Kelly Ramirez
CEO
Kelly Ramirez is the CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG). She teaches/has taught Social Entrepreneurship at RISD, Salve Regina, Providence College, and in the Brown University Leadership Institute Previously, she directed the Social Enterprise Initiative at the William Davidson Institute (WDI) and was an adjunct lecturer at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. She has consulting and project management experience with organizations including Aid to Artisans, the Ford Foundation, the European Commission, USAID, the State Department, and Roche. Kelly also worked as a political analyst for the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service, an election monitor for the OSCE, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Slovakia. Kelly received MA Degrees in Public Policy and Urban Planning, completed a leadership and management program at the Ross School of Business, and a nonprofit management program at the Harvard Business School. She was named a Woman to Watch by the Providence Business News, was a BALLE Fellow, and is a mentor at Year Up.
Kelly is the proud mother of three, runs, likes to cook, garden and play the piano. She loves design and is an avid collector of mid century chairs.
Matthew Ramirez
COO
Matt is passionate about building teams, systems, and movements across sectors to foster positive social change. Prior to joining Social Enterprise Greenhouse, Matt was the Senior Regional Management Partner for East Africa with Aspen Management Partnership for Health (AMP Health) where he spent three years working with Malawi’s Ministry of Health to strengthen leadership and management capabilities as well as supporting AMP Health’s initiatives across Zambia and Malawi. Matt’s other international experience includes a Kiva Fellowship working with microfinance institutions in Uganda, a consultancy with Grassroots Business Fund in Peru evaluating social impact of SME-focused investments, and co-founding Teen Support Line to support adolescents living with HIV in Malawi through a free phone hotline service. Matt also spent five years working for PepsiCo with roles in financial planning, strategy, and marketing.
Matt holds an M.A. in Global Human Development from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, where he was a Social Enterprise Fellow and recipient of the Lancaster Award for Student Leadership. He also holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in business from New York University. Matt’s interests include soccer, romcoms (romantic comedies), and corny “dad” jokes.
Meg Wirth
Health and Wellness Initiative Director
As Director for SEG’s Health and Wellness initiative, Meg runs the business Accelerator for social enterprises focused on public health, wellness and medical innovation. She is also responsible for building partnerships with industry, universities and government interested in leveraging the power of social business for population health in Rhode Island and beyond.
Meg co-founded and launched a social enterprise called Maternova Inc., a pioneering global ecommerce platform for women’s health technologies. In prior roles she has mentored and consulted with dozens of social enterprises, worked at the Rockefeller Foundation on global health equity and secured a Gates Foundation grant to start a global health venture fund. Prior work in public health ranges from safe motherhood programs in Borneo to outreach to teen mothers in the Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky. She has an undergraduate degree from Harvard University in visual and environmental studies and a Master’s degree in international development from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School.
Meg is intrigued by ferns and lichen, environmental issues, gardens, practices yoga, has tried almost every form of complementary medicine and is beginning to explore RI by stand up paddleboard (SUP).
Jessica Vega
Pawtucket/Central Falls Program Director
Jessica Vega was born in the Dominican Republic and grew up between two of her favorites cities: Central Falls and Providence. As a first-generation college student, she graduated from Rhode Island College with a B.A. in Psychology and later earned an M.A. in Community Development from Roger Williams University, University College. Jessica views the world from an equity lens and firmly believes in listening, empowering, and supporting communities. She is excited to work alongside the wonderful people of Central Falls and Pawtucket and expects to bring the tools and resources the community needs to thrive.
Jessica serves on the City Council of Central Falls and is Chair of the Juvenile Hearing Board in Central Falls. She is also an Advisor for the Rhode Island Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System Project (RI-RED) through Rhode Island for Community & Justice and is a Mentor for the Real Connections Program through Foster Forward.
Jessica loves spending time in nature, dancing, enjoying quality time with her friends and family, and meditating with her quirky cat Lola.
Juan Carlos Payero
Newport Program Director
As SEG’s Newport Program Director, Juan Carlos develops and executes programming for social entrepreneurs in Newport and the surrounding communities. He brings significant experience building and expanding programs at various nonprofits, primarily in the social service and educational fields. He holds a B.A. in Government and Politics from St. John’s University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY).
Juan Carlos serves on the Portsmouth School Committee, is an active Freemason, and spends most summer weekends on his boat “Prestige Worldwide” with his family.
Natalie Pruell
Systems & Development Manager
Natalie Pruell grew up in Rhode Island before pursuing her B.A in Political Science and International Studies at Boston College. She comes to SEG with a background in nonprofit operations and development, and most recently worked at the Tanzanian Children’s Fund over the past five years. Natalie is excited to be back in Rhode Island and to have the opportunity to learn from the SEG network of entrepreneurs and advisors as they work to transform our state.
Tess Feigenbaum
Hub Manager
Tess is passionate about creating resilient systems and communities that elevate others and drive meaningful change. Her strategy and design backgrounds drive her to find unlikely connections and seek innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges across sectors and industries.
