Our 2024 Bannister Awards

Julio E. Sabater of Sabater Laboratory for Psychological Innovations Inc. Photo by Dee Speaks

If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that small businesses keep our economy afloat, and we still have a long way to go when it comes to separating health outcomes from demographic factors.

The winners of this year’s Christiana Carteaux Bannister Awards understand those realities and center them in all their work, from board rooms and medical offices to prep kitchens and the State House. These seven individuals aspire to a world where all people have access to the means for a healthy, successful life, and a person’s opportunities are not determined by their skin color, gender identity or the language they speak at home.

Since 2021, the Bannister Awards have recognized individuals who advance equity and promote diversity across Rhode Island. Named for the inimitable Christiana Carteaux Bannister — a hair doctress, businesswoman and activist whose advocacy for Black veterans and elderly women of color in the nineteenth century lives on today — the awards celebrate her legacy by honoring those who’ve taken up her mission. Bannister helped guide individuals to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Today’s winners support disadvantaged Rhode Islanders as they navigate the complexities of our modern health care and business sectors.

In her honor, Rhode Island Monthly and the Rhode Island Foundation recognize individuals who, like Bannister, empower the community and make Rhode Island a better place for us all to live.

Judges: Angela Bannerman Ankoma, vice president of the Rhode Island Foundation and executive director of the Equity Leadership Initiative; Kevin Matta, senior director of people and culture at United Way of Rhode Island; Joe Wilson Jr., director of art, culture and tourism for the city of Providence

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Dr. Pablo Rodríguez

Improving health literacy for Rhode Island’s Latino community.

Coming from humble beginnings in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Dr. Pablo Rodríguez expected to be anything but a doctor in his youth. Initially striving to become an actor, he slowly uncovered the benefits of working in health care, drawing many parallels between his budding medical career and live theater.

Photo by Dee Speaks

“It’s the ultimate acting job in terms of finding out how to connect with the patient,” Rodríguez says. “There’s a reason why they call it the surgical theater.”

Rodríguez’s ambitions would eventually land him in multiple high-profile health care positions across Rhode Island, including medical director of Planned Parenthood of RI, chairman of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals, a member of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee, and chairman of the Rhode Island Foundation board of directors, among others. 

As an associate professor emeritus of obstetrics and gynecology at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, and chief of health information for the Hispanic Communications Network, Rodríguez is tasked with reviewing health materials and sharing his knowledge on the subject. He is also a co-founder of Latino Public Radio, where his daily radio show has been recognized with a Metcalf Diversity in the Media Award.

Rodríguez says the connection between health care and communication is what inspired his most recent project, Nuestra Salud. Translating to “our health,” this multimedia outlet is a repository of health information regarding a wide array of medical conditions. The website, along with Rodríguez’s radio show broadcast through Rhode Island Latina 100.3 FM, is helping to improve the quality of health information available for the Latino community, who have the lowest health literacy rate of any ethnic or racial group in the United States.

“The ability to be able to communicate with people in a way that [they] understand and learn is something that I will go to my grave doing,” he says. “That’s why we created the website, making everything shareable and more readily available.”

Upon visiting the Nuestra Salud website, users can find access to recent studies, local health resources and an interactive medical directory for specific services. The accompanying podcast, Nuestra Salud con el Dr. Pablo Rodríguez, has been named to the Top 100 Spanish Language Podcasts by Feedspot.  

Rodríguez emphasizes that health literacy is the largest predicter of poor health outcomes: more than race, education, ethnicity or income. He hopes that Nuestra Salud can put an end to misinformation online and foster a community where the best health care is available for all Rhode Islanders.

“Many people try to compensate for their low health literacy by searching on Google, and many of [the results] are bad sites with incorrect information,” Rodríguez says. “That’s why our mission is ‘the best medicine is information.’”

While his accomplishments are far-reaching, there is nowhere else Rodríguez would rather serve than in the smallest state.

“The ability to completely change a state with a citywide effort is something that is really special about Rhode Island,” he says. “It’s so much better than anywhere else, I think.” —Leah Popovic

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Julie Owens

Supporting local entrepreneurs to lessen the divide.

Julie Owens remembers the moment that started her journey with Social Enterprise Greenhouse. 

Photo by Dee Speaks

She was sitting in the organization’s hub listening to Kelly Ramirez, its longtime chief executive officer, talk about her passion for the work. Owens walked away from the talk with a renewed sense of purpose.

