Boston

BUILD BOSTON

Launched in 2011

“Entrepreneurship is the hook; college and career success are the goals”.

PROBLEM:

A student’s opportunity is too often limited by their zip code, race, and socioeconomic class.

the build story
IN boston.

Before there was BUILD in Boston, there were three big-hearted champions of youth with a dream to make a difference in the lives of teens in their community. In 2008, Jeff Glass, Ajay Agarwal, and Scott Friend of Bain Capital connected with BUILD’s founder and then CEO, Suzanne McKechnie Klahr, and the plans to bring BUILD to Boston were born.

 

The Boston site was launched in 2011 with 90 students in four schools by Ayele Shakur, former CEO of BUILD National. Ayele brought decades of experience as an innovator in urban education to BUILD, including 11 years as a classroom teacher in Boston and Los Angeles Public Schools. Under her leadership, the Boston site grew to serve more than 300 students per year in six schools, launched several innovative pilots, and celebrated numerous achievements. Here are a few highlights that exemplify BUILD’s leadership and innovation in Boston over the past decade:

2011

BUILD Boston launches

BUILD Boston launches in Boston Public Schools with the support of dedicated founding board members.
2020

Randolph High School

After years of successful programming in Boston, BUILD’s partnership with Randolph High School begins as a satellite program, and then officially becomes part of BUILD Boston in 2022.
2023

BUILD Boston Expansion

BUILD Boston expands to Salem, MA through a partnership with New Liberty High School.

Class of 2022 at Dearborn STEM Academy, Kanye is CEO of Petdanas, “a pet bandana (bandana, collar, leash) to keep your pet looking fresh and in style.” He shares his journey through BUILD and how his mindset has changed since operating his own business.

watch his story

Graduated Senior and Valedictorian from Dearborn STEM Academy Lenylse spoke at the 2019 BUILDFest Pitch Challenge about her BUILD journey and relationship with her mentor and team Towel Tote.

 

 

watch her story

BUILD students Alicia and Jamea showcase their product to help a fellow student help alleviate her stress and mental health. The product is a wellness app that helps track the user’s workout, meditation, and calorie plans. 

watch their story

Featured Partner

Thank You to Our Partners

  • All
  • Angel $10K+
  • Bay Area
  • Boston
  • Catalyst $100K+
  • D.C. Metro Area
  • Incubator $50K+
  • New York City
  • Pennsylvania
  • Visionary $20K+

updates & events.

America’s Young Entrepreneurs Shine at BUILDFest 2025: A National Celebration of Youth-Led Innovation

As BUILD.org embarks on its 25th year, it proudly showcases the next generation of entrepreneurial changemakers through its innovative BUILDFest events in Bay Area, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Boston, and New York City over the next month. BUILD, a national nonprofit organization, is on a mission to use entrepreneurship to ignite the potential of youth from under-resourced communities, enabling them to build career success, entrepreneurial mindsets, and opportunity. BUILDFest events serve as vibrant celebrations of the transformational power of youth entrepreneurship, redefining education and creating opportunities for middle and high school students in under-resourced communities.
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BUILD.org Hosts Youth Entrepreneurship Competitions Nationwide to Celebrate 25 Years of Empowering Youth and Educators

As BUILD.org embarks on its 25th year, it proudly showcases the next generation of entrepreneurial changemakers through its innovative BUILDFest events in Bay Area, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Boston, and New York City over the next month. BUILD, a national nonprofit organization, is on a mission to use entrepreneurship to ignite the potential of youth from under-resourced communities, enabling them to build career success, entrepreneurial mindsets, and opportunity. BUILDFest events serve as vibrant celebrations of the transformational power of youth entrepreneurship, redefining education and creating opportunities for middle and high school students in under-resourced communities.
READ MORE

BUILDing moments of Gratitude

This past school year we were able to partner with 8 public schools to develop entrepreneurial skill sets and mindsets for over 470 students. We expanded outside of Boston and […]
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EY Connect Day x BUILD

