Steve Grossman '60

Steve Grossman '60 is CEO of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a Boston-based nonprofit that builds and sustains small business ecosystems in cities across the US by connecting inner-city business owners with the tools needed for success: capacity-building education, coaching and access to capital. 
Steve cares deeply about racial justice; narrowing the racial wealth gap is at the heart of his work. Steve points out that economic disparities have intensified during the pandemic: from February to April this year 41% percent of Black-owned businesses closed compared to 17% of white-owned businesses. For Steve, the most rewarding aspect of ICIC is the personal relationships he develops coaching ICIC cohorts. In mentoring, he draws on his early career on Wall Street, his 35 years running his family's business, Grossman Marketing Group, and his service as Massachusetts State Treasurer from 2011-2015. As Treasurer, he spearheaded the Small Business Banking Partnership, a program that resulted in more than 10,000 small business loans totalling $1.6 billion and which prioritized businesses owned by women, minorities, and immigrants. All these threads combine in his current role, making him an invaluable leader and mentor.

Steve points to Shady Hill as his most formative educational experience. To Steve, "The most important aspect of my Shady Hill education was the School's ability to carefully and thoughtfully weave together moral leadership and creative, critical thinking."

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