Despite a long career as a consultant in the health care sector, Owens defines herself as a curious supporter, constantly listening and learning from others. For years, she was a participant in movements — attending protests and supporting individuals — but not at the forefront of them. 

Now, as CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse, she feels ready to lead. Her motivation stems from working with individuals who create something impactful as the organization evolves over time.

“What we drive toward is a Rhode Island economy that works for all,” she says.

The nonprofit organization supports local entrepreneurs and businesses that create positive change. This includes both businesses that address a societal challenge directly as well as those that incorporate greater societal impact into their efforts. The core of SEG is to create an economy that equips entrepreneurs with what they need to succeed. It connects those who chose to be entrepreneurs (opportunity entrepreneurs) as well as those who pursued a job out of need (forced entrepreneurs).

Because of her background, connecting entrepreneurs to health care remains a priority in Owens’ role. She works to help people in Rhode Island access the health care they need and navigate the system. She also works closely on equity initiatives with organizations such as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Rhode Island Black Business Association.

Owen cites the change in the composition of the organization’s partners as her proudest achievement at SEG. Five years ago, 20 percent of the businesses and organizations Social Enterprise Greenhouse worked with were led by people of color. This past year, that number rose to 70 percent. The organization has reached more than 5 million people through its work with more than 2,200 businesses in the fields of education, training and employment, health care, financial services, food, housing and the environment. It has a heightened focus on businesses led by those who have been historically excluded and those with high-impact potential.

Owens says she hopes to use her voice to speak for those who are not present, so all perspectives are represented.

“To be a part of this amazing community that sees this and tackles it head on is a privilege,” she says. —Kat Sheridan

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Lisa Ranglin

Achieving equity for minority-owned businesses.

Lisa Ranglin knows the importance of economic opportunity.

Photo by Dee Speaks

The youngest of nine children, she emigrated to the United States with her mother from Jamaica in 1986 and put herself through night school while working full-time at Jewel Case Factory. Later, as a young professional, she took on multiple jobs, working at a local nonprofit during the day and cutting hair at her salon on Manton Avenue in Providence by night. Education, she says, was a game changer in her life, opening space for her to serve as a businesswoman and leader in the community.

“It gave me this huge opportunity to move from poverty into sustainability,” she says.

Today, she is president and chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Black Business Association, an organization she helped found in 2010. RIBBA advocates for the state’s minority-owned businesses, creating professional development opportunities open to all and encouraging companies and the state to invest crucial capital in the sector.

“What we’re doing as an organization is really working intentionally to eliminate the racial wealth gap so all Rhode Islanders in need can actually thrive,” she says.

Among the organization’s accomplishments are partnering with the University of Rhode Island to found an Emerging Leaders Development Program and working with funds from Rhode Island Commerce to award microloans to small businesses. Earlier this year, the once volunteer-run organization moved its thirteen full-time employees into a new headquarters on Smith Street in Providence. The location offers prime access for lobbying the General Assembly and pressing the state to meet its minimum requirement for contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses — a threshold that rose to 15 percent last year, despite a track record of failing to meet the previous 10 percent minimum.

“We still continue to see that minority businesses and women-owned businesses are shut out,” Ranglin says.

Despite the successes, Ranglin says the organization still has a long road ahead. In recent months, she’s turned her attention to the housing crisis and working to scale up Black-owned construction firms to help alleviate the shortage. She also warns of a disturbing trend in the corporate sector: Diversity, equity and inclusion programs, once top-of-mind in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, have seen less investment and in some instances have been dismantled following last year’s Supreme Court ruling striking down affirmative action in college admissions, she says.

“I would encourage leaders to hold the line. Equity is ensuring that the person is getting what they need,” she says.

As for Christiana Carteaux Bannister, Ranglin says she’s honored to receive an award named for a prominent Black Rhode Island woman — one who, like her, used her salon to achieve economic independence and advocate for all those who came behind.

“She was a powerful advocate, very fierce, like me,” she says. “She has paved the way for many of us that are doing this important work.” —Lauren Clem

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Julio E. Sabater

Ensuring equitable access to mental health care.

Julio Sabater has always taken an interest in building. He started his career in architecture before deciding to approach his professional life from a different angle: Rather than building structures, Sabater laid the foundation for new endeavors in health care, becoming a licensed clinical psychologist.

Photo by Dee Speaks

“Mental health particularly is something very important and integral to any human being,” Sabater says. “So, in that area, I wanted to build something.”

