About Us
Inversant is committed to helping the entire family invest in higher education.
Mission
Inversant’s mission is to ensure that through parental engagement every low-to-moderate income family has the resources and understanding they need to achieve their goals for higher education.
Vision
Inversant believes that higher education is attainable for all regardless of income and that family engagement is crucial to students’ educational achievements. Through working with communities and higher education partners, Inversant provides knowledge, resources, connections, and financial incentives to empower low-and-moderate-income families to invest and succeed in higher education. Ultimately this shared investment and expanded understanding moves not just the child, not just the family, but the whole community, forward.
Our Values
We’re committed to ensuring that higher education is available to every student in the country.
Savings
Inversant is a key player in the national children’s savings account movement that emphasizes the importance of early and regular savings for higher education. Our Inversant Savings Accounts and incentives give families a place to invest, and meaningful incentives to keep setting aside money for higher education.
Learning
Our groundbreaking multi-year curriculum of monthly Inversant Learning Circles gives parents the skills, knowledge, and confidence to support their children’s quest for higher education. Our facilitators coach parents on a full range of college access topics, including standardized testing, higher education options and costs, and the college application process. Inversant families increase their financial literacy so they understand how to minimize the amount they pay for college.
SUpport
Inversant’s unique model provides the right level of support to each family, meeting them where they are in terms of location, language, experience level, and lifestyle. We create a community network of parents and encourage them to learn not only from us, but from each other. We also engage with families through an online portal, video library, e-newsletter and social media platforms.
Meet Our Team
We’re a diverse group of professionals committed to advancing college access for everyone.
Bob Hildreth
Bob is the founder of Inversant, Inc., La Vida, Inc., and Hildreth Institute, Inc. Following a career in finance in Latin America at the IMF, Citibank, Drexel Burnham Lambert, and his own brokerage company, International Bank Services, Bob entered the nonprofit world to focus on issues of immigration and education. His first venture was the creation of an HIV hospice in Los Angeles in 1988 at the height of the epidemic. He learned that for him, effective philanthropy requires those making contributions to become actively involved in the design and operation of a project.
Upon his return to Boston, he joined with Boston University to improve the education of immigrant children in Chelsea where he helped build the John Silber Early Learning Center. Coming from a family of educators and a stint as a high school history teacher, Bob built three foundations with complementary missions to get low-income students to college. The first was in Lynn, Massachusetts named La Vida Scholars to use financial incentives to encourage 100 immigrant families of very bright children. The second, Inversant, focuses on parental engagement and financial literacy through the college process. Most recently, Bob founded the Hildreth Institute to advocate for student debt reform and tuition relief.
At the university level Bob has established internship programs at Harvard, BU, Johns Hopkins, Holy Cross, Bunker Hill Community College, and UMass Boston. He is also instrumental in the reconstruction of the State’s official ship, the Ernestina, which takes students to sea for educational trips.
Bob’s involvement has been recognized with numerous awards, including, 2008 Bostonian of the Year by The Boston Globe, Champion of Justice Award from the Greater Boston Legal Services in 2007. In 2012, he was recognized as a Purpose Prize Fellow and El Planeta’s 100 most influential people for Latinos in the state of Massachusetts in 2009, 2010, and 2013.
Bob is a graduate of Harvard University (Class of ’72), and holds Master degrees from Johns Hopkins University SAIS (Class of ‘75) in International Relations, and George Washington University (Class of ‘80) in Economics. He has served on numerous boards including the BU Board of Trustees and presently serves on UMass Boston’s Board of Visitors, Bunker Hill Community College Board of Advisors, and WBUR’s Board of Overseers.
