Our Team
We are Rhode Island’s premier culinary incubator, ranking in the top 10% in the country. Since firing up the kitchens for the first time in October 2014, our team has helped launch over 400 food and beverage-related businesses, with numerous graduates now operating out of their own spaces.
Our staff, Board, consultants and contributors are a comprehensive resource to our members, offering a wealth of industry, entrepreneurial and technical expertise, allowing us to meet individual needs for each business work with.
The People Helping to
Make Food Your Business
Herman “Dutch” deKoe
Research & Special Projects
Lisa Raiola, MPH
Founder & President
lisa@makefoodyourbusiness.org
Lisa has more than has more than 30 years of experience in program development and advancement at non-profit organizations in healthcare and higher education with a special focus on distributive justice, social responsibility and economic development. Recently retired as the VP for Advancement at Roger Williams University. Previously, Lisa was a Clinical Assistant Professor for Community Health and Medical Ethics at the Brown University School of Medicine where she developed and instructed courses in public health research; health promotion and disease prevention; food security and food justice; healthcare financing and system reform; and health disparity and the burden of disease.
Board of Directors
Lisa Raiola, MPH | CHAIR
President & Founder, Hope & Main
Lisa Bergeron | SECRETARY
Founder and Co-Creator, Advancing Workplace Excellence
Inna Walker | TREASURER
Treasurer, Relationship Manager, Berkshire Bank
Kyle Adamonis, SHRM-CP PHR
Executive Director of Human Resources, State of Rhode Island
Lanre Ajakaiye
Founder, 25 Bough Street, Chief Advancement Office, United Way of RI
Ellen Almeid
Retired, ReFocus Inc
Kenneth Banalewicz
Specialty Food/Produce Buyer, Dave’s Marketplace
William Bigelow
Chief Growth Officer, Blount Fine Foods
Tino Chow
President & Founder, Giant Shoulders
Melba Depena Affigne
Vice President, Skills for RI Future
Tony Fonseca
Co-owner/Operator, Packaging & More
Michael Goldberg, Esq., M.
Goldberg Law LLC
Rosamond Lu
Partner, First Cambridge Capital
Maureen Maloney
Founder, Sacred Cow Granola
Lori Pivarnik, Ph.D
Coordinator, NFS Food Safety Outreach/Research / Professor, URI
Hope & Main Providence Board of Directors
Scott Blomberg
President & CEO, RI Food Dealers Association
Chef Sanjiv Dhar
President, India House Inc
Neil Veloso
Executive Director, Brown Technology Innovations
Juan Wilson, Jr.
Founder/ Executive Director, The MUSE Foundation of Rhode Island
Doris De Los Santos
Supplier Diversity Program Manager, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI
