Meet the Judging Panel of the 2026 SCI Pitch Event!
Meet the Judging Panel of the 2026 SCI Pitch Event!
On Saturday, April 11, 2026, there will be 15 judges making important decisions for SCI’s Youth Grant Pitch Contest through the 2026 Pitch Event, a powerful showcase of youth leadership, innovation and action.
Three panels of five judges will represent one of the following tracks: Arts & Culture, Bridge-building, and Mental Health. The judges will review 4-5 pitches presented by teams of youth from around the Boston area. Each team is requesting up to $2,000 in grant funding from a grant pool of $20,000. Judges will decide the grant awards for the teams’ social impact projects.
Meet all 15 of our 2026 Pitch Event judges below!
Arts & Culture Track
Social impact projects increasing community access, engagement and/or connections through the arts, humanities, or sciences.
Ben Aguilar is a co-owner and Head of Operations at Titin, an olive oil startup based in Boston. Ben received a bachelor's degree from Bates College, where he participated in the school's venture program (Bobcat Ventures) and won the 2022 business pitch competition. This experience is what made him want to take the leap into entrepreneurship, which is exactly why he's excited to serve as a judge at this year's SCI Pitch Event.
Beth Llewellyn-Lavoie is a seasoned executive with more than 30 years of experience leading procurement, operations, and enterprise transformation across complex organizations. She currently serves as the Senior Category Lead at UKG.
Beth brings a strong commitment to community impact and has been actively involved in the nonprofit sector through board service and volunteer leadership, including her work with Social Capital Inc. and the Junior League of Boston. Her nonprofit engagement complements her corporate experience and reflects a focus on building stronger, more connected communities.
Across her career—including leadership roles at UKG, Zelis, DentaQuest, Fidelity Investments, and The Boston Foundation—Beth has built and optimized enterprise functions, strengthened oversight, and delivered measurable financial and operational outcomes. She is known for her strategic perspective, disciplined execution, and ability to align operational priorities with long-term organizational objectives.
Hermayne Gordon has served as Director of the Woburn Public Library since 2021, where she is committed to strengthening the Library as a vibrant and inclusive community hub.
Guided by the Library’s mission to connect people with resources, services, and experiences that educate, enrich, and entertain, she leads initiatives that expand outreach, deepen community engagement, and ensure welcoming access for all. Working closely with her team, Hermayne prioritizes making library services accessible, relevant, and impactful—so that every resident feels supported and no one is left behind.
A proud Woburn resident for more than 30 years, Hermayne considers it a true honor to serve the community she calls home. She and her husband, Patrick, have raised their five in Woburn. With over two decades of experience in public libraries, she previously held roles at the Rowley Public Library and the Burlington Public Library, bringing a wealth of knowledge and dedication to her work.
Frank Green is the Founder and CEO of ExecuSource, a nationally recognized staffing and recruiting firm built on the belief that business success starts with people. Over the past 3 decades, Frank has led ExecuSource’s growth by prioritizing relationships, emotional intelligence, and a values-driven approach to hiring, challenging traditional industry norms that focus solely on metrics over meaning. Known for his candid leadership style, Frank has built a culture centered on integrity, accountability, and long-term impact.
He is deeply committed to developing others, helping professionals grow not just in their careers, but as leaders and individuals. As he looks ahead to his next chapter, Frank is focused on expanding his impact beyond business through humanitarian work in Nepal. Frank’s career has been defined not only by the organizations he’s built, but by the people he’s impacted, and his next chapter continues that mission on a global scale.
J. Brian Potts is a fully recovered attorney who continues to serve as a private trustee providing active portfolio investment and general financial advice to individuals, families, and foundations.
He worked for a private trust company for decades but has been on his own for about 8 years. He has a deep passion for the arts and music and attempts to play guitar and mandolin both privately and occasionally in Metro West public venues. Brian lives in Weston.
Bridge-building Track
Social impact projects bringing together youth (and others) from different communities or different identity groups through cultural exchange and social engagement.
