Tim is changing how finance and business advice are delivered to small companies in U.S. cities.

He has already shaped successful enterprises on both sides of the Atlantic and in Asia as head of investments at Putnam Investments and as CEO of HSBC Asset Management and of County NatWest Securities. In these capacities, Tim oversaw operations that directed global capital flows to large corporations and institutional investors. Small business was not on his radar until a friend asked, “When you’re 70 years old, what do you want to have done?”

Capital with purpose. Capital was flowing everywhere except to the small and midsize firms that create the lion’s share of American jobs. Tim founded Next Street to give business owners the same access to financing and expertise that Fortune 500 CEOs receive from the big banks he used to run.

An expert on urban economics, Tim is on the leadership council of Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, and on the boards of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University and Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. He is President of the Boston Children’s Chorus and a trustee of the Institute of Contemporary Art. Tim is an avid triathlete, competing in Ironman events since 2005, when Next Street was launched. Together with his dogs, a pair of Vizslas, he has climbed 24 of New Hampshire’s 4,000 foot-plus mountains and the climbing trio hopes to scale all 48 by 2015. Tim has a degree in politics, economics and law from the University of Buckingham.

Ron is creating a new kind of company to help small businesses grow.

Ron connects business owners to the know-how and the institutions they need to get to the next level – as well as the capital that fuels expansion.

In senior executive posts at Sovereign Bank and Fleet Financial Group, Ron fought to get his bankers to look beyond a company’s track record to its potential. On his watch, thousands of companies got their start, expanded, and thrived.  The next step for Ron was to either become a bank president or do something new.

Changing the game. In 2005, he began talking over an idea with Tim Ferguson: a firm that could deliver FORTUNE 500-level expertise in strategy, organizational development, and marketing to small businesses. The banks weren’t doing it. No one was doing it. Next Street would do it. By the end of the year the new firm had the first of its 80 clients.

Ron has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Finance from Prairie View A&M University and completed Harvard Business School’s Executive program in Finance. He sits on the leadership council of the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program in Washington, D.C. and is a director of Emerson College and the Boston Medical Center. He has received leadership awards from Boston Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA and Spike Lee. In 2012, he received the Heroes in Healthcare Award from the Visiting Nurses Association of Boston. An athlete in college, Ron played semi-pro football before moving on to open holes for business owners.

“What intrigued me was bringing high-level domain expertise
to entrepreneurs. That’s where the barrier is.”

Barry has the know-how and the network to help small business and nonprofits flourish in the world’s toughest town.

During 26 years at Morgan Stanley, he rose from the trading desk to the Global Equity Operating Committee. Postings in London and Tokyo gave him a cosmopolitan view of urban business that he now brings to Next Street in New York.  At Morgan Stanley, he developed integrated services offerings for investors and for major clients – anticipating Next Street’s own multi-service model for business owners.

Why Next Street?  Barry believes in the Next Street idea because he helped shape it. He has been an advisor to the firm since its founding, an investor since 2009, and in 2012 took on a leadership role. He knows how to get hard things done in a complex environment. When Saint Vincent’s hospital went into bankruptcy, Davis helped pick up the pieces, engineering a merger of Saint Vincent’s Westchester facilities and Saint Joseph’s Medical Center. The combined system is the largest Catholic hospital in New York.

Barry earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Boston College. In ascending order of speed, his passions are golf, boating, skiing and flying. A licensed pilot, he dreams of flying around the world.

Jon understands his clients’ businesses from the engine-room up.

He combines a rigorous analytical approach with hands-on experience across a broad range of industries that include manufacturing, food, health care, retail and technology — among others.

A founder of the firm, Jon heads Next Street’s Strategy and Talent practices, but his unique connection with business owners comes from having sat on both sides of the table. After earning a B.A. in Economics from Yale, he took the fast track into management consulting at Marakon Associates and later at Galt & Company. After 12 years of solving problems for organizations in virtually every industry sector, he launched his own small company. Suddenly strategic planning had to compete for attention with the press of day-to-day operations. “Now,” he says, “I apply a ‘practicality screen’ to any advice we give to Next Street clients.”

Why Next Street? For Jon, Next Street is an opportunity to combine his passion for business with community impact, and pioneer a new national model for investment in America’s urban markets. His work at the intersection of enterprise and community makes him a sought-after speaker and he is active in a host of civic organizations. His professional skills in organizational development carry over into fantasy baseball, where he is a five-time league champion.

“We understand a CEO’s need to balance long-term planning
with day-to-day operating realities and the occasional curve ball
that a business throws at you.”

Erin helps Next Street connect with business owners, and business owners to connect with the world.

She runs all Next Street’s communications activities and oversees the Agency practice that puts industry-leading capabilities to work for small and mid-size advertisers.

Before joining Next Street, Erin was founder and chief executive of Bitflip, a marketing communications firm she led for most of a decade. Her company created digital and traditional media campaigns for Goldman Sachs, PricewaterhouseCoopers, TIAA-CREF, Layne Bryant stores, the Open Society Institute and The New Yorker. As Vice President/Account Director at Foote, Cone & Belding, she led teams of 30+ marketing, media and creative professionals on assignments from Marriott, Citibank and Planters Lifesavers.

