Our Team

Sam Spencer is CEO and Managing Director of CEI-Boulos Capital Management, a real estate investment fund management company focused on delivering both competitive financial returns and social impact. The company serves banks, family offices, and other institutional investors, and has a national scope. CEI-Boulos is a joint venture between CEI, a community development finance institution, and The Boulos Company, an integrated commercial real estate firm.

The company’s first Opportunity Zone fund is the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund. The fund invests in high-impact commercial real estate projects across the seventeen-state Community Reinvestment Act footprint of its sole investor, Woodforest National Bank, with the goal of ensuring that these investments benefit the economically distressed communities in which the projects are located. In 2020, the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund was recognized by Forbes and the Sorenson Impact Center as one of the “The Forbes OZ 20: Top Opportunity Zone Catalysts,” and one of the ten most innovative and impact focused Opportunity Zone funds in the country. In 2021, the fund was the winner in the Societal and Community Impact Innovation category of the Banking Administration Institute (BAI) Global Innovation Awards.

With the demonstrated success of the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund, CEI-Boulos has since launched two more funds in 2022 with NBT Bank and Allivate Impact Capital.

Spencer was previously Senior Vice President for Investments at CEI Capital Management, of the nation’s leading allocator of federal New Markets Tax Credits. Spencer has also been an entrepreneur in the energy field and a real estate developer. He served on the Clinton White House staff for four years, including as Special Assistant to Vice President Al Gore. For eight years he served as Democratic National Committeeman for Maine. He is a board member of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a leading state-wide land trust, where he serves as the Chair of the Public Policy Committee, on the Executive Committee, the Lands Committee, the Governance Committee, the DEIJ Working Group, and on the board of an affiliated LLC. He has also previously served as president of the board of Opportunity Maine, an education policy non-profit, and as president of the Portland Development Corporation, the city’s economic development and loan authority, and on the board of Maine and Company, a non-profit focused on state business attraction. As a high school student, he served as Head Page of the U.S. Senate. He received a BA degree cum laude in government from Harvard College and MBA degree from Harvard Business School.

Dasha White is Senior Vice President of Investment at CEI-Boulos Capital Management, a real estate investment fund management company focused on delivering both competitive financial returns and social impact. The company serves banks, family offices, and other institutional investors, and has a national scope. CEI-Boulos is a joint venture between CEI, a community development finance institution, and The Boulos Company, an integrated commercial real estate firm.

The company’s first Opportunity Zone fund is the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund. The fund invests in high-impact commercial real estate projects across the seventeen-state Community Reinvestment Act footprint of its sole investor, Woodforest National Bank, with the goal of ensuring that these investments benefit the economically distressed communities in which the projects are located. In 2020, the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund was recognized by Forbes and the Sorenson Impact Center as one of the “The Forbes OZ 20: Top Opportunity Zone Catalysts,” and one of the ten most innovative and impact focused Opportunity Zone funds in the country. In 2021, the fund was the winner in the Societal and Community Impact Innovation category of the Banking Administration Institute (BAI) Global Innovation Awards.

With the demonstrated success of the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund, CEI-Boulos has since launched two more funds in 2022 with NBT Bank and Allivate Impact Capital.

Dasha joined CEI-Boulos with over 15 years of commercial real estate investment experience. She is responsible for managing and expanding the company’s investment funds.  Dasha started her career as an associate at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and a consultant in the – distressed real estate group at Otera Capital in New York. Additionally, she’s held the role of VP of Fixed Income at the Endeavor Real Estate group in Austin, Texas and most recently was the Director of Acquisitions at Paramount Specialty finance based out of Austin.  She has received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Stuart Hean is Vice President of Investment at CEI-Boulos Capital Management, a real estate investment fund management company focused on delivering both competitive financial returns and social impact. The company serves banks, family offices, and other institutional investors, and has a national scope. CEI-Boulos is a joint venture between CEI, a community development finance institution, and The Boulos Company, an integrated commercial real estate firm.

The company’s first Opportunity Zone fund is the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund. The fund invests in high-impact commercial real estate projects across the seventeen-state Community Reinvestment Act footprint of its sole investor, Woodforest National Bank, with the goal of ensuring that these investments benefit the economically distressed communities in which the projects are located. In 2020, the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund was recognized by Forbes and the Sorenson Impact Center as one of the “The Forbes OZ 20: Top Opportunity Zone Catalysts,” and one of the ten most innovative and impact focused Opportunity Zone funds in the country. In 2021, the fund was the winner in the Societal and Community Impact Innovation category of the Banking Administration Institute (BAI) Global Innovation Awards.

