Discover the power
of employee ownership

Stacey Smith

Senior Vice President, Head of Programs

Stacey has spent most of her career helping businesses examine their impact and aligning it with their values. She started as a CPA with Arthur Andersen, then moved into strategy and organizational development. Seeking to devote her financial expertise to social and environmental issues, she was an early mover in the field of sustainability and corporate responsibility in the US. She joined Business for Social Responsibility in 2001 to build their business consulting practice and spent the next decade guiding Fortune 500 companies to address their negative impacts. Recently, Stacey began consulting to nonprofits and foundations to strengthen their strategy, management, and governance practices. Through her work with the Public Equity Group and her own independent practice, she explored the structural barriers to wealth and other drivers of generational poverty. At Project Equity she is helping grow our team of professionals to accelerate the adoption of employee ownership as a key to building wealth and high-quality careers in communities. In addition to having been a licensed CPA, Stacey has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Vermont and has done coursework in International Business Studies at the University of Copenhagen. When she is not working, you can find her hiking the Bay Area hills, indulging in the restaurant scene, and playing with her family.

Holden Pierre

Senior Manager, Business Engagement & Partnerships

Holden Pierre’s path to Project Equity started in the neighborhoods of Boston, where he spent years doing grassroots community organizing. Through that work, he developed a deep passion for equipping communities with the resources they need to thrive and discovered that small businesses were one of the most powerful ways to make that happen.

Before joining Project Equity, Holden spent eight years at Interise building partnerships that created real community impact. He worked as a bridge, helping partners across the country build their capacity to strengthen small businesses, create better jobs, and grow more resilient local economies. He also oversaw programs that guided business owners through growth and succession planning. Managing over $1M in strategic partnerships, he built a reputation for turning complex partnerships into meaningful impact for the communities they served.

At Project Equity, Holden brings a commitment to meeting people where they are, building relationships that create real impact, and finding pathways for small businesses and communities to thrive together.

Holden holds a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Massachusetts Boston and is based in the Chicagoland area. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, reading, watching documentaries, and serving his community.

Tyler Rivera

Manager, Ecosystem Development

Tyler is passionate about building a more just and democratic economy that works for all. As Ecosystem Development Manager at Project Equity, he advances efforts to scale employee ownership by helping partner organizations build lasting EO capacity and infrastructure across key regions. He also coordinates Project Equity’s Impact Measurement & Management (IMM) program, which captures data on the benefits of EO transitions for workers, businesses, and communities. In addition, he has led policy research focused on advancing Black wealth building and economic opportunity through EO as project manager for a research partnership with Morehouse College and the University of California, Riverside.

Before joining Project Equity, Tyler was an Associate at Mass Economics, where he provided research and project management support for inclusive economic development initiatives. He has also worked in climate justice organizing, youth civic engagement, and nonprofit development. Tyler holds a Master in City Planning from MIT and a B.A. in Geography from Dartmouth College. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking and baking for friends, going to live music, spending time with his three-legged cat, and taking public transit whenever possible.