BUILD is proud to be a partner of EY and one of the signature initiatives for its global corporate responsibility program, EY Connect Day. On November 3, EY employees from […]
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Boston 25 News | Anchor Venessa Welch & Patriots Legend Devin McCourty at BUILDFest Boston 2023

News Anchor Venessa Welch from Boston 25 News not only was the MC for BUILDFest Boston 2023, she also reported about BUILDFest Boston 2023 on Boston 25 News. Additionally, Patriots […]
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BUILD.org Announces The Winning Team of BUILDFest Boston’s Youth Pitch Challenge

Boston, MA – May 25, 2023 – BUILD.org declared the winning high school team, Sweetify, from Charlestown High School, as the first-place winner of the 2023 BUILDFest Boston Pitch Challenge […]
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the build greater boston team.

Regional Teams
Associate Board
Advisory Board
Alex Laser
Senior Program Manager Yr 3+

Alex Laser

Position: Senior Program Manager Yr 3+
Email: alaser@build.org
Alex Laser joins the BUILD Greater Boston team with over 12 years of experience in secondary education and project management in high schools around the country, including DC, Chicago and Greater Boston. It was during his early tenure teaching English in DC that Alex became a Year 1 BUILD teacher, igniting an enduring passion for community building and project-based learning. At every opportunity, he opened the four walls of his English classroom to guest speakers and field trips, partnering with an array of local teaching artists, theater companies, recording studios, even public television and radio programs. True to the BUILD spirit, Alex loves to provide students platforms to share their stories, topple dominant narratives about their communities, and pitch their vision of a better world. In his most recent roles, Alex co-founded and facilitated the Boston-based group PARC (Practicing Anti-Racist Collegiality), a coalition of White educator allies and BIPOC educators engaging in tough conversations on race, matching community activism with rigorous inner work. He has several years of experience writing anti-bias curriculum and training educators in DEI and culturally responsive teaching practices. During COVID, he also organized Edubabble, an eZine showcasing the creative voices of educators outside the classroom, and Coffee House, a virtual monthly meetup and writing space for educators seeking self-care and community through communal art and storytelling. Alex holds a B.A. in English Literature and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from George Washington University. He is excited to serve BUILD Greater Boston students and teachers in realizing their entrepreneurial dreams!
Angela Stokes
Director of Mentor & Community Engagement

Angela Stokes

Position: Director of Mentor & Community Engagement
Email: astokes@build.org
Angela Stokes joins BUILD with varied non-profit experience across education, mentoring and corporate engagement. She is also a proponent of National Service, having served two years in AmeriCorps, solidifying her desire to give back to the community. Moving to Boston over a decade ago, Angela hoped to connect better to the community by becoming a mentor and pursued being a Big Sister. This experience has now helped her call Boston home. She is excited to join the BUILD team to continue connecting with students, maximizing their potential and engaging awesome mentors to do so too. In her spare time, Angela enjoys music, cooking and exploring parks with her toddler.
Betsy Neptune
Regional Executive Director
Boston

Betsy Neptune

Position: Regional Executive Director, Boston
Email: bneptune@build.org
Betsy Neptune comes to BUILD with over 15 years of experience in community economic development in Latin America and the U.S. She is passionate about creating a world in which everyone can have a job that they love and one through which they can grow and develop in order to have a positive impact. In her most recent role as the Chief of Economic Development for the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, she led economic recovery and resilience efforts for 101 cities and towns in Greater Boston. During her tenure, she expanded the work of the team beyond traditional economic development efforts, to include workforce development, digital access, and other strategies to advance wealth creation with a focus on reducing the racial wealth gap. Over the past year, her team played a key role in COVID response and recovery efforts throughout the Greater Boston region. Prior to that role, she led the Small Business Technical Assistance program for the City of Boston, after serving as the Executive Director of Egleston Square Main Street, an organization in Jamaica Plain/Roxbury whose mission is to support small businesses. This work was shaped by her experiences working in community economic development for several years in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Betsy has a heart for teaching, coaching, and entrepreneurship, so BUILD is a perfect fit. She has taught high school and graduate-level classes and also coaches existing and emerging entrepreneurs through her coaching business. She is a graduate of Trinity College with a degree in Anthropology and has certificates in Nonprofit Management and Corporate Social Responsibility. She received her MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and lives in Boston.
Lenworth A. Williamson
Program Director

