Our Team

Members

 

Suzan Erkeskin

Interim Executive Director

Suzan Erkeskin brings a wealth of cross-industry experience and a deep passion for entrepreneurship, education, and economic mobility. She currently serves as the Program Director for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), where she oversees the delivery of strategic, high-impact programming that helps small business owners grow and thrive.

Suzan is a proud CCRI alumna, where she earned her associate degree and was inducted into the Kappa Beta Delta International Honor Society for her academic excellence in business. She continued her education at Johnson & Wales University, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and making the Dean’s List at both institutions. Most recently, she earned her Master of Science in Supply Chain Management & Applied Analytics from the University of Rhode Island, further deepening her expertise in operations and data-driven decision-making.

A strong advocate for inclusive leadership, Suzan participated in the NEW Leadership New England program at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, which helped shape her passion for empowering underrepresented voices in business and civic spaces.

Since joining the 10,000 Small Businesses CCRI team in 2018, Suzan has played a key role in classroom operations, cohort management, and alumni engagement. She takes great pride in supporting the entrepreneurs she serves, recognizing them as the resilient backbone of our economy and a driving force for local and national progress.

Andrés Escobar

Associate Director, Outreach & Alumni

Andrés oversees the relationship between the program & our alumni. He has a passion for connecting with people and a talent for leveraging data-driven insights to inform institutional decision making. He has broad experience with driving successful outreach and engagement initiatives, innovative programming, and strategic partnerships. He is dedicated to fostering meaningful connections, facilitating growth, and centering racial equity and diversity in his work.

In addition to his contributions at Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Andrés works to diversify the educator workforce throughout the state. He currently resides in Rhode Island with his partner and their puppy, Mocha.

Shalynn Brooks

Outreach & Alumni Assistant

Shalynn Brooks is the Part-Time Outreach and Alumni Assistant of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program at the Community College of Rhode Island. She is a community-first leader from Fall River, Ma. Now based in Providence RI. She is committed to expanding access to useful programs and is passionate about using local networks to help communities thrive. She has developed outreach strategies and built partnerships from municipalities to grassroots organizations.

Shay’s work is focused on supporting the outreach and relationships with the Alums of 10KSB to ensure continuity of the program. She is dedicated to creating culturally responsive pathways into connecting the local community of Rhode Island to 10KSB. With experience in community education, environmental programming, and collaborative engagement -- she holds relationship-building, clarity, and equity at the center.

Peter D. Conopask

Lead Faculty / Senior Business Advisor 

Peter is the founder of Make IT Happen!, a business advisory that is focused on delivering cost effective leadership, process improvement, business model and human capital development for companies that want to improve their performance in the marketplace.

Peter’s industry experience includes management and technology consulting in discrete and process manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, textile, chemicals and plastics, software development and scientific research. Besides his consulting background, Peter has served as a Vice President and Chief Information Officer for several private and public international corporations. Earlier in his career, he served as the Director of Management Consulting for Ernst and Young in Providence, RI and founded Accsys, Inc. a software development and consulting company.

Passionate about combining formal and experiential education, Peter has developed and delivered curricula in management and technology at several Universities. He has also served as the Assistant Director for a University based Student Entrepreneurship Center where he implemented an accelerator program where students can work on their business models for academic credit.

Deb Pine

Business Advisor

Deb Pine is a transformative leader and experienced entrepreneur with a track record of successfully starting, building, and optimizing business value. A seasoned business executive, she has held leadership positions in large corporations in both the consumer and business-to-business sectors. She has served in the C-suite for early-stage companies and is an angel investor in several new ventures. Deb was on the founding team and was COO for thegrommet.com, a curated online e-commerce site that was acquired by Japanese online retail giant Rakuten. Earlier in her career, Deb co-founded and led PreVision Marketing, a customer marketing and technology firm that was ranked on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies and the Software 500 representing leading technology providers.

