Meet the New England judges

Tanya Bakalov
Founder & CEO, HelloTeam
2016 regional winner

Tanya Bakalov is the CEO and Founder of HelloTeam, a modern employee engagement and performance management platform that is redefining the way companies engage and retain top talent. In 2005, Bakalov left her position as a Senior Consultant at Deloitte to co-found SevOne, where she served as COO and Chief People Officer. Under her leadership, the company grew to more than 500 employees worldwide and generated nearly $100M annually, making it the industry leader in digital infrastructure management software. Using her experiences in scaling SevOne, Tanya created HelloTeam in 2016 to address a growing problem in the workplace: providing business leaders with data and insights needed to build strong and data-driven people strategies. In collaboration with her global team, Bakalov advances the mission to empower each individual within an organization, boosting productivity, transforming the employee experience, and enhancing overall business and company culture. Her groundbreaking work as a two-time female founder earned her several awards, including the prestigious 2016 EY Entrepreneur of the Year® award. Bakalov is also Managing Partner at VT Technology Ventures and a member of the Horn Entrepreneurship National Advisory Board at the University of Delaware. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and MIS from the University of Delaware. Back to top

Katherine Kostereva
Founder & CEO, Creatio
2023 Regional Winner

Katherine Kostereva is the Founder and CEO of Creatio, a global vendor of a no-code platform to automate workflows and CRM with the maximum degree of freedom. As a leader who has been in the tech industry her entire life, Katherine has always envisioned creating a world where any business idea could be automated in minutes. With this in mind, she bootstrapped Creatio without any external capital in 2014. Under Katherine's leadership, Creatio has been consistently delivering strong results, maintaining market-leading growth. Today, Creatio, headquartered in Boston, has 700 employees in seven offices and local representatives in 25 countries of the world. Creatio's success is a testament to the exceptional time-to-value that Creatio no-code platform delivers to its clients in 100 countries around the world. Creatio is recognized as a Leader and a Strong Performer by top analyst firms like Gartner and Forrester and has some of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry. To educate the world about no-code, in October of 2022, Katherine published a vendor-agnostic book, The No-code Playbook, that empowers teams to deliver business applications of any complexity with no-code. Katherine has been named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 in New England, Top 50 SaaS CEO in 2018 - 2023, Stevie Award Winner, Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS 2018 - 2023 and more. Back to top

Stephen Aborn
CEO, FreightPlus
2024 Regional Winner

FreightPlus is an industry provider of data-driven transportation management, offering businesses customized and fully tailored managed transportation solutions in a boutique environment where clients get the individual attention they deserve. FreightPlus combines first class customer service with innovative technology and industry best practices to help mid-size and growing companies work efficiently in the $800B domestic transportation market.

Originating as transportation consultants, our goal remains saving clients’ money. Identifying challenges with middle market and fast-growing companies such as compliance and market volatility, we refined our strategy. Investing in technology and assembling experts, we offer real-time solutions. Our team ensures clients navigate the volatile market efficiently. With pricing experts and process improvement, we drive productivity and savings. Our unique approach enables clients to provide superior service at below market prices, enhancing their bottom line. Customers trust us for timely and secure shipments. At FreightPlus, we redefine transportation management, empowering businesses to thrive. Back to top

Brittany Sperling
Vice President, Stride Consumer

Brittany is a Vice President at Stride Consumer Partners, a consumer-focused investment firm in Boston. Prior to joining Stride, Brittany was a Vice President at SKKY Partners and L Catterton, where she invested in, worked alongside, and served on the boards of several founder-led consumer brands such as 111SKIN, TRUFF, and Boll & Branch. Earlier in her career, Brittany was an Associate at The Carlyle Group and an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs. Brittany received her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and graduated with honors from Princeton University with an A.B. in Public and International Affairs and a certificate in Latin American Studies. Back to top

Eric Girouard 
Founder & CEO, BRUNT Workwear 
2024 Regional Winner     

BRUNT Workwear is a modern work boot and apparel brand designed for today’s blue collar worker. Founder Eric Girouard realized that the 23 million Americans who wake up each morning and lace up their work boots deserve better than what the legacy brands offer them in both product, service, and community engagement. BRUNT launched in 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic, with only 3 employees working out of Eric’s home garage and sold out within the first 9 days of launching the business. Based on the incessant demand from their loyal customer base, BRUNT has since expanded into the work apparel category and has become the head-to-toe workwear brand for the modern blue collar construction worker and tradesperson in just 3.5 years. BRUNT’s tireless focus on comfort and quality while maintaining a competitive price, coupled with its incredible brand power, has allowed the company to expand rapidly to not only become one of the fastest growing companies in the US, but also a household name on job sites across the country. BRUNT has 55 employees and has grown over 100% each year. Back to top