With the demonstrated success of the Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund, CEI-Boulos has since launched two more funds in 2022 with NBT Bank and Allivate Impact Capital.

Stuart joined CEI-Boulos with over 10 years of experience at the intersection of impact investing and economic development. He is responsible for managing and expanding the company’s investment funds, with a specific focus on business development and originations.  Stuart started his career with Reinvestment Fund where he supported the implementation of strategic initiatives on behalf of the C-Suite. Additionally, he’s held the role of Director of Leasing & Development for Shift Capital, an impact driven and vertically integrated real estate investment firm, and most recently was Director of Investments at The Collective Investment Group – an impact driven private equity firm with a mission to capitalize Black real estate developers leading impactful projects.  Stuart received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Environmental Studies from Haverford College.

Gretchen Ascher is the Investment Analyst of CEI-Boulos Capital Management, LLC, where she is responsible for supporting the senior staff in managing and expanding the company’s investment funds focused on high-impact commercial real estate projects across the country.

Gretchen is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business with a Bachelor of Business Administration and minor in public policy. She previously worked as a Lending and Investment Intern with CEI, where she supported the creation of anti-racist and justice-focused initiatives within the underwriting process. Additionally, she worked as a Housing Policy Research Intern for the City of Detroit through the Mayoral Fellowship Program where she led policy analysis for trades workforce support programs. Gretchen served as Co-President of her university’s Net Impact undergraduate chapter, which aims to grow leaders at the intersection of business, social impact, and sustainability, and was an active member of Epsilon Eta, a professional environmental fraternity.

Charlie Spies is Managing Director of CEI-Boulos Capital Management, LLC, where he focuses on capital raising. He is also a member of the company’s board of directors.

Charlie recently retired as CEO of CEI Capital, where he oversaw all aspects of the organization’s operations including: capital sourcing and deployment; project sourcing and underwriting; investment recommendations; accounting; compliance; asset management; and public relations. Under his leadership, CCML raised and deployed $1.02 billion in federal and state New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation in more than 95 projects across the U.S. without a single year of financial loss, making CCML one of the nation’s leading allocatees of federal NMTCs. Like CEI, CCML’s focus on projects located in underinvested rural communities has helped to create and preserve 8,849 jobs and the firm has entered into Community Benefit Agreements that directed over $12.5 million in additional investments into programs that support people and communities with low incomes.

Prior to joining CEI Capital in 2006, Charlie served as chief operating officer for the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System. Through creative and strategic management, he successfully led the organization through a 73% cut in federal funding by diversifying revenue sources. He grew an individual membership program and secured direct funding from the State of Maine, including a $500,000 emergency appropriation. He has also served as CEO for the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and president and CEO of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds. As one example of his capital raising experience, Charlie established and secured funding at FAME for a $150 MM secondary market for student loans. While managing the Small Enterprise Growth Fund at FAME he also raised and invested over $9M in funds for seed-stage venture capital investments from both public and private sources. Until he exited CEI Capital Management in September 2020, Charlie served for ten years on the executive committee of the board of the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition.

He received a B.S. in forest utilization and an M.S. in forest entomology from the University of Maine, and an M.B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University.

Drew Sigfridson is a co-founder and Managing Director of CEI-Boulos Capital Management, LLC, where he helps source and underwrite qualified Opportunity Zone social impact investments. He is also a member of the company’s board of directors. He has worked in commercial real estate for over 20 years and is Managing Director at The Boulos Company, where he focuses on strategic growth, new business development, brokerage of investment and development projects and operations in Maine and New Hampshire. Drew also works on Class A office leasing, industrial developments and corporate representation on acquisitions and dispositions. He has served as director and past president for the Maine Commercial Association of Realtors, past president of the Maine Real Estate & Development Association, and past chairman of the Avesta Housing Board of Directors. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors Chapter of New England and CIANBRO Construction.  Drew holds real estate commission licenses in Maine and New Hampshire, and holds a dual-certification as an office and industrial specialist in the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). He is a graduate of Bowdoin College, Cum Laude, with a B.A. in government and history.  

