Team

Looking for:

Beth O’Neill Maloney

Executive Director

Beth is an experienced values-driven professional with vision, passion, and a commitment to making a positive impact through responsible leadership with thoughtful, creative strategies. Dedicated to achieving organizational goals through a collaborative approach grounded in years of experience in law, government, and nonprofit sectors, her goal is to ensure that Kendall shines brightly for decades to come. With curiosity, energy and enthusiasm, Beth’s focus is on a bright future for all in a diverse, innovative Kendall Square.

Before joining the KSA team, Beth served as the Regional Director for national nonprofit, Positive Coaching Alliance where she worked with leaders in business, sports, philanthropy, academia, and government to help deliver on the promise of what youth sports can be. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Georgetown Law School, Beth is a former Litigation Partner at the law firm of Nixon, Peabody in Boston where she practiced for 12 years. Over the next decade, Beth raised her three children, served on nonprofit boards, and taught at Boston University Law School. Beth was selected as a Massachusetts Women’s Leadership Fellow and served as a Director at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA.

Beth lives in Newton with her husband Bob, and enjoys spending time outdoors and with her now grown children.

Blake Anderson

Membership Associate

Blake joins the Kendall Square Association with enthusiasm for community-based work. A collaborative professional dedicated to addressing the needs of Kendall Square, he firmly believes that connecting with one another is often the best solution to the world’s most pressing problems. Before the KSA, he gained valuable experience working in nonprofits, financial services, and public policy analysis. These sectors and how they often overlap demonstrate the need for a nuanced understanding of complex issues. With this in mind, Blake enthusiastically embraces various perspectives that synthesize and solve problems effectively.

After growing up in South Dakota, Blake graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University with majors in English and Civic Studies. He enjoys crocheting, reading, and learning piano in his free time. He is unnecessarily tall and enjoys trying to be a morning person.

Kendra Foley

Vice President of Strategy and Operations

Kendra Foley is a collaborative team player with a deep appreciation for organizational dynamics and the political skills required to get things done in complex environments. After graduating from Boston College in 1999, she joined Teach for America before heading back to Boston to pursue a career in public service and advocacy. She worked on multiple statewide political campaigns and served for eight years in the Deval Patrick Administration in leadership roles. Since then, she has supported clients in the areas of education policy, non-profit development, organizational and project management, and political fundraising.

Most recently, she held the role of Development Director at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a progressive think tank focused on racial and economic equity. Deeply committed to her community and the transformative power of education, she has served as an elected member of the Watertown School Committee since 2016. Kendra lives in Watertown with her husband and three children.

Lauren Nwagboli

Program Associate

Lauren has over 5 years of professional experience building start up companies and managing operations and social media. In her previous role, she served as an Operations Coordinator in the nonprofit sector for two years. Currently, Lauren serves as the Deputy Director for the Workforce Solutions Group, a statewide advocacy coalition that brings together business, labor, community, youth, and workforce organizations to advance a clear and unified policy agenda for workforce development in Massachusetts.

Lauren holds a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and sociology from Emmanuel College.

Abigail Phillips

Director of Communications

Abigail is a world traveler, building relationships and communities wherever she goes. Working to ensure people feel heard and understood, she has proven track record as a strategic communicator and thoughtful relationship manager. A skilled convener driven by a desire to consistently and effectively tell stories and streamline messaging, she has found success in promoting communities one human-interest story at a time.

Over the last 10 years, Abigail has led media relations and marketing strategies with New England businesses and destination travel organizations, including Choose Chicago and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. She has spearheaded major communications campaigns, including the Massachusetts Whale Trail and Year of Chicago Theatre, through collaborative partnerships designed to increase international awareness and boost regional economic impact.

She graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Boston where she studied Political Science and Communication.

Adriana Rios

Operations and Programming Associate

Adriana is a thoughtful, service-oriented community collaborator guided by the belief that progress moves at the speed of trust. A firm believer that the arts and creativity are integral components of shaping change, her professional background is in arts administration and community programming for emerging entrepreneurs. Prior to joining the KSA team, Adriana served as the Director of Programs at the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC), where she oversaw a suite of leadership development and grant programs servicing a membership network of Latinx artists, arts organizations, and cultural workers across the United States and Puerto Rico. She is excited to bring her program/project management skills, organizational abilities, and creative systems thinking to KSA as the organization’s Programming and Operations Associate, particularly through an equity-focused and people-centered lens.