The Possible Zone

Welcome to Meyling Galvez-Contreras who has joined the TPZ staff as a new Pathways Advisor, with a focus on college exploration and advising. Originally from Guatemala, Meyling moved to Allston at the age of 3; she graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in Human Evolutionary Biology and a minor in African and African American Studies. Since then, she worked briefly at Vertex Pharmaceuticals for their Community Relations office, and then moved to the West End House Boys & Girls Club where she most recently served as their College Pathways Coach. In her spare time, Meyling is passionate about playing basketball and flag football. Fun fact— our Senior Director of Post-Secondary Pathways Joanna was her college counselor in high school and is loving this full circle moment. Welcome to TPZ Meyling!

Please join us in welcoming Jennifer Green, TPZ's Director of People & Culture, who will lead recruiting efforts and work with the team to support and drive key culture efforts. Jennifer is a strategic people leader who brings a decade of leadership and Human Resources experience to her new post. Prior to joining TPZ, Jennifer served in diverse role in the non-profit, government, and legal sectors, where she led various Human Resource functions, including organizational development, talent acquisition, performance management, strategic planning, and employee wellness. Jennifer earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Missouri and holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Suffolk University Law School. Drawn to TPZ by her passion for innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and economic equity, Jennifer looks forward to leveraging her experience driving organizational development and spearheading strategic people initiatives to help foster growth, scalability, and impact at TPZ. Welcome to the team Jennifer!

We welcome Rodrigo Tempestini, our new VP of Learning & Development (L&D), who will lead the organization’s L&D strategy and scaling of TPZ Academy. Rodrigo brings 25+ years of experience in L&D, having held leadership roles in the financial, gaming, transportation, and technology industries. He is passionate about creating innovative and engaging learning experiences that support career development and skills building for the future. From facilitation to leading large-scale L&D initiatives in over 20 countries, Rodrigo has created people-centric solutions that are informed by data analytics and supported by strong partnerships. He honed his skills as a senior L&D leader at Citizens Bank for several years, building out technical, soft skill, and leadership development programming from design to delivery. Rodrigo holds a degree in Electronics from ETET Technical School from his native Brazil. He is a Board Member of the Rhode Island Chapter for the Association for Talent Development and a volunteer in his community. Welcome to TPZ Rodrigo!

The Possible Zone (TPZ), an innovative, tuition-free hands-on entrepreneurship program where young people in Boston prepare for life-long learning and leave ready for careers of the future, is proud to announce that Susan Penta, engineer, entrepreneur, educator, and consultant with a passion for products, fascination with technology, and commitment to community that has underscored her 35-year career, is one of the newer members of the TPZ Board of Directors! #MIDIOR Consulting

With deep admiration, we remember the formidable Jack Connors for shaping the landscape of philanthropy and creating an indelible legacy of positive impact for youth, families, and in the healthcare space. https://lnkd.in/ecw_TSq7

Summer at TPZ is underway and second-term Eship (Entrepreneurship) students who are taking the Ideate class spent the first few days doing market research, learning about prototyping processes, and envisioning their product designs. Now, the students are creating low-fidelity prototypes. Jasiel created a prototype of a cosplay weapon he is designing, using cardboard and styrofoam. He’s now using Tinkercad, a 3D modeling program that allows him to create digital designs for 3D printing as he refines, tests, and iterates on his ideas.

During the first week of Summer Term, Eship (Entrepreneurship) students who are taking the Ideate class began building out business ideas they developed during the Discover class. They undertook market research to explore customer needs and competitors’ products, and moved on to prototype development. Keisha’s product is a cover for reusable straws that would keep straws clean (and would be cute). On Day Three, she created a prototype using wood, plastic, and glue before designing a 3D model using Tinkercad. #youthentrepreneurship #skillbuilding #STEAMagency

Heat Emergency Boston! Mayor Michelle Wu has declared a heat emergency in the City of Boston beginning July 15, 2024 through July 17, 2024. Temperatures are expected to be in the high 90s with a "feels-like" temperature of 100+ degrees. Cooling centers will be open at Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) community centers Monday through Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A full list of centers, other available resources, and heat safety tips can be found online at https://bit.ly/4d4TRf3. Residents are encouraged to call 311 with any questions about available city services and look out for each other. If you see someone out in the heat who appears in distress and needs help, call 911 immediately.

Congratulations to our 2024 spring class of the Dollar Sense financial literacy workshop, organized by Dre Woodberry, TPZ’s Director of Family Engagement, and led by Clarence Haynes and Pammi Bhullar from Edelman Financial Engines. TPZ students and families who are interested in attending the Spanish-language program later this month, can find more information here: https://lnkd.in/euNN9ayN

Please note that the Innovation Center is undergoing some facility work this week, through Friday, July 12th, so only key staff and crew will be on site. All other business is being conducted remotely. If you're not sure how to reach someone, please try via info@possiblezone.org