Morris Fisher is Managing Director of CEI-Boulos Capital Management, LLC, where he helps source and underwrite qualified Opportunity Zone social impact investments. He is also a member of the company’s board of directors. Morris has been President of Boulos Asset Management since 2005. He is responsible for leading a team of property management professionals, developing and implementing company strategy and, with his 30 years of commercial real estate experience, spearheads the company’s commitment to help clients achieve their real estate objectives. Fisher previously served as Controller and Chief Financial Officer and became a Principal of the firm in 1995. Having years of real estate development, operations, leasing and finance experience, his responsibilities include directing the operation of a property management company with 50 employees and real estate projects under management totaling 5 million square feet of commercial space. He also provides strategic real estate advice to the firm’s clients. Fisher has extensive experience in the development, marketing, leasing and sale of major retail, office and industrial properties in both downtown and suburban locations. Fisher is a Trustee of Maine Medical Center and serves on other for profit and not for profit boards. He is a former officer and member of the board of Portland Public Library, The Park Danforth, Catholic Charities of Maine and the Portland Downtown District. Prior to joining Boulos Asset Management's Property Management division, he was a senior accountant with KPMG Peat Marwick.

Betsy Biemann is Chief Executive Officer at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a community development financial institution headquartered in Brunswick, Maine, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) board, Treasurer of the New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) board, and Chair of the Equity Committee of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation board. 

Prior to joining CEI, Betsy led the Maine Food Cluster Project of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard University and was a consulting advisor to businesses, nonprofit organizations and social enterprises in Maine and nationally. She previously served as president of the Maine Technology Institute, which invests in Maine companies and initiatives seeking to grow high-potential sectors of Maine’s economy. Prior to that, she was an associate director at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City, where she managed a national grant program and impact investment portfolio aiming to increase employment and economic mobility in low-income communities. 

Betsy graduated with a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.P.A. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.

Debby Miller joined the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund in April 2013 overseeing its philanthropy and managing relationships with strategic partners. She came to the Community Loan Fund from More Than Wheels where, as Executive Director, she was responsible for marketing efforts focused on building strong partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, and government to increase awareness of More Than Wheels’ services around New Hampshire.

Previously, Miller was in banking since 1978, and held various leadership positions in mortgage lending and community development. As Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Affairs in New England for Citizens Bank, she was responsible for overseeing public and community relations, media relations, internal communications, special events, charitable contributions, marketing sponsorships and government affairs for the New England region. In addition, she was responsible for the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) activities and programs throughout its 13-state footprint.

An active volunteer, Miller has served on the board of directors of many organizations.  Most recent she served on the board of trustees for Winston-Salem State University (past chair for 4 years), the University System of NH (USNH) and the past chair of Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, MA. Miller is currently serving on the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, Coastal Enterprises Inc, (CEI) and NH Higher Education Loan Corporation (NHHELCO) boards.

Patrick Prout is Managing Director within the Financial Services practice of ZRG Partners, LLC. He is also a member of the Industrial/Manufacturing and Corporate Board practices.

Previously, Patrick was a Managing Director with Diversified Search. Prior to joining Diversified Search, he had launched his own executive search organization, The Prout Group, with responsibility for developing and managing the strategic direction and the daily operations of the firm as well as providing leadership for the firm’s financial services practice. Additionally, he conducted senior-level search assignments in the Industrial/Manufacturing, Non-profit, Corporate Board, and Corporate Infrastructure practices.

Pat was President and Chief Operating Officer, then Vice Chairman of Bank One, Cleveland, NA, an affiliate of Banc One Corporation with $2.5 billion in assets. His career in financial services also included positions with Bank of America in Los Angeles, Rainier Bank in Seattle, and Chase Manhattan Bank in New York City. He also held sales and marketing positions with IBM and Miller Brewing Company.

Patrick was commissioned in the US Marine Corps and rose to the rank of Captain. He served two tours of duty in combat and was awarded the Bronze Star medal with combat “V.”

Patrick’s Board activities include serving as a Charter Member of the Board of Ideastream, a member of the Americas Council of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), and the Executive Leadership Council (ELC). Patrick is also an Advisory Board member of the Women in the Boardroom.

Patrick has a BS in Engineering from the US Naval Academy and an MBA from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business.

Drew Sigfridson is a co-founder and Managing Director of CEI-Boulos Capital Management, LLC, where he helps source and underwrite qualified Opportunity Zone social impact investments. He is also a member of the company’s board of directors.

Drew has worked in commercial real estate for over 20 years and is Managing Director at The Boulos Company, where he focuses on strategic growth, new business development, brokerage of investment and development projects and operations in Maine and New Hampshire. Drew also works on Class A office leasing, industrial developments and corporate representation on acquisitions and dispositions. He has served as director and past president for the Maine Commercial Association of Realtors, past president of the Maine Real Estate & Development Association, and past chairman of the Avesta Housing Board of Directors. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors Chapter of New England and CIANBRO Construction.  Drew holds real estate commission licenses in Maine and New Hampshire, and holds a dual-certification as an office and industrial specialist in the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR). He is a graduate of Bowdoin College, Cum Laude, with a B.A. in government and history.  

