Nick Chapman is a first generation college graduate. Diagnosed with dyslexia, a language based learning disability, the classroom setting was a constant challenge. Athletics became the primary tool for changing his life’s path. He was given the opportunity to play basketball at the collegiate level, where he became a four-year member, two-year captain, and graduated in four years on the Dean’s list. That being said, Nick felt lost and uninformed throughout the college recruiting and decision making process. It was an experience he never forgot.

Since that time, his life’s work has been dedicated to using athletics as a tool to change the trajectory of young adults’ lives. He obtained his first master’s degree in education while also teaching full time and coaching in college . He has served as an educator, leadership team member, athletic director, and coach for twenty years. His experiences range from teaching at a private high school and coaching at the collegiate level for four years, to supporting the creation of a charter school and varsity high school athletics program in New York City. Most recently he was the recipient of the James Bryant Conant Fellowship where he went on to earn his second Masters degree from Harvard University in Leadership, Organization, and Entrepreneurship. Through these experiences, he has created customized systems and supports  to guide the decision making process. The results have been profound where student athletes and families gained clarity, maximized their options, obtained acceptance into higher quality schools, received scholarships, or larger financial aid packages and advanced to play at the collegiate level. 

Joshua Wachs is a seasoned entrepreneur whose career thrives at the nexus of creativity and technology. In his senior year at Emerson College, Wachs founded his first technology company Natural Intelligence, a pioneer in commercial software for Apple’s Macintosh. At Natural Intelligence, he discovered his knack for bringing talented people together for a shared goal when he created an innovative developer apprentice program.

After selling Natural Intelligence to digital marketing agency Circle.com, Wachs served as Circle’s CTO and worked with the executive team to support the company through an IPO and then a sale of the company to Havas Creative, the fifth-largest marketing communications group in the world. Wachs co-founded a second company, Jivjiv, to create a mobile marketplace for thousands of independent artists and musicians. He later became Managing Partner and CEO of digital marketing agency Echo & Co., which operates as a social enterprise and works primarily with nonprofits to further their missions.

More recently, he has applied his team-building and technical expertise to his role as chair of the Emerson College Advisory Board, where he led the charge to add an esports curriculum to the college's sports management program. Alongside his consulting work as an executive coach, he serves on the board of directors for Circus Smirkus, a nonprofit education organization that teaches the circus arts to children, and the board of the Emerson Prison Initiative, which provides high-quality college courses to people incarcerated in Massachusetts.

Kate Gilbane is a stalwart leader and contributor within the Boston area philanthropic and education space. The oldest of five children, Kate Gilbane has always loved being a teacher and a student.

Kate attended Brown University, graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a double major in English and French Literature. After graduation, she worked as an editor at Conde Nast Publications in New York City for three years before pursuing her true passion as an early childhood educator. Kate taught pre-kindergarten and kindergarten in New York and then in Boston for five years.

Most recently, Kate has been raising three children, received her Masters in Critical Ethnic and Community Studies from UMass Boston, and certified as a kids’ yoga instructor with Little Flower Yoga, learning a lot about ADHD, Dyslexia, and the benefits of mindfulness and meditation in schools.

Kate joined the National Partnership for Educational Access Advisory Board in 2017, before committing to the board of directors. Additionally Kate joined the Board of Trustees of Berkshire School, in 2020, is a board member of Zach’s Bridge. Her willingness to also support Advance Collegiate displays her immense capacity as well as her belief in our mission.

Mark Donovan is a transformative business leader with a proven history of creating, scaling, and exiting market-defining ventures across diverse industries. His career spans artificial intelligence, blockchain, IoT, telephony, consumer health, sports and wellness, behavioral health, and real estate. With a strategic focus on innovation and operational execution, Mark has built high-growth companies that have generated over $900M in shareholder value and achieved adoption in more than 65 countries.

His leadership success includes founding, scaling, and guiding companies through critical growth phases and liquidity events, often leading to acquisitions by industry leaders such as eBay and Gannett. Mark’s ability to align emerging technologies with real-world business needs has positioned him as a trusted leader in fast-moving, competitive markets.

Mark also brings extensive advisory experience, having worked with top global brands such as Pfizer, Walgreens, adidas, British Telecom, and Unilever. He helps organizations integrate innovation at scale, balancing agility with operational resilience.

Earlier in his career, Mark held strategy roles at Mercer Management Consulting and The Walt Disney Company’s Strategic Planning department. He currently serves as vice chair of the Board of Advisors for Emerson College and as a board member for the Star Network and Advance Collegiate.

Outside of his professional career, Mark is a classically trained vocalist through the Tanglewood Music Center and a dedicated marathoner for over three decades. He is the author of multiple issued patents and holds degrees from Emerson College and Columbia University. He lives in New York City with his wife and daughters.

Angela Zachery is an innovative healthcare business leader with diverse experience in the bio-pharmaceutical industry.  She has a joint master’s degree from Emerson College and Tufts University School of Medicine in Health Communications , which she has applied to a lifelong career ensuring the ethical dissemination of health information to change behavior to ensure healthier people.

Angela is a highly driven, agile individual who has navigated many commercial and customer facing roles throughout her nearly 30-year career.  Angela has led US Health System Strategy for a top brand and currently sits in the global Customer Engagement Training Team in a Fortune 100 biopharma organization.  Her focus on the empowerment of others, through leading and facilitating cross-functional teams, has been key to her success as well as the success of others. 

She has mentored many colleagues inside and outside of her organization.  Throughout her career, she has always sought opportunities to leverage her leadership, positivity, and strategic thinking for non-profit organizations.  She has been a consistent supporter of the Lauren Dunne Astley Foundation, which focuses on healthy relationships, the arts, and community service in honor of Lauren.  She also supports families through Family Promise whose mission is “to transform the lives of families with children who are facing homelessness by mobilizing a diverse community to provide shelter, education and comprehensive support.” Angela is also a volleyball coach and youth mentor in her community. 

Lamar Reddicks is one of the most highly regarded high school coaches and athletic directors in the country. Focused on serving student athletes for over twenty five years he currently leads Milton Academies athletic department and boys basketball program since 2011. His history of success connected to sports dates back to 1995 as a member of Milton High School’s 1996 state championship basketball team, Lamar was inducted into Milton High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. After captaining the men’s basketball team at Bentley College, Lamar spent eight years coaching at the collegiate level, working with Harvard’s and Boston University’s men’s teams.

Aware of the power of good coaching on students’ growth as athletes and individuals, Lamar motivates young people and the adults who work with them. As an advisor, teacher, and coach, he sets high expectations, builds students’ confidence, and instills the value of good character, all essential for excellence in interscholastic athletics. 

Since Lamar was in college, he has directed basketball clinics for young children, including those underserved. He has always been a big believer in the power of mentorship’s stating  “People view success in many ways; I view it as helping young athletes reach their potential, and that potential is different for everyone.”