Boston (Mattapan, Dorchester & South Boston)
Laudz Nicolas
Laudz Nicolas is a passionate advocate for empowering others to build generational wealth. Her entire journey is deeply rooted in helping communities and individuals transform their lives through financial workshops and education. As a pastor, Laudz has been instrumental in helping her church community bounce back and get their lives in order by providing personal finance training. Her dedication to fostering independence is also evident in her 8 years of work with foster children and their families, guiding them toward stability and be financially secure.
Laudz is excited about the opportunity to serve as a Community Ambassador, as it will give her the unique opportunity to further her mission of empowering individuals and communities through financial education and support.
Contact Laudz
Boston (Roslindale, Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park & Roxbury)
Raydania Peña
Raydania Peña has been in the Financial Services field for 11 years. Her passion in the financial industry began when she realized how hard her parents worked, but the lack of guidance they found towards helping them invest and prepare for retirement. The more she learned, the more she wanted to use her knowledge and skills to help others in her community navigate their finances, too. When she’s not working, Peña loves reading, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends.
Contact Raydania
Berkshires
Erin Hartwiger
Hi! My name is Erin Hartwiger and I use she/her pronouns. I’m originally from Hoover, Alabama, but have called the Berkshires my home since 2021. A fun fact about me is that I always know the right size of Tupperware to use. I am grateful for the connections I’ve made that have led me throughout my career here and that have enabled me to feel connected to this community. I am passionate about financial inclusion and economic empowerment and I’m excited to share the Office of Economic Empowerment’s programs and resources with the Berkshires.
Contact Erin
Brockton
Tache Figueroa
Tache Figueroa is a mother of four children, a wife, a strong black woman, and a proud Brockton native. She is a passionate advocate for equity, inclusion, and diversity for all Brockton residents, aiming to create a sense of unity and alleviate stress by providing key financial literacy. Tache is dedicated to helping individuals understand their current financial status and empowering them to achieve their financial goals.
Deeply committed to her community, Tache strives to empower others through education and economic opportunities. As a Community Ambassador, she eagerly anticipates using her skills and passion to support and uplift those around her, particularly the youth and families of Brockton. Tache is determined to make a positive impact and cultivate a sense of empowerment and growth in her community.
Contact Tache
Chelsea & Revere
Jaime Jimenez
I am a Colombian immigrant who has worked in the mental health field for 20 years in several roles beginning as a multicultural specialist in 2003. As an immigrant that came to this country as a teenager in the early 90s and due to the lack of understanding on how to access higher educational resources and opportunities, this prevented me from achieving my educational goals as a young adult and joined the workforce directly after high school. In my early 20s I became a paramedic and was able to begin my career as a multicultural specialist at North Suffolk Community Services (formerly known as North Suffolk Mental Health Assoc.) in their Emergency Services Program (ESP). There, I was able to continue educating myself in other administrative areas using internal resources and was promoted several times reaching the role of Director of Operations within that program and subsequently became the Director of Training for the agency.
In my role as a Community Ambassador, my goal and commitment to the community will be to provide access and resources to support personal growth and development that will enable people to reach any goal set by making informed financial decisions that will support financial stability using the resources available from OEE. Also, it is important for me based on my lived experience to provide access to educational resource opportunities available that our community members may not be aware of due to previous lack of outreach within the communities we serve and/or individual factors like language capacity.
Contact Jaime
Lowell
Luciano Paskevicius
Luciano Paskevicius is a Bilingual Family Advocate and Community Outreach Coordinator at Lowell Alliance, where he supports immigrant and underserved families by connecting them to local resources and fostering community empowerment. Originally from Argentina, Luciano has lived in Lowell since 2008 and brings years of experience in multilingual advocacy, outreach, and civic engagement. He has led voter registration efforts, supported refugee resettlement programs, and organized community initiatives focused on food security, education, and economic mobility. Luciano studied Communications in Business at Harvard and is passionate about building inclusive systems where all residents can thrive.
Contact Luciano
New Bedford
Joel Ayala
My name is Joel Ayala, and I’m a 21-year-old resident of New Bedford, Massachusetts with proud Puerto Rican roots. I work with multiple organizations providing small business advisory and assistance, helping entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. As a passionate advocate for local economic development, I strive to uplift my community through accessible resources and support. I am also a full-time college student, balancing my academic journey with my commitment to empowering others.
Contact Joel
Quincy
Peter J. Mullen
Career-long focus on Financial Literacy and economic education for moderate and low-income families. Passionate speaker and advocate for community advancement, equal opportunities, and informed choices. Enjoy family, travel, discovery and an inquisitive open mind.
Contact Peter
Worcester
Rachelle Lappinen
My career has taken diverse paths through the years, which has helped to enhance my current position as a college and career coordinator. After graduating from Fitchburg State University, I worked for 12 years in insurance sales and underwriting. Transitioning from insurance, I dedicated three years to working in colleges and non-profits, gaining insights into career coaching and college advising. During this time, I pursued my MBA, also from Fitchburg State. For the past seven years, I have been working for MassEdCO, primarily serving at North High School in Worcester. As a college and career coordinator, I provide personalized guidance to seniors for their college applications and help them align with their career aspirations.
Within MassEdCO, I actively engage in various organizations, including: Investing in Girls Alliance, Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Association (MEOA), and Reach Higher Massachusetts. Our mission at MassEdCO involves bridging the equity gap, and encompassing financial literacy is a crucial component. I decided to become a Community Ambassador to share my passion for financial literacy, empower others in my community, and, most of all, I want to make a positive impact on people’s economic well-being.