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Robert Hildreth – Founder
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Charles Desmond – Chair
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Jay Ash
President & CEO
Massachusetts Competitive Partnership -
Dean Atkins
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
NorthBridge Partners -
Robert Cashman
President & CEO
Metro Credit Union -
Sally Currier
Co-Chair
The Hestia Fund -
Laurent De Greef – Secretary
Senior Advisor
Audit Analytics -
Michael Douvadjian
Senior Vice President – Wealth Management
UBS -
Angela Ervin
Office Manager
Lesley University -
Benjamin Hildreth – Treasurer
Vice President, Credit Officer
Santander Bank -
Roz Hill
Former Educator
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Ruth Moorman – Vice Chair
Trustee
Boston University -
Fernando Reimers
Ford Foundation Professor
Harvard Graduate School of Education -
Jon Rotenberg
President and Founder
Eastern Yacht Sales -
Dr. Stacy Scott
President
Center for Understanding Equity -
Donna Stewartson
Operations Director
Simmons Unversity, Gwen Ifill College Media, Arts and Humanities -
Michael Taylor
President
Urban College of Boston
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Karen Alba
Retired teacher, Program participant
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G.L. (Peter) Alcock
Former Vice Chairman
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education -
Janet Bailey
Former Educator
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Joan Becker
Vice Provost, Academic Support Services
University of Massachusetts Boston -
Jaidip Chanda
Managing Director, Global Relationship Management
State Street Corporation -
Hardin Coleman
Dean and Professor, Counseling Psychology
Boston University School of Education -
William Estrada
Student at Boston University
Inversant alum -
Jay Halfond
Professor, Practice of Continuing and Distance Education
Boston University, Metropolitan College -
Jackie Jenkins-Scott
Former President
Wheelock College -
Winston Langley
Former Provost
University of Massachusetts, Boston -
Saeyun Lee
Education Policy Consultant
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Bridget Terry Long
Academic Dean and Saris Professor of Education and Economics
Harvard Graduate School of Education -
Patricia Marshall
Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs
MA Department of Higher Education -
Margaret McKenna
Former President
Suffolk University -
Oscar F. Malcolm
Real Estate Agent/Consultant
Keller Williams Realty Cambridge -
Edvaldo Morata
Partner and CEO
Eneas Alternative Investments -
J. Keith Motley
Former Chancellor
University of Massachusetts Boston -
Louise Burnham Packard
Executive Director
Trinity Boston Foundation -
Michael Reardon
Executive Director
Catholic Schools Foundation -
Lisa Thors
Managing Director
Wellington Management Company -
Marie St.Fleur
Founder
St. Fleur Communications -
Margot Daniels Tyler
Social Venture Advisor, Education Strategist
Strategic Consulting Network -
Mia Yee
Student at College of the Holy Cross
Inversant alum
Our Staff
Responsible for executing the defined strategies of the organization, our staff ensures transparent and generative outcomes in line with Inversant’s vision.
Charles Desmond
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Yiming Shuang
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Heidi Hancock
VP OF ADVANCEMENT
Bahar A. Imboden
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
Rochelly Araniz
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
Christina Erving
DEVELOPMENT OPS MGR.
Felix Aponte
ENROLLMENT SPECIALIST
Bianca L. Jiménez
PROGRAMS COORDINATOR
Alex Ervin
SCHOLARSHIP COORDINATOR
Yrlen Ysasis
CHELSEA PROGRAM MGR.
Our History
Some milestones from Inversant’s ten year history
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
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40 Lynn families saved over $24,000 in 2009
Spring
Inversant was founded by social entrepreneur and economist Bob Hildreth, who has long had a passion for financial empowerment and higher education. He previously founded La Vida Scholars program in Lynn to match low-income families’ college savings and propel their children into higher education. La Vida Scholars has sent more than 70 students to college and they have won over $2.6 million worth of scholarships.
Fall
Inversant was invited by the superintendent of Chelsea Public Schools to launch the first city wide college savings program. Over a dozen Chelsea community partners such as Roca and Chelsea Collaborative etc. signed the agreement to support the program.
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180 Boston, Chelsea and Lynn families saved over $70,000 for 200 students in 2010. 24 Class of 2010 students enrolled in higher education
Spring
Partnered with Metro Credit Union to enroll over 70 Chelsea families. First Inversant Learning Circle started in February 2010.
Summer
Launched college compact program with UMass Amherst and Bunker Hill Community College. Two Chelsea Class of 2010 students received full-ride scholarships to attend UMass Amherst debt-free.
Fall
Inversant partnered with Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) and Trinity Education for Excellence Program (TEEP) to serve over 80 Boston families.
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400 Boston, Chelsea and Lynn families saved over $200,000 for 450 students in 2011. 48 students enrolled in higher education
Spring
Partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) to recruit 100 families from Yawkey, Blue Hill clubs and Camp Harbor View. Founder Bob Hildreth participated in Massachusetts legislative commission to examine ways to make the state’s public and private scholarship system motivational to low-income families.
Summer
UMass Boston and Salem State University joined college compact program. Four Chelsea students received compact scholarships from Bunker Hill Community College.
Fall
Partnered with KIPP Academy Lynn Collegiate to recruit their first class of high school freshman families to save in 529 accounts.