Joshua Aviv
Founder & CEO, SparkCharge
2022 Regional Winner

Joshua is a certified data scientist and the Founder and CEO of SparkCharge. His experience in Clean Tech and Automotive OEM Industry spans 10 years, and he is a dynamic figure in the cleantech community. Joshua has raised over $50MM to advance EV Charging infrastructure and Clean Tech Initiatives across the country. Josh was named on Insider’s 100 Business Insider’s Transformers list and EY Entrepreneur of the Year. Joshua was featured on Shark Tank, winning partnerships with both Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner. Josh is democratizing access to electric vehicle (EV) charging energy and accelerating EV adoption for everyone. Back to top

Greta Bajrami 
Founder & CEO, Golden Group Roofing
2023 Regional Winner

Greta Bajrami, the CEO and founder of Golden Group Roofing & Solar and Rootless, a technology platform focused on e-learning and consulting services. Bajrami emigrated to the United States from Tirana, Albania. She grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she attended Worcester State University.

During her senior year of college, Bajrami decided to turn an inspiration into a multimillion-dollar brand. Bajrami, who had no prior experience in the exterior remodeling industry, recognized the need for quality and implemented technology to enhance the customer experience. Bajrami’s exceptional achievements within the construction industry have garnered national recognition throughout the United States.

Bajrami’s unwavering leadership and her representation as a female in a male-dominated industry have earned her the respect and admiration of many aspiring entrepreneurs within her field. The Worcester Business Journal recognized her accomplishments by naming her to the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017. Remodelers Magazine honored her innovation by awarding her the Big 50 award in 2019. Pro Remodeler named her to the 40 Under 40 class of 2021, and she was recognized as a finalist for Female Roofer of the Year in 2021. Additionally, she was awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year® New England Award in 2023 and Boston Business Journal 40 under 40 Class of 2024. Bajrami has taken a personal mission to transform the construction industry and advocate for women within this field.

Greta Bajrami is an accomplished speaker, educator, and inspirational figure who engages audiences on diverse topics, including “Success is a State of Mind” and “Overcoming the Persistent Failure Mindset.” As an Executive Board of Director and Vice President of the North East Roofing Contractor Association, and as a Foundation Board Member and Scholarship Committee member of Worcester State University, Greta Bajrami contributes significantly to the professional and educational development of individuals. Back to top

Jeff Glass
CEO, Hometap Equity Partners LLC
2023 Regional Winner

Jeffrey Glass is the CEO of Hometap, a Boston-based fintech company on a mission to make homeownership less stressful and more accessible. With three decades leading technology companies as founder and CEO, and later investing across industries as a Managing Director at Bain Capital, he brings a blend of operational and investment experience to his role. Under his leadership, Hometap has pioneered a new model of home financing that aligns homeowner and investor interests through innovative financial products backed by modern technology and exceptional service.

Glass holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Political Science from Amherst College. Back to top

Gabriela Weiss
Principal, Advent International

Gabriela is a Principal focused on buyout and growth equity investments. She's part of the firm’s business and financial services team, supporting and advancing Advent’s leadership in the wealth management, fintech and financial data sectors.

Gabriela has supported nine transactions across the US and Latin America. Most recently, she led Advent’s minority investment in Fisher Investments (FI), a leading independent, fee-only investment adviser, valuing the company at $12.75 billion enterprise value. Gabriela serves as an Observer of the FI Board. In 2022, Gabriela supported the $2.7 billion take-private of NielsenIQ, which combined with GfK to create a leading global provider of information and analytics in consumer and retail measurement, and now sits on the board of the combined company.

Furthermore, she is actively involved in ASPire, a women’s sponsorship program that encourages Advent leadership to help cultivate opportunities for future female leaders and helps recruit and train new associates.

Gabriela received a BS in Mechanical Aeronautical Engineering, with honors, from the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA) in Brazil, where she served as a lieutenant in the Brazilian Air Force, and an MBA, with honors, from Harvard Business School. Back to top