Our Founder, Julie Barrett O’Brien, is a social entrepreneur with a strong record leading and advising business, philanthropic, and government organizations through visionary growth and change. As President of Barrett Global Strategies, an indie strategy firm – Julie works with senior leadership teams ~ from idea to impact ~ to create sustainable growth strategies, build social impact platforms, and achieve leadership communication goals.

Julie has charted fifteen years in the international development arena having served on the Leadership Teams of two global health organizations, and as a Sr. Adviser to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health, providing executive counsel on leadership communications and public affairs.

Prior to joining the social sector, Julie was a pioneer in the coffee industry – first as a roaster and then as Director of Marketing for a billion dollar coffee business, during which time she drove double digit growth for three consecutive years, launched numerous award-winning products, and led the policy team for ethical supply chain management – long before “CSR” was “CSR”. As a member of the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s International Relations committee, Julie advocated for sound business practices to create shared value for coffee producers and retailers.

With a BA from the University of San Diego and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, Julie is a Lecturer in Global Affairs at Yale University, and serves on several nonprofit Boards including The Coffee Trust, Concord Carlisle Community Chest, and CC at Play. She lives outside Boston with her husband and two sons.

Karen Nastasia Frederick is the Executive Director of Community Teamwork, the community action agency serving the Greater Lowell area serving 63 cities and town in Middlesex and Essex Counties. Community Teamwork is also one of the nine regional non-profit housing agencies serving 41 cities and towns in Middlesex and Essex Counties. The agency currently has a budget of over $70 million and more than 400 employees. She has been Executive Director since 2003.

Ms. Frederick is the former President of the Massachusetts Association of Early Education and Care, immediate past President of the Massachusetts Association of Community Action Agencies, and immediate Past President of the Department of Social Services Citizens’ Advisory Board. She serves on the Boards of Common Ground Development Corporation, Massachusetts Regional Housing Agency Association, and is a former member and Chair of the Dracut School Committee. She currently serves as a corporator of Lowell General Hospital and the Greater Lowell Boys and Girls Club. She was appointed to Governor Patrick’s Education Task Force and has served on various appointed government committees and task forces.

She was the recipient of the 2004 Thomas Kelakos Community Spirit Award from the Greater Lowell Kiwanis Club, and one of the recipients of the 2005 Distinguished Democrats Awards from the Greater Lowell Area Democrats. Karen also received the 2006 Celebration of Today’s Woman Award from Girls Inc. of Greater Lowell. A former single mother of four boys, Karen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Merrimack College and a Master of Education in Child and Family Development from Tufts University. She has been an instructor on the adjunct faculty of Middlesex Community College, Wheelock College, and Lesley College.

As President of Aya Global, a philanthropic advisory practice, Tanya C. Jones offers strategic guidance to institutions and individuals to enable them to reach their philanthropic goals.

For over 15 years, she has worked to improve the health of women and children in rural communities of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia as an implementer, fundraiser and funder. Most recently, she served as Portfolio Manager at the Barr Foundation, where she helped launch the Global Program and led the foundation’s community health and women’s empowerment portfolios in East Africa and India. Previously, she served as Staff Associate at Population Council based in Ghana. Ms. Jones and her Ghana Health Service and Population Council colleagues were the driving force behind the scaling-up of the Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) program, which in the last decade has become an international model for rural health delivery and health systems strengthening. Following her contributions to health policy translation in Ghana, she joined Pathfinder International as a resource development professional supporting Pathfinder’s field offices in Africa and South Asia to raise philanthropic funds from corporations and foundations. Ms. Jones serves on the Advisory Board of the Bantwana Initiative at World Education and the Steering Committee of New England International Donors.

Ms. Jones earned a Masters’ Degree in Public Policy from Princeton University and a Masters’ Degree in Sociology from The University of California, Berkeley. A single mom herself, she is currently completing her doctoral degree in Sociology, also at The University of California, Berkeley.

Susan Reynolds brings 17 years of teaching, curriculum design and professional development in academic technology at The Fenn School to her current work with teens. As a researcher, writer and speaker on the current issues with technology, and a certified Vinyasa Flow yoga and meditation teacher, she seeks solutions to the addictive nature of digital devices by bringing mindfulness to the increasingly fast paced and distracted impact 24/7 connectivity has on today’s youth.

Susan’s talks and workshops for parents and teachers on the “Technology Parenting Toolbox” have been well received, as she helps the “Digital Immigrants” grapple with the challenges of raising and teaching the “Digital Natives.” She is available to speak to parents, teachers and teens about the ways to maximize the positive use of technology while minimizing the negative.

Susan is the founder of ABC Legacy, the Alliance for Building Connections to Change, with a desire to help teens connect their passions to service. She has worked with the Interact Club to introduce this concept to the graduating 8th graders from Concord and Carlisle (MA) middle schools. She recently opened “The Space,” where she is dedicated to teaching programs that combine technology awareness, yoga and mindfulness to teens in a relaxed and social environment. “The Space” resides in a newly renovated 850 sq ft loft with a yoga/meditation studio and cool teen workspace in the Bradford Mill at 33 Bradford Street.