Carlos Guzmán is a Dominican Project Architect at Gensler. Based in Massachusetts since 2014, Carlos holds a Masters in Architecture and Masters in Landscape Architecture from the Boston Architectural College and has been practicing architecture for over 10 years across a diverse range of project types and countries. In his free time he enjoys playing guitar, hiking, a good book and spending time with his family and cats.
Daniel Danes is a Spanish-American entrepreneur and the founder of the Boston olive oil startup 'Titin' (named after his great-grandmother). Daniel received his MBA from Babson College, and also holds a Spanish Juris Doctor, having previously worked as a finance lawyer in Spain. After working as a lawyer and then a consultant, Daniel decided to pursue entrepreneurship. His first successful venture was co-founding a music room rental business in Spain with his brother. While he remains involved in this business, his primary focus since moving to Boston has been providing the best olive oil Spain has to offer to the United States.
Dr. Gerardo Gauthier-Zayas Jr. is an educator, entrepreneur, and the Founder and President of Avant Consulting and Training. For more than 20 years, he has helped leaders and organizations strengthen business strategies, leadership capacity, and service delivery across public-serving institutions, including healthcare, higher education, government services, and nonprofit sectors. His work focuses on leadership coaching, strategic planning, and professional development using Systematic Equity Infrastructure, the Workforce Development Inequity Framework, and the ACT Model.
Dr. Gauthier-Zayas also teaches courses on nonprofit management, fundraising, community engagement, social justice, and social policy across associate, bachelor’s, and master’s programs throughout New England.
He holds degrees from Northeastern University, Plymouth State University, and New England College, where he earned his Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration.
María Teresa Nagel is a Costa Rican-American, Woburn School Committee Member, and the first Latina and queer person to have ever been elected to public office in Woburn. She serves as the Director of Immigrant Affairs in Somerville, where she leads efforts to make local government more accessible, equitable, and inclusive for all residents.
Her career spans multiple countries and sectors—from research and policy to grassroots work with immigrants and refugees—always guided by one principle: that the people most affected by an issue must help shape the solutions.
She is a graduate of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she focused on Migration Policy in the Americas and Development Economics, and is deeply committed to building communities where every person—regardless of background, language, or birthplace—feels seen, valued, and supported. Her life and work are grounded in service, justice, and the belief that inclusion strengthens us all.
Vasant Narayan is a seasoned sales executive and tech entrepreneur with a passion for solving customer challenges. He has been a co-founder in multiple startups, including his latest venture, Relentless – a top job search accelerator that helps high-end job seekers find and land their next dream job faster and with less effort while significantly increasing compensation.
A natural connector, Vasant enjoys supporting other entrepreneurs – he actively advises several startups in the areas of sales/growth/GTM, and he serves on the board of SCI as well as another non-profit that promotes entrepreneurship in youth and underserved communities.
Vasant holds a B.S. in Biostatistics from Cornell University, and a M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy & Governance from Boston College. When not working, he enjoys traveling, bowling, playing poker, and chauffeuring his daughter to all her activities.
Mental Health Track
Social impact projects supporting youth or community: mental health, reducing mental health stigma, social determinants of mental health, and/or healthy lifestyles.
Louise Wager is a career commercial lender and private banker with over 30 years experience in developing and managing banking relationships for businesses, private clients, family offices, entrepreneurs, private equity firms, foundations and not-for-profit organizations. Louise has extensively engaged with her clients to achieve profitable and sustainable growth and is actively involved in supporting their liquidity needs, from the sourcing and structuring of complex transactions to the provision of capital to fund ongoing expenses.
Louise is a senior private banker with BNY Wealth based in Boston and joined the firm in 2015. Louise has served on not-for-profit, philanthropic and community boards and organizations, both in the Washington DC metro area and in Boston and was recently appointed to the Board of ACG Boston.