Why Next Street? Erin likes the challenge of building a new kind of business to change the equation for her clients and their communities. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a Master’s degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard. She has lived and worked in Asia, and began her career at the Asia Society.  She was among the first female bartenders in New York, and still makes New York City nights more interesting as lead singer for the Obo White band.

“Call me a geek, but successful collaborations
among uniquely talented people get me going.”

Gloria puts money to work for Next Street clients and communities, leading a team with more than $2 billion in investing, lending and real estate transaction experience.

Born in Seoul, Korea, she grew up in Queens, New York, earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia. Most of her working life has been where finance and civic improvement intersect. There may be no one with a more extensive network in the community development finance industry. Before joining Next Street, she headed Pembrook Community Capital, a pioneer in financial solutions for underserved markets. She managed a $600 million investment portfolio within the community development finance practice at Citigroup and held a similar position at JP Morgan Chase. She maintains close relationships with the financial institutions, investor groups, community groups, foundations and government agencies that help Next Street clients get things done in a complex environment.

Why Next Street? Working alongside professionals in business strategy, organizational development and marketing puts financial challenges in context, giving Gloria – and Next Street – more ways to help clients succeeed. The change in scale from giants like Citi and Chase to Next Street fits in a more personal way. Gloria is wired to help people, and would rather do more for a few individuals than a little for many. She is a regular advisor for community development organizations.

“Running a business means the workday is never really over.”

Tameka helps business owners find the best people for key positions and shape their companies for the future.

Her job is to help Next Street clients build an organization that can weather storms and scale up to serve bigger customers and new markets.

Tameka developed her vast skill-set at Right Management Consultants, the world’s largest career management consulting firm, serving over 80% of the FORTUNE 500. Her own clients at Right, and later at Capital H Group, included a who’s who of well run organizations: MetLife, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo, Pitney Bowes, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Boston Red Sox.

Why Next Street? Tameka and Next Street discovered each other when the firm wanted to lease her church’s parking lot. Now that she’s Director of Talent, recruiting at Next Street no longer happens by accident. Tameka earned a dual-major Bachelor’s degree from Yale University in Sociology and African-American Studies. At Yale, she won the prestigious Elm-Ivy award for strengthening ties between the university and the city around it. A leader in her field, Tameka is a contributor to Workforce magazine and speaks at industry events. She is a third-generation member of Zion F.B.H. Church, (across the street from Next Street’s Roxbury office), where she sits on the finance committee and heads the youth group.

“Leadership is lonely. Business owners need
somebody they can talk to about their organization.”

Trevor can help a company grow in almost any direction:

by expanding geographically, developing new capabilities, making an acquisition, or the old fashioned way – by winning more customers.

Before taking on Next Street’s strategy practice in New York, Trevor was a Senior Project Manager at the Monitor Group, a top ten consulting firm that accepts only one applicant in fifty. Trevor knows: Between strategy projects for FORTUNE 500 clients in technology, construction, consumer brands and healthcare, he led U.S. recruiting for Monitor.  At Next Street, he also wears two hats – helping clients reach the next level, and helping Next Street itself expand relationships in the New York market. His early experience as a business analyst for two leading commercial banks helps ensure that his recommendations to clients are financially practical and that growth will be sustainable.

Why Next Street? Trevor cites the commitment of Next Street’s professional staff to the small business community and creating jobs. “I’m committed to the work we do here,” he says. Trevor earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Tufts University and an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He travels to the extent that a busy schedule permits and is a certified scuba diver.

“I heard a business owner wonder: ‘Why isn’t there a Deloitte Consulting
for companies like me?’  Well, that’s why we’re here.
We bring in the kind of talent large organizations receive.”

Troy helps business owners think through where they want their company to be in a few years and make smart business decisions along the way.

His emphasis is not simply on providing advice, but ensuring that the company develops the internal capabilities for sustained growth.

At Stockamp & Associates, Troy worked with some of America’s largest health systems, helping them improve both financial performance and patient care. His responsibilities ranged from managing vendors to management training for executives, guiding clients through mergers, and developing systems to streamline operations while accelerating performance towards new goals. He now applies these skills to Next Street clients in many industries, but remains one of our go-to guys on healthcare engagements.

Why Next Street? Troy appreciates that the firm is in many ways a peer to its clients: a growing company with deep local roots and national aspirations. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics at Vanderbilt University and a Master’s in International Business and Development Economics from the Fletcher School of international affairs at Tufts University. He is the co-founder of Manna Project International, a nonprofit community development organization with chapters at eleven U.S. universities and ongoing projects in Ecuador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. A Tennessee native, Troy retains his passion for barbecue and great live music.

“Most of the business owners who come to us are at a crossroads.”

Mindy brings a big agency perspective to the needs of small business.

