The Women's Money Matters team

Behind every program is a team that believes in showing up, listening, and building relationships that last.

Meet the people behind Women’s Money Matters.

Join our team

Core Team

Gahna Adaval

Regional Relationship Manager, Worcester Area

Gahna Adaval

Gahna Adaval is the Regional Relationship Manager for Worcester at Women’s Money Matters. She brings a background in public health, behavioral healthcare and nonprofit leadership with extensive experience building community-centered initiatives that advance equity and access.

Gahna has led and collaborated on programs focused on health equity, inclusion and community engagement, and is passionate about empowering women through financial education and relationship building. She is committed to strengthening partnerships across Central Massachusetts to expand access to Women’s Money Matters mission and create meaningful, lasting impact.

Pat Barry

Communications Coordinator

Pat Barry

Pat Barry manages communications and creative services for Women’s Money Matters. Based in Medford, Pat brings over eight years of experience helping organizations communicate clearly and operate smoothly through strong systems, thoughtful messaging, and collaborative workflows.

Pat is passionate about equity, accessibility, and the belief that clear, compassionate communication can be a tool for empowerment. They enjoy creating structure so teams can focus on meaningful, community-centered work. Outside of work, Pat enjoys spending time on their two cats, creative projects, playing hockey, exercising, and building with LEGO.

Lourdes Balestier

Regional Relationship Manager, Springfield

Lourdes Balestier

Lourdes Balestier is passionate about helping women discover their strengths, build confidence, and reach their highest potential. With years of experience connecting individuals and families to education, resources, and opportunities, Lourdes is dedicated to empowering women to achieve financial stability, personal growth, and long-term success.

Rachel Borgatti

Interim Executive Director

Rachel Borgatti

Rachel brings more than twenty five years of experience leading, governing, and advising mission driven organizations.

She currently serves as Interim Executive Director of Women’s Money Matters, where she is leading a focused period of strategic transition to strengthen the organization’s impact and long term direction. An unapologetic feminist and strong believer in intersectionality, Rachel is deeply committed to WMM’s mission to empower women and girls to improve their financial health and create a more secure future for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Rachel is a first gen college graduate with a passion for learning and building meaningful solutions. She is a certified Project Management Professional and holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Biological Sciences from Antioch College, a Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego, and a Master’s in Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maryland.

Rachel serves as an Essex Heritage Commissioner, serves on the steering committee for the arts at the Essex County Community Foundation, and is a reviewer and mentor for MIT IDEAS, a social impact incubator. This year, the two MIT IDEAS teams she mentored were selected as competition winners.

Rachel lives in downtown Salem with her two teenage kids, scientist husband, and can usually be found balancing community work, gardening ambitions, and a household that often includes a rotating cast of foster animals alongside her own growing collection of pets and plants.

Ariana Contreras

Associate Director of Volunteer Partnerships

Ariana Contreras

Ariana blends her non-profit communication and programming with a background in education, bringing a vibrant energy to Women’s Money Matters. Growing up in a small, resource-limited town in rural Arizona, where opportunities for women, mothers, and people of color were scarce, she found her passion for empowering change through Women’s Money Matters. With an International Affairs degree from Northern Arizona University, Ariana is driven to create a more equitable future

Outside of work, you'll catch Ariana sweating it out in exercise classes, exploring new culinary delights, hanging out with her tuxedo cat, Cherie, and soaking up the great outdoors of New England.

Pilar DiTomaso

Director of Operations

Pilar DiTomaso

Experienced in the financial services industry, Pilar has held a variety of positions in administration and marketing. She holds both Business Administration and Marketing degrees that have been put to use in the corporate world as well as charitable works. A longtime advocate of volunteerism, Pilar is active in her community and church. In her spare time, she loves to travel with her husband and her children.

Ariel Garfinkel

Program Manager

Ariel Garfinkel

Ariel is a women’s rights advocate, educator, and author with 15 years of experience advancing gender equity through domestic and international nonprofit advocacy. With a background in human rights law, her work has spanned program development, project management, and education.

Ariel has traveled the globe including living and working in Vietnam, Uganda and Spain. Outside of work you can find her somewhere outdoors, hiking, gardening and working on her family’s farm in the White Mountains.

Marina Isaacson

Senior Program Operations & Data Coordinator

Marina Isaacson

Marina is a specialist in nonprofit program coordination, operations support, stakeholder engagement, and partnership management. She has over 10 years of experience at the intersection of purposeful global engagement, client relations, and social impact across cultures and geographies.