Charlie Spies is Managing Director of CEI-Boulos Capital Management, LLC, where he focuses on capital raising. He is also a member of the company’s board of directors.

Charlie recently retired as CEO of CEI Capital, where he oversaw all aspects of the organization’s operations including: capital sourcing and deployment; project sourcing and underwriting; investment recommendations; accounting; compliance; asset management; and public relations. Under his leadership, CCML raised and deployed $1.02 billion in federal and state New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation in more than 95 projects across the U.S. without a single year of financial loss, making CCML one of the nation’s leading allocatees of federal NMTCs. Like CEI, CCML’s focus on projects located in underinvested rural communities has helped to create and preserve 8,849 jobs and the firm has entered into Community Benefit Agreements that directed over $12.5 million in additional investments into programs that support people and communities with low incomes.

Prior to joining CEI Capital in 2006, Charlie served as chief operating officer for the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System. Through creative and strategic management, he successfully led the organization through a 73% cut in federal funding by diversifying revenue sources. He grew an individual membership program and secured direct funding from the State of Maine, including a $500,000 emergency appropriation. He has also served as CEO for the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and president and CEO of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds. As one example of his capital raising experience, Charlie established and secured funding at FAME for a $150 MM secondary market for student loans. While managing the Small Enterprise Growth Fund at FAME he also raised and invested over $9M in funds for seed-stage venture capital investments from both public and private sources. Until he exited CEI Capital Management in September 2020, Charlie served for ten years on the executive committee of the board of the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition.

He received a B.S. in forest utilization and an M.S. in forest entomology from the University of Maine, and an M.B.A. from Southern New Hampshire University.

Aisha Benson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), a nonprofit lender, consultant, and advocate that has worked for more than 40 years to strengthen nonprofits and improve the way money flows to social good. As a leading community development financial institution (CDFI), NFF has invested over $1.1 billion in financing and access to additional capital in support of over $3.6 billion in projects for thousands of organizations nationwide.

Prior to NFF, Aisha was COO for TruFund Financial Services, a CDFI serving historically disadvantaged small businesses, where she led multi-disciplinary teams executing the delivery of lending services, tax credit deployment, and advisory programs. She also oversaw program design and implementation, resource partner selection and management, and compliance. During her tenure, numerous multimillion-dollar capital access, guaranty, and grant programs were sourced and implemented under her direct management.

Prior to TruFund, Aisha held community development finance roles at Carver Federal Savings, Banco Popular, and JP Morgan Chase. She has deployed $130 million in New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) funding and $175 million of capital to low-income communities.

Aisha holds leadership positions on several key industry boards, including Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), and the NMTC Coalition, and is a Social Sector Advisor to the Economic Opportunity Coalition. Ms. Benson holds a B.A. in Psychology, Cum Laude from Columbia University, a certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, and a certificate through a Citi/OFN Sponsored Leadership Training Program for CDFI Executives at Wharton University.

Annie Donovan is Raza Development Fund’s President & CEO. She leads an experienced team of servant leaders who are passionate about building communities of opportunity where everyone in America can thrive.

Donovan brings a wealth of experience in the CDFI sector. For decades she has been driving impact investing strategies to spur economic opportunity and revitalize communities. She served in the White House Office of Social Innovation and as the Director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, where she directed a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of programs aimed at improving access to capital for disinvested communities across the country. She has held top executive positions at Capital Impact Partners (now Momentus Capital), and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), where she worked to propel these organizations to greater levels of growth and impact.

Donovan’s passion for community development and sustainability began with her service in the U.S. Peace Corps. Today, Donovan is an accomplished leader in the industry and a published writer. She has published many articles on economic and community development, health, climate and impact investing. Donovan has been a keynote speaker and guest lecturer to share her extensive knowledge. She has an undergraduate degree in Economics and an MBA in Finance.

