Our Team
Cara Solomon, Founder, Creative Director
Cara was raised in Wayland and now lives in Jamaica Plain. She came up with the idea for Everyday Boston based on conversations with people who live or grew up in the city, and her own experiences as a reporter for The Seattle Times and the Hartford Courant. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, she worked with community members to design EB’s curriculum; continues to facilitate EB’s workshops; and focuses largely on The Bridge Project and Storytelling to Build Medical Trust. Most recently, she worked as Communications Manager for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School. She is a die-hard fan of Dunks, fried clams, and talking to strangers on the street.
Email her at: cara@everydayboston.org
Sydney weekes, program coordinator
Sydney, a Boston native, is a master’s student at George Washington University studying legislative affairs. Prior to her work with Everyday Boston, she has been very involved within the Boston community, working with Heal the Hood as Executive Assistant and creating arts healing initiatives. She also worked with City Councilor Julia Mejia’s team as lead coordinator for a men’s summit featuring local businesses and fireside discussion panels in English and Spanish. Much of Sydney’s academic research focuses around rehabilitation for low income or marginalized communities, reparations and human right violations, and education reform. In her free time, Sydney enjoys music and seeing underground or small-scale concerts, writing poetry, drawing and painting, or trying new foods and restaurants! She also operates Ara Collections, a brand featuring organic, small batch beauty and a focus on mental health and self care.
Email her at: sydney@everydayboston.org.
CHERYL HARDING, STRATEGIC ADVISOR
A lifelong community advocate, Cheryl seeks to build trust between Bostonians and the institutions that serve them, and to bridge perceived differences across demographics and generations so we can work together to make the city a better place for all. She has served in a range of roles, from Founder of the nonprofit From Roots to Wings, which supported grandparents raising their grandchildren, to Field Director for Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s campaign. At Everyday Boston, Cheryl is leading a community visioning process for Storytelling to Build Medical Trust, an NIH-funded learning series that brings healthcare providers and BIPOC community members together to focus on their shared humanity and practice their people skills.
Email her at: cheryl@everydayboston.org
STephen Pina, BRAND AMBASSADOR
Steve’s story is one of resilience and determination. Wrongfully convicted in 1996, he spent 28 years in prison before new evidence led to his release in 2022. Since then, Steve has been a strong advocate for those who have been wrongfully convicted, working with the Exoneree Network and creating his own social enterprise business, Never Not Working. At Everyday Boston, Steve focuses on creating community partnerships that raise the visibility of EB and amplify its ideals. A larger than life personality, he also regularly interviews people for our social media channels. Despite not yet being formally exonerated, Steve remains steadfast in his pursuit of justice, driven by the desire to clear his name for the sake of his family and loved ones.
Rebeca Gomez Baez, FACILITATOR
A facilitator and training specialist with over 13 years of experience, Rebeca’s approach to facilitation is deeply informed and ensures she’s creating dynamic, inclusive environments that honor all learning styles. Her professional journey has woven through the fields of education, youth and leadership development, and coaching, always with a focus on equity.
Her personal mission is dedicated to advocating for accessible and inclusive spaces for BIPOC communities. Rebeca hopes to empower individuals and organizations to unlock their potential and foster cultures of belonging, and comes to Everyday Boston fueled by the motivation to see our communities connect.
Sophie Wadsworth, facilitator
Sophie helps entrepreneurial business leaders to create compelling, story-powered presentations that build trust, captivate audiences, and spark action. Sophie served as Executive Director for The Nature Connection and Adjunct Professor of English, University of Massachusetts Lowell. A selected storyteller for WGBH’s Stories from the Stage on PBS/World Channel, she has coached leaders to elevate their public speaking at Intel, Dana-Farber, Biodiversity Funder Group, Boys & Girls Club, Amazon Web Services and Greentown Labs. She lives near Boston.
RACHAEL CINA, FACILITATOR
Rachael is a macro social worker specializing in intimate partner violence prevention and response. She believes that conversation and connection are the key to building safe communities, and is thrilled to be working with Everyday Boston doing just that! Rachael is an experienced facilitator, and has worked with middle and high school students, college students, social service professionals, and non-profit organizations.
Guided by the motto “Nothing about us without us,” Natanja brings an unwavering passion for community solutions, her unique lived experience, and over 20 years of nonprofit and philanthropic expertise to her work as Executive Director of the Boston Women’s Fund. At a young age, she was inspired by activists defending her community from systemic injustice. Their success spurred her strong belief in grassroots organizations’ power to drive change. Committed to creating spaces for women of color, Natanja co-founded the Women’s Leadership Circle, a program uniquely designed to tackle the impacts of isolation and white supremacy culture in the workplace. She enjoys singing 80s love songs at karaoke, traveling, and being a mother and grandmother to her three daughters, two sons, and granddaughter Mila, all of which she could not do without her loving husband Jason.