DANIEL VIDAÑA

Director of District Hall, Acting Director of Roxbury Innovation Center

Dan is the Director at Venture Café Foundation’s District Hall Boston and Acting Director of Roxbury Innovation Center. Dan brings a true passion for engaging diverse entrepreneurial communities, with over 25 years of experience merging leadership, creativity and business insight with solid non-profit, start-up, consulting and corporate experience. Dan has held senior executive operations roles for market leaders such as Apple Inc., Universal Electronics, VeriFone and e-commerce marketplace ProvideCommerce. Dan holds a B.A. in Spanish from Santa Clara University, with a concentration in International Business and Latin American Studies. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, the movies and baseball games.

• LinkedIn

TARA ATWOOD

Senior Program Manager at Venture Café Foundation

Tara is the Senior Program Manager at Venture Café Foundation’s District Hall and Roxbury Innovation Center. She brings a diverse background to the foundation from experience working with and consulting for Fortune 500 companies, to being the founder of two businesses, Amber Blue Skincare and Tara Atwood Wellness.  Tara’s deep interest in Entrepreneurship, lead her to studying the effectiveness of Entrepreneurship as a tool to alleviate poverty in underdeveloped countries and communities. This passion encouraged her to travel to 27+ countries engaging in entrepreneurial cultures and communities around the world. She has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus in Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainability from Baruch College Zicklin School of Business in New York City and a B.A. in English and Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In her free time, she enjoys sailing, meditating, kayaking and traveling.  She is also a Meditation + Yoga Teacher and Sound Therapist.

• LinkedIn

CHRISTIAN APPIA

Program Coordinator at Venture Café Foundation

Christian is the Program Coordinator at Roxbury Innovation Center and District Hall.  He helps provide program support, data analysis, and data reporting in order to create a better experience for Venture Cafe affiliates. You can find him helping plan and set up for events, crunching numbers, and helping create efficient business processes at District Hall and the Roxbury Innovation center during the week. In his free time, he enjoys reading, going to shows and art museums, and writing. Christian received both his Bachelor’s Degree in Sustainable Community Development and his Master’s in Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

• LinkedIn

Rachael Reints

Event Sales Manager at Venture Café Foundation

As the Event Sales Manager, Rachael leads the booking of meeting and event spaces at District Hall and Roxbury Innovation Center.  You can find her setting up rooms, giving site tours, and connecting with members of the innovation community. In addition to her love for attention to details and organization, Rachael enjoys exploring the outdoors, including camping, kayaking, and playing field hockey. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Hospitality Management from Endicott College.

• LinkedIn

Jenna LaRiviere

Event Coordinator at Venture Café Foundation

Jenna is the Event Coordinator at District Hall and the Roxbury Innovation Center. She has strong non-profit project management experience working in museums and libraries and aims to bring joy to people through her work. In her spare time, Jenna enjoys painting, hiking, and traveling. Jenna holds a B.A. in Archaeology from Dickinson College and an M.A. in Museum Studies from the University of East Anglia.

• LinkedIn

Linda Lazo

Operations Coordinator at Venture Café Foundation

Linda is the Operations Coordinator at Venture Café Foundation’s District Hall and the Roxbury Innovation Center. She has strong project management experience from her previous role in a large construction project in Cambridge. In her current role, you’ll find her doing data analysis, managing, developing, and improving facility systems, and ensuring the daily operations of both District Hall and Roxbury Innovation Center go smoothly. Outside of work she enjoys exploring the city, trying new restaurants, exercising, cooking, and visiting her family in Los Angeles. Her current goals include attending graduate school and owning a home. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Wellesley College.

• LinkedIn

Christian Gomez

Marketing + Community Outreach Co-op at Venture Café Foundation

Christian is responsible for creating the weekly newsletters and marketing collateral, along with managing the social media platforms for District Hall and the Roxbury Innovation Center. He is a second-year undergraduate student at The Northeastern University D’Amore-McKim School of Business, where he is pursuing a B.S. degree in Communication Studies and Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Photojournalism. He also works as a Resident Assistant for a first-year community on campus. In his free time, he enjoys taking pictures at Northeastern University sporting events and finding new places to explore in Boston. 
I have included his LinkedIn profile below. 

• LinkedIn

RUTH SAUNDERS

Head Of Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy at Venture Café Foundation

Ruth is Head of Corporate Engagement and Philanthropy of Venture Café Foundation New England. Ruth holds an MBA from INSEAD and a master’s from the University of Cambridge. Please contact Ruth Saunders to sponsor at 1(860)-287- 2000 or email at Ruth.saunders@vencaf.org.

• LinkedIn