Hands in Harmony

Nicole is an assistant clinical professor and director of URI's Music Therapy program. Nicole received a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Anna Maria College and a Master of Arts in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music. She is a Neurologic Music Therapy Fellow and has completed level I neonatal intensive care unit training. She is the founder and executive director of Hands in Harmony, a local 501c3 nonprofit offering neurologic music therapy throughout Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. She was the recipient of the Changemaker Award for Music Therapy Advocacy, Presidential Award for NER-AMTAS, and Ad Astra Advocacy Recognition Award.  She serves as the chair of the music therapy task force of Rhode Island (throughout the passing of the music therapy licensure in Rhode Island), the NER-AMTA Government Relations Representative, RI Arts and Health Network Steering Committee, and the RISCA PHG Overhaul Workgroup

Richard has been volunteering with Hands in Harmony for 4 years. He has been the Treasurer of NEACT for 10 years, and the Treasurer of Whitinsville Fish and Game Club for 5 years. Richard is an Adjunct Professor at Fitchburg State University and has taught chemistry for 17 years in addition to being a Chemical Engineer for 17 years.

Alyson has been working with Hands in Harmony for one year. Alyson earned her BA through Duke University, focusing on biological anthropology/anatomy. She received her law degree From the University of PA in 2008 and maintains her BAR in MA, NJ, and NY. She earned her MA in Bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in 2016. After graduating from law school in 2008, she went on to be an attorney who worked with businesses, advocacy groups, members of the press, and state agencies to fund innovation, hold corporations accountable, and advocate for services. Alyson was published in the Bloomberg Law Reports in 2009. Alyson has worked as a Communication Paralegal, a Developmental Assistant, a Communications Specialist, a Business/Communications Analyst and an Operations Analyst.

Rob Panoff founded RPM, a marketing and strategy consulting company in the networking and telecommunications industry twenty years ago. He particularly focused on developing and implementing successful strategies for new products and markets, and also implementing regional community broadband networks. Prior to founding RPM, Rob worked for 25 years in a variety of companies, helping to establish and grow several to become successful publicly-traded corporations. Rob has been active in the leadership of a number of industry organizations and now serves on several non-profit boards; including the South County Healthcare System, the Harvard Business School Association of Southern New England, FirstWorks, and Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG). Rob holds a BA from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and resides with his wife in Saunderstown, RI.

Mr. Seymour has over 45 years of finance and investment experience in international and emerging markets through 18 years at Bankers Trust living and working in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe, and Latin America; 13 years at Commonfund Capital managing international/emerging markets private equity and venture capital funds of funds; 4 years at EMP Global, a Washington based emerging markets private equity firm; and since 2010 with Pontefract Global Strategies, LLC (PGS). PGS advises private equity, venture capital and social impact investment firms in frontier emerging markets on global best practices. Mr. Seymour has served on 18 international, emerging market and domestic private equity and venture capital fund advisory boards. For 23 years he served on the board of directors of the Ashmore Africa Emerging Markets Fund and currently is on the board of Chiratae Ventures India.

Mr. Seymour devotes considerable time to advise non-profit and for-profit social enterprises and mentoring social entrepreneurs in Rhode Island. He has served on the board of Social Enterprise Greenhouse, an accelerator for start-up social impact enterprises, and Chairman of the Loan Committee since 2012. Mr. Seymour is a graduate of Yale University with a BA in International Relations and Harvard Business School with an MBA in International Finance. He served four years in the U.S. Navy submarine force and has held CFP and CFA designations.

Lisa Ahart is the vice president of U.S. Corporate Human Resources & EHS at Toray Plastics (America), inc., which specializes in high performance films, synthetic fibers and textiles, carbon fibers, plastics, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.  She serves as the key liaison for all U.S. based human resource functions across the U.S. Toray Group and is responsible for recruiting, organizational design and development, employee relations, labor relations, compensation, and benefit plan negotiations. Ms. Ahart also ensures compliance with all applicable state and federal labor laws.  She is the corporate Vice President for the Environmental Health and Safety department where she oversees all facets of the environmental and safety programs for both Toray Plastics locations in Rhode Island and Virginia.  Prior to joining Toray Plastics in 2003, Ms. Ahart was the employee relations manager at St. Joseph’s Health Services of Rhode Island.  She received her B.A. in Labor and Industrial Relations from Rhode Island College and M.S. in Labor Relations and Human Resources.  Ms. Ahart has earned the SPHR, GPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications.  She was named the 2018 Chief Human Resources Officer by the Providence Business News.