Benson F. (Buzz) Roberts has been President and CEO of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders since 2015. NAAHL is the national alliance of leading banks, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and other capital providers for affordable housing and inclusive neighborhood revitalization. Buzz served on the Biden-Harris transition’s agency review team for the Treasury Department. He was the Director of the Office of Small Business, Community Development and Housing Policy at the Treasury Department from 2011 to 2015. He was previously Senior Vice President for Policy and Program Development at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a leading nonprofit investor in low-income community development. Buzz has helped to create the Low Income Housing Tax Credit; the New Markets Tax Credit; the HOME housing partnerships program; regulatory changes to the Community Reinvestment Act; the Capital Magnet Fund; Treasury funding for FHA multifamily risk-sharing loans to finance affordable rental housing; and bond guarantees for CDFIs. He has been a board member of several national nonprofit organizations and coalitions and has written extensively about affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.

Betsy Biemann is Chief Executive Officer at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a community development financial institution headquartered in Brunswick, Maine, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) board, Treasurer of the New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) board, and Chair of the Equity Committee of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation board. 

Prior to joining CEI, Betsy led the Maine Food Cluster Project of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard University and was a consulting advisor to businesses, nonprofit organizations and social enterprises in Maine and nationally. She previously served as president of the Maine Technology Institute, which invests in Maine companies and initiatives seeking to grow high-potential sectors of Maine’s economy. Prior to that, she was an associate director at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City, where she managed a national grant program and impact investment portfolio aiming to increase employment and economic mobility in low-income communities. 

Betsy graduated with a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.P.A. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.

Ms. Janie Barrera is Founder of LiftFund. Ms. Barrera started LiftFund in 1994 with only three employees. To date, LiftFund has over one-hundred employees and has grown to become one of the largest micro and small business lender in the United States. The nonprofit organization provides loans and management training to enterprises of all kinds— from startups to long-established businesses — and operates in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Since its inception, it has disbursed more than 24,000 loans totaling more than $425 million – with an impressive 96 percent repayment rate.

As Founder, Ms. Barrera interacts with the communities we serve and advocates for hard-working small business owners and entrepreneurs who do not have access to loans from commercial sources. Ms. Barrera has worked hard to level the financial playing field for entrepreneurs, who historically have faced considerable obstacles when seeking the financing they need to start and grow their businesses.

Ms. Barrera has dedicated her professional life to helping others. Ms. Barrera is a change-agent in the field of microfinance and helping small businesses reach their full potential. Ms. Barrera has received nationwide recognition for her accomplishments, including the Small Business Administration Financial Services Advocate of the Year and the Minority Enterprise Development Consortium's Corporate Advocate of the Year. The San Antonio Business Journal listed Ms. Barrera as one of “Twenty Defining Players: People Who Have Helped Shape the City, and also named her as one of 2013’s “Legacy  Leaders.” Ms.  Barrera has served on many national, state and local boards, including the Federal Reserve Board’s National Consumer Advisory Council. President Barack Obama appointed Ms. Barrera to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability and she was named to the board of directors for the Federal Reserve of Dallas’ San Antonio Branch. In 2015, Ms. Barrera was named to the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame. In July 2022, Ms. Barrera was awarded with the AEO Impact Award for Innovation on Main Street and in August 2022 Ms. Barrera received the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Impact Legacy and Merit Award. Most recent, Ms.  Barrera has been selected to be part of the inaugural Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity (TACRE), a twenty-five member advisory committee for the US Treasury created to identify, monitor and address financial inclusion, capital access, housing stability, federal government supplier diversity and economic development.

Ms. Barrera began her career as director of telecommunications for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1977. There, Ms. Barrera helped found the area's first nonprofit radio stations, KLUX and KHOY, as well as two television production studios. After completing her MBA at the University of the Incarnate Word, the Corpus Christi native remained in San Antonio where, in 1989, Ms. Barrera became marketing director for the U.S. Air Force Morale, Welfare and Recreation Division headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base.

Saurabh Narain is President and CEO of National Community Investment Fund (www.ncif.org) an impact investor and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on mission-oriented financial institutions including minority and CDFI banks. He is a Banking Executive with over 35-years of global experience building highly profitable businesses both in the for-profit and non-profit environments.

Under his leadership, NCIF has increased its AUM to $210 million, created over 10,000 jobs and is the largest investor in CDFI and Minority Banks.  NCIF seeks to generate impact in underserved markets nationally using its three lines of businesses – equity investing into mission-oriented financial institutions, deployment of New Markets Tax Credits and lending.  Recently NCIF launched a $50 million Credit Strategies Fund to increase co-lending and enhance impact. Impact Measurement (www.bankimpact.org) is foundational to all activities of NCIF. 