For more than twenty-five years, Sabater, who has a doctorate in psychology, has advocated for protecting the rights of underserved populations to access high-quality psychological services. He kick-started his career gaining experience in several roles, including working as a milieu clinician, school psychologist and clinical therapist. His involvement with Worcester, Massachusetts, and Providence public schools also gave Sabater the opportunity to collaborate on special education initiatives to increase equitable access and bilingual education services for Rhode Island and Massachusetts youth.

These awarded accomplishments led Sabater and his wife Ivelisse to found their company, Sabater Laboratory for Psychological Innovations Inc., in 2015. For nearly a decade, the pair has worked to provide proper psychological assessment and mental health services in the Pawtucket community.

As an immigrant from Puerto Rico, Sabater’s interdisciplinary skillset gives him the unique opportunity to connect with the Spanish-speaking community. His goal is for services at SabaterLAB to benefit individuals from all backgrounds in greater Pawtucket.

“The mission is to serve uniquely diverse communities, and we want to [empower] them,” he says. “Through our exchange, that person feels empowered, and then they can accomplish what they need.” 

SabaterLAB is a bilingual, trauma-informed mental health clinic that offers evidence-based care to children, adults and families in both Spanish and English. In 2021, the Sabater duo established the SabaterLAB Foundation to support their clinical efforts. Through grants, donations, fundraisers and partnerships, the foundation has set the tone that all communities deserve equal access to mental health care.  

The SabaterLAB Foundation is a SkillsRI Employer Partner for the PrepareRI Summer Internship Program, as well as a mentoring partner for the Learning Through Internship program at the Met High School. Through these initiatives and others, Sabater hopes to improve the longevity of equitable health care, training a new generation of like-minded professionals who yearn to make a change.

Sabater’s active community involvement has also helped increase access to local, municipal and state resources for Pawtucket’s Black Block Cultural District. The organization, where he is a founding board director and chief equity officer, intends on implementing a grassroots governance structure with a just transition system to properly serve and assist community members for decades to come. —L.P.

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Meghan Grady

Connecting with cultural roots while meeting basic needs.

When Meghan Grady heard that Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island was looking for an executive director in 2019, the news hit close to home. At the time, she was watching her father support her elderly grandparents as they aged in place, a task central to the organization’s mission.

Photo by Dee Speaks

Grady, who grew up on the East Bay and studied political science and communications at Merrimack College and public administration at Roger Williams University, has always worked in the nonprofit sector with a focus on public health. She began her career at the American Heart Association and most recently served as chief operating officer at YWCA Rhode Island before taking the position at Meals on Wheels. Upon her start at the organization, it became clear changes were needed.

“For fifty years, our work had been incredibly consistent. And at that point in our history, our board was interested in modernizing,” she says.

While the organization has always excelled at its core mission — delivering meals to seniors in need — it’s now focused on expanding to serve new populations and tailoring services toward economic empowerment and anti-racism. Since 2019, she’s overseen the launch of culturally sensitive menus so individuals from Latino and Asian communities can receive meals more typical of their culture. The organization has also started a congregate dining cafe program in partnership with Progreso Latino and the Center for Southeast Asians where seniors can gather regularly with others from their communities.

“It really is the right thing to do to bring people food that’s representative of their culture, because that’s the food people want to eat,” Grady says.

In addition, the organization has partnered with the Office of Veterans Services to host dining cafes for veterans in Warwick and Woonsocket. In recent years, it has also expanded its program beyond seniors to deliver meals to perinatal women and families as well as chronically ill people. Beginning last summer, the organization offered its first home delivery for seniors on Block Island and now offers a summer lunch program for the island’s children.

“Now we can truly say that we are a statewide organization with service in every Rhode Island community,” Grady says.

With all the changes, Meals on Wheels has grown its program 30 percent since 2019 and serves 1,500 individuals weekly. During the pandemic, Grady found herself at the head of an emergency response organization as Meals on Wheels served as many as 4,000 meals each day. She credits the board and volunteers with helping the organization to move swiftly through the pandemic and continue to grow in the years since.

“As an organization, we are incredibly proud and excited about how we’ve been able to diversify and be able to ensure equitable services,” she says. “I truly believe that we’re leading the nation in this space of being innovative with Meals on Wheels and serving the population beyond the older population we’ve traditionally served.” —L.C.

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Lauren Nocera

Advocating for a more equitable Rhode Island.

Lauren Nocera’s involvement in health care and LGBTQ+ advocacy started young, in the 1990s. Growing up queer during the HIV epidemic, his budding identity helped launch his journey as an activist. He was born and raised in Rhode Island and continues to work within the local community.