Mya Doan is a Psychology student at Boston University’s Kilachand Honors College and a Dean’s List recipient. Currently, she serves as the Youth Representative for the Beth Israel Lahey Health Behavioral Health Navigator Allocation Committee, where she provides leadership and oversight for mental health initiatives and grant funding in Medford and Waltham. Mya’s professional background includes research and resource development for Thriving Asians, as well as organizing community mental health events as a previous LET Intern for Social Capital Inc.
She is also a trained Achieve Whole Health Wellness Coach, specializing in providing culturally relevant health support for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. In addition to being Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED certified, she holds the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish. Mya is dedicated to applying her skills to improve access to care for underserved and high-need populations.
Nephthalie Careen Bernard is the founder of Careen Coaching, a Self-Care Initiative and platform that “serves as a safe space to gain tools to help foster positive holistic health for continued success.” Her main focus: Healing and Freedom Empowerment.
Holding a bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology and Education, she has over a decade’s experience in counseling the transitional growth of youth and young adults. As a proud Haitian American from Cambridge, MA she utilizes her academic expertise to champion Mental Health advocacy in her community and beyond.
Currently, Nephthalie Careen works at Boston University as the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Career Advising in the Questrom School of Business, intentionally guiding her students for professional success. You can find Nephthalie Careen hosting conferences, fundraisers and various events throughout the city or facilitating workshops with mission driven organizations.
Paris Flynn, MBA is the Lead Program Manager at Best Buddies Massachusetts & Rhode Island, where she directs the Ambassadors program across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She designs and delivers leadership training curricula, manages programs serving 200+ participants, and drives inclusive community engagement through events and partnerships. Her work has earned national recognition, including Program Manager of the Year (2026), for empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A graduate of Bryant University, Paris holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and an MBA in General Management. She received the HerStory Award in recognition of her community impact and leadership in enhancing the culture and fostering a more supportive, inclusive learning environment for female and minority students. Paris is SHRM-CP certified and is passionate about advancing inclusive leadership and driving meaningful social change.
Seth joined Morgan Stanley from his most recent endeavor, as an independent business owner of several national gym franchises just outside of Boston. He now lives in Winchester, MA with his three young daughters.
A native New Yorker, Seth Libert attended high school at the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts, and headed west to the University of Colorado at Boulder to finish his education. A lifelong athlete, during his undergraduate years at CU Seth was a member of the Buffaloes football team from 1989-1992, as well as a decorated member of the track and field team as a decathlete.
After college Seth balanced a full time occupation on the financial side of the mortgage industry, earning several distinctions in ever increasing positions, while also devoting as much time as possible to training as an elite athlete. He spent a good portion of this time training for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with renowned Decathlon coach Harry Marra. The training Seth received and the success he realized as an elite athlete have been instrumental in his work ethic and success as a Financial Advisor.
Supporters of the 2026 Youth Grant Pitch Contest
The 2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest is made possible by the generous support of Boston Bridges Initiative, Winning Home, Inc., State Street Foundation, The Brooks & Joan Fortune Family Foundation, M&T Bank, The Boston Foundation, Kick It For A Cause, Boston Children’s Hospital, and a Massachusetts state budget line item (thanks to the advocacy of State Senator Cindy Friedman). Major support for SCI’s youth programs is provided by Cummings Properties.
The 2026 Pitch Event is supported by 1981andCo Photography, the Ironside Group at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, the YMCA of Greater Boston and Roxbury Community College.
About the Youth Grant Pitch Contest
The Youth Grant Pitch Contest provides youth with access to adult-mentoring relationships, financial support, and network-building for their own social impact projects, while bridging connections across communities in Greater Boston. For more information visit socialcapitalinc.org/ygpc.
About Social Capital Inc.
SCI’s mission is to strengthen communities by connecting diverse individuals and organizations through civic engagement initiatives. SCI’s goal is to develop 1,000 youth + adult Social Capital Cultivators™ by 2028 who will increase social connection through civic engagement initiatives to build thriving, inclusive communities. Visit socialcapitalinc.org to learn more.