Saurabh is a member of the Investors Council of the Global Impact Investing Network (www.thegiin.org), the Board of the CDFI Coalition (www.cdfi.org), Advisory Board of Wells Fargo Community Development Entity and Community Development Venture Capital Alliance (www.cdvca.org). He was a past member of the Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory Council chaired by Chairman Ben Bernanke and Advisory Board of Ripple (www.ripple.com).  Prior to NCIF, Saurabh has had extensive experience in capital markets and risk management having worked at Bank of America for almost 17 years based in Asia and the US.  Saurabh is a graduate of the ABA Graduate Stonier School of Banking, and hold an MBA from Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, India.

Susan Hammond is the new Relationship Manager for Native CDFIS at Fahe, a national CDFI serving rural Appalachia and other non-profits in rural and Native communities with a mission to building the American Dream.  Her main focus in this position will be to develop strong partnerships/collaborations with Native CDFIs by providing training, expertise, and support in accessing the secondary mortgage market, which will increase the capacity and provide equity access to capital for these organizations while also addressing the severe housing needs faced by Native families and communities.

Susan is a tribal member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, a tribal community located in central Maine.  She has dedicated her career to growing investments in Native economies and serving Native communities.  After graduating from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Susan worked with the Penobscot Nation tribal government in various capacities – in vocational education, economic development, health and housing – and served eight years on the Tribal Council.  Her work opened her eyes to the deep systemic changes needed in tribal communities, particularly with housing.

Susan brings 20 years of experience working in the Native CDFI sector as she was a founder of Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC) in 2001 and which she served as its Executive Director until January of 2022.  FDDC is a Native CDFI located in Orono, Maine serving the four Native tribes in Maine.  Under Susan’s leadership, FDDC created a transformative on-reservation home mortgage product.  Susan also led FDDC’s efforts to implement new legal infrastructure and lending codes in the Maine tribal communities, allowing collateral recourse.  Since then, FDDC has closed $18+ million in loans so tribal members can buy, sell, improve and build equity in their homes.

Susan serves on numerous boards: Oweesta Corporation, Coastal Enterprises Inc, Four Directions Development Corporation, Maine Community Foundation, Maine Venture Fund and Bangor Savings Bank.  She was awarded the Maine SBA Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year Award as well as the Visionary Leader Award from the Opportunity Finance Network/Oweesta Corporation.

Diane Brown is the Executive Director at the Community Foundation for South Central New York, where the organization has awarded over $20 million in grants to nonprofits, schools, and municipalities in the five-county region of Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Tioga since 1997. Brown has led the organization for over 16 years. Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Brown served as Executive Director of the Southern Tier AIDS Program and worked in a variety of positions at the Broome Country Department of Social Services, culminating in Director of Staff Development and Planning. She serves as the current Chair of the Board for Habitat for Humanity of New York State.

Debby Miller joined the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund in April 2013 overseeing its philanthropy and managing relationships with strategic partners. She came to the Community Loan Fund from More Than Wheels where, as Executive Director, she was responsible for marketing efforts focused on building strong partnerships with businesses, nonprofits, and government to increase awareness of More Than Wheels’ services around New Hampshire.

Previously, Miller was in banking since 1978, and held various leadership positions in mortgage lending and community development. As Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Affairs in New England for Citizens Bank, she was responsible for overseeing public and community relations, media relations, internal communications, special events, charitable contributions, marketing sponsorships and government affairs for the New England region. In addition, she was responsible for the bank’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) activities and programs throughout its 13-state footprint.

An active volunteer, Miller has served on the board of directors of many organizations.  Most recent she served on the board of trustees for Winston-Salem State University (past chair for 4 years), the University System of NH (USNH) and the past chair of Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, MA. Miller is currently serving on the Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, Coastal Enterprises Inc, (CEI) and NH Higher Education Loan Corporation (NHHELCO) boards.

Mark Silvanic is the CEO of Greater Opportunities for Broome and Chenango Inc (GOBC). In 2016 as the CEO of Opportunities for Broome, he approached a neighboring Community Action Agency (Opportunities for Chenango) and helped to facilitate the first Community Action to Community Action merger in New York State. Prior to joining GOBC, Mark “cut his teeth” in the human service field working for the first 16 years of his career at The Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference in various roles. Mark currently serves as the Board President for the East Hills Senior Living Center. He has served as Board Chair for the COC NY-511, (formerly Southern Tier Homeless Coalition) helping them to receive their 501c3 status. Over the last decade, Mark has helped to administer over 40 million dollars in construction and rehabilitation grants in the Southern Tier of Upstate New York. GOBC currently operates close to 200 units of supportive housing in Broome and Chenango County.