As one of the pioneers behind Ogilvy & Mather’s groundbreaking sustainability practice, Mindy approached the challenge of starting a new enterprise with the same determined mindset as any small businessperson creating something from the ground up.

Add to that a life in advertising that extends across such diverse brands as Clairol, DHL, The Environmental Defense Fund, BP, DuPont and Coca Cola, and you’re looking at someone who understands how to identify opportunities for brands big and small, because she’s spent her career delivering them.

Spend an hour with Mindy and she’ll help you identify the best way to build your brand, too.

Why Next Street? Mindy was looking to apply her skills toward creating an impact on the world. “I was drawn to the Next Street mission of providing services to small and mid-market businesses who aren’t well-served by the larger corporate giants,” she said. Mindy graduated from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Communications and Media Studies and is an avid runner, foodie and theater-goer. No surprise, then, that you can find her in our New York office.

“It’s hard work to create something new and bring it to market, but it’s
extremely rewarding to be part of the team that transforms the way business is done.”

Eric is a specialist in community development finance and structured transactions using tax credits.

No one in the firm knows more about affordable housing. His unique experience in for-profit, nonprofit, and government organizations helps Next Street clients “see the whole field” in complex urban markets.

Before joining Next Street, Eric was Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s Deputy Director in Rhode Island, where he mobilized $112 million in private, public and philanthropic funds for investment in low-income communities. On Eric’s watch, LISC completed thousands of new affordable housing units and opened hundreds of thousands of square feet of new retail and child-care space throughout the state. Eric’s initiation into the mysteries of tax credits began during his work as a senior officer at Rhode Island’s state housing finance agency.

Why Next Street? Next Street widens Eric’s role from the housing sector to include the prosperity sector: helping local businesses expand and create jobs. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science at Boston College, where he also saw the whole field as the captain of the school’s legendary football team. Now he plays golf. The ball is a lot smaller but it goes a lot farther.

Peter believes in the potential within our cities to unlock a better economic future.

Peter’s worked on a political campaign in Namibia, developed power plants in Rwanda and built a sales organization at a business services firm. And wherever his diverse and far-reaching experience has brought him, his belief in growth and economic development in urban areas has followed him. Cities fascinate Peter. Growth is something he instinctively pursues in all his ventures, whether in his family garden, as a consultant to the healthcare industry or at the independent consultancy he built prior to joining Next Street. As a volunteer, Peter has worked with ex-cons to develop their interviewing and resume writing skills to get them back into the workforce. And as an entrepreneur, he understands the challenges of operating a small business in a city full of large organizations. He is a driver of potential.

Why Next Street? Next Street’s urban focus and the chance to work in a small, growing organization filled with smart people were key draws for Peter. As a member of Next Street’s healthcare team, he embraces the challenge of creating new models that bring healthcare to our cities’ most underserved communities.

“I’m passionate about urbanism. I think cities represent the best engine for a sustainable future.”

Jennifer helps build a future of growth for our clients.

Jennifer brings a solid foundation of finance and consulting experience to the needs of Next Street clients, assisting them with everything from project strategy and complex valuation analysis to due diligence, underwriting and helping them identify and secure the optimal financing package from a variety of capital sources that best suit their specific needs.

Prior to joining Next Street, she was a Senior Strategy & Risk Consultant in the Construction and Real Estate Advisory Services (CREAS) practice of Ernst & Young LLP. During a brief volunteer project in Medellin, Colombia, Jennifer taught English at a children’s center and organized a fundraiser to purchase computers for it. She hopes to return to Colombia someday to provide further educational opportunities for its children and to help create opportunities for small business owners there.

Jennifer has a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Purchase and an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. She has a passion for salsa dancing, and is a former member of an all-girl car club during which time she participated in car shows and races.

I have a passion for revitalizing communities and
helping to create opportunities for people.

Michael creates the web interfaces and applications that define the user experience for Next Street client brands.

His work is what people see and touch online. When Next Street people say, “We can create an app for that,” they really mean Michael.

Michael began creating digital wizardry professionally when he was 20. He has developed web platforms and applications for local businesses, global businesses, nonprofit organizations and at least one state government. As an independent web designer and developer before joining Next Street, Michael worked with digital design legends at Walt Disney and Warner Brothers. Some of his client sites support communities of over 200,000 users and produce millions in revenue.

Why Next Street? Michael responds to the wide variety of challenges that come to him at Next Street and the “family-like” atmosphere that surrounds him as he takes those assignments on. He graduated first in his class at Full Sail University, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Web Design and Development.

Isaac helps our clients find the right people for the right jobs.

Isaac is focused on supporting Next Street’s Talent team in its pursuit of bringing top-tier talent management to the urban enterprise.

A native of New Mexico, Isaac interned with the U.S. State Department in the Consulate General in Barcelona, and with CIPPEC, an Argentine public policy think tank. He also held a number of leadership positions in student organizations, including co-chair of the Leverett House Committee and Harvard BGLT Students and Allies. 

Isaac earned a Bachelor’s degree in Government with a Foreign Language Citation in Spanish from Harvard College. He’s a fitness enthusiast and half-marathoner, as well as an active volunteer and member of St. James’s Episcopal Church in Cambridge.

