SEED SPOT Announces New CEO

Seasoned nonprofit Executive, Zach Leverenz takes the helm of SEED SPOT to drive equitable change for entrepreneurs nationally 

SEED SPOT, a globally-ranked social impact incubator that has gained local and national recognition for its work serving impact-driven entrepreneurs, is transitioning leadership. Zach Leverenz, a leader with a deep background in leveraging technology and entrepreneurship to create equitable change, has been appointed as CEO by the SEED SPOT Board of Directors. 

Leverenz brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to SEED SPOT. In his previous roles, he founded and led EveryoneOn, a national nonprofit dedicated to creating social and economic opportunity by connecting low-income families to affordable internet service, devices, and digital skills training. Previously, he served as CEO of Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET), a MIT-based computer science and entrepreneurship education program that empowers Palestinian and Israeli youth to make positive social, economic and political impact in their region. 

“The economic damage from Covid-19 is deep, and rebuilding will require more than defeating the pandemic. Now more than ever, we need brave, values-driven entrepreneurs to spark our recovery and lead our transition to a high-growth, high-opportunity economy — one that is more equitable and prosperous for all. SEED SPOT is uniquely positioned to help identify, unleash, and accelerate these entrepreneurs. It’s an honor to join such a talented team in that effort,” said Leverenz.  

In the last 12 months, SEED SPOT has worked with 1,186 entrepreneurs through virtual programs, reaching ventures in 45 US States and 56 countries. 

The Board of Directors, in partnership with the SEED SPOT team, performed a nationwide search for SEED SPOT’s CEO. Susan Penfield, Board Chair of SEED SPOT and Chief Innovation Officer at Booz Allen Hamilton, said: “Over the past year, SEED SPOT has experienced tremendous demand and created significant impact due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The future is bright for SEED SPOT and we are excited to have Zach carry the mission of supporting diverse, impact-driven entrepreneurs to new heights.”

The transition occurred as C’pher Gresham, the former CEO stepped down due to an ongoing family situation. In June of 2020, Corinn Carter took over as interim CEO of SEED SPOT after previously working as the organization’s chief of staff. Gresham and Carter both plan to continue to support the transition and the mission of SEED SPOT. 

“I am incredibly proud to hand the CEO torch off to Zach. Zach brings an extensive background in diversity, equity, and inclusion and scaling technology to drive social change. Under his leadership, SEED SPOT’s mission will scale and the impact will grow exponentially by supporting diverse, impact-driven entrepreneurs,”  said C’pher Gresham, former CEO.

To learn more about the programs SEED SPOT offers and support their work, please visit: https://www.seedspot.org.

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About SEED SPOT

About SEED SPOT: In 2019, SEED SPOT was ranked as a top 5 private business accelerator and most promising for social impact by UBI Global at the World Incubation Summit in Doha, Qatar. SEED SPOT supports entrepreneurs through programs, such as webinars, 2-Day Launch Camps, Pivot Camps, and the Impact Accelerator. 

SEED SPOT has served 1848 entrepreneurs since 2012 who have raised $79.2M in capital, generated $161.8M in revenue, created 3,217 new jobs, and impacted the lives of 10.2M people with their products, services, and technologies.

SEED SPOT also won a 2016 Emmy for their partnership with Univision supporting Latino entrepreneurs through Véndeme tu Sueño. With a mission to educate, accelerate, and invest in the dreams of social entrepreneurs, SEED SPOT supports entrepreneurs building products, services, and technologies that improve lives or communities. For more information, visit: www.seedspot.org.

For more information, visit: www.seedspot.org.

About Zach Leverenz

Zach is an experienced social entrepreneur and nonprofit executive working at the intersection of education, technology, and social impact. He previously served as founder and CEO of EveryoneOn, a national nonprofit that creates social and economic opportunity by connecting low-income families to affordable internet service, computers, and digital skills training. To date, EveryoneOn has connected more than 800,000 students, job seekers, seniors, and veterans from across 48 states. Previously, Zach served as the CEO of Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET), a MIT-based computer science and entrepreneurship program. He began his career as managing director at PeacePlayers International, where he led programs in Northern Ireland, South Africa, Cyprus, and New Orleans. He is a graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship at Harvard’s Center for Public Leadership.