Marina graduated from the University of Rochester and received a bachelor’s degree in international relations. She spent the first decade of her career developing cross-sector global partnerships between the nonprofit and public spheres in Washington, DC. Outside of work, Marina enjoys reading, traveling, exploring nature, and spending quality time with her friends and family. Marina currently lives just outside of Boston, Massachusetts with her husband and dog.

Allegra Mendonsa

Communications & Marketing Manager

Allegra Mendonsa

Allegra is dedicated to leveraging marketing communications strategies to drive positive social impact. She earned her B.B.A. from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, with a minor in environmental sustainability. During her time there, she was selected as a fellow at the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, where she further fueled her passion for integrating social impact into marketing strategies. Allegra's commitment to social impact continued as she assumed the role of Vice President of Marketing for two organizations, including a fully student-run non-profit.

Currently, as the Communications Manager, she leverages her expertise to amplify the organization’s mission and empower women through effective communication strategies.

Hannah Mikol

Senior Volunteer Coordinator

Hannah Mikol

Hannah is a recent graduate of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, where she studied Business Analytics, Management, and Leadership with a focus on Social Impact. A passionate advocate for community-driven change, she has been a dedicated foundational board member of Fueled By Kids Inc., supporting food security initiatives since 2016. Her strong analytical skills and commitment to social good make her a perfect fit for advancing our mission and engaging volunteers to create lasting impact

Jessica Mutch

Interim CFO/COO

Jessica Mutch

Jessica Mutch, CPA, MBA, has more than thirty years experience providing interim finance and operations leadership. As a strategic thinker, Jessica’s approach is to find creative, cost-effective, and workable solutions. Jessica has an MBA with honors from the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she taught accounting to undergraduate and graduate students, and a Bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Maine.

Jessica has served as a Board Director and on advisory boards, is actively involved in her community, and passionate about missions that ‘break the cycle’ and create self-sustaining solutions.

Jalyn Ramos

Senior Development Coordinator

Jalyn Ramos

Jalyn is a dedicated professional who graduated with a bachelor's degree in Information Technology and Communications. Growing up in a predominantly low-income Hispanic community in Florida, Jalyn developed a profound passion for women empowerment and financial literacy, recognizing the critical need for support and education within her community. She is extremely grateful to be part of a team committed to making a difference.

Outside of work, you’ll find her crocheting or hanging out with her friends and cats.

Diana Rincon

Program Manager

Diana Rincon

Diana is an Industrial Engineer with experience in project management, operations, and Diversity & Inclusion initiatives across healthcare, entertainment, government, diplomatic, and nonprofit settings. She brings strong skills in process improvement, stakeholder coordination, cross-cultural communication, data-informed planning, and building practical systems that support people, teams, and programs.

She is passionate about social equity and cares deeply about making complex information and systems easier to navigate, especially for women and girls from different backgrounds who may be facing language barriers or unfamiliar systems. Her work is guided by a desire to create spaces where everyone feels respected, comfortable asking questions, and supported as they build confidence in their decisions and access the same opportunities.

Originally from Colombia, Diana values family, culture, and connection. Outside of work, she loves traveling, exploring new places, spending time with her loved ones, and caring for her senior tiny Chihuahua, Pia, and her senior sassy cat, Lula.

Manuela Santos

Operations Coordinator

Manuela Santos

Manuela is an experienced professional with a strong background in the financial services industry and corporate legal departments. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies from Southern New Hampshire University, Manuela has built a career with an understanding of financial operations. Starting as a Tech Lead at Women's Money Matters, Manuela quickly became passionate about the program's mission to empower women financially, finding a meaningful way to blend professional expertise with community impact.

A Notary Public, Manuela is also active in her community and church, contributing her time and skills to various service initiatives. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and cherishing quality time with her family and friends

Bernadette Wheeler

Chief Program Officer

Bernadette Wheeler

Bernadette has been a long time advocate for social programs that improve communities and change lives, active member of the Board of Directors for Community Teamwork, Inc. and a volunteer of programming that promotes stability, self-sufficiency and opportunity.

A proud mother of five, and certified in Early Education and Care, she has been focused on promoting early childhood education and supporting the HeadStart program.