Why Next Street? Isaac’s father owned a small towing and repair company. He says he wishes his dad had access to the kinds of services Next Street provides to small businesses to help them grow.

At Next Street, economic development is more than just
an ivory tower theory; we make it work.

Kristina is a bridge between small companies and the capital markets.

She works with Next Street’s senior leadership and plays a central role in raising the investment capital that provides financing to our clients.

Kristina began her career as an analyst at Lehman Brothers in Boston, where she co-founded a professional network for women. As a credit analyst in Lehman’s Asset Management unit and later at Neuberger Berman, she developed deep expertise in cash management and liquidity strategies, structured finance vehicles and the credit profiles of large corporations and financial institutions. At Next Street, she carries the story of small companies’ potential to banks, fund managers, foundations and private investors.

Why Next Street? The firm offered Kristina a chance to “do something that was bigger than me,” and a place where “doing well by doing good was more than a slogan.” She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Northwestern University and has passed Level Two of the Chartered Financial Analyst exam. She is a ferocious downhill skier and still thinks about moving to the mountains and becoming a ski bum.

“Investors need to shift the way they look at small companies
and gauge their potential, not just their history.”

Frank’s work ensures that a sound fact-base informs all of Next Street’s decisions.

Frank manages and mines the data that helps Next Street’s management team answer the big questions essential to the firm’s - and our clients’ – future success.

Prior to joining Next Street, Frank worked at Simon-Kucher & Partners where he helped design marketing and pricing strategies for a variety of companies, from family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies like Kimberly-Clark.

Frank holds a B.A in Social Studies from Harvard College, where he brought his leadership skills to the captaining of the men’s squash team. He currently serves as co-chair of the New Sector Alliance alumni board, dedicated to accelerating social change by strengthening organizations today while developing leaders for tomorrow.

Why Next Street? Frank was attracted to Next Street’s double bottom line social mission and ambitions for growth. And the opportunity to work directly with the firm’s senior management fit perfectly with his proven ability to take on positions of leadership.

This is an opportunity to use the skills I’ve gained at a traditional consulting firm
to help Next Street and our clients succeed – doing well by doing good.

Lynn understands what’s at stake for the business owner.

She looks beyond the numbers to where small company CEOs want to be in a few years. As a retail buyer, she developed a visceral sense of the risk that a business owner takes in every significant purchase decision and the imperative to put customers first. She brought this understanding to her role as a branch manager for Fleet Bank and later a community banking officer at Sovereign Bank. At Sovereign, she developed a 360º view of business owners, helping them get financing for their companies and manage their personal wealth.

Why Next Street? Next Street’s broad array of services equips Lynn with more solutions for business owners than she could deliver as a bank manager. She also appreciates that her women and minority clients will become the majority of business owners in coming years. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Plymouth State College and served on the board of the Cambridge Family YMCA. Lynn’s four-season devotion to Boston teams makes her an infrequent visitor to Next Street’s New York office; and her own sports include golf, swimming, hiking and skiing.

Josh identifies the best cross-discipline marketing strategies for our clients to realize their full potential.

A graduate of Boston University with a major in advertising, Josh has led account and marketing teams for some of the world’s leading agencies – Margeotes, McCann and Ogilvy – and brands, including Time Warner Cable, Verizon, ALDO Shoes and Remy Cointreau, as well as nonprofits like Coalition for the Homeless.

As a veteran of the New York City Marathon, with his eyes set on completing a marathon on every continent, Josh brings that same kind of long-range vision and intensely focused preparation to his work on behalf of Next Street’s clients.

Why Next Street? The opportunity to work within Next Street’s innovative model, and serve the diversity of our clients – large, small, for profit and not-for-profit – proved irresistible.

Next Street’s core mission and values, and its unique business model,
are new and exciting and I wanted to be a part of that.

Michelle grew up in a family business. She gets it.

Michelle leverages her wide-ranging expertise – from team building, group dynamics and cultural change to strategic growth, marketing and business development – in Next Street’s efforts to help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) identify, understand and overcome the unique challenges they face in today’s market.

Michelle earned a B.A. cum laude in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, and received her MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. She works with early-stage entrepreneurs through MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service and serves on the Advisory Board for Groundwork Lawrence, which seeks to create the building blocks of a healthy community in Lawrence, MA.

Why Next Street? Next Street is right in Michelle’s wheelhouse. Upon graduating college, she started her own company working with global entrepreneurs looking to secure equity financing and develop strategies to establish and grow their companies. Following that, she joined a non-profit focused on working with women business owners.

I am passionate about economic development through entrepreneurship and small business. I’m also drawn to helping those who have been under-represented secure access and opportunity.

Paul specializes in the kind of rigorous economic analysis that helps business owners gauge the risks and rewards of different courses of action.

In his career at consulting giants Galt & Company and NERA, Paul applied quantitative analysis to complex business problems in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, software, banking and consumer products. Clients guard his work for them very closely: The only two clients not covered by confidentiality agreements are Coca-Cola and medical device maker Medinol.

