Our People

Cara Belvin is a social entrepreneur known for her role as Founder and CEO of Empower, a nonprofit organization for children and young adults who have experienced the loss of a parent.  Cara is an energetic and visionary leader and has expanded Empower from a local grassroots movement to an international nonprofit.  Inspired by the loss of her own mother Kit to breast cancer when she was 9 years old, Cara formed Empower in 2013 after a recognized need in the community to support children who had experienced the loss of a parent.

Cara is a visionary leader and holds a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Connecticut and an M.S. in Psychology from Tarleton State University.  She began her career as a School Psychologist in Temple, TX working with children with disabilities and later transitioned her career into nonprofit management. Cara frequently speaks on issues surrounding adversity, women’s empowerment, and social entrepreneurship. Cara’s efforts have been featured on CNN, The Today Show, ABC, PBS NewsHour with Judy Woodruff, and more.

Jeff, an innovator and nonprofit entrepreneur, has been focused on transforming heartbreak into hope throughout his career.  Having experienced the death of his wife, only grandparent, mother, father, best friend and 9-year old niece over a handful of years, Jeff has turned his lived experience into a catalyst for change serving a number of the nation’s leading grief-related nonprofits.

An expert in branding, fundraising, and scaling nonprofits, Jeff most recently served as the founding staff member and Group President of Elizabeth’s Smile, a nonprofit operating in the US and UK serving grieving children and surviving caregivers.  Elizabeth’s Smile funded groundbreaking research into the status of childhood grief, and developed a series of research-backed guides to help people understand how to best support grieving children.

Jeff’s professional experience with grieving children was rounded out by leading the exponential growth of Experience Camps.  Jeff also served as the CEO of the United Way, where he stewarded 10 years of declining revenue into a $2 million surplus. He also served as the Executive Director of  Circle of Care for Families of Children withCancer, and the development director at Greens Farms Academy during a transformative fundraising campaign.

Jeff’s career began In the US Senate, where he served as a deputy press secretary for then-Senator Joe Biden, but he spent most of his time in Washington working for Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV.  Jay’s passion for children’s issues, including health care, mental health, education and poverty, inspired Jeff deeply.

Jeff, who lives in Westport, Connecticut with his dog Winslow, is an avid abstract painter and award-winning writer. He is the father of two children: Lexi, who works in finance in New York City and was the captain of the Georgetown Women’s Basketball team, and Elyse, a graduate of the University of Richmond who is earning her Master’s, taking a leading role on their soccer team and pursuing a career in UI / UX and graphic design.

Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Sam received her BA in Education from Kent State University and then made the move to the South Shore of MA where she obtained her Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a Nonprofit and Civic Leadership concentration from Bridgewater State University. She is a talented and compassionate professional with over 15 years of extensive experience in the nonprofit sector and youth development.

Sam was one of our first Empower volunteers in 2013 and worked closely with founder Cara Belvin to develop all mission and fundraising initiatives. Sam served as one of the first Mentors in 2015 when the Mentor Program launched. She is passionate about our mission and longed for an organization like Empower following the loss of her brave, beautiful mother Anne Marie when she was 17 years old.

Joanie Quealy joined Empower in 2014 as a volunteer and worked closely with founder Cara Belvin to build the only mentor program in the world for children in grief.   Joanie assumed a number of critical assignments in the early development of Empower, assisting with the establishment of not only the mentor program but the event series that today continues to build community for children and adults of parent loss.   Currently, Joanie serves as Empower’s Senior Mentor Program Coordinator and is responsible for all mentor training, screening, coaching and monitoring.

Joanie has over 30 years of experience as an RN in Pediatric nursing and in her tenure, Joanie provided health care and triage to undergraduate students at Boston College. While at Boston College she also played an active role in several health education initiatives specifically related to Women’s Health.  Joanie attended Colby Sawyer College and St. Elizabeth’s School of Nursing.

Ali Thomas is a dynamic leader and manager of all field coordinators across the globe.  Ali is a longtime friend of founder Cara Belvin and experienced the loss of her mother Doreen to cancer when she was 17 years old.  Ali joined Empower’s efforts as a volunteer in 2020 and later joined Empower as the Mentor Program Manager.  Ali’s passion is unwavering and was a driving force in the Empower expansion to serve all children of any parent loss.

Ali attended Eastern Connecticut State University and spent over 20 years building and developing teams in the public and private sector and worked with various leadership groups at the University of Oklahoma.

Ali can be contacted via email at: ali@weareempower.org.

Grace was born and raised in a suburb outside of Philadelphia, PA and currently resides in Los Angeles. Grace attended Penn State University before moving to the West Coast to explore new passions. Grace has spent the last eight years observing and assisting in Social Media Management for her family’s non-profit foundation which honors her beautiful older brother Kevan who she sadly lost. After experiencing the loss of her brother, her desire to help and support others only grew, especially in the grief space.

Grace has always had a passion for lending a hand wherever needed and helping others. Her passion for Empower’s mission continues to grow each day and she looks forward to the love and support this organization will bring to others for many years to come. When Grace is practicing work-life balance, you can find her out for a run, spending time with her family, recording episodes of her podcast or walking her dog Kora!

Abby Hennigan is a storyteller, creator, and artist who brings deep empathy and creative energy to her role as Content Generator at Empower. As a former mentee, Abby knows firsthand the life-changing impact of meaningful connection after loss. Her own experience of losing both parents as a teenager led her to Empower, where she found a supportive community and lifelong friendships that helped shape her healing journey and inspired her desire to help others.

Originally from Hopkinton, MA, Abby grew up in New England and holds a degree in Music Therapy and Psychology from Berklee College of Music. She most recently served as Program Manager at Hope Floats, a Massachusetts nonprofit grief center, where she managed support programs for grieving children and created marketing content.

Abby is passionate about using creativity as a force for connection and healing. She is honored to help tell the story of Empower’s mission and amplify the voices of grieving children, teens, and young adults—so they feel seen, supported, and never alone. Abby now resides in Nashville, TN, where she is also a singer-songwriter and uses music to tell stories and connect with others.