Staff

Interise has a small but highly motivated and dedicated staff that work hard to promote the interests of urban small businesses.

J. JEAN HORSTMAN—CEO

Jean has more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, spanning the private, public, and nonprofit sectors and two continents. Before joining Interise as its first CEO, Jean served as the National Director for Civic Engagement and Corporate Citizenship at Citizen Schools. She has partnered with other national social entrepreneurs, serving in senior leadership roles with Manchester Craftsmen's Guild and BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), and was also the Managing Director of the Society for Organizational Learning. She spent 16 years working in the United Kingdom and Eastern and Central Europe, where she led organizations responding to societal changes related to post-industrialism, post-communism, urban and economic redevelopment, and globalization. A graduate of Duke University and the City University of London, Jean is a fellow of the Society for Organizational Learning and the Royal Society for the Advancement of the Arts, Manufacturing, and Commerce.

KAY H. PAINE - DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

Kay has two primary responsibilities at Interise: to ensure the highest quality Interise programs in Boston and Worcester and to facilitate the expansion of Interise programs to additional cities in Massachusetts. Prior to joining Interise, Kay was the director of sales and marketing for QuitNet.com, an online smoking cessation program. As a member of the management team, she played a key role in successfully transforming QuitNet from a nonprofit to a profitable business. Kay has served in leadership roles in nonprofit organizations for more than 25 years. She has served as executive director of the Massachusetts Bar Association, Cambridge Community Foundation, and state and local pro bono programs in Massachusetts, Texas, and Colorado. Kay holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado.

ALISON BERGLUND - DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS

Alison is charged with building and strengthening Interise's relationships and networks throughout the country. Prior to joining Interise, Alison worked for Procter and Gamble for 19 years holding leadership positions in sales, marketing and business development. She left P&G to join the start up endeavor of a grocery shopping and delivery service, HomeRuns.com as the Vice President of Marketing and Sales. In 2004, Alison joined the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the Executive Director of the Office of Small Business & Entrepreneurship. She also started and owns Twelve, her own consulting and project management business. Alison is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Isenberg School of Management. 

KAREN KATZ - STRATEGIC PARTNER 

Karen works to strengthen Interise's operations and business strategies. She came to Interise in 2009 from Mintz Levin where she served as a Business Development Executive. Prior to Mintz, Karen was with Law Practice Consultants and was also a member of Korn/Ferry International's Center for Legal Expertise. Karen has also practiced law at Crowell & Moring, Hale & Dorr and Todd & Weld. She served as in-house counsel at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C and clerked for the Honorable Juan R. Torruella, First Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2001, Karen was selected as one of the Boston Business Journal's 40 under 40 for her accomplishments in the business community. Karen holds a J.D. from Boston University.  

BRANDON MASTRANGELO - BOSTON SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER

Brandon runs Interise's flagship Boston program and plays an integral role in creating more visibility and awareness for Interise's ‘StreetWise MBA™' program. He focuses heavily on recruiting and enrolling entrepreneurs, as well as logistically organizing/coordinating the nine-month program each year. Brandon previously worked at the International Institute of Boston, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of their economic development department. His work there focused on helping the refugee and immigrant populations in Greater Boston start and/or expand a small business, as well as on organizing and teaching financial literacy courses. Brandon spent the majority of the last two years working with refugees, providing technical assistance around their small business needs, which included: financing, marketing/sales, advertising, business plan development, and networking to find industry experts. Brandon holds a B.S. from Oswego University in Business Administration.

BEECHER GROGAN - MERRIMACK VALLEY PROGRAM MANAGER

Beecher works to recruit and enroll entrepreneurs and provides logistical support for Interise's Merrimack Valley program. She has significant experience managing projects and recruiting and training adult and youth volunteers. Beecher founded the Amesbury Farmer's Market, was the owner of Ooh, Mama Photography for nine years, and serves as the founder and director of Lucy's Children in Amesbury.

SHERINA HENDRIX - PROGRAMS PROJECT MANAGER

Sherina joined Interise after serving six years at CareGroup Healthcare System. Sherina's key responsibilities at Interise include partnership support, development, and managing the StreetWise Exchange. Sherina serves on the Board of Directors of Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, Onein3 Mayor's Advisory Council, and Columbia Point Strategic Planning Task Force. Sherina holds a B.A. from Simmons College in PR/Marketing Communication and Managerial Finance.

JEFF KESSNER - EVALUATION MANAGER

Jeff joined the Interise team in 2007. He develops and implements Interise's program evaluation tools and uses this data to improve the program experience for participants. Previously, Jeff worked for Summerbridge South Florida, Commongood Careers, and a human rights organization in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also has significant experience coordinating volunteer work with the elderly and currently sits on the Board of Directors of Hearth, an organization that works to end elder homelessness. Jeff holds a B.A. in Sociology and American Studies with honors from Wesleyan University.

STACY MCNARY - COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Stacy joined Interise in 2009 as a co-op student from Northeastern University. She works with the Interise team to support communication initiatives. Before joining the team, Stacy worked as a public relations intern at Solomon McCown & Company and as a marketing assistant at Constant Contact. She is a candidate for a B.A. in Communication Studies with a concentration in organizational communication.