Why Next Street? Paul can make a bigger difference applying lessons learned from working with large companies to urban growth businesses. His work provides a level of strategic certainty that has simply not been available in the urban small business market.  Paul received a Bachelor of Science degree from The Colorado College, where he pursued a double major in Mathematical Economics and Physics. Surprisingly for an economist, Paul interned at MTV and performed as a backup singer for Shania Twain. As a board member of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, Paul is a zealous advocate for Boston’s underutilized waterfront. His dog answers to “Harbor.”

“There’s no shortage of ideas in the world.
There’s a shortage of people who get things done.”

Curt has a gift for helping brands make an indelible first impression – even if the brand has been around awhile.

He is a master at using design to convey a new story at a glance – a feat he has performed for the History Channel, Ladies Home Journal, New York’s legendary Plaza Hotel and, most recently, Media Innovation Group. Other clients seek him out to create unique brand identities, packaging, and websites that get prospects to stop, look, and engage. The hallmark of a Middleton solution is clarity. Nothing gets in the way of the story that a Next Street client wants to tell.

Why Next Street? Curt has a visceral understanding of the challenges that confront business owners today. He has run his own successful design firm and founded the award-winning communications and digital development shop Bitflip with Next Streeters Erin Jurew and Ted Papoulas. Curt has B.A. in American Studies from Stanford University and earned his Master’s degree in Visual Communications from Pratt Institute in New York. He is an expert on the lives and music of Mississippi’s blues players, and recently established a foundation with his wife to promote rural development in Senegal, where he served in the Peace Corps.

I was drawn to the fact that Next Street is a mission-driven organization,
as well as its highly collaborative environment of talented, passionate people.

Jayne defines operational excellence – at Next Street and for our clients.

She is the finance and operations leader for the firm and a unique resource for the organizations that we advise. How many Mandarin speakers do you know who have worked for the FBI, owned a successful consulting firm, and raised $4 billion in private equity – as Jayne did during seven years at Bank of America’s Private Equity Placement group in New York. She knows how to align the many moving parts inside an organization to get big things done: Her time at the FBI resulted in a body armor upgrade across the agency.

Why Next Street? Jayne was drawn to Next Street’s pioneering business model because she has a pioneering spirit. She was the only graduate of her inner city San Francisco high school to go to college east of the Mississippi. And she made the most of the move: Jayne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

I’m passionate about the people in my life and want to surround
myself with people who are constant sources of inspiration.

Eric brings world-class creative leadership to Next Street clients large and small.

Inventive, unflappable and tireless, Eric is one of advertising’s most broadly experienced talents. He has led creative battalions at Ogilvy & Mather and lived by his wits as the founder of his own small agency. Along the way, he has created new opportunities for a Who’s Who of financial services, personal care, airline, beverage, technology, and media brands. He has helped launch upstarts like the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company and Tunespring, and helped keep icon brands on their pedestals: Dove, Delta Airlines, the New York Daily News, Slim-Fast, Timberland and American Express. He has won advertising’s most prestigious awards for creativity and its highest award for sales. In an arena being transformed by technology, Eric is at home in any medium: His work has been named the best in television and the best of the Web.

Why Next Street? Next Street gets to know each client’s whole business, instead of the sliver that traditional ad agencies see. The firm’s nonprofit portfolio is another attraction: Eric has taken on more nonprofit assignments than most writers ever see, in education, health and the arts. Eric earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta in Economics and studied film and television at New York University.

“You can’t help a company market itself
unless you really know what’s going on inside and outside of it.”

Monica helps Next Street clients assess their growth opportunities and identify every obstacle in the way.

She designs the blueprints – and the budgets – for business expansion.

Before joining Next Street, Monica helped shape strategy for Citigroup’s Securities and Fund Services unit, finding new avenues of growth for one of the world’s largest financial networks. At Citi her responsibilities included mapping the way forward, analyzing possibilities, and implementing the functional business changes necessary to achieve success. She has vetted potential acquisitions to make sure of their value, and analyzed which markets – geographical and product categories – are ripest for growth. Next Street clients respect her rigorous market research and the insight she brings to analyzing competitive activity.

Why Next Street? The firm aligns Monica’s professional ambitions with her personal goals. She enjoys helping high-potential companies realize ambitious plans while playing a tangible role in urban economic development. Monica earned a Bachelor of Science degree in International Politics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and is equipped to help Next Street clients solve problems in Spanish, French and Arabic as well as English. She is a regular competitor in marathons and has enough wind left over to play the flute and the piccolo.

Steve helps Next Street clients obtain a wide variety of financing sources such as debt, equity, tax credits and philanthropic sources to make projects happen.

In the last two years, Steve has helped direct over $100 million in financing to community development projects for businesses, real estate developers and nonprofit sponsors.

