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50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color

A partnership between the Charles River Regional Chamber and Get Konnected!, this list aims to celebrate, document and showcase the plethora of professionals and executives of color making a positive contribution to the economic and social fabric of Greater Boston’s Western Suburbs. Our 2023 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color honorees were selected by a panel of distinguished judges from close 200 nominations. All honorees work and/or sit on a board for a business or nonprofit that is physically located in Newton, Needham, Wellesley, Waltham, Watertown, Natick and Framingham.

MOHAMAD ALI

CEO & Director, IDG, Inc.

 

ALEXIS AVILA

Founder & CEO, Prepped and Polished Tutoring and Test Preparation

 

GILDA BARABINO

President, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

 

FRANCHESCA CARRINGTON

Vice President, DEI & Talent Development, SharkNinja

 

LENNOX CHASE

Director, Needham Bank

 

DAMIEN B. CHAVIANO

Principal, MARK Development

 

JEFF CHIN

Principal, CertaPro Painters of Newton

 

LINO COVARRUBIAS

Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Family Service of MetroWest

 

GUIMEL DECARVALHO

Vice President of People and Culture & Chief Diversity Officer, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network 

 

GARDY DESROULEAUX

Founder & Owner, Craft Food Halls

 

BEVERLY EDGEHILL

Senior Vice President, Organizational Development, The TJX Companies, Inc.

 

JESSE EDWARDS

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, City of Framingham

LATOYIA EDWARDS

News Anchor, NBC10 Boston & NECN

 

NATASHA ESPADA

Founder & Principal, STUDIO ENEÉ Architects

 

RICARDO FRANCO

Director of Family Support Services, Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE)

ANNA GIRALDO-KERR

Founder & CEO, Shades of Success, Inc.

DONNA LATSON GITTENS

Founder & CEO, MORE Advertising

 

KENT GONZALES

VP Development, Northland Investment Corporation

 

CRISTINA GONZALEZ

Chief Legal Officer, Staples

DAQUALL GRAHAM

Chief People Officer, Insource Services, Inc.

KAREN HOLMES WARD

Director of Public Affairs and Community Services, WCVB

SHEILAH SHAW HORTON

Vice President and Dean of Students, Wellesley College

 

CHARMAIN JACKMAN

Founder & CEO, InnoPsych, Inc.

RANDY JOHNSON

Vice President of Client & Customer Success, Tangelo

PAULA JOHNSON

President, Wellesley College

JAY KIM

Executive Director, Foundation for MetroWest

 

ARCHY LASALLE

Director, Where Are All the Black People At

ERIC LIRIANO

Owner, Liriano Wealth Advisory

FREDERICK LOWERY

Senior Vice President & President, Customer Channels Group, Thermo Fisher Scientific

RITAH NAKANDI

Founder & CEO, Afri-root Collective

 

ANGELA PITTER

Founder & CEO, LiveWire Collaborative

KRISTEN POPE

Founder & CEO, Pope Productions, Inc.

BRANDALE RANDOLPH

Founder & CEO, 1854 Cycling

MOLYNA RICHARDS

Executive Director, Waltham Chamber of Commerce

 

ARTHUR SAMUELS

Construction Project Manager, 2Life Communities

DARRYL SETTLES

President & Managing Partner, Catalyst Ventures Development

JAY SPENCER

Owner, French Press Bakery & Cafe

GEMIMA ST. LOUIS

Vice President for Workforce Initiatives & Speciality Training, William James College

 

SHARON STOUT

Trustee, Newton Free Library

SHALINI TENDULKAR

President, Newton Neighbors

SEEMA THAKORE MELONI

Founding Member and Current Co-Chair, PR & Communications Committee, Indian Community of Needham (ICON)

KOSHA THAKORE

Sullivan Family Chief of Palliative Care, Division of Palliative Care, Chief Diversity Officer, Newton-Wellesley Hospital

 

ERIC TURNER

President, Lasell University

SONAL ULLMAN

Gastroenterologist, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Needham

CATHERINE VUKY

Director, Asian Mental Health Program & Assistant Professor, Clinical Psychology Department, William James College

LOUVERE WALKER-HANNON

Senior Application Engineering Team Lead, MathWorks

 

LAWRENCE P. WARD

Vice President & Dean of Campus Life, Babson College

ONEEKA WILLIAMS

President & CEO, Dr. Dee Dynamo, LLC

DOUGLASS WILLIAMS

Chef, Owner, MIDA

REGINA WU

President, Newton Food Pantry

 

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