The Asian Community Fund to Honor Equity Champions Geeta Aiyer and Bob Rivers at Inaugural Gala
August 26, 2024
Boston, MA (August 21, 2024) – The Asian Community Fund (ACF) at the Boston Foundation will honor changemakers Geeta Aiyer, President and Founder of Boston Common Asset Management, and Bob Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors at Eastern Bank, during its Inaugural Gala. The gala will be held on Thursday, October 3 at 5:30 PM at the Westin Copley Place in Boston and will feature cultural performances, dinner, networking, and a dessert reception, with proceeds directly supporting ACF as the only philanthropic fund in Massachusetts dedicated to developing and strengthening AAPI community power.
The Inaugural Gala, which is co-chaired by Renee Inomata, Partner at Casner & Edwards, and Raj Sharma, Founder and Managing Director of the Sharma Group at Merrill Private Wealth Management, is expected to convene more than 450 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders, allies, and partners in honoring Aiyer and Rivers, whose contributions have advanced greater visibility and belonging for AAPI residents and other communities of color.
“The Asian Community Fund is leading the way in AAPI representation and narrative change in Boston, Massachusetts, and beyond. Geeta, as a pioneer in sustainability and social justice, and Bob, as a champion of business equity and influential ally, exemplify ACF’s mission of creating change for the AAPI community,” said Gala Co-Chair and TBF Board Member Raj Sharma, “ACF’s Inaugural Gala is a special opportunity for us to recognize their commitment and express our gratitude as we continue to work together in achieving equity.”
The celebration will also highlight ACF’s leadership in seeding and anchoring vital community-led coalitions like the Asian Business Empowerment Council and the AAPI Arts and Culture Collaborative. This year, ACF awarded $450,000 to 52 nonprofits serving AAPI communities across Massachusetts, bringing ACF’s cumulative grantmaking to over $1 million since 2022.
“Since its inception, the Asian Community Fund has made monumental strides in convening and amplifying Asian-owned businesses, fostering partnerships and multiplying the impact of wonderful AAPI community organizations,” said Gala Co-Chair and ACF Steering Committee Member Renee Inomata. “I am proud to play a role in elevating the impact of ACF’s nonprofit and business partners and the outstanding contributions of Bob and Geeta. With their collective leadership and collaboration, we will continue to advance ACF’s mission of building a more equitable and inclusive region.”
Individual tickets are now available for purchase for the 2024 Asian Community Fund Gala. For sponsorship opportunities or questions on how to support the event and ACF’s ongoing work, please contact Danielle Kim, Executive Director of ACF, at danielle.kim@tbf.org.
2024 Honorees
Geeta Aiyer, President and Founder of Boston Common Asset Management, will be recognized as the inaugural AAPI Honoree for her remarkable work as an entrepreneur, business leader, and social activist, whose advocacy spans environmental and social justice.
When Aiyer created Boston Common Asset Management in 2003, she was inspired by the belief that public equity investing is the most effective vehicle for generating corporate impact because equity ownership gives investors a voice with unique access to company management. Under Aiyer’s leadership, Boston Common Asset Management, which managed $4.3B in assets as of June 30, has built a strong investment record and meaningfully improved the policies and practices of portfolio companies through proactive shareholder engagement. A member of the South Asian-American community, Aiyer has outstanding achievements in championing business equity and women’s leadership and continues to be recognized for her efforts in promoting social and environmental responsibility both nationally and globally.
In 2022 she was awarded TiE Boston’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2023 TIME named Aiyer, to the inaugural TIME100 Climate list, recognizing the 100 most innovative leaders driving business climate action.
From 2015-2017, Aiyer was on the Board of UN PRI, becoming the first US asset manager elected to serve. Today, she serves on the boards of the Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR). She is also the Chair and Co-Founder of Direct Action for Women Now Worldwide (DAWN), a nonprofit that works with local organizations to address gender-based violence.
Bob Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors at Eastern Bank, will be recognized as the inaugural Ally Honoree for his committed partnership and advocacy in supporting AAPI communities and entrepreneurs of color.
A 40-year community banker who started his career as a teller, he is a graduate of Stonehill College. In addition to his leadership of Eastern Bank, Greater Boston’s leading local bank and the largest bank-owned independent investment advisor in Massachusetts, Rivers is involved extensively in the community. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Massachusetts Business Roundtable, The Lowell Plan, and The New England Council. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees of Stonehill College, the Advisory Boards of the JFK Library Foundation, Lawrence Partnership and UTEC, as well as the Boston Women’s Workforce Council and The Boston Club, in addition to providing support and guidance to numerous other non-profit organizations.
Rivers also serves as a Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education, comprised of more than 100 Massachusetts companies and business associations focused on raising awareness about the need for a more robust and sustainable network of early childcare and education. A co-founder of Eastern’s innovation hub, Eastern Labs, which has pioneered new products with fintech’s and advanced digital banking services, Bob also serves on the Advisory Board of the Mass FinTech Hub. In 2023, he was appointed to the Federal Reserve’s Federal Advisory Council. Rivers has been recognized by many organizations for his work in championing diversity and social justice and has been regularly named among the Top 10 “Most Influential People in Boston” by Boston Magazine, and to the Boston Business Journal’s Power 50 list.