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500 Boston, Chelsea and Lynn families saved over $360,000 for 600 students. 94 students enrolled in higher education
Spring
Received its 1st national grant, from TG, to underwrite a three-year research study into the impact of family engagement on student outcomes. Winner of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network’s Excellence in Innovation Award
Summer
Founder Bob Hildreth delivered TEDxNewEngland talk about student loan debt in Boston. First Chelsea 300 club fundraiser breakfast was hosted by City Manager Jay Ash and supported by local business community including Kayem hotdog, Olivia Organics and Berk Salt etc. They have raised $32,000 to match Chelsea families’ savings.
Fall
The Boston Foundation funded a report to investigate Children Savings Account (CSA) design, early scholarship programs and feasibility in Massachusetts to inform the legislative commission.
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600 Boston, Chelsea and Lynn families saved over $375,000 for 700 students. 160 students enrolled in higher education
Spring
Winner of the College Board’s College Keys Compact Innovation Award in the category of “Getting In”
Summer
Presented first year findings from the Chelsea three-year study at National College Access Network (NCAN) conference
Fall
Transitioned from partner implementation model to in-house facilitation model and hired two site managers to provide direct service to deepen our community impact.
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700 Boston, Chelsea and Lynn families saved over $525,000 for 850 students. Over 200 students enrolled in higher education
Summer
Piloted online engagement initiative by sending online e-newsletter and sweepstakes, and producing 3-minute youtube video lessons.
Fall
Launched early saver program for K-8 families to build recruitment pipeline in Boston, Chelsea and Lynn. Presented our children savings account model at National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) conference.
Winter
Joined national fundraising network 1:1 Fund. Participated Giving Tuesday campaign and raised over $10,000. The legislative commission passed the report and proposed a bill to launch CSA pilot at five gateway cities in Massachusetts.
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800 Boston, Chelsea, Lynn and Salem families saved over $700,000 for 1,000 students. Over 300 students enrolled in higher education
Spring
Joined “Campaign for Every Kid’s Future” launched by Prosperity Now at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America Conference. The Campaign is an ambitious five-year effort to connect 1.4 million kids with savings accounts to help them save for college, build positive aspirations and secure a stronger future. Participated quarterly meetings at New England Children Savings Account Consortium led by Boston Federal Reserve.
Summer
Advanced the online engagement initiative from sending e-newsletter to developing an online portal to provide more resources to families in addition to the learning circles in the community.
Fall
Changed our name change from FUEL Education to Inversant. Partnered with City of Salem to recruit 100 Salem High School families. Presented our college compact program with Salem State University at National Scholarship Provider Association (NSPA) conference.
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1000 Boston, Chelsea, Lynn and Salem families saved over $900,000 for 1,200 students. Over 350 students enrolled in higher education
Spring
Welcomed Dr.Charlie F. Desmond, past chair of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, as Inversant’s new Chief Executive Officer. Charlie was appointed chair by Governor Deval Patrick in 2008 after serving as the Executive Vice President of the Trefler Foundation for six year.
Summer
Selected as a recipient of $100,000 Cummings Foundation grant. Inversant was one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 through the Cummings Foundation’s “$100K for 100” program.
Fall
Advanced in the approval of a pilot College Savings Account program for low-income residents in Haverhill, Lowell, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester in the Massachusetts State Budget for 2017. The initiative, funded through public-private partnerships, will provide a matched savings program and financial education curriculum. The 529 college savings accounts will be offered through the Office of the MA State Treasurer, in collaboration with MEFA and Inversant.
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More than 1,300 families had over $2.3 million in college savings and match and more than 580 students are enrolled in higher education
Spring
Inversant partners with Treasurer’s Office on college savings program, SoarMA.
Treasurer Deb Goldberg announced a new pilot program that will provide seeded college savings accounts to low-income middle schoolers and familes in Haverhill, Lowell, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester. The initiative, funded through public-private partnerships, provides a matched savings program and a financial education curriculum.
Summer
Inversant launches Coffee Connectors, a networking opportunity exclusively for Inversant Scholars.
The idea for Coffee Connectors is initiated by Dean Atkins (Inversant Board of Directors) and Greg Lauze, partners at NorthBridge Partners, as an extension of Inversant’s mission to ensure that low income families have the resources and understanding they need to achieve their goals for higher education. Coffee Connectors is a simple idea: have local professionals meet with students over coffee and help them expand their network by introducing them to two more professional contacts. The first Coffee Connectors event takes place in May.
Winter
Inversant awarded multi-year grant from Acadian Asset Management.
Boston-based Acadian Asset Management, a leader in active global and international investing, announced a strategic partnership with three local non-profits, including Inversant, making annual high-impact investments over the next three years and providing as needed on-the-ground support.
Careers
Each one of our team members believes that education is non-negotiable. Explore our job openings if you’re passionate about advancing college access for everyone and want to make a difference.