Eastern Bank Foundation Welcomes Natalia Urtubey as New Foundation Fellow Focused on Advancing Equity in the Small Business Ecosystem

Public servant and nonprofit leader joins Eastern Bank Foundation from the City of Boston’s Office of Economic Opportunity & Inclusion where she was Director of Small Business

Eastern Bank Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Boston-based Eastern Bank, is pleased to announce Natalia Urtubey has joined its team as a Foundation Fellow focused on advancing equity in the small business ecosystem, a strategic area in the Foundation’s work to support economic inclusion and mobility across the region. Eastern Bank Foundation Fellows bring deep expertise to the Foundation’s investments to affect profound systems change to eliminate inequities.

“Entrepreneurs and business owners serve as building blocks for the local economy, especially in communities and Gateway Cities where economic opportunity is declining and economic mobility is stalled,” said Nancy Huntington Stager, President and CEO of the Eastern Bank Foundation. “Supporting their growth provides real opportunity for economic participation and improved community health, and we are thrilled to welcome Natalia Urtubey as an Eastern Bank Foundation Fellow to help advance this work. Her background as a civic and nonprofit leader and experience leading collaborations and advocacy in our small business community create many exciting opportunities from which to grow our Foundation’s focus on building ecosystems of support for business owners in historically underrepresented communities.”

Ms. Urtubey’s extensive knowledge of local neighborhoods and the small business community, combined with her background in creating growth strategies and building partnerships across community stakeholders, make her ideally situated for this new Foundation Fellow role. She most recently served as Director of Small Business in the Office of Economic Opportunity & Inclusion for the City of Boston. She led a team focused on researching small business development, coordinating with local residents and existing businesses on strategic policies to advance growth, and working with residents and other city officials to remove barriers to do business. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Urtubey was instrumental in leading the city’s Small Business relief efforts, including the distribution of more than $28.6M in direct grants and the implementation of innovative programming to ensure the growth and survival of Boston’s small businesses. Before then, she was Executive Director of Imagine Boston 2030 where she led the implementation of the citywide plan.

She is a strong advocate for the nonprofit sector, serving as a board member of several nonprofits including the Dorchester YMCA, Future Chefs and Hyde Square Task Force, and has engaged many community partners to drive collaborative action. In the small business community, she serves as an Advisor to Small Business Strong and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Foundation for Business Equity. In 2020, she was recognized as one of Ten Outstanding Young Leaders by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and I am committed to ensuring their economic opportunity and advancing equity in our communities for and with them,” said Natalia Urtubey. “I am honored that the Eastern Bank Foundation has welcomed me as a Fellow, and I look forward to collaborating with the Foundation and its many community partners.”

The Eastern Bank Foundation works to support the growth of entrepreneurs and businesses of color through capacity building, access to capital, and connections for contracts as part of its strategic focus on advancing equity through the work of nonprofit organizations and collaborations driving economic inclusion and mobility. The Foundation seeks to fund organizations that build networks and a stronger ecosystem for business owners of color, including Black, Latinx, Asian, Women, LGBTQ+, Veterans and people with disabilities. It has recently supported the Foundation For Business Equity, Massachusetts LGBT Business Network and Center for Women & Enterprise, among others.

About Eastern Bank Foundation

Created in 1994, the Eastern Bank Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Boston-based Eastern Bank. Through philanthropy, employee volunteerism, advocacy and collaborations with other businesses and community partners, Eastern Bank Foundation responds to community needs and supports sustainable solutions to our communities’ most vexing challenges across eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. To learn more, visit easternbank.com/foundation.

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