With a passion for advising and supporting entrepreneurs, Deb has mentored start-up teams as part of MIT’s Venture Mentoring Program, Harvard’s Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship, and RIHub’s Venture Mentoring Services.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Deb served as the AVP of Corporate Education and the Executive Director of the Center for Women and Business at Bentley University. She earned her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Dennis Corain

Business Advisor

Dennis is an experienced technology start-up investor, advisor, and entrepreneur. He is currently on the board of Legably, a legal marketplace for attorneys and DF Richard Energy, a leading propane and oil distributor in NH started by his grandparents in 1932. In 2011 he cofounded Ionit Technologies which developed an IOT remote tank monitoring solution. Dennis has a broad technology background in both large and small companies and was responsible for the sale of Phoenix Data Communications to NYSE listed Acme Cleveland Corp.
With a keen interest in helping startups and small businesses, Dennis has been part of the RIHUB Venture Mentoring Service since 2018 and currently owns a consulting company focused on business strategy, strategic partnerships and exit planning.

Kipp Bradford

Module 2 Faculty

Kipp Bradford is the founder or co-founder of multiple hard-tech startups in the fields of HVAC+R, transportation, consumer products, and medical devices, and holds numerous patents for his inventions, including US patent number 10775054 for the Modular Air Conditioning System which won Time Magazine invention of the year in 2022 and is being commercialized through grants from the California Clean Energy Commission and NYSERDA. He is an engineering scientist whose research merges biology, ecology, and thermodynamics to develop new ways to manage climates at every scale—from personal thermal comfort up to global weather systems. This work, at the boundaries of emerging technology and industries, has been called “so interdisciplinary that it’s anti-disciplinary” by Nicholas Negroponte of the MIT Media Lab where Kipp was hired as a Research Scientist through the search for a “Professor of Other”. Kipp is a licensed universal HVAC technician and maintains a consulting and manufacturing business dedicated to providing unique thermal solutions including heat pumps, controls, and electronics for building efficiency and automation. In addition to his consulting and manufacturing work, Kipp is currently appointed to the Harvard University School of Engineering as an instructor in the Masters in Design Engineering program. 

His background spans multiple fields of engineering, including biomechatronics, software engineering, materials science, electrical engineering, product design, entrepreneurship, and thermal systems. Kipp personally manufactured and shipped over one hundred climate control systems for controlled environment agriculture systems around the world. His work has been exhibited at venues including the United Nations, Rhode Island School of Design, the Pratt Institute, and the Seoul Biennale. Kipp has held faculty appointments at Harvard University, Yale University, Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design, and was a founding Fellow at the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce at Jefferson University (formerly Philadelphia University. Kipp was recognized in 2022 as one of the “Tech Ten” top people in technology in the state of Rhode Island.

Cecile M. Roberti

Financial Statements Workshop and Module 3 Faculty

Cecile M. Roberti is a Professor of Accounting and Taxation in the Department of Business and Professional Studies at the Community College of Rhode Island. In addition to being an instructor she has been involved in curriculum development, learning outcome and assessment, accreditation and strategic planning for the college. She also served as the department chair.

Cecile was awarded the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) International Teaching Excellence Award, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) Teaching Excellence Award for Region 1, and the NISOD Excellence Award for teaching and leadership excellence at Community Colleges.

Cecile is a faculty member in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program facilitating the accounting and finance curriculum at both the Rhode Island and the National sites.

Cecile is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bryant University where she majored in accounting and a Master of Science degree in Taxation from Bentley University.

Previously, Cecile held the positions of Senior Tax Specialist at Fleet Financial Group, Corporate Tax Manager at International Data Group, Inc. and Senior Tax Consultant and Senior Auditor at Deloitte Haskins and Sells. She was also a self-employed CPA providing full accounting and tax services to small businesses.

Cecile is a member of the Rhode Island Association of Accounting Professors and the Teachers of Accounting at Two Year Colleges.

Maria Coclin

Financial Statements Workshop, Module 3, You Are The Lender Clinic & Module 8 Faculty

Maria Coclin is a graduate of Boston College, holding a Bachelor of Science with a major in Accounting and a graduate of The University of Rhode Island holding a Masters of Business Administration. Maria holds her CPA, Series 6, 63 and 7 licenses, and is currently the Department Chair and a full-time faculty member in the Business and Professional Studies Department of The Community College of Rhode Island.

Maria is also the Chief Financial Officer of Coclin Associates, Inc., a company she co-owns with her husband. Coclin Associates Inc. provides internal audit, federal and state compliance, and information technology services to bank and credit union clients. Previously, Maria was the Director of International Finance at Fidelity Investment in Smithfield, RI and a Senior Accountant with Ernst & Young. Maria is a member of The Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Maria resides in Cranston, Rhode Island with her husband George and two children.