Elizabeth (Liz) Gouveia is a Program Leader and regional Community Liaison for Women’s Money Matters from Dartmouth, MA. She loves sharing in the encouraging spirit of our collaborative workshops. Liz is a licensed teacher who has taught formally in Public, Private & Charter school settings. She has been employed throughout the non-profit sector since 2005. Her passion for creating cross-curricular connections in the classroom led to administrative roles: as Director of a Family Engagement program at an Independent school on 65 acres, as well as Learning Coordinator positions. With a background in Marketing, Communications & The Arts, her true strengths lie in planning/facilitating people-centered programs. She enjoys bridging partnerships within the local community. Liz holds a Master of Education Degree (Arts & Learning, GPA 4.0) from Endicott College and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, Minor in Theater from Salem State University. She is also a Certified Yoga Ed. Instructor through the Kripalu Center. Liz truly believes that “the world is our classroom!” Financial Literacy makes our communities stronger.

Emma Monkiewicz

Program Lead

Emma Monkiewicz

Suzanne Brodeur

Program Lead

Suzanne Brodeur

Kathy Gutierrez

Program & Tech Lead

Kathy Gutierrez

Kathy Gutierrez is from Ocala, Florida, and serves as a Senior Program Leader and Tech Lead at Women’s Money Matters. She is passionate about helping women pursue their dreams and achieve their goals by demonstrating the value of strong financial management. Through her work, Kathy strives to help more women experience greater financial well-being and financial freedom. As a Senior Program Leader, Kathy has led financial wellness programs in Spanish and has served as the Tech Lead for English programs, providing technical support and ensuring sessions run smoothly. She has also trained new volunteer coaches and co-facilitated workshops in both English and Spanish. Kathy is proud to be part of Women’s Money Matters and is committed to empowering women through education, encouragement, and support.

Nancy Santos

Tech Lead

Nancy Santos

Nancy is from Salem, Massachusetts, and is passionate about solving problems and helping others succeed. She is excited to be part of the Women’s Money Matters community and looks forward to supporting the organization's mission of empowering women to improve their financial health. In addition to her technology expertise, Nancy is a licensed insurance agent, bringing a unique blend of technical knowledge and financial experience to her work. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, and reading.

Edily Vasquez

Program Lead

Edily Vasquez

Edily Vasquez is a dedicated Financial Coach with a passion for helping individuals and families achieve their financial goals. Passionate about financial literacy, Edily has been a dedicated volunteer Coach and now a Program Leader for Women’s Money Matters since 2019. Whether it's budgeting, debt management, or wealth building, Edily is committed to helping by providing the support and accountability clients need to make confident and informed financial decisions to achieve their financial milestones. Since June 2021, Edily serves as a full-time as a Financial Coach for a Financial Opportunity Center that provides essential support to residents of Chelsea, Revere, and Everett. Edily helps her clients navigate their financial challenges. With a client-centered approach, Edily combines hands-on experience and a deep understanding of personal finance to create personalized strategies that empower clients to take control of their financial futures by guiding them toward better job opportunities, improved financial management, and practical plans for long-term financial success.

Nadine Burgos

Program & Tech Lead

Nadine Burgos

Juliana Patino Rojo

Program Lead

Juliana Patino Rojo

Program Lead

Tierney Trant

Tierney is from Tewksbury, MA, and graduated with a Bachelor’s in International Relations, specifically focusing on women’s rights. She enjoys contributing to both in-person and virtual programs. A fun fact about her is that she loves being outdoors and is working toward hiking the tallest mountains in New England.

Supporting Specialists

Meghan Blute-Nelson

Accounting Consultant

Meghan Blute-Nelson

Meghan has dedicated her career to working in the nonprofit sector in the areas of finance and operations, and currently owns her own consulting and bookkeeping practice, MBN Business Solutions. Meghan has a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit and Public Management from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. She serves as Treasurer of her daughters’ school PTF, and enjoys knitting and hikes in the woods with her dog. Meghan was introduced to Women's Money Matters as a volunteer coach in our program with YWCA in Lowell in 2016-17.

Board of Directors

Business, nonprofit, and innovation leaders and thinkers, brought together by a shared commitment to women’s financial wellness.

Meet our board

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Our mission is to build the financial wellness, confidence, and security of women and girls facing financial and systemic barriers, through a model that combines group workshops with personal, one-to-one coaching.

Participants gain the tools, support, and community to work toward long-term financial stability, for themselves, and for the next generation.

Our commitment to DEI

At Women’s Money Matters, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are at the core of our mission and model. We serve women and girls facing financial and systemic barriers to building wealth, many of whom are also members of historically marginalized communities.

We are committed to operating a diverse and equitable organization, in order to better serve our clients by more closely understanding their lived experiences, to improve outcomes through diversity of perspectives and experiences, and to create a comfortable and open environment for all.

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The Women's Money Matters team​

Core Team

Program Support Team

Supporting Specialists

Board of Directors

Join our team

Our commitment to DEI

The Women's Money Matters team