Lenworth A. Williamson

Position: Program Director
Email: lwilliamson@build.org
Len joins the BUILD Boston team with nine years of experience in education and youth development work. He has most recently worked at the Pingree School outside of Boston, as the Dean of Students for six years. In addition to his role overseeing student life, Len has taught social studies and coached basketball at Pingree. He also serves as a workshop presenter and conference facilitator on the topics of social justice in education and student motivation. He offers professional development webinars for educators in school districts across the state through the Massachusetts Partnership for Youth and works alongside a diverse group of educators from around the country to deliver social justice curricula for high schoolers at the annual NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference. As a volunteer, Len supports nonprofit organizations around Greater Boston, including serving on the board of directors of Aaron’s Presents, a service-learning program for kids in under-resourced communities on the north shore. His joy in working with young people was sparked after college, while playing pro basketball overseas and coaching local youth teams. Whether it’s on the court, in the classroom, or in life, Len is excited by the process of experiential learning and believes wholeheartedly in the power of a growth mindset. He earned a B.A. in Sociology from Amherst College and an M.Ed. in K-12 Learning and Instruction from Northeastern University.
Shannon Fisher
Senior Program Manager

Shannon Fisher

Position: Senior Program Manager
Email: shayes@build.org
Shannon Hayes joins the BUILD Boston team with years of experience in youth development and K-12 education in Boston. As former Interim Executive Director of Expanded Learning Opportunities & Partnerships and Director of Expanded Learning Opportunities at Boston Public Schools, Shannon worked with community-based organizations and school leaders to plan and execute summer and vacation week programs across the city that offered students academic support and enrichment opportunities. Prior to that, she was the Afterschool & Summer Learning Program Manager at Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA), overseeing the implementation of arts-integrated, experiential learning programs for English Learners in Boston's South End. Shannon is excited to join the team at BUILD Boston to support and develop strong school partnerships and high quality teacher and volunteer training for our school partners in Boston. Shannon is a licensed educator and holds a master's degree in Elementary Education and Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University and a bachelor's in Critical Social Thought from Mount Holyoke College. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, yoga and cooking, and is currently learning ASL.
Christian Souza *Co-Chair*
Vice President
Silicon Valley Bank
First Citizens Bank

Christian Souza

Position: Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank, First Citizens Bank
Gira Wieczorek *Co-Chair*
Founder
Aleberry

Gira Wieczorek

Position: Founder, Aleberry
Loretta Alderman
Director of Strategic Engagement
Office of the CHRO Product Strategy
Workday

Loretta Alderman

Position: Director of Strategic Engagement, Office of the CHRO Product Strategy, Workday
Sarah Allaire
Founder
Click Learning

Sarah Allaire

Position: Founder, Click Learning
Anthony Craigwell
Sales Development Representative
Lumafield

Anthony Craigwell

Position: Sales Development Representative, Lumafield
Katherine Man
Group Product Manager
Hubspot

Katherine Man

Position: Group Product Manager, Hubspot
Kaitlin Moroney
Senior Manager
Attorney Development
Goodwin

Kaitlin Moroney

Position: Senior Manager, Attorney Development, Goodwin
Alankrita Narang
Chief Administrative Officer
Boston Harbor Now

Alankrita Narang

Position: Chief Administrative Officer, Boston Harbor Now
Edosa Osemwegie
Founder
DiasporaMass

Edosa Osemwegie

Position: Founder, DiasporaMass
Joshua Ramgeet
BUILD Alumni
Northeastern School of Business