Jill Guindon-Nasir

Module 4 Faculty

Dr. Guindon-Nasir has over 25 years of experience in International Business, and has a passion for learning, leadership, service excellence, transformation, and sharing her knowledge with others. Dr. Guindon-Nasir spent over 16 years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, holding various positions, such as Vice President of Global Business Development & Healthcare Advisory Services for The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center. She was responsible for the Leadership Center’s Business Development, Financial Requirements, Client Relations and Curriculum Development.

Dr. Guindon-Nasir attended Johnson & Wales University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hospitality Sales & Meeting Management. She received her Masters of Business Administration from Marymount University and her Masters of Education degree for The University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Guindon-Nasir received her Doctor of Education degree from The University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School of Business-CLO Executive Program, in Work-Based Learning Leadership.

Dr. Guindon-Nasir has taught at the College level, for over 23 years; which enables her to share her real-world business experiences with her students. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Management, with CCRI.

Melanie Cluley

Module 5 Faculty

Melanie is highly experienced Human Resources professional with over 25 years of expertise across various industries, she currently serves as the Human Resources Director and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion chair at Southcoast Health. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Bryant University and a Bachelor's degree in Comparative Histories, Ideas and Cultures from the State University of New York. Her extensive professional qualifications include a SHRM Inclusive Workplace Culture Specialty Credential and certification as a Training Professional through the Association for Talent Development.

She is also a Gallup Strengths Coach, helping individuals and teams to unlock their full potential. Outside of work, she serves as a Board member for the Groden Network's Cove Center and was formerly the Board Chair for the Rhode Island Higher Education Training Consortium. She is an avid traveler who enjoys immersing herself in international experiences to learn about other cultures. Her innate curiosity about the world fuels her passion for lifelong learning.

Christopher Ratcliffe

Module 6 Faculty

Christopher Ratcliffe is the co-founder of Triple M Productions, a marketing and management consulting firm founded in 2002. He has extensive experience in the broadcasting industry, including years as a national and local advertising sales manager. Chris also served as the vice
president of MGP Media, a unit of Merv Griffin Productions from 1998-2002.

He was selected as a RI Campus Compact, Presidential Faculty Fellow in 2011, authoring a study on the non-proficiency of RI high school graduates titled Not College Ready. Chris is also the author of a book that chronicles the journey of Boston Marathon bombing survivor, Jarrod Clowery, titled Tuesday Will Come. He currently teaches management and business strategy at Bryant University.

Jeshua Zapata

Digital Marketing Clinic Faculty

Jeshua facilitates our new Digital Marketing Clinic, and is the co-founder of Xzito, a full-service agency that partners with leaders to execute brand engagement and revenue growth strategies. He holds a Business Administration degree with a focus on Computer Information Systems, a minor in Communications, and a Masters' Certificate in Project Management. With two other partners, he founded Xzito in 2004. Xzito has become an award-winning marketing consulting agency that partners with senior leaders to implement marketing & sales platforms and campaigns to scale revenue by leveraging independent sales networks. Jeshua actively contributes to his community through public speaking, coaching, and advisory roles. He is also a 10,000 Small Businesses graduate, Cohort 1.

Jerry Falcone

Module 7 Faculty

Jerry has been an adjunct professor for the Business Department at The Community College of Rhode Island for over 25 years. He has taught classes in Principles of Management, Management Strategy, Marketing, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Small Business Administration, and Introduction to Business.

Jerry currently serves at the Director of Quality Assurance at Atlas Global Solutions in Sutton, MA. In this role he is responsible for all Quality Assurance functions in 3 US and EU sites as well as Creating and Implementing Training and Development Programs. Jerry has over 30 years of experience as a business professional with proven abilities in creative leadership, strategic planning, team building, and determining effective functions for operations to improve productivity, motivation, quality and efficiency.

He has held a variety of senior management positions throughout his career including General Manager, Director of Operations, Plant Manager, Manager of Manufacturing, Plant Superintendent and Production Engineering Supervisor; but he actually began as an hourly worker and advanced to a CEO/minority owner of a Small Business that he helped grow from a small job shop into a World Class enterprise.

Jerry holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Providence College.