Javier E. Zapata is the President & Executive Director of PathStone Enterprise Center, Inc., where he oversees the organization’s work providing tools and access to capital for business owners who have struggled due to systemic barriers in New York and Puerto Rico. He has previously worked with the New England Farm Worker’s Council and the Community Development Institute at the University of Puerto Rico. Javier volunteers with Americorps Vista and Rotary International (of which he is a member) and was appointed by the former Governor of Puerto Rico to the Governance Board of “Bosque Modelo de Puerto Rico,” a platform for landscape management and conservation, where the environment, economy and society are integrated to promote a new paradigm of sustainable development that values ​​natural attributes and promotes community participation in decision-making at the territorial level.

Betsy Biemann is Chief Executive Officer at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a community development financial institution headquartered in Brunswick, Maine, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) board, Treasurer of the New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) board, and Chair of the Equity Committee of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation board. 

Prior to joining CEI, Betsy led the Maine Food Cluster Project of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard University and was a consulting advisor to businesses, nonprofit organizations and social enterprises in Maine and nationally. She previously served as president of the Maine Technology Institute, which invests in Maine companies and initiatives seeking to grow high-potential sectors of Maine’s economy. Prior to that, she was an associate director at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City, where she managed a national grant program and impact investment portfolio aiming to increase employment and economic mobility in low-income communities. 

Betsy graduated with a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.P.A. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.

Karen Derksen is Vice President/Bank CRA Officer at NBT Bank, where she develops and implements programs to ensure the bank meets the needs of the communities it serves in the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. She focuses on program compliance and identifies opportunities for impact. Karen is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager and Fair Lending Expert. Karen has over 25 years of banking experience, with an emphasis on compliance. She is a member of the CRA & Fair Lending Colloquium and the Fair Lending Compliance Professionals.

Amy Wiles is the Chief Credit and Risk Officer at NBT Bank. Prior to joining NBT, Wiles was Executive Vice President and Group Credit Executive for Key Bank’s Community Bank Division where she was responsible for supporting growth and maintaining credit risk standards for diversified portfolios across Key Bank’s footprint. Before that, Wiles was employed by JP Morgan Chase. Wiles is a member of the national Risk Management Association’s Credit Risk Council and their Mid-Tier Bank Council. She also serves as a board member for the Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County, Inc.

Aisha Benson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), a nonprofit lender, consultant, and advocate that has worked for more than 40 years to strengthen nonprofits and improve the way money flows to social good. As a leading community development financial institution (CDFI), NFF has invested over $1.1 billion in financing and access to additional capital in support of over $3.6 billion in projects for thousands of organizations nationwide.

Prior to NFF, Aisha was COO for TruFund Financial Services, a CDFI serving historically disadvantaged small businesses, where she led multi-disciplinary teams executing the delivery of lending services, tax credit deployment, and advisory programs. She also oversaw program design and implementation, resource partner selection and management, and compliance. During her tenure, numerous multimillion-dollar capital access, guaranty, and grant programs were sourced and implemented under her direct management.

Prior to TruFund, Aisha held community development finance roles at Carver Federal Savings, Banco Popular, and JP Morgan Chase. She has deployed $130 million in New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) funding and $175 million of capital to low-income communities.

Aisha holds leadership positions on several key industry boards, including Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), and the NMTC Coalition, and is a Social Sector Advisor to the Economic Opportunity Coalition. Ms. Benson holds a B.A. in Psychology, Cum Laude from Columbia University, a certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership from the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, and a certificate through a Citi/OFN Sponsored Leadership Training Program for CDFI Executives at Wharton University.

Daniel Galindo serves as Senior Vice President, Community Development and Strategy Director for Woodforest National Bank. Daniel is responsible for the development, implementation, expansion, and direct oversight of groundbreaking, award-winning strategic initiatives in retail banking, lending, investments, and corporate responsibility across Woodforest’s 17 state footprint. Daniel has nearly 20 years of banking, community and economic development, regulatory, public policy, and relationship management experience. He is mission-driven and passionate about serving and advocating for communities with complex challenges, while implementing innovative forward-thinking capital solutions.

Daniel’s leadership has led Woodforest to create complex and innovative solutions to ensure communities thrive, while delivering a historic and monumental Outstanding Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rating (Large Bank) for the Bank. He also manages regulatory, credit risk, profitability, and impact through the Community Reinvestment impact investing and loan portfolios for the Bank. Daniel is a skilled professional in financial structuring through Community Development Financial Institutions, Private Equity Funds, Opportunity Zone Funds, Small Business Investment Companies, Rural Business Investment Companies, and Special Purpose Vehicles. Daniel is also responsible for Woodforest’s Community Development, Minority Deposit Institution, and Impact Investing strategy teams.

