Deborah Frieze

Founder and President

Boston Impact Initiative

Deborah Frieze is an author, entrepreneur and social activist. In 2013, she founded the Boston Impact Initiative, an impact investing fund working to close the racial wealth divide in Eastern Massachusetts. The fund takes an integrated capital approach, combining investing, lending and giving to build a resilient and inclusive local economy. Deborah is co-author (with Margaret Wheatley) of Walk Out Walk On, an award-winning book that profiles pioneering leaders who walked out of organizations failing to contribute to the common good—and walked on to build resilient communities. She is also founder of the Old Oak Dojo, an urban learning center in Boston, MA.

A favorite quote of Deborah is “Start anywhere. Follow it everywhere.”