Mr. Esteves comes to this position with a solid set of credentials that reflect his deep knowledge of the city, his passion for service to the small business community, and his understanding of the importance of investing in Boston’s neighborhoods. Having most recently served as Executive Director of the Lenny Zakim Fund where he raised significant funds and grew the organization’s revenue, Mr. Esteves brings a creative approach to cultivating a donor base. These skills will allow the Main Streets Foundation to answer the call of Mayor Wu and her administration to challenge the status quo when it comes to expanding opportunities for small businesses.

“In Eric, our search committee found someone we believe will be a great partner in advancing the work of small businesses. Since 2007, the Foundation has provided grants and, during the pandemic, we were an essential lifeline to many small businesses. As our communities recover, we can and must do more. Eric will work shoulder-to-shoulder with our board of directors to ensure we achieve high goals. A strong Boston relies on strong neighborhoods,” said Foundation Board Chairman Joel Sklar.

“The Boston Main Streets Foundation is critical to empowering our small businesses, building community across neighborhoods and connecting every resident in our city to opportunity,” said Mayor Wu. “As we continue to help our small businesses thrive and serve as anchors across Boston’s neighborhood, I’m excited for Eric Esteves’ leadership and look forward to the Foundation’s work to ensure that all of our local businesses are supported, and visitors can experience the vibrancy of Boston’s communities.”

Prior to working with the Zakim Fund, Mr. Esteves ran several small businesses and served within a number of non-profit organizations, including The Boston Foundation, Lead Boston, YW, and Root Cause, an initiative that helps human service leaders assess and implement quality improvement measures.

“I am honored and humbled to take on this role with the Boston Main Streets Foundation. The opportunity for growth is enormous, and I enthusiastically embrace the challenge to take the Foundation to a higher level,” commented Esteves.

Eric Esteves is a proud resident of Boston who graduated from Northeastern University with a BS in Business Administration and an MS in Information Systems.

Boston Main Streets is the network of 20 independent nonprofit Main Streets organizations that exist across Boston. The Boston Main Streets Foundation is a public-private initiative established by the city of Boston. It has been the driving force behind the revitalization of the city’s neighborhoods and commercial districts. The Main Streets Foundation is committed to making Boston’s neighborhood commercial districts thriving and vibrant centers of commerce and community. The foundation also seeks to develop a long-term strategy to increase the economic power and resources of neighborhood commercial districts, while pursuing initiatives that build knowledge and capacity for main streets programs and the business as they serve. 

 

Coverage

• The Boston Globe
• Boston Business Journal
• MassNonprofit News