Our Board of Directors

Don Leyrer

Entrepreneur

Early in his career in social work, as a houseparent for abused children and then as Senior Adult Probation Officer, Don learned how to work effectively with people in highly stressful environments. This prepared him well for the next phase of his career working as an executive for high profile Fortune 100 companies and planted the seed for his current endeavors in Social Entrepreneurship and Impact Investing.

As Senior Vice President/General Manager of Comdata Corporation, he helped grow revenues from $25 million to $160 million. After the successful divestiture of the Gaming Services Division to a strategic buyer, Don co-founded Mailnet Services Inc., a venture-backed database marketing firm that specialized in customer analytics, data management and direct marketing solutions.

Don is a founding Board member of the Nashville Social Enterprise Alliance. He has served on the Health and Workforce Development Implementation Teams of the Mayors Poverty Reduction Initiative, and volunteered with CASA, as a court-appointed special advocate for children that have been taken into state custody.

Dominique Anderson

Director of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement at The Housing Fund

Dominique Anderson, most recently head of equity, diversity inclusion and and social innovation at Vanderbilt and the Wond’ry, recently became The Housing Fund’s director of strategic partnerships and engagement. Dominique is a proud Nashville native and passionate specialist in diversity and inclusion who is well versed in diverse entrepreneurship, especially within the tech and STEM fields.  She has also had success as a publicist, specializing in media relations, crisis management and communications, social media, and Hispanic lifestyle consulting.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Tennessee-Martin, she moved to Memphis, TN where she built a successful multicultural public relations and marketing career. She earned a master’s degree in secondary Spanish education from Christian Brothers University and a certification in public relations from the University of Memphis. Dominique developed her trademark eclectic outlook by growing up in a multicultural family in Nashville and is a native Spanish speaker. 

She pursues her philanthropic efforts through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Nashville Hispanic Chamber, and other charitable organizations.

Dr. Bernard Turner

Program Director for Belmont University's Center for Social Entrepreneurship

Dr. Turner currently is the Associate Professor, Social Entrepreneurship and Director of the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Belmont University. Dr. Turner also serves as the Program Director. His previous experience has been working with entrepreneurs in Nashville and Memphis; higher education administrator and fundraiser at Vanderbilt and Meharry Medical College. Dr. Turner has 30 years experience as a consultant and trainer for the Center for Nonprofit Management. Serving as a senior program officer for a DC-base philanthropic organization.

Dr. Turner also serves on the Interfaith Dental Clinic and Soles4Souls boards.

Elizabeth Gortmaker

Director of Center for Entrepreneurship, Belmont University

Elizabeth is the Director of Center for Entrepreneurship at Belmont University with an MBA in International Business and Entrepreneurship.

Jacqueline Goodwin

Assistant Director of Workplaces at Urban Green Lab

Jacqueline Goodwin is the Assistant Director of Workplaces at Urban Green Lab. Among other sustainable workplace programs, Jackie runs B Tennessee, which advocates for the B Corporation Movement in Tennessee.

Originally from Connecticut, Jackie went to Dickinson College in Pennsylvania to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies.  Additionally, Jackie studied sustainable development and urban climate adaptation abroad in Copenhagen and was one of Dickinson’s first recipients of the Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship Certificate. 

Prior to her move to Nashville, Jackie worked in the nonprofit world for Ashoka: Innovators for the Public and the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. She then was a freelance writer specializing in social impact and sustainability. Her pieces educate and engage online readers on topics like the health impacts of plastic pollution, regenerative agriculture’s role in preventing climate change, and the benefits of shade-grown coffee. 

Connect with Jackie on LinkedIn.

Eric Kaduru

Ellen Peterson

Executive Director at Justice Industries

Ellen Peterson joined Justice Industries as Executive Director in 2019. She grew up in Nashville and after graduating from Auburn University, she moved to Houston, TX where she worked in the non-profit sector doing everything from program coordination and communications to event planning and fundraising. She has over 25 years of experience working with charitable organizations, and a proven track record in successful fundraising, operations oversight, and organizational growth. Ellen and her family love the seasons, the beauty, and the people of Middle Tennessee.

Lauren Carpenter

Director of Social Enterprise at Lazarus Artisan Goods

Lauren Carpenter is passionate about empowering communities through social enterprise. She serves as the Director of Social Enterprise for Lazarus Artisan Goods and San Lazaro Coffee, growing the fan base here in the U.S. by spreading the word about the work of a group of amazingly talented leather artisans and coffee farmers in Honduras and Haiti.

In 2012, Lauren founded BRANDED Collective, a jewelry company that raised awareness about human trafficking. In its nine years, the company employed 27 survivors of trafficking and grew to include a professional jewelry studio, a tribe of 50,000 fans and 100+ wholesale partners.

Prior to this, Lauren was the Director of Operations at Social Enterprise Alliance, managing finances, human resources and operations for the national network of social enterprises in the U.S. She also served for six years as the Director of Finance and Communication at Williamson, Inc., the chamber of commerce and economic development engine for Williamson County, Tennessee.

When she’s not working, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband, Chris, her five- year-old daughter, Holland and her 16-month-old son, Owen. She is an active volunteer at The Village Chapel, a hot yoga lover, and a (very) amateur gardener.

Violaine Panasci

B Corp Attorney at Rockridge Venture Law