29 Newtonians among Charles River Metrowest Most Influential Business Leaders of Color and Emerging Leaders of Color

Today the Charles River Regional Chamber released lists honoring the 50 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color and the 20 Emerging Leaders of Color in the Charles River Metrowest region. Of the 50 most influential business leaders of color, 29 honorees reside in Newton. Of the 20 emerging leaders of color, 10 reside in Newton.

The lists were developed by the Charles River Regional Chamber in partnership with Get Konnected! from nominations of people who 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.

29 Most Influential Business Leaders of Color in Newton

• Alexis Avila (Founder/CEO, Prepped & Polished Tutoring & Test Preparation)
• Damien B. Chaviano (Principal, Mark Development)
• Jeff Chin (Principal, CertaPro Painters of Newton)
• Ricardo Franco (Director of Family Support Services, Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE))
• Kent Gonzales, LEED AP BD+C (VP Development, Northland)
• Randy Johnson (VP of Client & Customer Success, Tangelo)
• Eric Liriano (Owner, Liriano Wealth Advisory)
• Angela Pitter (Founder & CEO, LiveWire Collaborative)
• Arthur Samuels (Construction Project Manager, 2Life Communities)
• Darryl Settles (President and Managing Partner, Catalyst Ventures Development)
• Gemima St. Louis, Ph.D. (Vice President for Workforce Initiatives and Specialty Training, William James College)
• Sharon Stout (Trustee, Newton Free Library)
• Shalini Tendulkar (President, Newton Neighbors)
• Kosha Thakore, M.D. (Sullivan Family Chief of Palliative Care, Division of Palliative Care, Chief Diversity Officer, Newton-Wellesley Hospital)
• Eric M. Turner (President, Lasell University)
• Catherine Vuky, Ph.D. (Director, Asian Mental Health Program & Assistant Professor – Clinical Psychology Department, William James College)
• Doug Williams (Chef, Owner, MIDA)
• Oneeka Williams (President and CEO, Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo, LLC)
• Regina Wu, MD (President, Newton Food Pantry)

10 Emerging Leaders of Color in Newton

• Devin Alexander (CEO, Rolling Releaf)
• Leonardis Baez (Owner Cacoa Nuts&Chocolates, Cacao Nuts and Chocolates)
• Cleantha Campbell (Owner & Director of Communications, The Green Lady Dispensary Newton)
• José J. Cortez, CFA (Board Member, UMass Foundation)
• Denise Daniels (Food Pantry Manager, Newton Food Pantry)
• Clarence Darrow Richardson, Jr. (Executive Director, MassNAELA)
• Jessica Estelle Huggins (Producer, Another Age Productions)
• Kateen R. Kumar (Juvenile court-appointed attorney, Board Member, One Can Help)
• Arpit Patel (Owner, Baramor Newton)
• Christina Pierre-Jacques (Associate Vice President for Board Relations and Engagement, UMass Foundation)