Joshua Ramgeet

Position: BUILD Alumni, Northeastern School of Business
Sep Salimi
Vice President
SVB

Sep Salimi

Position: Vice President, SVB
Kaela Schram
Manager
Sales Development
BeyondTrust

Kaela Schram

Position: Manager, Sales Development, BeyondTrust
Amy Trutor
Portfolio Manager
State Street

Amy Trutor

Position: Portfolio Manager, State Street
Matt Flanagan *Chair*
Senior Advisor
Public Relations
Marketbridge

Matt Flanagan

Position: Senior Advisor, Public Relations, Marketbridge
Jamie Bader
Executive Advisor
EY-Parthenon

Jamie Bader

Position: Executive Advisor, EY-Parthenon
Tony Bordon
Managing Director
Spinnaker Analytics

Tony Bordon

Position: Managing Director, Spinnaker Analytics
Scott Friend
Managing Director
Bain Capital Ventures

Scott Friend

Position: Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jeff Glass
CEO
Hometap Equity Partners

Jeff Glass

Position: CEO, Hometap Equity Partners
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Robert Glazer
Founder & CEO
Acceleration Partners

Robert Glazer

Position: Founder & CEO, Acceleration Partners
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Frank Graziano
Partner
PwC

Frank Graziano

Position: Partner, PwC
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Keith Jackson
SVB/First Citizens Bank

Keith Jackson

Position: SVB/First Citizens Bank
Jon Kanter
CFO
Public Consulting Group

Jon Kanter

Position: CFO, Public Consulting Group
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Victoria Kinnealey
Portfolio Development
Ventures
Dell Technologies Capital

Victoria Kinnealey

Position: Portfolio Development, Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital
Jon Lang
Partner
EY

Jon Lang

Position: Partner, EY
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Cendy Moliere
Search Engine Optimization Specialist
eGenerationMarketing

Cendy Moliere

Position: Search Engine Optimization Specialist, eGenerationMarketing
Christian Souza
Vice President
Silicon Valley Bank
First Citizens Bank

Christian Souza

Position: Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank, First Citizens Bank
Donald Wright
Deputy Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion
City of Boston

Donald Wright

Position: Deputy Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, City of Boston
Hayden Broberg
Director of Partnerships
Capital One

Hayden Broberg

Position: Director of Partnerships, Capital One
Tyler Kirk
Executive Director
Innovation Economy Banking
J.P Morgan

Tyler Kirk

Position: Executive Director, Innovation Economy Banking, J.P Morgan
Gira Wieczorek
Founder
Aleberry

Gira Wieczorek

Position: Founder, Aleberry

BOston.

Mailing

BUILD Boston

198 Tremont St. #251 Boston, MA 02116

Contact

GreaterBoston@BUILD.org 
Phone +1 (617)315-8231
Fax +1 (617) 765-2530

Storytelling

STORYTELLING.

Download a Sample of Our Curriculum

Fill out this form to receive a free sample of our curriculum and to receive occasional email updates on how to bring BUILD to your community.

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VIDEO PREPARATION GUIDELINES

HOW TO RECORD

1. iPhone, iPad, Zoom and Loom are all choices of recording tools for their video presentation 
2. Record with both students and their presentation in view
3. Record horizontally for the best view of the students and their presentation
4. Follow Presentation Diagram to the Right

PRESENTATION TIPS.

- Make eye contact with the camera
- Notecards may be used as cue cards
•Pro Tip: Notecards should avoid having a full script
- Even when you are not speaking, don’t forget the camera is still recording!
•Be aware of your body language while you and your business partners are speaking
- Everyone has an opportunity to speak
- Professional dress is encouraged
- Practice makes perfect
•Practice how you will transition from each speaker
•Project your voice when you speak​

Follow positioning format Above

Download a Sample of Our Curriculum

Fill out this form to receive a free sample of our curriculum and to receive occasional email updates on how to bring BUILD to your community.