CAP Collaborative

An innovative cross-training program for business and government leaders

Bridging Business & Government

The CAP Collaborative is a highly interactive cross-training educational opportunity for leaders to acquire new insights that will advance the public interest. Twice a year, the CAP Collaborative brings together 20 public and private sector leaders to build trust, promote the development of good public policy, and advance a next generation of public and private sector leaders who are knowledgeable about both business and government and poised to collaborate across the sectors.

Pictured here: Bob Rivers, Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank, speaking with Curtis Kemeny, CEO and President of Boston Residential Group, Taveres Brewington, Chief Compliance Officer of Analog Devices, Inc., and José Massó, Chief of Human Services of City of Boston

The CAP Collaborative is premised on the conviction that the most complex concerns in our society cannot be solved by government nor business acting alone. To come together to collaborate on these problems, however, public and private sector leaders need to appreciate the challenges, priorities, limitations and skills of the other, in order to facilitate better communication and public policy decision-making. At the end of the CAP Collaborative, we hope to have participants prepared to address mutual concerns – such as sustainable development, income inequality, energy costs, taxation levels, transportation infrastructure and diversity and inclusion – from a place of mutual understanding.

Program Features & Benefits

1. Engage with Experts from Both Sectors

CAP Collaborative participants have the opportunity to hear from a diverse range of speakers drawn from public and private sectors. Speakers have included

  • Edward Markey, Senator, United States Senate

  • Deval Patrick, Governor, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

  • Karen Spilka, Senate President, Massachusetts State Senate

  • Robert DeLeo, Speaker of the House, Massachusetts House of Representatives

  • Michelle Wu, Mayor of Boston

  • Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, City of Boston

  • Peter Bauer, CEO and Co-founder, Mimecast

  • Yogesh Gupta, CEO, Progress

  • Quincy Miller, President, Eastern Bank 

  • Nicole Obi, President & CEO, Black Economic Council of Massachusetts

  • John Rosenthal, President, Meredith Development 

  • Corey Thomas, President and CEO, Rapid 7

  • Lee Pelton, President and CEO, Boston Foundation

“A primary benefit of the program is the ability to engage with leaders across both the public and private sectors. This experience has confirmed for me that it is critical for both sectors to work together to address and develop meaningful solutions to challenging problems.” 

— Taveres Brewington, Chief Compliance & Risk Officer, Analog Devices CAP Collaborative Executive Fellow, Spring 2024

Pictured above is Lee Pelton, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation

CAP Collaborative Executive Fellows pictured above

“The connections and friendships I have made through the CAP Collaborative have become my “kitchen cabinet”. They are the people I turn to for advice when I need informed, thoughtful outside perspectives.”

— Sarah Stanton, VP of Government & Regulatory Affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield MA CAP Collaborative Fellow, Spring 2022

CAP co-founder Ira Jackson with our CAP Collaborator Award recipients. From left to right: Thomas O'Brien - Managing Partner & Chief Executive Officer at The HYM Investment Group, LLC, Daniel Reis (accepting on behalf of State Senator Lydia Edwards), City Councilor Gabriela Coletta and Juan Fernando Lopera - Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Beth Israel Lahey Health pictured above

CAP Executive Fellows spend a day shadowing an Executive Fellow from the opposite sector. The shadowing exercise gives a practical, on-the-ground set of insights about the complexity and range of leadership in both sectors. 

2. Walk in the Shoes of your Peers

“I learned about the diversity of what leaders on the public sector side have to manage on a day-to-day basis. I realized I didn’t previously have a full appreciation for the breadth of challenges that they deal with simultaneously, and now I have a better sense of the right questions to ask to get their insights and perspectives.” 

— Niyum Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Mass General Brigham CAP Collaborative Executive Fellow, Spring 2023

3. Tap into a Powerful Alumni Network

The Collaborative’s +100 alumni are a networked force for good in the Commonwealth. Our active and supportive alumni group have gone on to collaborate on a number of projects advancing the good. Visit our news page to learn more about how our fellows are making positive change.

Past & Present Fellows

“Society runs on trust, and that is exactly what you are trying to rebuild with the CAP Collaborative.”

— Corey Thomas, Inaugural CAP Collaborative Executive Fellow and Board Chairman, Greater Boston Chamber Of Commerce

What is CAP Collaborative all about?

Application Process

The CAP Collaborative program is intended for c-suite and other executives in the private sector and elected and appointed representatives in the public sector working in Massachusetts. The program is by invitation only. The majority of participants are nominated to the program by previous Executive Fellows.