, an innovative organization that overcomes the stigma associated with learning disability (LD) with mentoring and social emotional skill development. I’m especially proud that Eye to Eye guides our strategy and priorities using equity as a primary filter – to prioritize our work around students who need our work most..
I have served on the City Year Providence Advisory Board since 2004 (including five years as Chair) to support the transformative impact of service on our Corps members and the support we can offer to under-resourced schools in our communities. In 2019, I joined the Board of the Rhode Island Association for Infant Mental Health (RIAIMH) and now serve as its Treasurer. RIAIMH fosters well-being of parents and young children through training and support of the infant caregiver work force. I have been leading the development of social enterprise in Rhode Island since 2000 as a founding partner and board member (through 2018) of Social Enterprise Greenhouse. SEG nurtures inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems that foster just, equitable and resilient communities.
My wife, Bari, and I have three grown children including our sons Jeremy & Gregory and daughter Sophie. We love being together as a family in the mountains of Colorado, scuba diving to explore the wonders of the sea, pausing to watch a breathtaking sunrise, and watching our (four … egads!) dogs play together.