Our People

Staff

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

• Email: jhorstman@interise.org

ALISON BERGLUND - DIRECTOR OF LICENSING

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.

• Email: aberglund@interise.org

BERNARD JOHNSON - DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM OPERATIONS

Bernard leads the development of the Interise membership in Massachusetts.  He also oversees the creation and management of the systems and services needed to scale Interise nationally. Prior to Interise, Bernard served as manager of operations for several commercial real estate properties’ for GE Commercial Finance/InterPark in Boston. In addition Bernard, successfully commanded a start - up division in Downtown Boston with Cintas, in which he performed sales, marketing, and operational management duties. Overall Bernard brings 10 plus years of sales, marketing, business development, and management experience with several industry leaders to Interise. Bernard holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Boston in English.

• Email: bjohnson@interise.org

STEVE KIRK - DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

Steve is responsible for the financial and administrative operating plans and systems that support Interise’s strategic goals.  Steve has over 20 years of experience managing international volunteer and educational exchange programs.  Prior to joining Interise, he served as the Director of Finance and Operations for School Year Abroad in Lawrence, MA.  He has held senior management positions at AFS Intercultural Programs/USA, WorldTeach, and Amigos de las Americas.  He also served as the Director of Dreams of Freedom: Boston’s Immigration Museum, a program of the International Institute of Boston.  Steve has served in leadership positions of boards of directors including the international and local boards of AMIGOS, the Overseas Development Network, the parent associations of Fontbonne Academy, and his local parochial school. In 1995 Steve was awarded a Kellogg Foundation-funded Fellowship in International Community Development through Partners of the Americas and currently serves as co-president of the Massachusetts Chapter. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and an M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Houston.  He has also done graduate work in international development and social change at Clark University.

• Email: skirk@interise.org

KARIM BENNIS- DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS

Karim is charged with expanding at the national level the network of partners utilizing Interise's flagship program. Before joining the Interise team, Karim held managerial responsibilities in both public sector and private sector in Europe, Africa and America. His career started at BMW Algeria where, as Sales Director, he led a Sales Team that started BMW Algeria from scratch and turned it into one of the most successful franchise in North Africa. He recently worked in the Budget team for the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Karim holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a Master in Applied Finance from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Institut Superieur de Gestion (France).

• Email: kbennis@interise.org

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.

• Email: bmastrangelo@interise.org

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 Love Bus in Amesbury.

• Email: bgrogan@interise.org

LAURA SCARLETT-TAVARES - MEMBERSHIP MANAGER

Laura's primary responsibility is to launch and execute Interise's new membership program.  Laura previously worked at the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), where she supported youth entrepreneurship education programs at high schools and community based organizations.  Most of Laura's work at NFTE centered on creating and growing the volunteer and alumni programming, including an initiative to standardize volunteer programs across NFTE's domestic program offices.  Laura has also worked with the Brockton 21st Century Corporation and YouthBuild Holyoke.  Laura holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an M.B.A. from Brandeis University.

• Email: ltavares@interise.org

BETHANY DIONNE - DEVELOPMENT MANAGER 

As Development Manager, Bethany writes, edits, and submits grant proposals and reports; works with the Board of Directors around fundraising strategies; and organizes special events.  In addition, she handles donations, the annual appeal, and interacts with donors and funders. Before joining Interise, Bethany spent two years working as the Development Coordinator at DotWell, the formal partnership of two community health centers in Dorchester. Before DotWell, Bethany spent nine months as the Database Coordinator at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester.  Bethany holds her BA in Print Journalism from Quinnipiac University (2006) and her MS in Narrative Journalism from Boston University (2008).  She interned at the Jane Goodall Institute in Washington D.C., 4Children in London, and worked at the Albert Schweitzer Institute at Quinnipiac for two years while in school. 

• Email: bdionne@interise.org 

LAURA MASULIS - PROGRAM MANAGER of PARTNERSHIPS

Laura manages Interise's program evaluation process and works to identify, cultivate, and manage partnerships across the country. In her spare time, Laura volunteers with the Frederick Douglass Square Farmers' Market where she spearheaded an initiative to accept federal food assistance program benefits. Before joining Interise, Laura worked at Public Consulting Group, where she specialized in business process redesign and strategic planning for workforce development, food security, and public assistance agencies around the country. Laura also spent time working in Bolivia at a microfinance institution and at the Center for Women and Enterprise focused on improving the position of women in the business world.   Laura holds a B.A. in Latin American studies with an economics concentration from Wesleyan University. 

• Email: lmasulis@interise.org

GEORGE SHEPHARD – WORCESTER COUNTY PROGRAM MANAGER

• Email: gshephard@interise.org

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 public relations and marketing 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 holds a B.A. from Northeastern University in Communication Studies with a concentration in organizational communication. 

• Email: smcnary@interise.org

SARAH MUNFORD - PROGRAMS ASSOCIATE

Sarah joined Interise in 2011 as an AmeriCorp member through New Sector Alliance's Residency in Social Enterprise program.  As a Programs Associate, she is responsible for aiding in the recruitment and operations of existing programs and researching areas for program expansion.   Sarah has spent time working on a number of community development projects around the world, and holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia in Global Development Studies and Foreign Affairs, each with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

• Email: smunford@interise.org

BRIANA GOELLNER – OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Briana provides administrative support for the office. Before joining Interise in 2011, she was a communications intern at the Peace Corps New England Regional Office and Boston University School of Education. Briana holds a dual degree from Boston University with a B.S. in Communications with a concentration in nonprofit public relations and a B.S. in Social Studies Education.

• Email: bgoellner@interise.org

Instructors

Our instructors have experience in running a business, as well as in educating entrepreneurs. You can learn about some of our instructors here.