Panelists
Will Arvelo
Executive Director of Cross Roads House, Portsmouth, NH
Dr. Wildolfo (Will) Arvelo is executive director of Cross Roads House in Portsmouth, NH. Previously, he served as director of the Division of Economic Development for New Hampshire. Prior to his appointment by Governor Sununu, Arvelo served 33 years in leadership positions within higher education at public and private colleges. Over the past 11 years he served as president of Great Bay Community College, where he transformed the college to be outwardly focused, developing products/programs that would better serve the needs of business and industry. He has also worked to build articulation pathways with the University System of New Hampshire as well as other New Hampshire colleges and universities.
Deo Mwano
Managing Principal Consultant
Deo Mwano Consultancy
Deo Mwano is a social-impact innovator whose work is focused on education, technology, business, community and individual development. His unique talents and experiences make him highly versatile and adaptable to working with different types of individuals and organizations.
Deo Mwano Consultancy offers services for education and workforce success through diversity and inclusion strategies. DMC’s engaging approach connects organizations and individuals by utilizing different mediums to help immerse them in the process of finding solutions to their problems.
Deo grew up in Manchester after fleeing political unrest 20 years ago in what is now the Democratic of Republic of Congo.
Allyson Ryder
Assistant Director
UNH Office of Community, Equity and Diversity 
Allyson Ryder is the Assistant Director in the UNH Office of Community, Equity and Diversity where she oversees a variety of programming including inclusive practices, social justice, and supporting DEI initiatives across campus.
Allyson holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine with a Graduate Certificate in Applied Research and Evaluation Methods, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Southern NH University’s 3-Year Honors Program. She serves on several community boards and committees across the state. She is currently the Board Secretary of the Black Heritage Trail of NH and Board Member and Affiliate Equity Officer of the ACLU of NH. Allyson resides on the seacoast with her wife and their four-legged children.
Kevin J. Rasch
Chief Business Diversity Officer
Point32 Health
Kevin J. Rasch is the Chief Business Diversity Officer of Point32 Health. Point32 Health is the organization resulting from the combination of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plans. Point32 Health and its family of companies provide health benefit plans, programs and services to more than 3 million customers in New England and beyond- guiding its members – and the communities it serves – to better health. The combined organization is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts and maintains offices in Hartford, CT; Manchester NH; Portland ME; and Providence RI.
Kevin currently serves as the Chief Business Diversity Officer of the entire Point32 Health enterprise, responsible for implementing the organizations’ goal of become a recognized health equity leader through programs that eliminate health disparities and improve member experience. Mr. Rasch is specifically responsible for programs focusing on health equity, economic inclusion, go-to-market strategies, and service /operations innovation. He works in conjunction with the Chief Human Resource Officer to ensure talent acquisition, culture and employee engagement support the business objectives of Point 32 Health and its programs.
Mr. Rasch also serves as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Health Plans, Inc. (HPI). As the chief legal officer of HPI and its subsidiaries, he is responsible for managing legal exposures, and collaborating with the business so that governance, business strategies, policies and programs are developed and executed with a recognition of all legal implications and risks.
Moderator
Lisa Carter
Founder / Chief Engagement Officer
Drinkwater Marketing & Productions
Lisa Carter is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for building brands. As the founder and chief engagement officer of Drinkwater Marketing and Productions she works with B2B and B2C businesses to develop digital strategies to drive revenue. Prior to launching Drinkwater, Lisa spent 20+ years in the corporate sector building product and brand strategies for top fortune 500 companies such as The Limited Corporation, Timberland Footwear and Staples Inc.