Photo by Dee Speaks

Early on, he learned how to advocate from Providence-based Youth Pride Inc. The nonprofit organization, founded in 1992, offered him mentorship and peer support as a young person; in fact, the first time he visited the State House was with Youth Pride. He advocated to improve policies affecting LGBTQ+ people in Rhode Island, including within the Department of Education, skills that would later serve him in starting his own consulting firm, Expedition Consulting.

Nocera earned a master’s degree in public health from Boston University and another in social work from Rhode Island College. He also has a professional certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion from Cornell University.

Before forming Expedition Consulting, Nocera worked in health care equity. As an executive at Thundermist Health Center, he helped transition the health center to a trauma-informed institution and increase naloxone distribution throughout Rhode Island. He also served as the state’s first opioid settlement manager and was the policy lead for the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Health Equity Institute. He served as an addiction policy scholar at Georgetown University Law Center’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, where he created the Equity Expectations Policy, a resource to help governments center equity in their approach to opioid settlement spending.

“I can best use my talents to help engage people in the processes now,” he says. Nocera’s approach to activism, he says, allows him to create change through teaching and inspiring other people and organizations who want to be activists.

He has extensive experience advocating for the LGBTQ+ community, including pushing for the state’s Health Care Provider Shield Act, which protects providers offering gender-affirming and reproductive health care. He was a founding member of the Campaign for Marriage Equality and developed the state’s first food pantry to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. He also founded Trans Swim and led the first Thanksgiving Day meal for trans and gender diverse people in Rhode Island.

“Lauren has been a persistent and tireless advocate working to create a more equitable, just and inclusive Rhode Island for thirty years,” a colleague wrote in his nomination.

Nocera’s work at Expedition Consulting allows him to build on his past legislative advocacy. He works with organizations and coalitions to develop new policies in areas including grant-making, workforce programs and economic development with the goal of driving equitable and structural change. It is important, he adds, to develop widespread networks that practice solidarity, showing up for other people’s priorities.

“Solidarity matters,” he says. —K.S.

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Lisa Raiola

Empowering small business owners through culinary education.

Lisa Raiola had no intention of starting a culinary incubator.

Photo by Dee Speaks

The Bristol resident, who has a background in public health and higher education, was recovering from uterine cancer when she got the idea to found a meal delivery service for people who, like her, were driven by illness to a cleaner and healthier diet. While searching for a space in 2009, she stumbled upon a vacant, 18,000-square-foot school building in Warren.

“It occurred to me as I was standing there that there must be a lot of people like me that want to start food businesses, don’t have the money, don’t have the know-how [and] can’t find a compliant space,” she recalls.

Five years later, Hope & Main officially launched in that school building as the state’s first culinary incubator. The nonprofit organization welcomes budding food entrepreneurs to join an incubation program offering education, access to kitchen space and assistance with marketing and logistics. Sixty percent of the organization’s member businesses are women-owned, and 45 percent are owned by people of color, many of them first-generation immigrants and refugees who want to build a business based on their foodways.

“These are businesses that are critical to building generational wealth for these families,” Raiola says. “It just diversifies our food landscape and builds a more vibrant food economy for our state.”

Since its founding in 2014, Hope & Main has helped launch close to 500 businesses. Five years after launch, 45 percent of those businesses are still operating, compared with a success rate of 8 percent in the wider culinary industry. Raiola attributes this to their members’ access to funding partners and markets including Hope & Main’s onsite Makers Market and the organization’s Downtown Makers Marketplace that opened in Providence in 2023.

“We want to empower them to the point where they’re sustainable outside of Hope & Main,” she says.

Prior to her work with Hope & Main, Raiola worked primarily in the public health field as a faculty member and administrator at Brown University and Roger Williams University. Her understanding of public health led her to look at the business world in a similar light and realize not everyone comes to the table with the same opportunities.

 “If you’re trying to hit a home run, some people are born on third base, and some people are not,” she says.

Her commitment to equity extends beyond Hope & Main to her involvement with the Rhode Island Center for Justice and the Local Return, which just launched the Rhode Island Community Investment Cooperative. Hope & Main is currently building out a West End campus to add another six shared-use kitchens and four graduate kitchens in Providence, and Raiola says she’d like to explore the idea of a member ownership model.

“We’re seeing a future where people have access,” she says. “Where people’s potential is respected. And we’re understanding just how powerful believing in human potential is.” —L.C.