As a Director at Pembrook Community Capital, Steve helped set up a new division focused on New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) and renewable energy investments in low-income communities across the U.S. His relationships with developers, government agencies and financial institutions as well as his prior experience making similar investments in low-income communities were superb preparation for managing Next Street’s project finance team. At Citibank’s community development unit, he specialized in real estate, tax credit and private equity investments in urban neighborhoods, delivering over $130 million in financing. Next Street clients count on Steve’s wide-angle view of the market as well as his specialized expertise. He began his career as a management consultant at Deloitte.

Why Next Street? Steve began following Next Street in 2007. He appreciated the “tireless” focus on client success, and the opportunity to put his own entrepreneurial spirit to the test. Steve earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. A native Russian speaker, Steve grew up in Belarus and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Amy knows how to connect big organizations to local suppliers and make sure that they all grow.

Amy mastered the complexities of corporate procurement operations and contract procedures during five years at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts as a supplier diversity coordinator. At Next Street, she specializes in helping small, women- and minority-owned businesses scale up to serve public agencies. She stays engaged with the small businesses even after they complete their training program to make sure they are implementing lessons learned and developing their expertise to be a success for their clients and for the communities they serve.

Why Next Street? Amy saw the effect of Next Street’s capacity building programs first hand and joined us to make that kind of direct impact herself. Having grown up in Roxbury near our Boston office sealed the deal. The first in her family to graduate from college, Amy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Bay State College and hasn’t stopped; she is now pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Management and Leadership from Emmanuel College.

Ted helps Next Street clients create online properties that are more effective – and unforgettable.

Beyond leading-edge technology chops, his training as an artist ensures that a web user’s experience – with a site, an app, or a digital video – will be uniquely rewarding.

Ted’s career in digital development parallels the development of the Web itself, beginning in the 1990s. He was a founding partner of Bitflip, one of the seminal firms that led the way into online marketing. He helped train today’s rising generation of web developers, teaching classes at both Pratt Institute and the New School in New York.

Why Next Street? Next Street reunites Ted with some smart people he has worked with in the past, including a partner from Bitflip days. He enjoys the energy of a start-up: Next Street is his third. Ted studied computer programming at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and earned a Bachelors degree in Fine Art at the Pratt Institute. A successful artist, his paintings and photographs are regularly exhibited in New York and Philadelphia. He has served on the board of the Gowanus Canal Conservancy and is passionate about protecting the marine environment. As a photographer, he specializes in startling 3D images of underwater life.

“I like the challenge of combining aesthetics with functionality.”

Leslee’s understanding of the value of talent comes from experience.

Bringing more than 25 years of HR expertise to Next Street, Leslee works directly with clients to help individuals and groups maximize their capabilities.

Prior to joining Next Street, Leslee owned an HR consulting business, so she knows a thing or two about the talent needs of small businesses. On a larger scale, she has served in executive HR positions with Putnam Investments and Filene’s Basement.

She has a B.S. in Sociology and Education from the University of Massachusetts and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, the American Society for Training and Development, and the International Consortium for Coaching.

Why Next Street? Leslee is dedicated to the needs of urban communities. She’s passionate about wiping out hunger in America through access to healthy, affordable food, and is a regular volunteer at local food banks and pantries. She sees Next Street as an opportunity to help build strong local communities by helping to build strong local businesses.

Jonathan breaks down complex challenges
and solves them piece by piece.

As an Analyst at Public Consulting Group he developed rare expertise in healthcare, exploring operational and financial scenarios for state health agencies across the US. Here at Next Street, he helps clients discover new efficiencies and opportunities hiding in business data. The systematic approach to knotty problems comes naturally: He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with highest honors from the Boston University School of Management, where he mentored other students as both a tutor and teaching assistant for the course Management as a System.

Why Next Street? Jonathan’s focus has always been on results for clients. Work at Next Street aligns his business growth agenda with meaningful benefits for the wider community.

Ellie combines entrepreneurial energy with big company discipline.

She has made a career out of equipping high-potential organizations with the financial tools to succeed at the next level. At Next Street, she oversees the accounting, forecasting, and reporting processes that underwrite long-term ambition with day-to-day performance.

Why Next Street? At Deloitte and Touche, Ellie worked in the Small Business Consulting group, where she developed a passion for helping small companies achieve their potential. Her wide experience touches almost every sector that matters in a changing economy: technology, consulting, nonprofit, quasi-public, accounting and investments. At Sallie Mae’s Upromise unit, she helped expand their recordkeeping for family college savings accounts by $10 billion in a single year.

Ellie earned her BA at Wellesley College and an MBA in Finance and Accounting at the University of Chicago. She is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Series 27 financial and operations principal securities license. She is a veteran of curling tournaments throughout the northeast. Sometimes described as “chess on ice,” the sport demands the skills that Ellie brings to Next Street and its clients: teamwork, concentration, and precision.

Damian knows how to help business owners get the best from everybody in their companies —

and find the best person when a key hire is the missing ingredient for success.

