Meet our team

Our Leadership Team is committed to propelling civic innovation and community resilience in a collaborative and sustainable way.

Our Board of Directors is comprised of experienced business professionals with a vision to uplift communities in need.

Octavien Spanner

President and CEO

Octavien Spanner has over two decades of executive-level experience directing public and nonprofit agencies across the United States, as well as internationally. With an interdisciplinary background in philosophy, human services, politics and international relations he has a unique perspective on interactional approaches to sustainable community development. His previous positions include serving as executive director, city administrator and Director of Community and Economic Development, overseeing various community revitalization, real estate development, and capital improvement projects. Internationally, he served as Senior Advisor and Development Affairs Liaison for Small Member States for United Nations specialized agencies such as UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF and UNEP.

Richard Sokolow

Impact Investor and Philanthropist

Richard Sokolow is an entrepreneur, real estate investor, private mortgage lender and philanthropist. He is passionate about giving back to underserved communities to help build brighter futures for all individuals.  After receiving a B.A. in Economics from Tufts University, Sokolow worked throughout Eastern Massachusetts as a project manager for numerous condominium developments.  He later worked as a private developer overseeing a wide range of real estate projects, including building single family homes and townhouses, managing extensive renovation projects, and investing in undervalued assets. 
Rich became involved in many charitable endeavors, first as a donor to causes relating to food insecurity, social justice, and homelessness, and later as a volunteer and board member for numerous local non-profits.  In addition to his real estate and finance work, Rich is also a musician and songwriter whose songs have appeared in many television shows, movies, and a national TV commercial.

Patricia Encina

Chairman

Patricia (Trish) Encina focuses on working with a team of investors while driving the organization’s strategic initiatives. Trish is the Founder and CEO of TENAURA, LLC, an exclusive Boston firm specializing in executive matchmaking worldwide. Prior to opening her business, she served as Vice President of Strategic Growth and Business Development for River Capital Advisors, LLC and various other prominent investment firms in Boston, Florida and New York. Trish has built her experience on a passion for human connection and knows how to draw investor collaboration to generate measurable societal impact. Her diverse experience and entrepreneurial integrity provide her with a unique professional perspective to lead the organization.

Victor Martinez

Treasurer

Victor Martinez is a serial entrepreneur, realtor, business coach, strategy consultant and minister. He aims to create an online ecosystem of open source entrepreneurship and access to capital/resources with the intent of creating an equitable future accelerating innovation and systemic economic growth ventures. Victor has successfully leveraged his leadership skills to invigorate business organizations including CSN, Wayfair and Amazon. At Amazon, he piloted the “Frictionless Shopping” Platform initiative resulting in significant operational cost reduction and company profit maximization. Most recently, he co-founded, directed and marketed the renovated Malden Mills Polartec building.

Tomas Michel

Secretary

Tomas Michel is the Principal of Michel Public Relations LLC with practices in New England and Puerto Rico. As a communication and marketing expert, he supports many start-up businesses and civic organizations in developing powerful brand platforms. Prior to launching his business, Tomas worked as a Community Outreach Officer for EForAll and Senior Head Clerk for the City of Lawrence. At EForAll, he managed customized solutions for small businesses affected by the 2018 Merrimack Valley Columbia Gas explosions. A passionate advocate for Inclusion and change, Tomas appears regularly on local talk radio as guest speaker and writes fact-based opinions in local newspapers to help educate the public.