Prior to joining Social Enterprise Greenhouse, Tess co-founded Epic Renewal, an urban composting social enterprise dedicated to redefining our approach to waste in an urban environment. Her professional experience includes four years as a design researcher and strategist at an impact-driven creative consultancy, where she served clients such as Doctors Without Borders, World Bank Group, and WWF through program design, communications strategy, business development, and human-centered research.
Tess received her bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design and considers both Rhode Island and Maine home. In her free time, she loves gardening, woodworking, making and sharing good food, and finding new ways to live with less waste.
Austin Wilson
Impact Program Manager
Austin grew up south of New Orleans in Louisiana and graduated with a BA in Religion and English from Wheaton College (IL) and an M.Div from Duke University. He comes with a background in community development, most recently working with marginalized communities in rural North Carolina on projects that combined environmental justice and economic development at Resourceful Communities. As the Impact Program Manager, Austin is excited to work with social entrepreneurs to help create more equitable and sustainable economies that work for everyone. When he’s not at SEG, Austin is probably working on music or doing anthropological research on the strange new world of New England.
Alexandra Goyette
Food Initiative & Incubator Manager
A proud New Englander, Allie grew up by the sea and in the woods where she developed a true fondness for nature and its inhabitants. At Wheelock College, she channeled her passion into action, founding the first on-campus environmental group and creating the Environmental Studies Major and Sustainability Minor. Determined to become an agent of change, Allie completed her master’s in Environmental Law & Policy from Vermont Law School with highest honors. As the Food Initiative and Incubator Manager at SEG, Allie is looking forward to managing the Incubator program, supporting local food entrepreneurs, and growing the innovation ecosystem in Rhode Island. She is excited to continue her advocacy work by thinking globally and acting locally. When not working, Allie can be found knitting, gardening, and birding.
Stefanie Engelhardt
Regional Program Manager
Stefanie grew up in central Massachusetts and graduated with a B.A. in Communication and Media Studies from Fordham University. She has a background in client relations, operations management, and program support from her experience working in the shared office space and education industries. As a Program Coordinator for SEG, Stefanie is excited to support new programming and social enterprise ventures in Pawtucket and Central Falls, and on Aquidneck Island.
In her free time, Stefanie enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, and playing with her two rabbits.
Constance Ferber
Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives
Constance Ferber comes to SEG with a background in nonprofit capacity building and knowledge management. At SEG she leads the design and launch of new opportunities that help elevate and reimagine SEG’s programs and services. Prior to joining the team, Constance was the Knowledge Director for Nonprofit New York, where she oversaw the organization’s evaluation strategies and developed reports and resources related to nonprofit management practices and sector-related trends. Constance has a B.A. in Sociology from the College of Wooster and a M.A. in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University.
Constance is an avid fan of bluegrass music, hiking, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Karen Donovan
Communications Director
Karen Donovan has worked as a writer and communications professional for a variety of for-profit and nonprofit enterprises. She is a strong believer in the power of communities to come together and find creative solutions to pressing challenges. She joins Social Enterprise Greenhouse after serving for over 10 years as Communications Officer for The College Crusade of Rhode Island. She also has a background in technology PR and was for several years an editor of science and social science textbooks.
Karen holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Hobart & William Smith Colleges and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Massachusetts. A Rhode Island native, she is the author of three books of poetry, a board member of the Bay Spring Community Center, and an avid swimmer and kayaker.
Kristine Pearson
Organizational Development and Measurement Coordinator - Americorps VISTA
Kristine is a third year AmeriCorps program participant. Her first two years were spent in Newport helping homeless and low-income individuals obtain employment and connect to affordable housing opportunities.
As the Organizational Development and Measurement VISTA, Kristine’s responsibilities include maintaining and supporting the use of Salesforce and other technologies, and tracking performance and impact.
In her spare time, Kristine enjoys classic 70’s TV shows and studying World War 2 history.
Rachael Brady
Program Development VISTA
Rachael Brady grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She then attended George Washington University where she studied abroad in Santiago, Chile and spent much of her time with the Honey W. Nashman Center where she led a service trip to El Paso, Texas focusing on Immigration and Border Community Rights. In May 2020 she graduated Magna cum laude with a B.A. in International Affairs and Spanish. She wrote her Spanish Honors Thesis on the representation of fragmented families along the US-MX border in modern literature.
In October 2020, she joined the Brown University AmeriCorps VISTA Fellowship cohort and is excited to serve as the Program Development VISTA for SEG. She looks forward to learning more about what it means to create a sustainable economy as she supports the expansion of SEG programming to Pawtucket and Central Falls.
In her spare time, Rachael enjoys creative writing, exploring, running, and playing piano.
Constance Ferber
Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives
Constance Ferber comes to SEG with a background in nonprofit capacity building and knowledge management. At SEG she leads the design and launch of new opportunities that help elevate and reimagine SEG’s programs and services. Prior to joining the team, Constance was the Knowledge Director for Nonprofit New York, where she oversaw the organization’s evaluation strategies and developed reports and resources related to nonprofit management practices and sector-related trends. Constance has a B.A. in Sociology from the College of Wooster and a M.A. in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University.