Damian has helped improve the performance of some of the world’s best-known companies by helping their people perform better – including senior management. He has deep expertise in designing the materials that help people see where they fit in achieving big-picture goals…and doing the little everyday things that get you there … fast.  Before Next Street, Damian played this role for Pacific Sunwear, a 1980 startup that now has nearly 1,000 stores in 50 states and online. His experience also includes leading projects at Watson Wyatt, a global leader in human resource consulting, now Towers Watson.

Why Next Street? Damian has many more ideas than he had the chance to implement for a few large clients at previous jobs. At Next Street, his creative approach can benefit a lot of companies – and Next Street itself. Damian received his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.  He is a complete participant in anything he does: He plays the sports he watches, and you can see him on improv stages as well as in the audience.

“I love thinking about what could be.”

Adina helps make companies stronger – as well as bigger.

She leads Next Street’s strategy practice in Boston, where she advises business owners on growth strategies, personnel issues and financing.

She brings over a decade of experience at McKinsey, the world’s most respected consulting firm, where she walked point in the health care sector, helping clients navigate a rapidly changing environment. Adina has shown insurers how to improve their sales organizations, partnerships and policy benefits. She has helped medical device makers and biotech firms out-market their competitors. She has improved the performance of nursing homes, diagnostic labs and a major academic medical center – perhaps the most complex organization in existence. As senior consultant at Water Street Partners in Washington, she helped health providers and insurers collaborate in new ways, improving technology, efficiency – and care. She has led investors to growth companies and is now helping Next Street clients find financing.

Why Next Street? Adina thrives on big challenges, like helping to reshape America’s health care system. The opportunity to change what is possible for small companies in urban markets is a challenge worthy of her abundant skills. Adina has a B.A. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She runs a local Main Street organization and keeps personal tabs on the agriculture sector as the head of a farmer’s market.

Rojin helps business owners secure the financing they need to get to the next level,

and has the expertise to advise Next Street clients at any scale in the urban enterprise. He has developed innovative financing solutions for individual companies, local communities and city governments.

As an SBA loan officer at Nara Bank, Rojin helped business owners identify their opportunities and document their companies’ potential in order to secure the financing they needed to get there. As an Assistant Vice President at Citibank’s Municipal Securities unit, he helped local governments fund vital projects, using sophisticated analytic tools to ensure that these investments would prove sustainable as well as successful. As a project finance portfolio manager at Citi Community Capital he coordinated the complex transactions that transform neighborhoods at street level.

Why Next Street? Having worked at every level in urban market finance, Rojin can say with authority that, “no one has ever offered Next Street’s array of services to small businesses.” Rojin earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Stony Brook University, where he minored in Business Administration. He may be Next Street’s most tireless volunteer: at New York Cares, in the food program at Saint Bart’s, an animal shelter in Queens, and as a certified tax preparer for needy New Yorkers.

Rishi helps Next Street innovate in business development, strategy, and execution for clients.

He has been a big city hospital administrator and a start-up CEO. He has raised capital to fund business expansion and developed path-breaking medical informatics systems. Rishi changes what is possible.

Before joining Next Street, Rishi was co-founder and CEO of Fitness Forward, a national public health organization that helps children make healthier choices. His company’s innovative educational and social media programs produce documented success: kids that eat better, watch less TV and exercise more. A few years earlier, he spearheaded the development of a first-of-its-kind pediatric nutrition unit at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety-net hospital in New England.

Why Next Street? The firm’s unusual reach gives Rishi an opportunity to apply his unusual skills towards creating economic impact. Rishi has a B.A. in Neuroscience from Boston University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He has published articles in medical and engineering journals and is a regular speaker in healthcare and entrepreneurship circles in Boston and beyond. As a volunteer, he helps low-income patients and families from area hospitals connect with affordable housing, job training, and nutrition assistance.

Ingrid manages the New York office with the same efficiency and attention to detail that our clients value – and experience.

Ingrid’s professional experience in a variety of industries – from legal to marketing to travel and tourism – is a big part of the reason she’s so well suited to providing across-the-board support to a company with four diverse practice areas.

Every day, Ingrid brings to Next Street the same positive energy that sent her backpacking through Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras and the cool competence required in her position as concierge at Casa Dorada at Cabo San Lucas.

Why Next Street? Ingrid is nothing if not eclectic. Having attended the College of Aeronautics, and having held a wide range of past positions – at least one involving the cosseting of high-profile celebrities – Ingrid was nonetheless drawn to Next Street for its focus on the energy and vitality of urban markets.

“I enjoy people but, more than that, I enjoy cultures.”

Mike’s got a talent for spotting those who are uniquely qualified to ensure our clients’ future success.

As Talent Analyst, Mike sources, identifies and recruits top-shelf talent for Next Street’s clients. By using both traditional techniques and new technologies, he helps Next Street clients connect with the right candidates to fill any role.

After graduating from Bryant University where he first developed an interest in recruiting, Mike interned with Management Search Inc. and Lloyd Staffing, learning the intricacies of both retained and agency style recruiting. From sourcing for food service companies to nonprofits, from entry-level to executive level positions, he knows that each role needs to have its own customized approach, and he’s up for the toughest challenge. He roots for the Mets, after all.

