Charting the Course: Navigating Today's DEI Environment and Tomorrow's Policies

Description

Join us for a timely panel discussion exploring the rapidly changing DEI environment. Our three expert panelists—including leaders from local nonprofits and an attorney to offer a fresh legal perspective—will share insights on navigating the current DEI climate and understanding the new impact of federal DEI policies.  We'll explore how we can be creative and resilient while offering takeaways on risk assessments and tangible resources.

Featuring:

Ashley Ganem - Director of Development at North Shore Community Development Coalition
Amy Lowe - Director of Grants and Programs at ECCF
Alyssa Rayman-Read - Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Appletree Legal

Ashley Ganem
Director of Development, North Shore CDC
Ashley Ganem has worked in the nonprofit sector for nearly 20 years, leading efforts in direct service, fundraising, marketing, and operations to support affordable housing, shelter, and food access initiatives across Metro-Boston and the North Shore. She joined North Shore CDC in 2019 and has since held multiple roles that advance the organization’s mission to invest in neighborhoods to create thriving communities. In her current role as Director of Development, Ashley oversees all fundraising, communications, and stewardship efforts, strengthening community partnerships and expanding the organization’s impact.
Ashley also serves on North Shore CDC’s Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, where she helps guide organizational learning and equity-centered practices. Beyond her work at North Shore CDC, she serves on the Board of Trustees for The Salem Pantry and the Board of Directors for Destination Salem.
She holds a B.A. from Endicott College and an M.A. in Literature from Seton Hall University, where she received the South Wind Graduate Thesis Prize for her research on female shame, identity, and the responsibility of those who bare witness in the works of Edwidge Danticat.

Amy Moran Lowe serves as the Director of Grants and Programs at the Essex County Community Foundation, which she joined in January 2025. At ECCF, she has taken the lead on grants strategy and operations, with a commitment to ensure that programs evolve to meet the changing needs of our communities. Amy is also the Founder & Principal of First Avenue Strategy Consulting, through which she supports social-sector organizations with strategic planning, organizational development, and other capacity-building initiatives. She has focused her career on mobilizing resources and strengthening opportunities for historically-marginalized communities, from teaching English to refugee teens in Boston to facilitating transformative DEIB workshops for organizational leaders. Having spent over 20 years working on social change in the public and nonprofit sectors, Amy is thrilled to be serving our community in Essex County at this time of great need and opportunity.

Alyssa Rayman-Read is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at AppleTree Legal, a Boston-based law firm serving nonprofits and philanthropy. Alyssa is a partner in clients’ quests to fulfill their missions, and she is passionate about helping her clients align their mission and values with all aspects of their operations, culture, and strategy. Clients trust Alyssa for her ability to provide straightforward advice on a wide range of legal and strategic questions, offering a perspective rooted in her deep understanding of the law, and informed by her own leadership, governance, and business experience. Alyssa has represented employees, employers, unions, and the government, giving her an understanding of different perspectives that makes her particularly effective at finding practical solutions for all stakeholders. Before launching AppleTree Legal, Alyssa practiced at a leading Massachusetts firm specializing in nonprofit legal services. Prior to private practice, Alyssa was Vice President and Massachusetts Director of Conservation Law Foundation; her background also includes serving as in-house counsel at Northeastern University and Field Attorney at the National Labor Relations Board. 
Alyssa is a frequent speaker and educator on a range of topics, including risk management, board governance and leadership best practices, and workplace inclusion and DEI programming, especially regarding issues of gender identity and LGBTQ inclusion. Alyssa currently serves as Commissioner on the Massachusetts Commission for LGBTQ Youth and on the Human Rights Committee for Beverly, Massachusetts, and she formerly served on the board of Greater Boston PFLAG. 
Alyssa has a J.D. from Georgetown University Law School, an M.A. from Union Theological Seminary, where she received the Charles A. Briggs award for “conscience, commitment, and courage,” and her B.A. with honors from Swarthmore College. Following law school, Alyssa clerked for federal judge Francisco A. Besosa in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. She has completed two training programs conducted by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD): ”Train-the-Trainer: Workplace Discrimination & Harassment” and “Conducting Internal Discrimination Complaint Investigations.” Alyssa has also obtained certificates in mediation and sustainability leadership. 
Alyssa enjoys cooking and eating good food, long hikes and big adventures (she is a thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail), and spending time outdoors with her family, rain or shine.