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Edmund C. Toomey is President and Chief Executive Officer of the New England Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts. In this role, he leads the Aquarium in implementing the institutional mission to present, promote and protect the world of water. The Aquarium is a recognized leader in exhibit development, community-based educational programming, and international conservation and research projects. An accomplished and respected administrator, Mr. Toomey spent 15 years at the University of Massachusetts Boston, most recently in the position of Associate Chancellor. Prior to that he served as Vice President at the Boston Committee, Inc. He has held leadership positions at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, the Abbey School in Canon City, Colorado, St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Mr. Toomey serves on numerous civic and non-profit advisory boards. A South Boston native, Mr. Toomey is a summa cum laude graduate of Boston College and was a National Woodrow Wilson Fellow at St. Louis University where he was a candidate for a Ph.D. in philosophy.

Jennifer Davis is the co-founder and president of Massachusetts 2020, a nonprofit foundation founded in 2000 with a goal of expanding educational and economic opportunities for children and families across Massachusetts. Massachusetts 2020 currently focuses chiefly on efforts to expand and improve learning opportunities for Massachusetts' children during out-of-school time. In 2004, Massachusetts 2020 launched its most ambitious initiative to date, a research and policy effort to restructure public schools to extend their day. In 2005, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a budget that included funding to support this policy reform. From 1989 to 1992, Jennifer was the special assistant to the executive director of the bi-partisan National Governors' Association (NGA), and advised the director on education and health policy, management, and political issues. In 1988 and 1992, Jennifer managed presidential campaign operations in several East Coast states, overseeing press strategy, field organization, volunteer operations, constituency groups and candidate visits. Jennifer began her career as a consultant to the youth organization Communities in Schools and developed case studies on their innovative program to support at-risk youth in Houston, Atlanta, Columbia, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1998, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino appointed Jennifer Davis to serve as the executive director of the Boston 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative. Also, Jennifer Davis served in the Clinton Administration as deputy assistant secretary, Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs, at the US Department of Education. Jennifer also worked as the special assistant to Secretary of Education Richard Riley from March 1993 until March 1997. Jennifer Davis has a master's degree in public policy from the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California, and a bachelor's degree with a concentration in government and sociology from Connecticut College. She was named a Coro Fellow in public policy in 1984 and participated in this leadership training program in St. Louis, Missouri.

Scott Kirsner is a journalist who writes about innovation and entrepreneurship. His “Innovation Economy” column appears Sundays in the Boston Globe, and he is also editor of the site [Innovation Leader](innovationleader.com ""), which focuses on R&D, product development, corporate venturing, and new initiatives within large companies. Scott's writing has been a contributing writer for Fast Company and Wired and his writing has also appeared in The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Salon.com, The San Jose Mercury News, CIO, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Kirsner is co-founder of three conferences that have focused on the innovation economy in New England: "The Nantucket Conference on Entrepreneurship and Innovation", "Convergence: The Life Sciences Leaders Forum" and "Future Forward". Follow him on Twitter: **@ScottKirsner**

Irene Smalls' first children's book, *Irene and the Big, Fine Nickel*, was inspired by her fond memories of Harlem. Her second book, *Jonathan and His Mommy*, is a love song for her son. *Louise's Gift* tells the story of how an unappreciated gift changes a young girl's view of herself. *Irene Jennie and the Christmas Masquerade: The Johnkankus* is the tale of a slave girl's Christmas. *Because You're Lucky*, coming in fall 1997, is a simple story of how families can change and grow in ways that they are lucky to discover. Irene Smalls graduated from Cornell University with a degree in black studies and from New York University with an M.B.A. in marketing and behavioral science. She lives in Boston with her three children: Dawn, Kevin Logan, and Jonathan.