Why Next Street? Mike saw in Next Street an opportunity to be a part of “an organization with a great mission.” And he has a natural affinity for the small businesses owner: staying open-minded and unafraid to take risks provides him with the vision to see well outside the proverbial box.

Next Street gives me the unique opportunity to
serve not just our clients but the communities around them.

Brenda makes everything (and everybody) work better.

The Office Manager title doesn’t fully cover her role at Next Street, or in the community beyond. Brenda brings a world of experience to the business functions that really matter to people. She plans the events that mark our milestones. She integrates competing priorities with grace, and makes sure everyone gets the resources that the job needs.

Why Next Street? Brenda has devoted her business career to organizations that make a difference. She has managed programs for early learning and at-risk girls. She has strengthened community centers. Before joining Next Street, she ran the office of Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. In 2012, she was elected a Trustee of Roxbury Prep, one of Boston’s most successful charter schools.

Brenda earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management at Alabama A&M University, and her southern roots go deep. She counts over 300 cousins on her father’s side alone. This may account for her love of catering and cooking. “In my second life,” she says, “I will open up a restaurant.”

Courtney blends sharp analytic skills with insights into the larger issues that face Next Street clients.

Courtney sees the whole field. A background in qualitative research on industries, companies and legal matters gives her a wider perspective than data alone can provide. She can make sense of dense transaction data and public filings and how shifts in public perceptions affect our clients. At Analysis Group she used these skills to chart the changing landscape faced by large financial institutions. A strong communicator, she has helped prepare expert witnesses for trial and delivered corporate training programs. She was a Teaching Assistant at Williams and a Research Assistant at the Wharton School.

Why Next Street? Courtney came to Next Street to put her mastery of Economics into practice, helping companies and institutions make real-time decisions that affect the cities around them as well as their own strategic goals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Spanish from Williams College, where she captured the scholar athlete award as co-captain of the swimming and water polo teams.

Chris has a rare ability to discover patterns in oceans of information

and weave them into actionable marketing strategies for Next Street clients and inspiring briefs for project teams. His background as both a brand strategist and creative director helps ensure that recommendations can be executed in the real world.

As Brand Strategist at Ogilvy & Mather in New York, he helped marketers position their brands in a changing environment, articulate their organization’s story, and align employees to new challenges. His clients included senior executives at SAP, Kimberly-Clark, Hospital for Special Surgery and American Express OPEN, the company’s small business unit. Prior to becoming a strategy guy for the C-Suite, Chris headed a creative group, creating business-to-business campaigns for IBM, American Express, AT&T, United Technologies and FORTUNE Magazine – along with consumer campaigns for Kimberly-Clark, Unilever and Hershey.

Why Next Street? A big picture thinker, Chris enjoys working with business owners more than fighting to get ideas through corporate marketing departments. His articles on innovation and technology have appeared in the business press, along with occasional snarky contributions to Funny Times. In off hours, he plays the guitar and works as a staff guide for Atlantic Kayak Tours.

“It’s easy to imagine better ways to do things.
It’s hard to imagine whole new things to do.”

Having founded a business and a nonprofit, Ryan knows what Next Street clients are looking for…before they’re Next Street clients.

Ryan’s been there. He’s lived the excitement and the frustrations of establishing an enterprise: forging relationships, meeting payroll, getting it done. Even in corporate settings, the bulk of his experience has been advising principals – the people who are the business.

He has advised financial executives how to make the most of sophisticated Exchange Traded Funds. As Vice President of the Warner Companies, he designed financial management solutions for individuals and employee benefit programs for businesses. He advised business owners at Merrill Lynch and professional athletes as co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Jade Private Wealth Management.

Why Next Street? Most of Ryan’s working life has been about helping high-potential businesses and individuals succeed. Next Street gives him a bigger tool-kit. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College in Communications with a minor in Economics and his M.B.A. from the University of Maryland’s Smith School. He is a co-founder of IMPACT, the Washington, DC-based nonprofit to promote civic engagement and economic success among minority youth of promise. He is a member of 100 Black Men of Washington, DC, and was recently named as one of the “Top 40 under 40” by the EnVest Foundation.

“At Merrill Lynch, I dreamed of starting a business
with the capabilities of Next Street.”

Nobody knows Next Street like Pamela Jones. She’s been here from the start.

As the fifth member to join Next Street, Pam is the institutional memory of the firm. That’s why everyone at Next Street relies on her for everything from operations management, HR and employee benefits to insight into the history of the firm.

Prior to joining Next Street, Pam was assistant to the Executive Director of Madison Park Development Corporation, a nonprofit community development corporation.

Despite over a decade of office administration experience – and her responsibilities as a member of the M.E.T.C.O. Parent Advisory Board and Roxbury International Film Festival Committee – Pam returned to school for her Masters of Management. In fact, she takes her work so seriously, that by her own admission “I don’t think anyone knows how playful I really am.”

Why Next Street? Pam was there as the original four members built out the Boston office space. As she got to know them and understand their vision for the company, she knew she was the right person to provide the high-level administrative support they would need.