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 24 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
The 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
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
“Through the unique way in which the CAP Collaborative fosters allegiance between Massachusetts’ private- and public-sector leaders, this program truly plays a vital role in positioning the Commonwealth for continued growth and prosperity. I feel very fortunate for my affiliation with this organization and believe it will continue to yield meaningful opportunities for civic engagement of the highest quality and impact.”
— Stephen Davis, CEO, The Davis Companies
CAP Collaborative Executive Fellow, Fall 2021
Pictured above is Lee Pelton, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation
CAP Collaborative Executive Fellows pictured above
“The CAP Collaborative brings together amazing leaders across the public, non-profit, and private sectors, setting the table for unique peer-to-peer learning and engagement. In doing so, leaders can explore how greater partnerships across sectors will better serve our communities. This was a rewarding experience for me, providing a meaningful network including cohort colleagues as well as a robust alumni network eager to think boldly, creatively, and differently to influence change and impact in Massachusetts.”
— Lauren Jones, Secretary of Labor & Workforce Development, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
CAP Collaborative Fellow, Spring 2026
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 200+ 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.
Our Fall 2026 Executive Fellows
Katherine Adam
Senior Vice President, Denterlein
Ché Anderson
Assistant Vice Chancellor for City & Community Relations, University of Massachusetts Medical School
D.J. Beauregard
Mayor, City of Methuen
Simon Cataldo
Representative, Massachusetts House of Representatives, 14th Middlesex District
Adam Chapdelaine
Executive Director & CEO, Massachusetts Municipal Association
Matthew Coogan
Town Administrator, Town of Boxford
Rebecca Davis
COO, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership
Sharon Durkan
Councilor, District 8, Boston City Council
Ryan Durkin
VP AI @ Community Engagement, WHOOP / Mass AI Coalition
Kathy Gasperine
First Vice President, Social Impact Banking, Amalgamated Bank
Elizabeth Grob
Principal, New England Real Estate Leader, VHB
Eric Herbek
Chief Managed Care Officer, Mass General Brigham
Jessica Hughes
Managing Director, Tishman Speyer
Nicole LaChapelle
Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Paul Mark
Senator, Massachusetts State Senate, Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District
Ricardo Patrón
Chief of Intergovernmental Relations, City of Boston
Dwight Poler
CEO, AccelR8 Ventures
Emir Skokic
Chief Strategy Officer, Massport
Stephen Skolas
Managing Director and Head of Residential Development, The Davis Companies
Jessica J. Tang
President, AFT Massachusetts
Chris Thompson
Undersecretary, Executive Office for Housing and Livable Communities
Chris Zeien
Chief Financial Officer, Boston Globe Media
Zhao Zhang
Deputy Medicaid Director, MassHealth
Enrique Zuniga Teran
Executive Director, Peace Officer Standards & Training Commission
“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
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.