Benaree Pratt Wiley was born on May 13, 1946 in Washington, D.C. Her mother, Mildred Petticord Pratt, died when she was two years old, and her father, Carlisle Pratt, was an attorney and judge before his death in 1993. Wiley grew up in Washington, D.C., raised by her paternal grandmother Hazel and her aunt, Aimee Pratt. She is also the sister of Sharon Pratt Kelly, who served as the mayor of Washington, D.C. from 1991-1995. Wiley attended the public schools of Washington and graduated from Howard University in 1968 with a B.A. degree in marketing. After receiving her M.B.A. from Harvard's Business School, she served as a consultant with such corporations as Abt Associates, Contract Research Corporation and Urban Systems Research and Engineering. As an independent consultant, Wiley worked with non-profit organizations to build their capacity and refine their program delivery. She then combined her interests in business and child development with the establishment of a high-end toy store, Giocatolli, on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. In 1991, Wiley became the president and CEO of The Partnership, Inc., in Boston. The Partnership's goal is to assist businesses in the Boston area to attract, retain and develop professionals of color, to increase the number of black professionals at all levels of leadership in the corporate sector of Boston and to help these professionals navigate the complex corporate structure of Boston. Under Wiley's leadership, The Partnership became a major force in Boston's corporate world, helping over 1,300 African Americans integrate themselves into the corporate community and stimulated more than 200 corporate partners to open doors for black professionals. Wiley is highly active in the Boston community. In 2003, Wiley was selected as one of Boston's most powerful women by *Boston Magazine*

Mary Jo Meisner joined the Boston Foundation in November 2001 as Vice President for Communications, Community Relations and Public Affairs. In her current capacity, she is responsible for all of the Foundation's communications, media relations, public affairs, and civic leadership activities, including the Boston Indicators Project and helping shaping the Foundation's public policy initiatives. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Meisner spent 25 years in the newspaper business as a reporter, editor and news executive at newspapers throughout the United States. From April 1997 to February 2001, she was Editor and Vice Chairman of Community Newspaper Company, New England's largest newspaper publisher, with more than 1 million readers each week. The company was sold to the Boston Herald in February 2001. From June 1993 to January 1997, Ms. Meisner was the Editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where she oversaw the merger of the afternoon Milwaukee Journal and the morning Milwaukee Sentinel in April 1995. Prior to joining the Journal as Editor in 1993, Ms. Meisner was Managing Editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. From 1987 to 1991, Ms. Meisner was City Editor of the Washington Post, where she was responsible for the coverage of the city of Washington and oversaw the criminal investigations of then-Mayor Marian Barry. She also has served as Metropolitan Editor of the San Jose (CA) Mercury News and Metropolitan Editor of the Philadelphia Daily News. She started her career as a reporter for the Wilmington News-Journal in Wilmington, Delaware. Ms. Meisner is a member of the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) and the International Press Institute, of which she is still a member of the board. She also served for many years on the board of the Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association. She has served as a Pulitzer Prize juror three times and was chair of the 1996 ASNE Writing Awards. In addition, she has taught various writing, editing, journalism ethics and management courses at the Maynard Institute, The Poynter Institute for Media Affairs and the American Press Institute. Ms. Meisner serves on the board of several Boston area organizations, including the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay, the Greater Boston Food Bank, the ACCESS Scholarship Program and REACH Beyond Domestic Violence.

Deborah C. Jackson has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay since 2002. During this time, she has led the organization through tremendous growth including the doubling of its territory to serving over 190 cities and towns in Eastern Massachusetts. She has expanded the chapters capacity to respond to disasters, strengthened other core services; enhanced the local Red Cross brand, launched innovative fund raising strategies to grow resources; and built a stronger, dedicated volunteer core including leadership board members. Deborah's career in urban policy and community services has spanned more than 25 years. During this time, she has held a number of executive positions in health and human services including Vice President of the Boston Foundation, Senior Vice President of Boston Children's Hospital, and President and CEO of Goodwill Industries (Ma.). She also serves on a number of Boards and has held numerous appointed positions on task forces - serving the Mayor of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including; the Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award for Non-Profit Leadership, the Womens Business Hall of Fame Award and was recognized by Boston Magazine as one of the areas 100 Most Influential Women. She is a frequent speaker, presenter and panelist.