Our Team

Josh Daly

Josh Daly is Southern Region Director for the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center at the University of Rhode Island. He helps small business owners start and grow their businesses. In his time with the RI SBDC, Josh has worked with 600+ clients, helping to launch 65+ new businesses, create and retain 800+ jobs, and secure $30MM+ in capital. He loves to help current or aspiring business owners with preparing documents for financing, business modeling and financial analysis and projections, and industry and research.

Josh is also treasurer of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council and a member of the South Kingstown Planning Council.

Josh spent 10 years studying music in New Orleans. He composes songs, plays guitar and piano and sings…and is part of a barbershop quartet, The Dad Jokes. (A dad of three, Josh is really good at dad jokes.)

Jessica David

Jessica David is principal of Good Worth Working For, a community consultancy. She supports organizations and leaders working for community benefit on strategy and change processes, program design, large and small convenings, and culture-building. Previously, Jessica served as Executive Vice President of Strategy & Community Investments at the Rhode Island Foundation. She spent several years early in her career working on homelessness, affordable housing, and community development.

Jessica serves on the boards of the Cranston Public Library Association, Common Cause of Rhode Island, the Providence Cultural Equity Initiative, and Tides Family Services.

Along with the What Cheer Writers Club, Jessica stewards the Dear Rhode Island community letter exchange. She delights in human connections, local places, problem-solving, and Bruce Springsteen.

Carmen Diaz-Jusino

Carmen Diaz-Jusino is the Vice President, Community Development Officer for BankNewport. She is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering many strategic aspects of the Bank’s Community Reinvestment Act Program.

Before joining BankNewport, Carmen was the Strategic Initiative Officer/Economic Security at the Rhode Island Foundation. She formerly served in numerous roles over 12 years at the Center for Women & Enterprise, Inc., including Vice President of Programs & Community Development. Carmen is also an entrepreneur having started a learning center in the Dominican Republic, and she is a partner of Kegian Consulting, a small consulting business.

Carmen lives in Providence with her husband Luis, they have two adult children, Kenneth and GianKarlos. In their free time, they like to take short road trips, try new recipes, and attend music concerts.

Raul Figueroa

Raul Figueroa is a committed grassroots community organizer and cooperative developer with a decade of experience working with Rhode Island’s hard-to-reach and difficult-to-serve communities. Raul is a public servant working for all Rhode Islanders to have access to resources and knowledge of their rights to ensure sustainable working conditions and wages for a fair and equitable life. He is a dedicated supporter of small businesses and cooperatives and provides strong support of multicultural entrepreneurs through his work at Fuerza Laboral.

Raul Figueroa is originally from El Salvador. He currently lives in Massachusetts but has worked in Rhode Island since 2009. Before becoming a community organizer in Central Falls, Raul worked as a chef for 15 years in restaurants in New York City, New Jersey, and Boston. He loves to cook at home.

Raul enjoys playing video games, watching soccer, and being outside. He is also a hot sauce enthusiast.

Lisa Raiola

Lisa Raiola is the founder of Hope & Main. Hope & Main provides affordable shared-use commercial kitchens; food-related business and technical assistance; access to markets; and connects members to funding and financing. Hope & Main’s diverse community includes 60% Women-led and 40% BIPOC-led businesses. Since launching in 2009, Hope & Main has launched more than 400 food businesses, creating thousands of jobs and pouring millions of dollars into the local foodieconomy.

Lisa has more than 30 years of experience in program development, advancement, and business development in healthcare and higher education with a special focus on distributive justice, social responsibility, and economic development. 

For nearly ten years, Lisa was the Vice President for Institutional Advancement for Roger Williams University and currently teaches Nutrition & Public Health at RWU in addition to serving on the Board of Trustees. Before RWU, Lisa was a Vice President at Brown University and a Clinical Assistant Professor for Community Health and Medical Ethics at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine.  In addition, she spent nine years with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

Lisa holds a BA degree in Biomedical Ethics from Brown University and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from Boston University School of Medicine.

Lisa serves on numerous boards including the Rhode Island Center for Justice, Aquidneck Community Table, the Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce, the Anthony Quinn Foundation and the Blithewold Arboretum in Bristol, RI.

Lisa is the mother of one crazy pug, two responsible adult children, and several mischievous grandpeople. Plus she loves pie.