Daniel is a strong advocate of community banking, financial inclusion, access to capital in underserved communities, entrepreneurship, and affordable housing. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Independent Bankers Association of Texas Foundation (IBAT), serves as Chairman of Centrant Community Capital, Alamo Community Group, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. He has received numerous industry recognitions such as the 2020 San Antonio Business Journal 40 under 40, Advocate of the Year from the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, American Bankers Association’s Commitment Award on Affordable Housing, Consumer Bankers Association for Woodforest Foundry (accelerator program), was recently highlighted by Hispanic Executive Magazine as a thought leader in his field, and received the 2021 ICBA Independent Banker 40 under 40 Emerging Community Bank Leader award.

Daniel is a longtime resident of San Antonio, Texas, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Texas A&M University. A proud husband, and father to three young girls. Daniel is completing his Executive MBA in Banking and Financial Institutions with graduation in July 2021.

Marten Jenkins is the founder, president and CEO of Partner Community Capital (PCAP) and is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing all business strategies, operational and capital fundraising, and fund operations.

In addition to his PCAP responsibilities, he is a leader in Appalachian community development efforts and active in the CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) ecosystem. Marten serves on the Boards of Appalachian Community Capital and the CDFI Coalition; he is a member of the Advisory Boards of Appalachian Fund for Growth and MVB Community Development Partnership, Inc.

Previously, he was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines and a research assistant for the World Bank in the Environmental Policy and Research Division. 

He earned a Master’s in Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and holds a B.A. in Economic and Administrative Science from Colby College.

Benson F. (Buzz) Roberts has been President and CEO of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders since 2015. NAAHL is the national alliance of leading banks, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and other capital providers for affordable housing and inclusive neighborhood revitalization. Buzz served on the Biden-Harris transition’s agency review team for the Treasury Department. He was the Director of the Office of Small Business, Community Development and Housing Policy at the Treasury Department from 2011 to 2015. He was previously Senior Vice President for Policy and Program Development at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a leading nonprofit investor in low-income community development. Buzz has helped to create the Low Income Housing Tax Credit; the New Markets Tax Credit; the HOME housing partnerships program; regulatory changes to the Community Reinvestment Act; the Capital Magnet Fund; Treasury funding for FHA multifamily risk-sharing loans to finance affordable rental housing; and bond guarantees for CDFIs. He has been a board member of several national nonprofit organizations and coalitions and has written extensively about affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization.

Betsy Biemann is Chief Executive Officer at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a community development financial institution headquartered in Brunswick, Maine, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) board, Treasurer of the New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN) board, and Chair of the Equity Committee of the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation board. 

Prior to joining CEI, Betsy led the Maine Food Cluster Project of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at Harvard University and was a consulting advisor to businesses, nonprofit organizations and social enterprises in Maine and nationally. She previously served as president of the Maine Technology Institute, which invests in Maine companies and initiatives seeking to grow high-potential sectors of Maine’s economy. Prior to that, she was an associate director at The Rockefeller Foundation in New York City, where she managed a national grant program and impact investment portfolio aiming to increase employment and economic mobility in low-income communities. 

Betsy graduated with a B.A. from Harvard University and an M.P.A. from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.

Noelle St.Clair Lentz is Senior Vice President, Impact Investing and Strategic Initiatives, Woodforest National Bank. In this role, St.Clair Lentz has spearheaded the Bank’s Opportunity Zone investment strategy across its 17 state footprint in line with Community Reinvestment Act objectives. The Woodforest CEI-Boulos Opportunity Fund was recognized as a Forbes OZ 20: Opportunity Zone Catalyst and Woodforest was the only bank on the inaugural list. She has also expanded the Bank’s impact investing work by identifying and executing innovative, high impact investments across asset classes.

Prior to joining Woodforest, St.Clair Lentz served as Advisor and Outreach Manager at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, where she published research and hosted national events on community development finance and impact investing trends. St.Clair Lentz was formerly a licensed securities agent at Calvert Foundation, an impact investing pioneer whose Community Investment Note channels capital to organizations and social enterprises conducting community development globally. St.Clair Lentz is an advisor to Blueprint Local, ImpactPHL and Community Lenders PA. St.Clair is a graduate of Leadership Philadelphia and a founding board member of Net Impact Philadelphia Professional Chapter. She has an MBA from the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University and BAs in Economics and Philosophy from the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University.